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#146956 08/27/2005 11:18 PM
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The website at http://www.chemistry.co.nz/new_zealand.htm says that the Kiwi Bird is "canny, strong and stroppy, but it's vanishing from New Zealand at a rate of 5.8 percent every year." I had to look "stroppy" up and found multiple definitions, not all of them the same. It sounds like slang but I don't think it is. It is certainly rarely used in the USA.


#146957 08/28/2005 12:40 AM
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#146958 08/28/2005 1:18 AM
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Yah, I looked at onelook. That is where I concluded that not all "authorities" had the same definition for this term. In my own head was where I look for the conclusion that we don't use this term much here in the North American Colonies.


#146959 08/28/2005 1:21 AM
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Hah. Answers.com includes "stroppy" in their "List of British English words not used in American English." Guess that head check means mine is still working okay, despite the ravages of years and abuse.


#146960 08/28/2005 2:12 AM
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I could have sworn that Jo had something to say about this word one time, but not acc'g. to the Search function--this was the only mention other than this thread:
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=49515


#146961 08/28/2005 2:56 AM
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Duncan (of Blackpool) was last heard from in early 2001. One wonders how some of those who started and then stopped are faring.


#146962 08/28/2005 10:11 AM
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so how does this relate to a barber's strop?



formerly known as etaoin...
#146963 08/28/2005 9:39 PM
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>One wonders how some of those who started and then stopped are faring.

as to those who stated and then were stropped...

BTW, OED guesses that stroppy comes not from strop but colloq. [? abbrev. of OBSTREPEROUS a. with altered stem-vowel.]

#146964 08/28/2005 10:26 PM
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Good point. We have not always done well in welcoming the newcomer, nor in protecting the newcomer from the occasional undesirable participant on the board.

I have heard no better suggestion for an origin for stroppy and I'm willing to go with OED's.

PS: I had my stem vowel altered once, without anesthesia, and it was no picnic.


#146965 08/28/2005 11:38 PM
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Any relation to "strapping", do you suppose?

A fine strapping young fellow he is, too.

http://onelook.com/?w=strapping&ls=a



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