urchin

[Joel S. Berson]

At 7/15/2009 01:22 PM, George Thompson wrote:
>I myself don't connect urchins with nautical themes.

I assume Amy was thinking, as I did from her comment, of sea urchins
(sense 2.b.).

Joel

>I've heard it, used it, maybe, as a teasing word for a little kid;
>since I wasn't around in 1556, I don't remember when it was a hip
>new meaning of the old word for hedgehog.
>5. a. A little fellow; a boy or youngster; a child or infant.
>
>I only hope that the ferry-folk didn't have in mind OED's sense 5c
>c. transf. An offspring of hell, etc. Obs. rare.
>
>GAT
>
>George A. Thompson
>Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre",
>Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Amy West <medievalist at W-STS.COM>
>Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 11:42 am
>Subject: Re: urchin
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> > Maybe they chose "urchin" to go along with the nautical theme on the
> > ferry? (Personally, I like it.)
> >
> > ---Amy West
> >
> > >Date:    Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:04:29 -0500
> > >From:    Clai Rice <cxr1086 at LOUISIANA.EDU>
> > >Subject: urchin
> > >
> > >This evening I purchased a few ferry tickets from Vancouver
> > >Island to Mayne Island, B.C. The tickets were identical,
> > >though the child tickets were half fare. The tickets were
> > >labeled both "Adult" and "Urchin", with the former term
> > >above the latter but both in the same size font. Considering
> > >the function of the tickets, and the positioning of the
> > >words, we figured that the word "urchin" meant "child." Is
> > >this a standard Canadianism?  The other option is that they
> > >label the tickets each day with an unusual word as a
> > >counterfeit prevention, which wouldn't be nearly as much
> > >fun.  To my surprise, the ticket collector insisted on
> > >taking the entire ticket, so I couldn't keep a copy. But now
> > >I'm thinking of going back to Victoria later in the week, so
> > >I'll be able to  check the tickets and ask the agents if
> > >they think urchin means child.
> > >
> > >Not that my children aren't urchins.
> > >
> > >Clai Rice
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org