=======================================================================
<p>
L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
<p>
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list@gmail.com
<p>
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php
<p>
Posting: lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list@gmail.com
<p>
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv@listserv.net
<p>
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
<p>
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
<p>
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
<p>
Administration: lowlands.list@gmail.com or sassisch@yahoo.com
<p>
<p>
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv@listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
<p>
<p>
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
<p>
=======================================================================
<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================<br>L O W L A N D S - L - 15 June 2008 - Volume 04<br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">
<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">-------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Please set the encoding mode to Unicode (UTF-8).</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">
<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">If viewing this in a web browser, please click on</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">the html toggle at the bottom of the archived page </span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">
<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">and switch your browser's character encoding to Unicode.</span><br>=========================================================================<br></div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">denis dujardin</span> <span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:dujardin@telenet.be">dujardin@telenet.be</a>></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "Etymology" 2008.06.15 (01) [D/V]<br><br></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Hallo,</span><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">In de streek van Waregem gebruikt men "met de hond naar de smidse gaan" (to go with the dog to the smithery).......</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Wat de betekenis daarvan is, ontgaat me volledig.</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Denis Dujardin</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Kortrijk.(WVL)</div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888"><div>
<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
<i>Denis Dujardin</i></div><div><i>Omgevingen</i></div><div><i><a href="http://www.denisdujardin.be/" target="_blank">www.denisdujardin.be</a></i></div><div><i>0475723159</i></div></span> </div></font><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
From: R. F. Hahn <</span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">></span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: Etymology<br><br>Hello, Denis!<br><br>It's great to hear from you again.<br><br>I don't think any real meaning is intended with phrases like the one you mention (as also in American English "to see a man about a horse" or "to see a man about a dog"). They are taboo phrase replacements, the taboo being explicitness in "polite" company about going to the bathroom ... uh, toilet. However, since everyone knows what is really meant (as also in phrases like "to wash one's hand", 'to freshen up" and "to powder one's nose") people have put comical spins on some of these phrases, and making them sound nonsensical and thus absurd is part of the fun.<br>
<br>As for American English "to see a man about a horse" or "to see a man about a dog," these began during the alcohol prohibition era and used to have a different meaning: to visit a bootlegger in order to buy liquor. So these mean "I will be absent for a while," and this was later transferred to the meaning of "I am about to visit the bathroom."<br>
<br>All of these phrases belong to the large category of euphemisms. Euphemisms can be single words or whole phrases. They are a type of "doublespeak." These particular types belong to the narrower category of indirections, i.e. indirect references to something that for some reason or other ought not be said. Furthermore, they are of the jocular and nonsensical types. It's not actually a case of hidden meaning, since people know what the meaning is.<br>
<br>We use such euphemistic phrases all the time, though we aren't always aware of it. In English, there examples like these:<br><br>
to drop the kids off at the pool = to visit the bathroom < toilet<br>to kick the bucket = to die<br>to pop one's clogs = to die<br><br>There are, however, jocular euphemistic phrases that are not nonsensical, such as Dutch </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">van de verkeerde kant</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> ("from the wrong side") 'homosexual', </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">naar het kleinste kamertje</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> ("to the smallest room") 'to the bathroom' (= toilet), and </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">proletarisch winkelen</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> ("proletarian shopping") 'theft'; also English:</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">little boy's/girl's (room) = bathroom (= toilet)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">to play for the other team = to be homosexual</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">to play for both teams = to be bisexual</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">to score = to get to have sex</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">to have a bun in the oven = to be pregnant</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">As you can see, these are more explicit.<br><br>In American English, "to go to the bathroom" is used so commonly that it no longer needs to refer to a trip or visit but can refer to the actual act of excretion; such as in "I'm sick and tired of the neighbor's dog going to the bathroom on our front lawn" or "Little Billie went to the bathroom in the swimming pool."</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Regards,<br>Reinhard/Ron<br></span>
•
<p>
==============================END===================================
<p>
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org.
<p>
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
<p>
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
<p>
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")
<p>
are to be sent to listserv@listserv.linguistlist.org or at
<p>
http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
<p>
*********************************************************************