tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post115462755684673544..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: tarp or tarpaulin?lynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53670396066499174532020-08-10T15:13:59.967+01:002020-08-10T15:13:59.967+01:00In Scots dialect, sandwich becomes SANGwich, with ...In Scots dialect, sandwich becomes SANGwich, with the first syllable exactly the past tense of sing.Shy-replyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01891566073375322808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-21915862541200631582015-01-28T04:03:32.271+00:002015-01-28T04:03:32.271+00:00Full disclosure - I'm married to an Australian...Full disclosure - I'm married to an Australian and lived in Oz a while.<br /><br />bruce also mentioned shortening words.<br />However, as mentioned with other examples, including in the original post, some of these aren't shorter.<br /><br />Re: ""We definitely use prezzies and piccies"<br />Same number of syllables, like foottie for football. However, I've never heard those terms used in North America. Maybe I missed the context and it was meant these were used by the Brits?<br /><br />I've also got a chuckle out of trannie/tranny. Grew up around lot of people fond of cars ("hot rods"), so some humorous sentences thrown around.<br /><br />Re: cray = crayfish = lobster<br />Not to be pedantic, but Lobster and crayfish are diff animals.<br />Recent discussion forum I read had someone joking bout the American "Aussie immitation" fav, "throw another shrimp on the barbie". Australian respondent said - "we don't call them shrimp, we call them prawns!". However, shrimp and prawns are different animals yet again. :)<br /><br />Re: shortening<br />A lot of words are shortened in the states. My theory is that it's just for efficiency.<br />Just returned from visiting inlaws in South America. Always surprised by the number of syllables required to say something a quarter the number could be grunted out in "Murican" to communicate the same thing.<br /><br />My 2/3 cents...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-38884391913528903192013-07-04T19:25:43.846+01:002013-07-04T19:25:43.846+01:00My personal opinion is that a lot of Americans say...My personal opinion is that a lot of Americans say TARP instead of TARPAULIN because they're not sure how to pronounce TARPAULIN. My grandfather pronounced it to rhyme with Napoleon (tarpoleon) which made me think it was Southern dialect, possibly uneducated Southern dialect. I see that that is given as Merriam-Webster's third pronunciation, so at least it's accepted as a possibility. Just saying TARP eliminated any possibility of misunderstanding.LizBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09774136317032738463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1155238311121352022006-08-10T20:31:00.000+01:002006-08-10T20:31:00.000+01:00Bruce, your AusE definition of trannie as a transi...Bruce, your AusE definition of <I>trannie</I> as a transistor radio is interesting to me because I've always been amused by the two coexisting meanings of <I>tranny/trannie</I> in the U.S., used by two different speech communities who don't often overlap: to an auto mechanic, a car's tranny is its transmission; in the GLBT world (and in "adult entertainment"), a tranny is a transsexual. The latter was the meaning I heard first, so I have a hard time keeping a straight face when I hear a mechanic talking about "flushing a tranny."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17198310727349521010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154920555730938192006-08-07T04:15:00.000+01:002006-08-07T04:15:00.000+01:00Interesting. I've been an (informal) student of Au...Interesting. I've been an (informal) student of Australian colloquialism and "slanguage" for many years, mainly because we seem to be losing so much of it thanks to a monocultural TV invasion. I've found that we also have a propensity for shortening words. (We definitely use prezzies and piccies.)<BR/><BR/>For example:<BR/>barbie = barbecue<BR/>arvo = afternoon<BR/>footie = football (as in Aussie Rules, not that round ball thing!)<BR/>kero = kerosene<BR/>meths = methylated spirits<BR/>turps = turpentine (or alcohol)<BR/>sav = saveloy<BR/>trannie = transmission or transistor radio (not wireless)<BR/>pollie = politician<BR/>projjie = projectile<BR/>cray = crayfish = lobster<BR/><BR/>True colloquialisms ("As happy as a bastard on Father's Day"; "Flat out like a lizard drinking water") are a worthy subject all by themselves -- and great for confusing my American relatives and friends! ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154855963908888032006-08-06T10:19:00.000+01:002006-08-06T10:19:00.000+01:00Tarpaulin is the more formal term in the States, s...<I>Tarpaulin</I> is the more formal term in the States, so I'm not surprised it's on the package. But when Americans go camping, they don't tend to say "Have you brought the tarpaulin?", whereas a Briton would.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154846892135331662006-08-06T07:48:00.000+01:002006-08-06T07:48:00.000+01:00By the way, he brought the "tarp" back from the St...By the way, he brought the "tarp" back from the States, and it says "tarpaulin" on the package.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154693514504383012006-08-04T13:11:00.000+01:002006-08-04T13:11:00.000+01:00AHHH...thanks very much for the two explanations A...AHHH...thanks very much for the two explanations AND for a way to get information without bothering you TOO much!!! ;-)<BR/><BR/>Have a great weekend!<BR/><BR/>Janet<BR/>(lordcelery.blogspot.com)Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16494516976868488211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154688920053909642006-08-04T11:55:00.000+01:002006-08-04T11:55:00.000+01:00The etymology of moggie (or moggy is unclear. It'...The etymology of <I>moggie</I> (or <I>moggy</I> is unclear. It's probably from the name <I>Maggy</I>, but see <A HREF="http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mog1.htm" REL="nofollow">World Wide Words</A> and <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moggy" REL="nofollow">Wikipedia</A> for some discussion.<BR/><BR/><I>Sarnie</I> is clipping + diminutive -<I>y</I> from <I>sandwich</I>, as it is/was pronounced in some northern dialects.<BR/><BR/>Quick tip for finding the origins of words: Put the word and "etymology" into Google.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154682052347129162006-08-04T10:00:00.000+01:002006-08-04T10:00:00.000+01:00Kathy, I don't live too far from Bicester. When I...Kathy, I don't live too far from Bicester. When I first moved to Oxfordshire and heard what I thought was "BIS-ta" mentioned on traffic news, I looked and looked on the map to find this mysterious place. My "husby" (talk about mangling English...that's what I accidentally called him the morning after we got married, and it has STUCK as a nickname!) finally told me that the town I was looking for was BICESTER.<BR/><BR/>Lynnequist -- Off topic a bit, but where in the world did THESE 2 terms come from: moggie (sp?), and sarnie? (Apologies if you've written about these before...I didn't do a thorough search of your archives!)<BR/><BR/>Janet<BR/>(lordcelery.blogspot.com)Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16494516976868488211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154679749433598182006-08-04T09:22:00.000+01:002006-08-04T09:22:00.000+01:00Funny you should mention this: My husband, who is ...Funny you should mention this: My husband, who is in the States now, just told me he was bringing back a tarp. <BR/><BR/>I've noticed lots of shortened words here: snaps (snapshots), brolly (umbrella). They are especially fond of lopping off whole syllables, like in Bicester. <BR/><BR/>And then there's the inability to say "around" instead of "round". I just read this in an academic work. But I do think it's cute. I use it when I want to sound British.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154648486561860402006-08-04T00:41:00.000+01:002006-08-04T00:41:00.000+01:00Are those really shortenings, though? They're as ...Are those really shortenings, though? They're as many syllables as the original words, so one can't say that it involves much less effort or time to say them. <BR/><BR/>Most BrE speakers wouldn't see <I>nappies</I> as a shortening of <I>napkins</I>, although historically it is. That is to say, the formal version of <I>prezzie</I> is <I>present</I>, but there is no more formal version of <I>nappy</I>. BrE <B><I>nappy</B></I> = AmE <B><I>diaper</I></B> and BrE <I>napkin</I> = AmE <I>napkin</I>.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1154647264865861822006-08-04T00:21:00.000+01:002006-08-04T00:21:00.000+01:00How about prezzies (presents), piccies (pictures),...How about prezzies (presents), piccies (pictures), nappies (napkins?). Though who knows... maybe this is a recent trend and they are just trying to emulate us half-wits over here. Crimbo!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com