LL-L "Expressions" 2002.02.11 (02) [E]

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From: "Aviad Stier" <aviad2001 at hotmail.com>
Subject:

Hello Everyone!
Ed Alexander wrote:

"From: Edwin Alexander <edsells at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Expressions" 2002.02.10 (02) [E]

At 10:33 AM 02/10/02 -0800, Ron wrote:

  > "Nitty gritty" or "nitty-gritty" means something like "the
  > (lengthy/mundane/boring) details."  According to my sources,
  > it is a relatively recent invention, probably from the 20th
  > century. As far as I know, it is used all over the English-
  > speaking world, probably spread thanks to modern media.
  > I wonder if its source can be found in Scots or in some
  > non-standard variety of English. Or might it be based on a
  > loan from another language?

I thought that it might be a slang version of something in Latin, like
hocus pocus.  Although this also seemed to be a deadend, I did find the
following on-line Latin dictionary, which may be of interest to some.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform?lang=Latin"

<end quote>
Well, here's what my Webster's has to say about it, and pardon my
French:
"nitty-gritty (US English). Origin black slang: rhyming euphemism for
'shitty'.
The actual, basic facts, elements, issues &c."
Aviad Stier,
Brussels

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From: R. F. Hahn
Subject: Expressions

Thanks for the explanation above, Aviad.  That's a good one!  So, if it
is factual, "nitty-gritty" started as a rhyming slang expression.  Of
course, many of us are familiar with this particular type of device in
Cockney English (a London sociolect) with some "spill-over" into
Australian English, e.g., "trouble and strife" = 'wife,' "drink o'
drear" = 'beer'.  However, this is the first time I have come across
such an expression that is supposed to be of American origin.  I have to
confess that I'm still a wee bit suspicious.

When Anja first asked about "nitty-gritty," I thought of expressions
with a similar pattern.

There is "knick-knack" (also written "nick-nack").  However, apparently
it is not the same sort of rhyming slang, though it has a rhyming
pattern too.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, it is based on "Low
German" (i.e., Low Saxon, assumedly late medieval or post-medieval)
onomatopoetic _knack_ 'sharp blow or sound', which is related to Modern
Low Saxon _knacken_ ['knakN=] 'to break' (both transitive and
non-transitive) and _Knacks_ [knaks] 'break', 'damage' (also used to
denote a mental problem -- both of them used identically in Missingsch
and other Northern German varieties).  It is also supposed to be the
origin of English "knack" (1) 'trick', 'habit', (2) 'faculty of doing
something adroitly', (3) 'ingenious device', 'trinket' (archaic).  Of
course, the third and apparently oldest meaning (if this is true) is the
origin of the word "knick-knack" 'sundry dainty articles'.  (Yiddish
still retains old _knak_ 'crack', 'snap', 'click'.)  I am still somewhat
dubious about the semantic shifts in this case.

Another one is "riffraff" '(group of) disreputable or undesirable
persons' (much like Low Saxon _(Lumpen-)Bagaasch_ [('lU.mpm=)bagQ:S]
("(rag) baggage"), _Packaasch_ ~ _Packenaasch_ [pake'nQ:S] ("baggage"),
_Takeltüüg_ ['tQ:kl=ty:C] ("rigging stuff"), or _(Lumpen-)Pack_
[('lU.mpm=)pak] ("pack of rags"), and like German _Pöbel_, _Gesindel_ or
_Pack_).  I had always assumed (without ever checking ...) that English
"riffraff" was of Yiddish origin, because one Yiddish word for
'riffraff' is _erev-rav_, obviously of Hebrew origin, though I have
never been able to figure out the etymology in Hebrew (something with
'evening'?).  Apparently, according to a couple of dictionaries, I
assumed wrongly.  "Riffraff" is supposed to be a French loan, originally
_rif et raf_, though neither _rif_ nor _raf_ appear to be used in Modern
French, at least not to my knowledge.  So, the veil of mystery is not
lifted totally, as far as I know.

Any help, anyone?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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