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stranger
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OP
stranger
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I am searching for the origin of, or an history regarding the phrase "boobie prize" ...
thank-you in advance,
Nanette
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Welcome aBoard, nanowiz, and thank you for an interesting question.
Over in the UK, "booby" is a derogative term that dates back a couple of hundred years, possibly more (NicholasW - any ideas?) It is probably a corruption of "baby"
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Welcome to our singular gang of wordsters, nanowiz!  Hope you stick around! Here's a good start on your question, form a site called Online Etymology Dictionary: booby - 1599, from Sp. bobo "stupid person, slow bird." Booby prize is c.1900, an object of little value given to the loser of a game; booby-trap is c.1850, originally a schoolboy prank; the more lethal sense developed during World War I. Helen and bel, you better leave this thread alone...don't start! [edit:] Here's the Etymology/booby prize page link url, sorry I omitted it: http://www.geocities.com/etymonline/b3etym.htm
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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a prize awarded to the booby, or that person with the lowest score -- the OED speculates [probably ad. Sp. bobo, used both in the sense of ‘fool’ and ‘booby’ (the bird), [itself] of doubtful origin.]http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
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> Boobie prize
- another name for a consolation prize
- a lemon
- a dummy
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addict
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addict
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Ah nanowiz you'll find there ain't no booby prize here, every day is a rewarding experience!
WELCOME
Hev
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Joined: Dec 2001
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addict
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addict
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Helen and bel, you better leave this thread alone...don't start!Hey, WO'n, can I start????????? Welcome aBoard nanowiz!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Helen and bel, you better leave this thread alone...don't start!
Hey, WO'n, can I start?????????Well, Angel, I guess I should have included the phrase and the usual suspects after mentioning Helen and bel, 'cause it seems a lot of "the ladies (and I use that term [ahem] loosely) of the board" are competing for the "Most Gutter Police Citations of the Year Award"! ain't that so, Jackie?...you keepin' track here?...hey, wait a minute!...our resident GP seems to be in the running, too!  So, sure, go ahead, Angel, take it away...somebody's got to do it I guess!  And, here, let me help you...from the same Online Etymology Dictionary site: boobs - 1929, U.S. slang, probably from much older term boobies, related to 17c. bubby. Singular form boob first attested 1909, Amer.Eng. [speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil-e] the link for verification: http://www.geocities.com/etymonline/b3etym.htm
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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This site I came across, Online Etymology Dictionary, isn't in Max's reference links. Have we come across this one before, and if not, how could we have missed it? Is it new? Are you familiar with it, tsuwm? Here's the Homepage URL: http://www.geocities.com/etymonline/index.htmlBook it, Dano!"
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addict
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So, sure, go ahead, Angel, take it away...somebody's got to do it I guess! Why, thank you WO'N. Did I mention that while I was on vacation in Yellowstone, that we also visited the Grand Tetons? And we all know what Grand Tetons means!
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