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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear mg: If those are Brit phrases, they are a bit maladroit. To "fall ill" is undesirable. Pregnancy ought be cause for happiness.
"Up the duff" appears to be related to slang "duff=buttocks". Not table talk.
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Posts: 96 |
"up the duff" means being pregnant so the buttocks would appear to be bypassed!!!!!!!!
the Duncster
the Duncster
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addict
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addict
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back to speculation on falling into things.....in some parts of the world, women are referred to as "falling pregnant" (when they do, that is)
Sue was entered for the gymkhana but she had to drop out when she fell pregnant.
which reminds me of another unfathomable phrase: up the duff.
Or....hmmmm. Should I be posting this on the "British slang" thread?!
I've never heard of anyone 'falling pregnant' before so it must be a very localised term. Sounds almost North American. I've only heard 'became' or 'got' or 'made'. Always along those lines.
Up the Duff. There is a cake/pudding common in Blighty known as a plum duff. When baked it rises due to the yeasty content so the term 'up the duff' could be akin to the more common term 'bun in the oven'. I've never heard of duff being used as slang for buttocks but I'm guessing that the slang word was derived last. Anyone got any further thoughts??
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
I've never heard of duff being used as slang for buttocks
I've heard it used in "Get up off your duff and do some work around here!" Whether it was a USn source or not is beyond me.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2002
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I've never heard of anyone 'falling pregnant' before so it must be a very localised term. Sounds almost North American.
As a North American, I can say that I've never heard of 'falling' pregnant either. 'Got' is the word I've heard.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Well, while I haven't the foggiest notion where it came from, "falling pregnant" is a term I have known for a very long time and didn't even consider as potentially uncommon!
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
Well, it CAN happen standing up....
TEd
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear TEd: I saw a picture of a mural in Pompeii illustrating your statement. Sorry I don't have URL to it.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
>Well, while I haven't the foggiest notion where it came from, "falling pregnant" is a term I have known for a very long time and didn't even consider as potentially uncommon!
Me too, although it is a term I would have heard more from my parents generation than mine. I can't remember the word "pregnant" being used by them. They were more likely to say that someone was "having a baby".
If the phrase "fell pregnant" was used, it was often euphemised to fall or fell, as in "when I fell for the first time" [knowing look, to make sure you knew which kind of "fall"]. The Google searchability quotient gives the first listed sites using the term "fell pregnant" as nz, au or uk, so I assume that is where it is most used.
Dr Bill - I can only assume that the term relates to the later definition of "fall" to do with a change of state. I don't remember it only being used for "surprise" preganancies. I hadn't thought of a negative connotation until you mentioned it. In fact, on searching I found sites giving advice for those who were finding it difficult to fall pregnant.
Rubrick - I thought most pregancies in Eire before 1960 were a result of immaculate conception or a visit from the fairies - I can't imagine my elderly Irish relatives using the word pregnant, let alone "fell pregnant".
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
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Just be careful - don't drink and park - accidents cause people!
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