Funny old words

The_Minister

This will probably end up in the Cuckoo's nest but lets try it anyway.
What words have you come across whose meaning has changed in a fairly funny way? Here are two that I gave when supporting this forum.

1)I was reading a short-storey of Sir Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) and was quite surpriesed to read of a Lord interrupted in his long and complicated toilet by a sound at the door. His manservent was helping him at the time.

I reached for the dictionary and discovered that "toilet" was an old word for the act of getting dressed.

2) Conan Doyle also speaks of to "fair bray" someone. This means to beat the ****e out of them. I thought that this was appropriate considering the reputation of the town.

3) You all know this one but a Donnybrook was an old word for a massive street brawl. it's funny that one of our safest and most respectable areas shares the name.

hullaballoo

I heard those before recently, although I can't for the life of me remember where!

I think the way the word hullabaloo has changed is a good one. It comes from the word "hullo" which was what "hello" was originally before Alexander Graham Bell (I'm nearly sure Stephen Fry will be on to correct me on that!) transmitted the word "hello" via the earliest telephonic connection. Then "bullo" was added to import an echo of "hullo" to indicate a lot of noise and raucousness. Over time "hullo" changed to "hulla" and "bullo" to "baloo". My username is an equally acceptable version of the word (not extra "l"). I prefer it as being more historically accurate. I didn't fancy the name "hullo-bullo"

Owen

Gruntled. I was in the Brothers house after lashings and lashings of lube, and whilst under the influence we started this very debate. Old, strange words. We figured if someone could be disgruntled, then certainly at some point, they must have been gruntled. And sure enough, it means to be happy. So the next time someone asks how are you, you can say "I'm gruntled, and yourself?"

The_Minister

hullaballoo wrote:

I heard those before recently, although I can't for the life of me remember where!

The_Minister wrote:

Here are two that I gave when supporting this forum.

I have no idea where you would have come across them.

hullaballoo

That's brilliant! I'm defo using that!

hullaballoo

The_Minister wrote:

I have no idea where you would have come across them.

Which part of the word "heard" is catching you out?

Demetrius

Tit is obviously a slang word for that part (singular!) of a woman's anatomy. But originally back in the 1600s, I think, it meant a flighty waif of a girl.

It is funny how the term has come back into use (or maybe it never went of use?) when you hear girls of that age saying something like,

"I felt like such a tit!":)

Cracked meaning crazy as in you're cracked!

Is that Irish or world wide as in crackpot? I know my mum uses it a lot(you're cracked) but then she's from west cork.

Blush_01

Tart, with its now mildly-negative connotations is just sweetheart condensed. How cute is that!

humanji

hullaballoo wrote:

It comes from the word "hullo" which was what "hello" was originally before Alexander Graham Bell (I'm nearly sure Stephen Fry will be on to correct me on that!) transmitted the word "hello" via the earliest telephonic connection.

I could be wrong, but I was pretty sure that Hello wasn't used to start a telephone conversation when Bell invented the phone. He used Ahoy! in the same way people did when calling from one ship to another (I'm sure he thought it was a good idea at the time).

hullaballoo

humanji wrote:

I could be wrong, but I was pretty sure that Hello wasn't used to start a telephone conversation when Bell invented the phone. He used Ahoy! in the same way people did when calling from one ship to another (I'm sure he thought it was a good idea at the time).

Yes, Stephen, you appear to be right there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello.