Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 17:31:45 -0400 From: Evan Morris Subject: Full Monty "Barry A. Popik" wrote: >THE FULL MONTY > > THE FULL MONTY is a movie that just opened; the term was discussed by >Evan Morris in his Daily News column last Sunday. > THE MACMILLAN DICTIONARY OF CONTEMPORARY SLANG (3rd ed.) by Jonathon >Green, for example, has "monte" but no "monty." > The Daily News column didn't discuss this, but what about an influence >from the obvious--MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS? What does that "Monty" mean? Oxford Dict. of Modern Slang has "monty" meaning "a certainty; used esp.of a horse considered certain to win a race" and relates it to the card game "monte." Partridge (DSUE) notes "monte (also monty)" as meaning "a certainty," also "Hence (?) a lie." Also mentions the card game. I know I had another reference but I can't remember where I found it. Mea culpa. I remember (to the extent I remember the sixties at all) reading an explanation of "Monty Python" offered by the troupe itself way back when. I believe they maintained that the name was pure silliness, though I think they also admitted a possible connection to Field Marshal Montgomery. I won't buy the NYT-Brooklyn-letter version of "full monty" without some serious evidence, BTW. -- Evan Morris words1[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]word-detective.com http://www.word-detective.com Visit scenic alt.fan.word-detective!