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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347 |
I have just realised that an English expression for left-handers, which I will render as 'cacky-whiffy', is a phrase I have never seen on paper. Can someone elucidate?mav, This appears to be an even more derogatory insult than the "cack-handed" whence it apparently sprang. "Cack" is British/Australian slang for rubbish or excrement (I certainly have heard and used the term "bird cack" in my time) and "cack-handed" is slang for awkward, and thence, apparently left-handed (cf similar usage of French word for left "gauche" for awkward). See http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/c.htmcack-handed also rated a mention in one of our threads here from July: http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=3028"whiffy" is cited at the same slang site as meaning "smelling unpleasant". I'm sure you get the drift.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
>>underemployed
>Potential awadeers then!
Ain't it the truth, Jo....
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
and has it advanced the tide of human wit or imagination It may sound fatalistic, but this tide advances all by itself!
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
get the driftThanks for that, Marty; it's a handy link (I've stored in my YCLIU list on a Word file for future reference). As for the drift, well I learnt to be relaxed about that soon after getting rapped across my 6-year old knuckles by a teacher screaming: " Ambidextrous?!? You can't even spell it!!" So instead of writing equally badly with two paws, I concentrated on blotting my copy book with just one
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
I just found this old thread, and brought it back up because 1.) it touches on several things we've discussed recently, and 2.) it's so much fun to read!
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Huh! I got quite excited initially seeing so many names to posts who haven't been around for dunnamany months. Then I looked at the dates on the posts. Jackie, good thread, but hey, look out for my heart why doncha? - Pfranz
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
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