LL-L: "Etymology" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 09.AUG.1999 (03)

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From: UB82DN at aol.com
Subject: LL-L: "Etymology" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 06.AUG.1999 (02)

Liewe Laaglanders,
    Not to throw a curve into the discussion, but one hears (or did) in the
South expressions like "he glom(med) onto it."   I have never seen this word
in print except as Scots: "glaum," grasp, seize, understand.  Is this
possibly a by-form of gaum?
    Perhaps the Appalachians have heard tell of it.
Cheers,
Joe Stromberg

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From: Jim Gretch [jgretch at ugf.edu]
Subject: LL-L: "Etymology" [E/S] LOWLANDS-L, 08.AUG.1999 (03)

John Feather wrote:

> But it is very difficult to understand the limits of US prudishness.
> One meaning of "can" is "buttocks".

That's news to me, and I was born and raised in Montana.  It strikes
us as British, as a matter of fact.  We do use "can" to refer to
the toilet, however, as in "he's sittin' on the can right now."

>               Anyway, the hero - an academic of some kind - was
> sitting in the garden of his country cottage smoking a pipe which he filled
> from a "can" of tobacco. Assuming that the container holds 50-100 g of
> tobacco it seems to me that "can" is not the correct "translation". "Tin" is
> the BE word and normally translates as "can" in USE, but not I think in this
> case. I have tried asking Americans what they would call "a small metal
> container in which tobacco or cough lozenges are sold" (or words to that
> effect) but have generally received no answer at all.

We would, in fact, refer to it as a "can of tobacco."  I confirmed
this with a pipe-smoking colleague since I myself don't smoke.

Jim Gretch
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