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A chum of mine in the Mother Country uses the word "grotty" to express his displeasure at a person, place or thing. One does not hear this pejorative often here in the Colonies.
Do you suspect that it is a diminutive derivation of "grotesque"?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hmmm... me an' my friends used "grotty" & "grody" & "gross" pretty much interchangeably as teenagers in Atlanta in the 19mumblesmumbles. I've no idea whence the first two, though. I hope one or more of our scholars will leap into the fray.
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Carpal Tunnel
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and is there an implied relationship to Reginald I. Perrin's chain of "Grot" shops?
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Carpal Tunnel
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well, George Harrison used it in "Hard Days Night" to wonderful effect. he said it was slang for grotesque.
formerly known as etaoin...
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One place I looked said it was a backformation of grot, but grot is a grotto, so I don't think that's right.
Always to me it meant offensive, nasty, perhaps physically dirty.
I first ran across the word when an Aussie friend of mine told me that there was an incident involving I believe the Aussie Minister of Tourism or Culture or some such. There had been some research that showed the koalas actually get a buzz from their primary food, eucalyptus, so they are pretty much stoned all the time.
Anyway, during a photo op one of these "cuddly" creatures peed all over this politician, who dropped the animal and yelled something to the effect, "Get this grotty little dope fiend away from me." And of course it was live on national television. Nancy claimed the public furor was so great the guy had to resign.
TEd
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veteran
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George Harrison used it in "Hard Days Night" to wonderful effect. he said it was slang for grotesque.Likewise, the A-H. http://www.bartleby.com/61/6/G0280600.html
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but isn't grotesque from grotto?
have you ever been in a sea side grotto? they are slimy, dark, dangerous, scary!
even stylized grottos in gardens are somewhat grotesques --scary--they like 'house of horrors' ride at amusment parks are designed to make a young girl huddle closer to male companion-as they enter one on their walk in the garden. (and what with the privacy they offer.. who know what will happen next!)
grotesque had expanding beyond grotto like, and often mean unsightly, unpleasant in the extreme, vile, slimy, and devoid of any aspect of pleasure.
-and i most definately agree that grotty is a form of grotesque! but words do that don't they?
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I certainly wouldn't spell it 'grotty'. Looks like it would be pronounced <grahtty>. It's 'groty' or 'grody'.
And kluge isn't spelled kludge
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George pronounced it "grahty". grody is a different word... might mean the same thing, but.
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