semi-skim

[Alice Faber]

On 2/28/11 2:01 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
> In my mind, Chris's country labels were reversed, which is why I did not
> even notice it. Folk history has it that "supermarket" originated in the US.
>
> As for "spa", AHD4 doesn't have it either, but it does have a "regional
> note" suggestion that in "Eastern New England" it means "soda fountain".
> In the 28 years that I've been living here (minus 6 years spent
> elsewhere), I've never heard the expression. Maybe I haven't been paying
> attention. I have heard spa==grocery store/corner store in Vermont, but
> expressed by non-natives. Speaking of which, "corner
> store"==grocery/general store is not in OED, although it's in Wiki,
> Encarta and Macmillan. I've heard it used in reference to small local
> stores that are NOT at a corner, but never for chain convenience/-t stores.


When I first moved to New Haven in the late 80s, there was a downtown
"greasy spoon" lunch counter called The College Spa.

--
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Alice Faber                                    faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                           tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
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