[lace-chat] Expressions for OED
Janice wrote: pop one's clogs before 1977 (assumes pop means to pawn) I know pop was used for pawning things but I always thought this expression meant that the person had died. Yes, it does, but what the OED is trying to do is to find out where and when these expressions actually started. 'Pop' means 'to pawn' - I believe it had the same meaning in pop goes the weasel which refers to pawning either a dometic or tailor's flat iron or a weasel and stoat, rhyming slang for coat (just two suggestions as to what a weasel is). Often when things were 'popped' (ie handed in at the pawnbroker for money with the intention of later retrieving it when you had enough money to pay the pawnbroker what you'd borrowed plus interest) the person knew he/she could never afford to retrieve the item, or knew they would have no more use for it, so wouldn't need to find the money to retrieve it. Clogs were footwear with studded soles worn by both men and women in parts of the north of England, and it's thought people pawned the clogs when they knew they were going to die and would have no further use for them - they'd get a better price by pawning than by selling. But, the expression doesn't seem to be known before the 1970s, when both the wearing of clogs and pawning items wasn't very common. Jean in Poole To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace-chat] Expressions for OED
Jean wrote: pop one's clogs before 1977 (assumes pop means to pawn) I know pop was used for pawning things but I always thought this expression meant that the person had died. Janice Janice Blair Crystal Lake, 50 miles northwest of Chicago, Illinois, USA http://www.lacemakersofillinois.org/ To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace-chat] Expressions for OED
Co-incidentally while we're discussing 'taking the mickey', the current edtion of the 'Radio Times' (TV and radio listings magazine), is asking for *printed or written evidence tied to s specific date* evidence (nothing from the internet or other sources) for some words and phrases to help out the 'Oxford English Dictionary'. They are looking for printed evidence of: bog-standard before 1983 doing a mooney (a synonym for mooning 1963) before 1990 pick 'n' mix before 1959 minger before 1995 - someone who smells foul. (minging dates from 1970, but the root noun 'ming' - human excrement or something smelling unpleasant - dates form at least 1920 in Scotland) nerd before 1951 and information on the word's origin (in 1950 'If I ran the zoo' by Dr Seuss included a picture of a nerd) phwoar before 1980 - first recorded use was in 'Viz' comic in 1980 mullet before 1994 - a hair style for men short t the front and long at the back. Mulket head is a stupid person from American slang measnng an imaginary fish with no brains, but is there another origin? bonk before 1975 (I assume it 's the having sex meaning) pop one's clogs before 1977 (assumes pop means to pawn) There's a six part series starting on BBC 2 on Monday at 9.00 pm called Balderdash and Piffle about expressions. Tje first one is The P words - pear-shaped, pig, polari and ploughman's lunch are what's listed, with the warning that the programme contains strong language. Jean in Poole, Dorset UK To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
