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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1 |
Replying to and old topic but here goes:
I learned a similar story in Pediatric Residency. As I learned it, toddler derives from TOT (a small measure of rum). When one was a TOTTLER, one drank too many tots and stumbled. An infant was a small measure of an adult and also stumbled like a tottler. Hence the terms Tot and Toddler.
Google searches through the decades have failed to find supporting evidence, but it is still a fun story to tell new parents (with a historic-accuracy disclaimer)
PSTMD
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963 |
Well, just looking at Merriam-Webster it appears that toddle is at least 125 years older than tot, so I'm guessing that explodes THAT theory. It is a fun story, though.
Peter
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706 |
Hi PSTMD...yes a fun story.
If a tot is a small measure of 'spirits' one would need a few to get toddled.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 3 |
And toddlers have plenty of spirit, more than enough to go around.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
For me the toddler's story goes like this. Tod is a current Dutch word (sorry, I didn't invent it), tod means a rag or worthless piece of cloth. I always saw the English word toddler as a babe waddling in easy fabrics. Because of all the tumbling it does it is not worthwhile to dress it up in a smoking, tuxedo or fancy dress. So it hobbles around in easy non costly fabrics. * A tod als means a cherished piece of cloth or raggy cloth doll that a baby/toddler absolutely needs when it goes to sleep. Toddler and tod belong together.
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