Sonic Youth Gossip - View Single Post

noumenal · 03.01.2007, 02:03 AM

Man's Best Friend

dog and bone

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1961
The telephone as we know it came into being in 1876, but the earliest evidence of its rhyming slang moniker is from 1961, would you adam and eve it? Cockneys, scratch your loaves and think, do you have earlier evidence of this expression? Go and have a butcher’s!
See the OED entry extract for
dog

dog's bollocks

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1989
According to the OED, the cat’s whiskers and the bee’s knees have both referred to ‘the acme of excellence’ since 1923, but the rather coarser dog’s bollocks doesn’t appear until 1989, courtesy of Viz magazine. Is this right, or can you dig up earlier evidence?
See the OED entry extract for
dog

mucky pup

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1984
Were you branded a mucky pup as a habitually messy child (or adult) before 1984? If you can sniff out earlier evidence you’ll make the OED happier than a dog with two tails.
See the OED entry extract for
mucky

shaggy dog story

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1946; information on the origins of the phrase?
Were yarn spinners telling shaggy dog stories before 1946? And did the first one actually involve a dog that was shaggy? There are many theories about early canine tales, but the crucial evidence has yet to be unearthed. Can you help to sniff it out? And do get straight to the point. No time-wasters please!
See the OED entry extract for
shaggy

sick puppy

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1985
This is not literally a young dog in need of veterinary attention, but the slang term for an individual who acts a little strangely. The OED are preparing a draft entry for this term, and have evidence dating from 1985. Can you trump that?
Put Downs and Insults

plonker

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1966
Like many good insults plonker sounds amusing, thanks to its relationship with the verb to plonk. Arguably the word enjoyed its heyday in the 80s as Del Boy’s favourite put down to Rodney. But the OED has an example of plonker as an insult from 1966 and an even earlier one where it means ‘a penis’.
prat

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1968; information on the origins of the word
Look up prat in the OED and you’re taken right back to 1000 AD. But the original sense of prat was as a trick or a prank. Later prat came to mean buttock or even hip pocket. So when and why did a prat become a fool or jerk? The earliest reference the OED currently have is from 1968, in a book by Melvyn Bragg. Do we really have Melvyn to thank for all the prats around us today?
See the OED entry extract for
prat

tosser

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1977
We’re not interested in the large Scotsman holding a caber - literally one who tosses. Instead we’re after the term of contempt which John Prescott recently slung across the House of Commons, and which is first cited in the OED from 1977. The associated verb to toss off, in the sense of masturbation, dates from a century earlier, so surely we can find the OED some earlier tossers?
See the OED entry extract for
tosser

wally

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1969; information on the origins of the word
This mild term of abuse is said by some to derive from the name Walter. But who was Walter and just what did he do to incite such scorn? A wally is also said to be an unfashionable person. But was the term in vogue before 1969? Get wally back a long way and it’s the dictionary folks that will look like wallies.
See the OED entry for
wally

wazzock

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1984, information on the origins of the word
Were you the first wazzock? The OED is convinced that the wazzock originated in the North of England before spreading further afield as a popular affectionate insult. Can you tell the OED anything new about the origins of the wazzock?
See the OED entry for
wazzock

Spend a Penny

domestic

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1963
Fans of Z Cars might be able to help the OED with the term ‘a domestic’ in the specific sense of a household argument. The current first quotation is from a magazine article translating British slang terms from the series for bemused Australian viewers, so the word must have been in use, probably in the series itself, before then. But did the script writers invent it or did they get it from the police themselves? Time for some detective work...
See the OED entry extract for
domestic

glamour model

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1981
Perhaps this term was born when Britain’s nude and topless models decided that they needed a more decorous job title to grace their CVs. Or perhaps it was invented by tabloid subeditors to add an air of sophistication to their third-page content. But did the euphemistic expression burst on to the scene before 1981?
See the OED entry extract for
glamour

loo

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1940; information on the origins of the word
A small word for the small room, but one that has caused a big stink among etymologists. With no firm evidence to support any one theory the loo debate looks set to continue. Did James Joyce invent the term in a pun about Waterloo? Is it from the French ‘lieu’ or ‘l’eau’, or even ‘bordalou’, a portable commode fashionable with ladies in 18th century France? With the first evidence of the word appearing in 1940, this last theory seems unlikely, unless you can find any earlier evidence.
See the OED entry for
loo

regime change

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1990
Did you instigate a regime change before 1990? And did you pause to note it down in your diary? The term originally referred to a simple change of government, but has more recently transformed into a euphemism for forcefully overthrowing a hostile foreign government. The first euphemistic use of regime change in the OED is from 1990 and relates to US activity in Nicaragua.
See the OED entry extract for
regime

whoopsie

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1973
Let us speak plainly here, did you do ‘whoopsies’ before 1973? This is one of the many euphemisms for excrement found in the OED and it first appears in a script of ‘Some Mothers do ave ’Em’. But perhaps long before Frank Spencer came on to the scene, whoopsie was the euphemism of choice in your household.
See the OED entry for
whoopsie

Fashionistas

flip-flop

WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1970
Ever hear the joke about the Frenchman in sandals? Phillipe Floppe? Never mind. The onomatopoeic word flip-flop referred to a somersault, an electronic circuit, and a manner of moving noisily, before it came to mean a rubber sandal beloved of antipodeans, although of course they call them jandals or (how wrong can you get?) thongs... Flip-flop is the word we are interested in here, and the OED wants your evidence of the word from before 1970.
See the OED entry extract for
flip-flop

