An Irishwoman's Diary in The Irish Times yesterday. But how come Alison Healy did not introduce the reader to lowkenuinely, (a word on the lips of young people at present), having introduced ‘low key’.
That’s what happens with living languages. Dogmental is a great word. What about; 'oh my God like, why has mammy become so dogmental like? What would AI say about it all?
By Alison Healy
It’s a good story about words. was looking for something in this newspaper’s archive when an Irishman’s Diary column from April 1929 caught my eye. The diarist was observing how days could pass without encountering a monocle-wearer. “Then your tram will be carrying three gentlemen in monocles and another be waiting to board it as you alight.”
Indeed. We’ve all had those days when you can’t move on the Luas without being surrounded by monocle-wearers.
When the diarist had exhausted his exposition on the monocle, he began reflecting on a book he was reading. It explained the birth of the word “quiz”. According to the 1875 book Gleaning and Reminiscences by Frank Thorpe Porter, the word was invented by Richard Daly, who ran Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre.
The story goes that, in August 1791, in a tavern in nearby Eustace Street, he placed a 20-guinea bet with friends that he could make up a word that would be in the mouths of the Dublin public within 48 hours. He then wrote a word on a series of cards and gave the cards and chalk to the youngsters working at the theatre.
They were told to spend the night writing the word on every door and shutter they passed until the sun came up. Dubliners awoke on that Sunday morning to the word “quiz” written everywhere. It was the talk of the town for days as people wondered if the word was political, religious or from another language. And the rest is history.
Or is it? The story has been debunked by people who point to the word being used in print for several years before this event took place. Before its current meaning was settled on, it was used to describe someone who was a bit of an oddball or, a nerd.
The broadcaster and actor Stephen Fry, who would be a useful team-mate in any pub quiz, said the Daly story was his favourite theory about the origin of the word “quiz”, but he also debunked it. He suggested the word was a contraction of “inquisition”.
Of course, two things could be true at once. Daly could have dispatched his underlings to write “quiz” all over Dublin back when it was not in general circulation, thus popularising the word on this island.
Fry has helped to popularise at least one made-up word. His friend, actor Hugh Laurie, invented a word “spoffle” to describe the spongy muffle placed over microphones. Fry has been championing it since.
This reminds me of my campaign to get “dogmental” into general usage. Coined by a small person in our house, it describes prejudging a dog based on previous experiences with that dog breed. I, for example, am “dogmental” when I see a collie approaching me as I have been bitten twice by such dogs.
The Oxford English Dictionary compilers invite the public to submit new words and the small person in my house petitioned them to include the word in the dictionary four years ago. Astonishingly, they still have not added this perfect word to the dictionary.
An internet search for the word merely throws up a dog trainer in Cyprus and a debut album by an American clarinettist. Perhaps I need to send my minions around Dublin with some chalk. Or enlist Fry to champion it.
In return, I would happily champion his proposal for Fresh Phrase Day. On this day, any newspaper, writer, commentator or public figure who used a phrase that had been used before would be fined with the money going to the Oxford English Dictionary. Perhaps then they could employ more people to add new words to their dictionary.
Fresh Phrase Day would be even better if it included a heftier fine for people trying to normalise the use of American phrases in Ireland.
I realised how urgent this was at Halloween when a teacher told me his second-class pupils were talking about all the candy they would receive. No mention of sweets.
Another acquaintance got a new job and has been talking non-stop about “onboarding”. No, he’s not getting on a boat. He is joining a company. Let’s hope he doesn’t find himself walking the plank before his probation period ends.
If you have been within earshot of a teenager lately, you may have noticed how enthusiastically they have embraced the phrase “low key”. It started as slang, to mean slightly or somewhat, as in “I’m low key obsessed with carrying my giant water bottle everywhere”, but now it’s appearing in every sentence for no good reason.
I’m like low key also blaming the Americans for this. Was it for this the 1916 Rising leaders sacrificed their lives? Bring on Fresh Phrase Day now before it’s too late.
No comments:
Post a Comment