antedatings: "tough luck," "oohs and ahs"

Jonathon Green slang at ABECEDARY.NET
Tue Jul 5 15:00:35 UTC 2005


>"Tough shit" had widespread use in the 40s, so much so that the slightly
>ameliorated "t.s." also became common.
>Does anyone remember the brief career of "hard cheese" that followed its
>utterance by Terry Thomas in some British comedy (can't recall its title)?
>AM
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In UK terms hard cheese goes back to very early 20C, especially in
school use. For instance:

1908 _The Magnet_ 22 Feb. 10: It was certainly ‘hard cheese’

The Magnet was a hugely popular weekly aimed at schoolboys (interested
parties can check out Orwell's 1940 essay 'Boys' Weeklies' in which it
is discussed at length.)

Then there's this which seems to blend 'tough shit' and 'hard cheese':

1989 Terence Blacker _Fixx_ 286: Tough Cheddar, we said — you used him,
he’s yours.

JG



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