LL-L "Idiomatica" 2007.10.01 (02) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  01 October 2007 - Volume 02
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
=========================================================================

From: Jacqueline Bungenberg de Jong <Dutchmatters at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2007.09.30 (02) [E]

Thinking about all the pot words that I remember I passed by "likkepot" and
then the word Slickerfritz popped up.

         Any LL connotations? Jacqueline
----------

From: Ronald Veenker <veenker at atmc.net>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2007.09.30 (02) [E]

Ron, et al.,

My wife and I know some United States -pot expressions:  "You little
stink-pot"  i.e., a nasty little child.  "You're being a piss-pot
today" is about the same sort of reference.  Obvious to all is the "pot"
standing for the "chamber pot" or what we now call in hospital,
the "bed pan."

Ronald Veenker
"Now and Zen"
623 Ocean Boulevard West
Holden Beach, NC 28462-1805

----------

From: "heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk" <heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2007.09.30 (02) [E]

Reinard wrote.

Jacqueline, ...pot for people rings a bell. In Low Saxon you can use suerpot(
Suurpott, "sour pot") for someone surly, disgruntled, in a bad mood, etc.
And there's gnegelpot (Gnägelpott ) for an angry or critical person.

"sourpot" certainly rings a bell with me too. Also "Sourpuss". And there's
"crosspatch" or there was... I think it's rather out of date/use nowadays.
Still current in a nursery rhyme, which I can't remember any more except for
....
Cross patch
Lift the Latch
Sit by the fire and spin ....
...........
And don't let the ... in.

Can anyone help fill the gaps?
Heather [Rendall]

----------

From: Maria Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2007.09.30 (01) [E]

Hi all,

Ron, my immediate response was that going potty is the result of having
smoked pot.

The expression is also known here, mostly from British expats.

Cheers,
Elsie Zinsser

----------

From: Roland Desnerck <desnerck.roland at skynet.be>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2007.09.30 (01) [E]

Beste Ron en alle Lowlanders,
About "crazy" and "verdrayden".
Als iemand "crazy" is, kunnen wij in het West-Vlaams zeggen: "jen holve
gedroajdn" (jij half gedraaide). Mijns inziens komt dit uit de taal van de
pottenbakker: de pot is slechts half gedraaid, dit pottenbakken is mislukt!
De oorsprong van "verdrayd" is het werkwoord "draaien".
Tegen kinderen die naar het toilet moeten, zeggen wij: "god up 't potsje"
(ga op het potje). Als men dan iemand aanzet tot het verrichten van iets wat
hem niet bevalt, als men iemand wil dwingen, kan men zeggen:
"kak of gin kak, de pot up!"(even if there is no need, you go to the potty).
Nog in verband met "pot"; een homo is "e potvint", een lesbische "e
potwuuf"; ze zijn beiden "voe de pot" (voor de pot).
And about "mad". Wij kennen ook een verschil tussen "gék" en "zot".
"Gék" is "insane" en ook "angry" (woedend, boos, gram zijn Nederlandse
woorden die in ons dialect niet voorkomen).
"Zot" betekent ongewoon, onberekenbaar, maar ook labiel. "Je zie gie zoe zot
of en achterdeure" betekent labiel; ook: "zoe zot of e wiendzot" ( de
windvaan of windhaan op daken van boerderijen of gebouwen). Is het werkelijk
zeer erg, dan kan gezegd: "zottenholf" (d.i. zot en half). Zo ook:
dullenholf (dul is niet dol, maar woedend)
droevenholf (droef is niet verdrietig als in het Nederlands, maar wel
stout), stoetenholf (stoet is niet stout, maar durvend, stoutmoedig), enz.
Zijn er nog dialecten, buiten het West-Vlaams, die de toevoeging van "-en
half" kennen?
Toetnoasteki!
Roland Desnerck
Watergangstraat 9
B8420 Klemskerke
België

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Idiomatica

Thanks for all the responses and interesting information, folks.

Heather, "crosspatch" was a new one for me.

Elsie, I'm pretty sure that "potty" predates "pot" as a slang word for
"cannabis."

Well, let me look it up in the OED ...  Hmmm ... it seems to be a bit older
than I thought, but still the earliest record being of the late 1930s. It
comes from Mexican Spanish *potiguaya* or *potaguaya* which is based
on *potación
de guaya*, literally "potion/drink of grief," originally apparently applied
to liquor and then expanded to other mind-altering substances. (Cf. Cockney
Rhyming Slang "drink o' drear" for "beer.")

"Potty" has been attested in writing since the 1860 Dictionary of Slang.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20071001/0439677c/attachment.htm>