Slang for those who want to slum it!
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According to itself, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, edited by Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor (Routledge, 2015), says that it itself is:
The heir and successor to Eric Partridge's brilliant magnum opus, The Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, this two-volume New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English is the definitive record of post WWII slang.Nothing could be more definite than definitive, so let's check out a certain definition of "spider's legs":
spider's legs, noun, the p*bic hair that can be seen outside the confines of a girl's bikini or underwear (UK), see: Chris E. Lewis, The Dictionary of Playground Slang (2003)Hmm . . . so they got it from another dictionary. Was it also definitive in its definition?
Labels: Literary Criticism
posted by Horace Jeffery Hodges @ 5:54 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Mr. Hodges, "g***y" is a racial slur against Romani. Romani activists like Ian Hancock, Jessica Reidy, and Qristina Cummings have written extensively on this subject if you would like to know more.
Thanks. I know that the term was based on the mistaken belief that the Romani people originated in Egypt. Their origin is instead Northwest India, or so I've read, and I suppose that this is supported by linguistic and genetic analysis. I've never thought of the Romani as a race, rather as an ethnic group (though this might reflect a difference between American and British English). As for "Gypsy Scholar," it's an old expression used to designate an untenured professor who moves from one university to another, pursuing a career, which describes my academic life perfectly. I've never heard the expression "Gypsy Scholar" used in a pejorative sense, but I'll keep my ears open, based on your alert.
Jeffery Hodges
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HJH,
I note with humor that, whereas "gyp" (as in "cheat") has the same root as "gypsy", "jew" has the same (pejorative) meaning as "gyp". But if you chose to be known as the Jewish Scholar you would hold an admirable status among my people.
Thanks, TBH. I am touched. If I had any Jewish roots, I would be proud to proclaim them.
Jeffery Hodges
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