Thursday, June 09, 2005
Slags Tags and Gags
Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog. Well that was easy - I wonder if I can get a blogroll in a similar manner. I like these automated services; panders to the apathetic/lazy/useless side to me. I will probably die not knowing how the hell haloscan was able to post that opening comment onto this blog. Doesn't really matter though. It wont be particularly high on my list of things to do/learn before I shuffle off and turn my tootsies.
'Tootsies'. Where did that come from. I believe it's slang for toes, but in a characteristic turn of crisis confidence I've had to check it as it just just didn't look right. It is right - but in time honoured fashion, the process of delving a little deeper has revealed additional information. A tootsie is also a slang term in some parts for a prostitute. As does tart, which of course I knew. But I didn't know that tart came from the Cockney rhyming slang 'jam tart' which is a derivative of sweetheart as in the old street seducing gambit 'ello sweet'eart fancy a bit o' business'. God knows what God makes of we non tootsies calling our loved ones sweetheart via tart, via jam tart via 'ello sw . . .' you get the drift.
And tart is a real mixed up word as it also means sour which invites people for what ever reason, to refer to overly savoury things as tarty. Which reminds me of a line from the inestimable AA Gill from one of his Table Talk reviews when he writes that the waiter by way of apology announced that the 'lobster was a bit tarty'. Gill writes that he thought the waiter meant the lobster was tart but then adds: 'but you never know'.
'Tootsies'. Where did that come from. I believe it's slang for toes, but in a characteristic turn of crisis confidence I've had to check it as it just just didn't look right. It is right - but in time honoured fashion, the process of delving a little deeper has revealed additional information. A tootsie is also a slang term in some parts for a prostitute. As does tart, which of course I knew. But I didn't know that tart came from the Cockney rhyming slang 'jam tart' which is a derivative of sweetheart as in the old street seducing gambit 'ello sweet'eart fancy a bit o' business'. God knows what God makes of we non tootsies calling our loved ones sweetheart via tart, via jam tart via 'ello sw . . .' you get the drift.
And tart is a real mixed up word as it also means sour which invites people for what ever reason, to refer to overly savoury things as tarty. Which reminds me of a line from the inestimable AA Gill from one of his Table Talk reviews when he writes that the waiter by way of apology announced that the 'lobster was a bit tarty'. Gill writes that he thought the waiter meant the lobster was tart but then adds: 'but you never know'.
// posted by garroo @ 4:56 pm 
