apple davy?
Robin Hamilton
robin.hamilton2 at BTINTERNET.COM
Thu Jan 21 02:56:14 UTC 2010
> At 1/20/2010 07:10 PM, Robin Hamilton wrote:
>>... thus "currant Tam" is [derived from] "a roon [round] currant-scone".
>
> To be simple-minded, does a "roon" scone become a "Tam" from the
> hat's shape? And from no less an authority, on its "TAM" page, "tam
> (cap) a *round* woolen cap originating in Scotland" (emphasis added).
Of course! That's it Joel, last link supplied, round currant scone => round
[now] Tammy hat. Tammies, immortalised in Burns' "Tam o' Shanter". Neat.
> But if you meant that "scone" was obscure, or if you ask one what a
> dormouse is, well ... for the first, Americans could go to Starbucks.
Well, given that there's even an English/Scottish problem here, since I
pronounce "scone" to rhyme with the past tense of the verb "to shine" and
the English mispronounce it to rhyme with something a dog gnaws, I'm
reluctant to try to discover just what Americans understand by "scone" by
making a field trip to the nearest branch of Starbucks and ordering one. I
mean, the confusions which could be generated by the dialogue might be
awkward.
"He jimmy, seeuz a treacle scone wi ma cappochino."
"Uh. Just what do you mean by that, sir?"
"Whit dyae mean, whit dae I mean? Snow that obvious? Ah mean ah
want a *coffee, an a black bun tae go wi it, but!"
"Right, that's it, you're banned. Out you go, you and the ass you
rode in on."
Robin
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