[Ads-l] broheem

[Laurence Horn]

Are we sure it's not "brohim", as in "cherubim", "seraphim", and especially "elohim", then reanalyzed (by non-Hebrew speakers) as a singular?  Lots of g-hits for "a seraphim"/"a Seraphim"!


LH

> On Feb 7, 2016, at 4:40 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Back in 2005, Sam Clements linked to a discussion about
> "broheem"/"broheim" on the Straight Dope Message Board.
> 
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__boards.straightdope.com_sdmb_showthread.php-3Ft-3D342217&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=2BdXV7XTeK2nxLtFVw0tLhMmSnpKciQ84VV1GLTys0o&s=H6eKm8RJByytJ55RKNabLeyOB66ME-AHIi9U3s6nqm4&e= 
> via
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__listserv.linguistlist.org_pipermail_ads-2Dl_2005-2DOctober_054971.html&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=2BdXV7XTeK2nxLtFVw0tLhMmSnpKciQ84VV1GLTys0o&s=Fq6FJaqSZWKinUGAWr-VJRVU8EnQp-CXEuJP0yMZCkg&e= 
> 
> Nothing definitive there, but it does point to the 2005 film "A
> History of Violence" as an important propagator. Grant Barrett also
> noted the film's use of the word in his Double-Tongued entry from June
> 9, 2006, but he tied it to earlier usage of "broham"/"brougham" (back
> to 1991):
> 
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__web.archive.org_web_20060612213103_http-3A__doubletongued.org_index.php_dictionary_broheim&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=2BdXV7XTeK2nxLtFVw0tLhMmSnpKciQ84VV1GLTys0o&s=GhJvxan3rYkiPdEw98wJcPRU4Cg6u_IOQeSla82eY40&e= 
> 
> --bgz
> 
> 
> On Sun, Feb 7, 2016 at 3:34 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> 
>> OK, a current commercial shows that Geico makes you frighteningly big and
>> strong, unlike wimpy, other-guy insurance.
>> 
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3D1AFZQOfj7nw&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=2BdXV7XTeK2nxLtFVw0tLhMmSnpKciQ84VV1GLTys0o&s=BDeaxh9RGoVutFS9py_pjFtHANJXnrakiUkJ4wV7xUs&e= 
>> 
>> The relevant gimmick, however, is that the weight-lifter dudes keep
>> addressing each other with bad puns on the word "bro," e.g. "brotato chip"
>> and "Teddy Brosevelt."
>> 
>> No prob, natch. But the very first "bro" item sounds like "broheem," which
>> mystifies me.
>> 
>> Tons o' Googlits, few answers. ("Ibahim" is a popular guess, but, really?)
>> 
>> UrbanD has it from 2004 ("broheim," 2006) and even "Broheemavich" from 2007.
>> 
>> WTH?
>> 
> 
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