DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
- Stanley
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Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I second that!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
Found myself using the phrase 'Dressed to the nines'. I know its been used on this site before but why 'nines'?
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
The origin doesn't seem to be clear.
I thought immediately of British Army Uniforms, but of the fourteen or so categories, Number Nine seems to be Tropical Combat Dress, which would hardly be the smartest. So I think we can safely forget that explanation.
The smartest would surely be Mess Dress or Number Ten - 'dressed up to the tens' doesn't have the same ring to it does it? I've got one in my wardrobe - which I've been promising myself to dispose of since 1985, but it's still there - I'll do it one day.
I thought immediately of British Army Uniforms, but of the fourteen or so categories, Number Nine seems to be Tropical Combat Dress, which would hardly be the smartest. So I think we can safely forget that explanation.
The smartest would surely be Mess Dress or Number Ten - 'dressed up to the tens' doesn't have the same ring to it does it? I've got one in my wardrobe - which I've been promising myself to dispose of since 1985, but it's still there - I'll do it one day.
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I tend to the school of thought that it is a superlative based on marks out of ten, so an excellent mark.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
The recent dry weather, with the fires on Saddleworth Moor, Winter Hill, and now (good heavens) in London at Wanstead Flats reminded me of the word 'sweeling' .
I can't find much reference to it via google - the only one which pertains to burning is Sweel / Sweal
Regular summer 'play' activity for kids at one time. We had no Snapchat you see.
I can't find much reference to it via google - the only one which pertains to burning is Sweel / Sweal
Regular summer 'play' activity for kids at one time. We had no Snapchat you see.
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
My mother used to put burning newspapers up the chimney to set fire to the loose soot. She called that sweeling the chimney. So in that case it was more accurately cleansing by fire. Done regularly all you got was a burst of smoke and ash, not a chimney fire.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
- Wendyf
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- Location: Lower Burnt Hill, looking out over Barlick
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
It was also called swaling, just a slight difference in spelling but more on Google!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
Thanks for that. It's one of those words that you speak, but rarely see written down.
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I'm sure I've asked this before but why do we say that people get on like a house on fire?
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I heard an interesting definition this morning on 'Something Understood' on R4. The lady said that in the Middle Ages when pilgrimage to holy Lands, the Sanct Terre, was a common practice, walkers who let it be known they were pilgrims (whether they were or not!) were said to be 'Sancte Terre ing' and this became corrupted over time into 'sauntering'. I like the etymology so much I haven't looked it up!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
You did right not to check it out - you must have had the same hunch that I had - fake def.
I have checked, and I think this from Wiktionary covers it -
"Various fanciful folk etymologies also given.[5][6]"
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I'll stick to the fake one..... I like it! I'm a great believer in 'the ring of truth' David....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
There have been letters to The Times because someone wrote that flapdoodle meant the same as `nonsense'. A northerner said that's wrong and it meant `panic'.
Nullius in verba: On the word of no one (Motto of the Royal Society)
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
perhaps he thought it had 'the ring of truth' about it.
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
No, I think that the 'flap' element triggered that one. 'flap' for panic originated in the RAF I think because of the waggling of the wings if someone was not certain what to do in a dangerous situation. Connotations with frightened hens flapping about.....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
A word i haven't heard for years "swig", take a swig from my bottle of tea ?
- Stanley
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- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
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Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I use it frequently Bodge, mainly for my early morning dose of cod liver oil and always denoting swigged from the neck of the bottle. All my sources note it as 16th century and of unknown origin.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I'm hearing `weaponise' used frequently. The car used to mow down people the other day was `weaponised'. Social media accounts are being weaponised. Bottles of acid have been weaponised.
Nullius in verba: On the word of no one (Motto of the Royal Society)
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
It conveys the concept clearly and so I don't object to it.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
A man on the radio this morning talked about an `up-tick statistic'. Does he mean a rise, I wonder? (I there such a thing as a down-tick?)
Nullius in verba: On the word of no one (Motto of the Royal Society)
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
Never heard that one.... Haven't heard 'dead cat bounce' lately either. Another economics based bit of language.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
My mystery object has reminded me of 'I'll give you a fourpenny one
Here's a link to the usual range of origins Take your pick. I'm going with the ice cream.
Here's a link to the usual range of origins Take your pick. I'm going with the ice cream.
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90699
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
Nice one David. The old pennies were big enough to make a knuckleduster effect if held between the fingers of a clenched fist, but that fails slightly in that only three were needed.
On a different note. 'To buckle down' to a job. In another age when I was doing heavy lifting all day I used to wear a heavy leather belt buckled up tight enough to give your stomach muscles something to bear against when they were under strain. It made a difference at the end of the day. So buckling down makes sense.
On a different note. 'To buckle down' to a job. In another age when I was doing heavy lifting all day I used to wear a heavy leather belt buckled up tight enough to give your stomach muscles something to bear against when they were under strain. It made a difference at the end of the day. So buckling down makes sense.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
I didn't look into that close enough - I judged it to be 'fake news' straight away, and didn't think it through.
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Re: DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS
Just heard the word 'otherising' used on LBC.
"You are otherising' my curly hair".
"You are otherising' my curly hair".
Born to be mild
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday
Sapere Aude
Ego Lego
Preferred pronouns - Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine
My non-working days are Monday - Sunday