hocking loogies

Tom Zurinskas truespel at HOTMAIL.COM
Thu Oct 13 22:30:14 UTC 2011


In my day it was "hawking" not "hocking", which is probably an awe-droppers version of the word "hawking"(just like "tock" for talk")  And I think it was "lungers" not loogies.

Interestingly, the "awe" sound in "hawking" is onomatopoeia because it sounds like the sound one makes drawing up the mucus.  Awe-dropper's "hocking" loses that connection.

(This post is second try.  The first went into space)

Tom Zurinskas, Conn 20 yrs, Tenn 3, NJ 33, now Fl 9.
See how English spelling links to sounds at http://justpaste.it/ayk








----------------------------------------
> Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:44:22 -0700
> From: gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM
> Subject: Re: hocking loogies
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject: Re: hocking loogies
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dave Wilton's link =
> (http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/hawk_a_loogie/) and =
> OED 3 discuss clearing the throat.
>
> As a kid, I was always amazed by the kids that could hock properly--I =
> never could. But it seemed to me it is a gathering of the mucous in the =
> nasal passage, not the throat, and specifically, the collection of a =
> booger accompanied with snot.
>
> Also, I don't see "hock" or "loogie" or other variants in the OED. =
> (Actually, my first attempt to find this word was as hurk, but Google =
> corrected me and elementary school is too distant for me to try to fight =
> it.)
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> On Oct 13, 2011, at 5:25 AM, Charles C Doyle wrote:
>
> >=20
> > Those of us who still pronounce "open o's" recognize that the =
> customary spelling of the gerund is "hawking," which corresponds with =
> OED's "hawk" v.3.
> >=20
> > --Charlie
> >=20
> > ________________________________________
> > From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of =
> Benjamin Barrett [gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM]
> > Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 2:14 AM
> > =
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> -----
> >=20
> > I don't see this in the OED. Is there another way to express the =
> action of gathering in the nose the mucus required to make a solid mass, =
> surrounded by liquid, in preparation for spitting?
> >=20
> > The Columnist Manifesto wonders whether it makes sense to have a =
> standardized spelling for this =
> (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=3Dcache:FgAD879HGuQJ:theco=
> lumnistmanifesto.blogspot.com/2005/07/how-do-you-spell-loogie.html+%22hock=
> +a+loogie%22&cd=3D4&hl=3Den&ct=3Dclnk&gl=3Dus).
> >=20
> > Benjamin Barrett
> > Seattle, WA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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