Terlet

[Sam Clements]

Larry,

In keeping with your observations, I can almost hear Strom Thurman of South
Carolina saying "boids" for "birds."  Would Strom also have said "terlet?"
And, what accent did Strom Thurman have?  Where did it originate?

Sam
----- Original Message -----
From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 16:40
Subject: Re: Terlet


> At 3:24 PM -0500 3/21/10, Jim Parish wrote:
>>Sam Clements wrote:
>>>  From what dialect/region would one find the word "terlet" to mean =
>>>  "toilet?"
>>
>>I have a vague memory of hearing it from the mouth of Archie Bunker on
>>"All
>>in the Family". (It actually sounds like the stereotype of Brooklynese,
>>but
>>didn't Archie live in Queens?)
>>
> Right, he did, but then "Brooklynese" is as likely to be spoken in
> the Bronx or in (working-class) areas of Queens as in Brooklyn.
> Presumably, there's hypercorrection going on:  if you're aware that
> your "boids" are supposed to be "birds", you'll turn your toilets
> into "terlets".  Again, this is all stereotypical, and I have no idea
> how much of it is based on reality.
>
> LH
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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