Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 09:57:42 GMT+1200

From: Tim Behrend t.behrend[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AUCKLAND.AC.NZ

Subject: Re: [p*tut] and more



A few reactions to the p*tut query, and some questions of my own:



P*TUT Have never heard this term. In its place, the words DUPA and

BENINNY were used in my neighborhood (family?), i.e.

Cleveland, lower-class Irish-German background, Slovenian

neighborhood, 1950s - 1960s. The word DUPA had a more

general application (like the similar word DUFF): Get up off

your dupa and do a little work right now? BENINNY, on the

other hand, was usually yoked to a horse to produce phrases

like: Don't be such a horse's beninny.



P*TOOTIE While p*tut was unknown, the word P*TOOTIE was common in

our house, and I have always thought it rather widespread as

a silly slang word for potatoes. Seems to me I've heard Ned

Flanders say it on The Simpsons, too, but I could be wrong. I

put it in the same category of odd home words as, e.g.,

SPOOGHALONIE for spaghetti, MICKEY D's for McDonalds, etc.







I'm also wondering if certain words that I grew up with 25-30 years

ago are still in use today. How about BALONEY, or BALONEY SAUCE,

meaning rubbish, empty talk, bullshit? Or SHANK'S MARE, meaning

walking (as opposed to getting a ride)? Any comments?



Tim Behrend

University of Auckland