urchin

[Wilson Gray]

As opposed to "street urchin."

-Wilson

On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 1:37 PM, Joel S. Berson<Berson at att.net> wrote:
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> Sender: Â  Â  Â  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Â  Â  Â  "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject: Â  Â  Â Re: urchin
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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: Â  Â Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:04:29 -0500
>> > >From: Â  Â 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? Â 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. Â 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
>> >
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--
-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
-Mark Twain

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