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#172246 12/23/07 02:01 PM
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stranger
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stranger
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I recently used the phrase "greedy gus" in a story I wrote set in England. (I am Canadian.) An English reader told me that the phrase was really "greedy guts". Since I had always heard it
as "greedy gus", or probably "Greedy Gus", I tried looking it up, and found both usages in different sources. Is this a difference in British and American language? If so, I find the British
version more logical - and the American version more colourful.

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Welcome

I too had always heard it
as "greedy gus", and I'm in my 78th


dalehileman
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gus here.

welcome, faj!


formerly known as etaoin...
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OED1 cites greedy-gut(s) from 1550 for 'glutton'. DARE only has greedy-gut(s). (The UK version, 16th-18th century, is without the final s; the US 20th century is more likely to have the fional s.) Greedy Gus sounds to me like an eggcorn.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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makes sense.


formerly known as etaoin...
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And here I'd just assumed it was some old comic strip character. Thanks for the info, Nuncle.

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I've always heard guts.


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