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#38270 08/15/01 01:53 PM
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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My sources don't have much to contribute to "Palooka." All Webster's unabridged says about its origin is "?". Slang and Euphemism Dictionary, Richard Spears, says:

palooka (also paluka) an oaf; an unskilled prizefighter, the name of a comic-strip prizefighter, "Joe Palooka." [U.S. slang, 1900s]


#38271 08/15/01 03:46 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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say, "tisk, tisk" on several occasions when feigning sympathy

I think that Geoff has hit upon something here. If said with an attempt at pronouncing it as written there is an element of sarcasm involved. The description of it as an unvoiced labio-dental implosive would be more indicative of the normal use pronunciation. It could probably also be described as a click by someone familiar with the languages that use such things.


#38272 08/15/01 04:14 PM
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K
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K
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Faldeye, are you thinking there might be two different pronunciations, one when there's "an element of sarcasm involved," and the other as "the normal use pronunciation". Very interesting idea.


#38273 08/15/01 04:18 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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two different pronunciations

Yup.


#38274 08/15/01 06:35 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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#38275 08/16/01 12:23 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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I'm Western, then--I hate country!


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