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O' An Irish patronymic. (Gachc, ogha; Irish, oa, a descendant.)
O' in Scotch, means “of,” as “Tam-o'-Shanter.”
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O.K A telegraphic symbol for “All right” (orl korrect, a Sir William Curtis's or Artemus Ward's way of spelling “all correct”).
We had a long thread on this quite a while ago. The above is of course a hundred years old.
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By far too lazy to liu today, what, pray tell, dear Dr. Bill, is a tam?
We've had favorite word threads here over the many 2.5 years of AWAD, and, surprisingly enough, I don't believe tam-o'-shanter has been included. Too bad. It should have been. Along with bellyouth's chawbacon! Somehow those two words in close proximity--Tam-O'-Shanter Chawbacon--jar, don't they?
Beauteous regards, Word-o'-Wonderer
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Oaf A corruption of ouph (elf). A foolish child or dolt is so called from the notion that all idiots are changelings, left by the fairies in the place of the stolen ones.
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I see this is a monologue, Dr Bill, but I'll try to stick my 2c worth in, as Napier and Maverick have done: People don't speak "Scotch." They drink it. If you were replying to our intromissions, so to speak, I'd ask you what you were quoting from.
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Come on, Bill, monologue or not, as AnnaS pointed out, please return to the tam and tell me what it was or is.
A tam-o'-shanter looks a lot like a beret. Which came first? The tam or the beret?
You know, you don't exactly own this thread! We've still gots curiosties among us, don't you realize?
Best regards, WordWoe
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Dear WW: all of these entries are taken from Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Over a hundred years old, but many of the etymolgies give would be hard to find elsewhere. I have been disappointed that there have been so few comments, which are most welcome. Sorry you felt otherwise. Did you hear about the scot who on his way home late from the bar lost his tam in a cow pasture and had to try on several before he found one that fitted? http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable/data/115.html
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Tam? Cow pies? Ha! Thanks for that little joke. Ya' think the French have the same tale?
Here in Virginia we have cow-pie-pitching contests. Seems a pretty stupid way to spend time, but to each his own.
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