[Ads-l] Paws off Pompey

[Jonathan Lighter]

I'm forced to concur.

JL

On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 7:33 AM dave at wilton.net <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

>
> I think Napoleon in the referent. That fits with the other citations of
> the phrase in the OED (paw, n1.2c), where the metaphor is that of calling
> off a dog named "Pompey," a popular dog name back in the day.
>
> I don't know of any use of "Pompey" to refer to Britain. And a meaning
> "keep your paws off of Portsmouth" is unlikely. Expecting scrupulous
> adherence to punctuation in a cartoon speech balloon is expecting too much.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2024 6:03pm
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Paws off Pompey
>
>
>
> Looks to me like Britain is the only likely referent.
>
> JL
>
> On Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 5:26 PM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > Pompey is a known nickname for the seaport Portsmouth, England.
> > Napoleon has also sometimes (less often) been compared to Pompey.
> > In this early print (note no comma suggesting Napoleon and Pompey are
> > appositives) is Pompey meant as representing England?
> > Enlarge the print to read the words.
> > https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0808-7101
> >
> > Stephen Goranson
> >
> > paws off
> > hands off
> > Pompey
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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