Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1998 14:32:37 -0700 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> Cc: Mark Ovens <marko@uk.radan.com>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Regulated names (was: Crazy Laws) Message-ID: <4.1.19981226141941.058890f0@mail.lariat.org> In-Reply-To: <19981227080030.58332@welearn.com.au> References: <4.1.19981226110528.05881580@mail.lariat.org> <Your <4.1.19981224112052.05a31740@127.0.0.1> <4.1.19981224174155.03dd8670@127.0.0.1> <368378AB.969463E2@uk.radan.com> <4.1.19981225064918.05738f10@127.0.0.1> <19981226021926.65101@welearn.com.au> <4.1.19981225180656.05a34790@mail.lariat.org> <4.1.19981225190800.058aee00@mail.lariat.org> <36852104.F849F0E5@uk.radan.com> <4.1.19981226110528.05881580@mail.lariat.org>
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At 08:00 AM 12/27/98 +1100, Sue Blake wrote: >Close, Brett, but you still don't seem to get it. Yes, I do get it, in all its inglorious vulgarity. >> You see, in the US, the word "ass," when used to refer a part >> of the human body is considered mildly vulgar. > >And here "ass" is a donkey. Our word "arse" is probably equivalent. Yes. But there's another twist; see below. >> But "fanny" doesn't have the connotations it does in other countries, >> and so is used as a EUPHEMISM for that word in polite company. > >No, no, no. You still don't seem to realise what you're saying to us. >It's not about connotations; the word has an entirely different >*meaning*. Actually, it seems that the American and British/Australian variants have a common origin; the meanings have just drifted apart anatomically as well as semantically. See the OED. >It refers to an importantly different part of the anatomy. In America, the word "ass" is, in some contexts, used to refer to that part of the anatomy, too. As in "piece of ~". (See an unabridged American dictionary or, again, the OED.) Nonetheless, an American generally wouldn't interpret the term "fanny pack" as being a crude name for a feminine hygeine product (which is almost the only possible interpretation in British English). >At this rate I'm surprised we ever managed to interbreed. I'm not. Partners of different origins seem to like to tease one another about such differences. They're often good for a giggle. --Brett To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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