Tenny Runners (tennis shoes) (1965)

Wilson Gray hwgray at GMAIL.COM
Fri Sep 22 13:53:27 UTC 2006


"Tennies" was popular in Los Angeles in the 'Sixties, as was "chucks,"
from Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. An Australian friend that I met
in the '70's has always claimed that "sand shoes" is the term
preferred Down Under. In BE, the "tinnis shoes" of my youth have been
pretty much replaced by "bastitbawl shoes."

-Wilson

On 9/22/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Tenny Runners (tennis shoes) (1965)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Any DARE entry for "tenny runners"?
> ...
> ...
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/tenny_runners_or_te=
> nn
> ie_runners/_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/tenny_runners_or_te=
> nnie_runners/)=20
> ...
> =20
> Tenny Runners (or Tennie Runners)
> =20
> Tenny (or tennie) runners are tennis shoes. The term is said to be used in =20
> Texas, but is also popular in many other states.=20
>
>
> _Dallas Slanguage_ (http://www.slanguage.com/dallas.html) =20
> Tenny  Runners=20
> A pair of athletic shoes=20
>
> _Google  Groups: rec.food.cooking_=20
> (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/browse_thread/thread/eea9f3=
> 0d7cf7b580/1f95c5bc92b51221?lnk=3Dst&q=3D"tenny+r
> unners"+and+texas&rnum=3D3&hl=3Den#1f95c5bc92b51221) =20
> From:  Mark J. Cintala=20
> Date:   Sun, Jul 21 1996 12:00 am=20
>
> Geez.  This *is* a neat thread. =20
> I=E2=80=99m from PA, now living in TX.  I know you wonderful RFC folks will=20=
> find  it=20
> in your hearts to forgive me if I=E2=80=99m kind of immune to some stuff inv=
> olving =20
> pronunciation.  I won=E2=80=99t get started on the Texas dialect, but I will=
>   deposit=20
> these as I go:=20
> UMbrella, INsurance, tenny runners (if you don=E2=80=99t know  what they are=
> , I can=E2=80=99
> t say I blame you=E2=80=94I was agog when I found out, myself). =20
>
> How to Talk American=20
> by Jim Crotty=20
> Boston: Houghton  Mifflin Company=20
> 1997=20
> Pg. 342:=20
> tenny runners: any pair of  athletic shoes. What are called =E2=80=9Ctennise=
> s=E2=80=9D in=20
> northern Florida.=20
>
> 18 July  1965, Tri-City Herald (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, WA), pg. 18 ad:=20=
> =20
> Tennie Runners.=20
>
> 8 September 1967, Modesto (CA) Bee, pg. A7: =20
> The women, looking somewhat more professional, wore their tenny runners, =20
> black slacks and blouses, and pink vests=E2=80=94bearing the name of their s=
> ponsor, the =20
> Edd Tide Lounge.=20
>
> 12 December 1971, Tri-City Herald (Pasco,  Kennewick, Richland, WA), pg.  7:=
> =20
> Or, every man in his tastes, opined  the little old lady from Boistfort, who=
> =20
> fancies tenny runners, as she kissed the  nearby Pe Ell bovine by name Bessy=
> . =20
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


--
Everybody says, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange
complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is knows how deep
a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our
race. He brought death into the world.

--Sam Clemens

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