03.01.2007, 02:03 AM	#2
noumenal expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,855	Man's Best Friend dog and bone WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1961 The telephone as we know it came into being in 1876, but the earliest evidence of its rhyming slang moniker is from 1961, would you adam and eve it? Cockneys, scratch your loaves and think, do you have earlier evidence of this expression? Go and have a butcher’s! See the OED entry extract for dog dog's bollocks WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1989 According to the OED, the cat’s whiskers and the bee’s knees have both referred to ‘the acme of excellence’ since 1923, but the rather coarser dog’s bollocks doesn’t appear until 1989, courtesy of Viz magazine. Is this right, or can you dig up earlier evidence? See the OED entry extract for dog mucky pup WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1984 Were you branded a mucky pup as a habitually messy child (or adult) before 1984? If you can sniff out earlier evidence you’ll make the OED happier than a dog with two tails. See the OED entry extract for mucky shaggy dog story WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1946; information on the origins of the phrase? Were yarn spinners telling shaggy dog stories before 1946? And did the first one actually involve a dog that was shaggy? There are many theories about early canine tales, but the crucial evidence has yet to be unearthed. Can you help to sniff it out? And do get straight to the point. No time-wasters please! See the OED entry extract for shaggy sick puppy WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1985 This is not literally a young dog in need of veterinary attention, but the slang term for an individual who acts a little strangely. The OED are preparing a draft entry for this term, and have evidence dating from 1985. Can you trump that? Put Downs and Insults plonker WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1966 Like many good insults plonker sounds amusing, thanks to its relationship with the verb to plonk. Arguably the word enjoyed its heyday in the 80s as Del Boy’s favourite put down to Rodney. But the OED has an example of plonker as an insult from 1966 and an even earlier one where it means ‘a penis’. prat WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1968; information on the origins of the word Look up prat in the OED and you’re taken right back to 1000 AD. But the original sense of prat was as a trick or a prank. Later prat came to mean buttock or even hip pocket. So when and why did a prat become a fool or jerk? The earliest reference the OED currently have is from 1968, in a book by Melvyn Bragg. Do we really have Melvyn to thank for all the prats around us today? See the OED entry extract for prat tosser WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1977 We’re not interested in the large Scotsman holding a caber - literally one who tosses. Instead we’re after the term of contempt which John Prescott recently slung across the House of Commons, and which is first cited in the OED from 1977. The associated verb to toss off, in the sense of masturbation, dates from a century earlier, so surely we can find the OED some earlier tossers? See the OED entry extract for tosser wally WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1969; information on the origins of the word This mild term of abuse is said by some to derive from the name Walter. But who was Walter and just what did he do to incite such scorn? A wally is also said to be an unfashionable person. But was the term in vogue before 1969? Get wally back a long way and it’s the dictionary folks that will look like wallies. See the OED entry for wally wazzock WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1984, information on the origins of the word Were you the first wazzock? The OED is convinced that the wazzock originated in the North of England before spreading further afield as a popular affectionate insult. Can you tell the OED anything new about the origins of the wazzock? See the OED entry for wazzock Spend a Penny domestic WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1963 Fans of Z Cars might be able to help the OED with the term ‘a domestic’ in the specific sense of a household argument. The current first quotation is from a magazine article translating British slang terms from the series for bemused Australian viewers, so the word must have been in use, probably in the series itself, before then. But did the script writers invent it or did they get it from the police themselves? Time for some detective work... See the OED entry extract for domestic glamour model WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1981 Perhaps this term was born when Britain’s nude and topless models decided that they needed a more decorous job title to grace their CVs. Or perhaps it was invented by tabloid subeditors to add an air of sophistication to their third-page content. But did the euphemistic expression burst on to the scene before 1981? See the OED entry extract for glamour loo WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1940; information on the origins of the word A small word for the small room, but one that has caused a big stink among etymologists. With no firm evidence to support any one theory the loo debate looks set to continue. Did James Joyce invent the term in a pun about Waterloo? Is it from the French ‘lieu’ or ‘l’eau’, or even ‘bordalou’, a portable commode fashionable with ladies in 18th century France? With the first evidence of the word appearing in 1940, this last theory seems unlikely, unless you can find any earlier evidence. See the OED entry for loo regime change WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1990 Did you instigate a regime change before 1990? And did you pause to note it down in your diary? The term originally referred to a simple change of government, but has more recently transformed into a euphemism for forcefully overthrowing a hostile foreign government. The first euphemistic use of regime change in the OED is from 1990 and relates to US activity in Nicaragua. See the OED entry extract for regime whoopsie WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1973 Let us speak plainly here, did you do ‘whoopsies’ before 1973? This is one of the many euphemisms for excrement found in the OED and it first appears in a script of ‘Some Mothers do ave ’Em’. But perhaps long before Frank Spencer came on to the scene, whoopsie was the euphemism of choice in your household. See the OED entry for whoopsie Fashionistas flip-flop WANTED: Verifiable evidence before 1970 Ever hear the joke about the Frenchman in sandals? Phillipe Floppe? Never mind. The onomatopoeic word flip-flop referred to a somersault, an electronic circuit, and a manner of moving noisily, before it came to mean a rubber sandal beloved of antipodeans, although of course they call them jandals or (how wrong can you get?) thongs... Flip-flop is the word we are interested in here, and the OED wants your evidence of the word from before 1970. See the OED entry extract for flip-flop
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|