Query for Charlie-nim

[Hillary Brown]

I've heard it, but not in Texas. I'd probably spell it as teenshy, a variant
of teensy, which itself is a cuteified version of tiny. Teenshy weenshy also
exists.

hb

On 4/13/07, sagehen <sagehen at westelcom.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Query for Charlie-nim
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >Are y'all familiar with the term that's pronounced something like
> >"tee-NINE-shee"? It means "very small" and is used instead of
> >"itty-bitty" or "teeny-tiny." When I was in the Army, I heard this
> >used by Texans of all races, creeds, and colors from all over the
> >state. I learned it from my mother and my grandmother - I hated any
> >story that  began, "Whin yew wuh jes' a tee-nine-shee baby ..." Until
> >my Army days, I was under the impression that this word was peculiar
> >to the women in my family. You can imagine my shock when I first heard
> >it fall tripppingly from the tongue of a white farm boy from Mundy,
> >Texas. Later, I heard it used by GI's from Weslaco, Dallas, Odessa,
> >Midland, Tyler, Galveston, etc., etc. But that was fifty years ago.
> >
> >So, I was wondering whether any y'all were familiar with this term? Is
> >it peculiar to Texas or is it also used elsewhere?
> >
> >-Wilson
> ~~~~~~~~~
> I don't know this one at all, but it strongly suggests to me the kind of
> secret language kids develop -- like pig latin, but more elaborate -- to
> baffle peers & parents, that are simply english with transposed letters,
> added syllables, &c.  One of my kids used to carry on rapid, animated
> conversations with her closest buddies in one of these.  I never did twig
> to the key, though I knew the technique.  Tiny could easily become
> tee-nine-shee with such treatment.
> AM
>
>
> ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>
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