Word Up
On my busy, busy whirl around London town today, I was given a flyer:
As the leaflet says, you can join in the fun here.
The point of my mentioning this, apart from to send the language-lovers amongst you off on an etymological archeology expedition, is to express some surprise at the relative youth of some of the expressions listed. I'm convinced that I used both "on the pull" and "mullet" before the dates quoted, but of course I've no proof whatsoever, so either my memory is paying tricks on me or the BBC's research is a bit rubbish. To start with, are they really proposing that it took the residents of Newcastle (or, more likely, the fans of Newcastle FC) until 1991 to think of a derogatory generic term for residents of Sunderland (or fans of Sunderland FC)?
What's more, if "bouncy castle" didn't exist until 1986, then I didn't go on one till I was a teenager, and I'm sure they didn't let teenagers on bouncy castles in the 80s.
My memories of my youth, which was obviously largely spent going out on the pull on bouncy castles, whilst loudly mocking people with mullets, are severely disturbed. Tell me I'm not going mad.
posted by Pashmina @ 8:39 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
'Mushy peas' were very much on the menu at our local chippie as early as 1962. However, I do remember them being called marrowfat peas on the packets you could buy. These were dried peas you had to soak with some horrid chemical tablet. So maybe 'mushy' was just the vernacular term until Batchelors started marketing them ready prepared in cans.
I love mushy peas. Excellent for soaking up large amounts of alcohol at 2.30am, as I remember.
Very interesting list. I had never heard of 'muller' before. And Patroclus will have lots to say about 'cyborg' I'm sure.
What's frustrating about this word hunt thing is the need for written evidence (spoilsports) - it's all very well remembering stuff, but being able to prove it is another matter.
I've heard of 'muller' as an adjective: "he was completely mullered" (ie drunk as a lord), but never as a verb. I want to know what it means now. Have a feeling for some reason it's to do with hitting people, but that's probably wrong.
I too am hoping very much that Patroclus will have an opinion about 'cyborg'...
Arrgghh, arrggghh! Cyborg is (surely) a contraction of "cybernetic organism", but without my trusty textbooks on gender and technology, I can't help. Must go home *immediately* and look things up. Ohhh, I foresee a lot more timewasting ahead...Pash, what have you done?
NB back in the 80s I seem to remember referring to the mullet as a "footballer haircut", for lack of a better term. But that might just have been because I was at a dead posh school tucked away in the wilds of northern Scotland.
Heh. I thought that would sucker you in. I look forward to your producing some dazzling evidence that will prove the BBC wrong.
Now, with the mullets - I agree, back at school it was a "footballer's haircut" (mind you, that might just have been because I was at a slightly posh school tucked away in the wilds of north west London). However I am fairly convinced it was at University (ie pre-1994) that I first heard it referred to as a mullet. But obvioulsy there is no proof.
I was just thinking how much more fun going 'on the pull' would be if you really could do it on bouncy castles...You may have spotted a niche in the dating market :-)
actually that sounds like a Smack the Pony sketch
Ah, this is really interesting. There will be of course regional variations. Some things that we would have said here for decades are only just being used on the mainland causing the confusion that they are relatively recent adages. I don't see how this can all be accurately and correctly recorded really. It is fun though.
wow i didnt know some of these words were so recent, and likewise so old. i cant say i used any of them before the dates the BBC have, but i suppose the most recent is only 1995.
how are you supposed to get proof anyway? well i have complete faith in pash and patroclus to find some.
You could maybe cheat and get a piece of paper, write down a word, and date and sign it 30.01.1955 or something. But they'd probably realise. And it would be absolutely pointless.
Ah thse words are great! I didn't know porky has only been used since 1980 something. Unless it hasn't been of course.
I always thought 'muller' was spelled 'mullah'.
I am sure I went on bouncy castles in the 70s and maybe even late 60s. Maybe they were calling them something different then.
According to the first page of the flyer its not just the BBC's research but the OED's. I thought they were better than that.
Are they really saying that the first instance they can find of 'full monty' is 1985? And they have no idea of the origin?
I understood it to come from pre-war times and referred to getting a suit from Burton's (founded by Montague Burton)
As for 'something for the weekend' surely by 1990 contraceptives were so widely available it was no longer necessary for barbers to supply them so euphemistically - I had that down as a wartime or post-war phrase.
But finding documentary proof... thats another thing altogether.
Ah, now funny you should say that about 'the full monty' - I always thought it was the Montague Burton thing as well, but I am informed by someone associated with the TV programme that's eventually going to come out of all this (you knew there had to be one) that there is some debate in etymolgical circles about whether the phrase comes from that or from a reference to Field Marshall Montgomery's breakfast.
I kid you not.
Either way, it strikes me that it must have originated around WW2 (according to my grandfather it's about Burton suits being demob ones), but as you say it's getting hold of the documentary evidence. Most frustrating.
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