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Joined: Mar 2000
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
>"ouch!" or "ow"
Unusually, you can count those of us in the UK in with the ouches and ows unless we're replacing the expression with expletives.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 393 |
Could be onomatopoeic in origin. Till the seventeenth century it would be pronounced ooch, which has the vowel of the more natural howler-monkey exclamation we make on finding something is too hot.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
> Could be onomatopoeic in origin.
That's right, it clearly has some influence otherwise all these expletives would not be as related as they are. In Germany cliche exclamation of pain is 'Au-aa!', which is even turned into a telly-tubby-like substantive with little children, like so: 'Hast du dir ein Ow-aa gemacht?'
BTW, I've noticed that 'Youch' is also used in English, usually to express something that doesn't physically hurt, e.g.: 'Youch, that phone bill is gonna hurt!'
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Pooh-Bah
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OP
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
Thanks for the link, Bean!
I looked up "ouch" and only found this explanation for the etymology: [<G autsch] . So, can somebody please elucidate on the German? BY - I suspect that this is the same word you mentioned; can you give us its etymology?
I was also interested to learn of another meaning of "ouch":
a clasp. From nousche, a necklace or a collar, whence ME nouche, whence (a nouche being apprehended as an ouche) the later ME ouche, whence the obsol E ouch, a brooch, a clasp
or - the socket of a precious stone, an ornament... The original sense is "socket of a gem," but it is commonly used for gem or ornament. The true form is nouche, but the initial n is often dropped ... a buckle, clasp, bracelet, ... MHG, nusche, nuske, OHG. nusca, nuscha a buckle, clasp, or brooch for a cloak. Prob. Ult. Of Celtic origin; cf. Irish nase, a tie, chain, ring ...
I clasped my napron shut with a napple-shaped nouche.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866 |
(quick aside to Hev.....)
I'm starting to think that that's the sum total of Glenn McGrath's vocabulary!
PS: WHAT ABOUT OUR BOY GILCHRIST HEY!!! 100 runs / 90 balls.
stales
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Posts: 477
addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477 |
sum total of Glenn McGrath's vocabulary
P'raps he's just a victim of the media, the only time they ever show him is when he's saying that. Really, he's quite articulate ... oh ha ha... I mean, I heard him say "Fanks for me award" at the Allan Border medal last year...
And I noticed you're prepared to share OUR boy Adam now. That's very gracious of me, er ... I mean, you. Singing the "Go Aussie Go" theme in my head...
Hev
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
The French Québecois would most likely say A-YOY (the A pronounce like the a in at) rather than aie when hurt. That or OW. BUT I have noticed that persons who are taught French by a person from France will most likely say aie.
I don’t know if this makes sense when I say it but aie is too pointy for the French Québecois method of speaking.
____________________________________________________________ "M'aidez! M'aidez!"
Um, wof. chou, I've never heard that. Maybe it is old French that I am not aware of.
When you are yelling for help you scream "À l'aide, à l'aide." or "au secours, au secours"
M'aidez can't be said alone like that. It has to be followed by vous because of the conjugation. Also, with the M in front, it is more of a question than a cry for help. M'aidez-vous = Are you helping me?
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,713 Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,713 Likes: 2 |
...or maybe it's just another Urban Myth? Seem to come up with a lot of 'em. Just gullible, I guess. Ask me about where Premarin got its name, someday.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Premarin the menopause pill??? Now why would you know about that?
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Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
According to our encyclopedia entry on SOS, "mayday" is used as a distress signal for aviators because it approximates the French term "m'aider", meaning "come help me!" The term came into use between the years 1925-30.
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