I could've posted this in the Brit slang thread, but I'd hate to "butt" in...[grin]
In the Ticket to Ride thread, Rhuby thanks stales for bringing up the expression with a ta.Brits will also say ta-ta to mean "bye-bye."

Wassup with the tas?

I searched for "ta, ta-ta" and all I found was Ta-Ta Taylor. Amazing pictures.

Wassup? Just what you'd expect.

ta is short for thanks as you quite rightly said. Just short for the word I s'pose. Better than saying tha!!

Ta-ta is a shortened version of 'ta-ta for now' (TTFN). No idea of its etymology but it has as much meaning as ciao. TTFN always seemed upper class to me but now I see that it's quite universal and pops up everywhere.

Dr Bill,

Thanks for not disappointing me.

Dear AS: Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Regrettably, last line is a lie.

Regrettably, last line is a lie.

Not goin' there....no way....can't make me!

My impression was that TTFN meant "that's that for now." I guess this illustrates - once again - the hazards of using acronyms: they can be expanded in more ways than one. In this case at least the meaning is unchanged.

I guess this illustrates - once again - the hazards of using acronyms: they can be expanded in more ways than one.

On a board I frequent one of the posters used the acronym, YMMV. It was for, "Your mileage may vary" indicating that the software in question might or might not run as well on the questioners machine. The questioner asked for clarification as he thought perhaps YMMV meant, "You make me vomit"

Now, in this case I think he was just being funny but it does illustrate how people can get so used to using acronyms at work or in a field they are familiar with that they start to mistake them for real words.

Personally I prefer "you make me vomit" for ymmv. I plan to use it from now on.

hee hee

Apart from all the reasons given above the short answer is rather old fashioned baby talk, particularly in the North of England (can't speak for elewhere).

I can hear the parent saying:

Parent: "Say ta" (thank you)
Toddler "ta"

Parent: "Say ta ta" (bye bye)
Toddler: "ta ta"

Parent: "Time for ta tas" (time for a sleep)

I can't imagine how children learn anything!

In answer to a PM on the subject, I replied:-

"Ta" is an extremely frequent Brit abbrev. for thank you - sometimes with a superlative added, such as, "Ta much", or even, "Ta a Mill." (million, in case you wondered!)

It can be a bit confusing at times, when we use another abbrev. for "good-bye" - "Tat-ta". If you are ina rush, and someone hands you something just as you rush off, you might find yourself saying, "Ta! Tat-ta."

Jo has averred that it is common in the North of England, and I will confirm that it is just as common in the south.

"TTFN" - definitely "Ta-ta for now," meaning "good-bye for the present" - came from a radio show that was immensely popular in UK during the Second World War. It was used by comedian Tommy Handley to end the programme each week and very swiftly became a popular "catch-phrase". So far as I can make out, it was a dig at the burgeoning use of initials by the military during the war. EDIT: sorry - just realised I haven't said the name of the show, which is extremely relevant! it was called ITMA - acronym for It's That Man Again! ("that man" being Tommy Handley, of course)

Another one that stems from the same period was "DVM&WP" which was used as caveat to accompany a promise of future action, as in, "I'll complete the repair by next Tuesday, DV, M & WP"

The usual small, but magnificant, prize for the first ayleur to unravel what that means!

Dunno if I stand alone on this in Oz - but I use "ta" all the time.

Used to say ta-ta a lot, but think I use seeya most of the time now.

stales

DV, M & WP
I am not an ayleur* (grr), but I tried anyway. Can't think of anything that makes sense for the first 3, but I bet the last 2 stand for weather permitting.

*For new people: ayleur is a word-acronym coined by someone who was here some time ago. Anything You Like Except Unanimous. He added the r because he thought it sounded more like a word that way.

In the US and Canada, the most likely place where someone has heard "Ta ta for now" is out of the mouth of Tigger, of Winnie-the-Pooh (and Disney) fame. (Of course, all those characters were British originally, but Tigger's pretty US sounding in the cartoon.) Now we know where he got it from!

Now we know where he got it from

Strictly speaking, of course, it's where the Disney script-writers got it from - A.A.Milne wrote the Pooh-Bear stories long before the Second World War

I always believed 'ta' is an abbriviation for 'thanks a lot'.
If somebody already said that, then ta.ta-ta for now

taa-daa -- we seem to be getting all ta-ta-logical now!

Dear RC: "DVM&WP" = Deo volente, Mood & Weather Permitting

Dear Max: of course you know I was only guessing.

Deo volente
Um...God willing?

Dear Jackie: I think "Deo volente" is an ablative absolute, but have no idea where to check it. I think it means " (If)God Wills it "

ablative absolute
This is Greek, to me.

It's Latin to me, but just barely. The ablative of the noun and the participle of the verb. I found some stuff about it on Internet, but not suitable to cite here.

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.


Deo Volente,

contracted into D. V. (Latin). God being willing; by God’s will.

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Which is available on bartleby: http://www.bartleby.com/81/4860.html

...by next Tuesday, DV, M & WP

I'm partial to the imitation-hillbilly "if the good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise," myself..

>I'm partial to the imitation-hillbilly "if the good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise," myself..

Of course to be geographically correct, those of us who have lived in the southern Appalachians would more likely hope that the Cherokee don't rise. The Creeks were farther south. Sort of like the ones in my ankles and knees.

I quite often say "Ta-me" when someone I know reasonably well does something for me. It was only when I was challenged about it a couple of months ago that I stopped to wonder where the hell I had picked it up. Then I remembered - it was the "word" that my niece used to use for both "please" and "thank you" when she was learning to speak.

Ah well, it's stuck for 26 years. Another few won't hurt anything, will they?

I'm partial to the imitation-hillbilly "if the good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise,"

Agreed! A real hillbilly would say crick. [Right, Kaintuck??]

Parent: "Time for ta tas" (time for a sleep)

I was familiar with the other meanings of "ta" you mentioned, Jo (and can vouch for the common use of "ta" as "thanks" by an Ozzie mate), but I was relieved that you provided the translation for the "time for ta tas" line!