'Our Mrs. Reynolds'
Discussion of episodes currently airing in Un-American locations (anything that's aired in Australia is fair game), as well as anything else the Un-Americans feel like talking about or we feel like asking them. Please use the show discussion threads for any current-season discussion.
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what's a Dundonian? Does that mean from Dundalk? (Which, okay, is a city in Maryland, but I'm sure also a city in Scotland, considering like 3/4 of city names in Maryland are also cities in Scotland?)
Dundonians come from up the road in Dundee.
Edit: extra info inf you like: Dun: means old fortess and Dee is the name of a river, hence Dun Dee means the castle on the river Dee.
I am from Dun Ferme Lynne (Dunfermline), tower on the winding burn/stream.
billytea ... there's also the theory that the term "Pom" sprang from the acronym, "PHOM" or "Prisoner of His Majesty". Not sure what the status is on that theory.
Yes, there is. It is a possibility, but I think the immigrant connection is considered better supported.
There are a number of other theories too, but they become increasingly fanciful. Much safer bet to stick with criminals and fruits.
So that means the pom/pomme de terre/potato connection is spurious? It's what I was told.
Much safer bet to stick with criminals and fruits.
Yeah because we know how fruity criminals can become over time.
An Irish friend of mine claims the plural of "grouse" is "grice". Is she pulling my leg?
On the pomme de terre front, aside from good Cheech & Chong puns, what is the point of calling a potato an apple-of-earth? Did teh guy who coined that name ever even look at a potato? Potatoes look nothing like apples, taste nothing like apples, and you don't hear about potato cobbler or apple chowder.
Is this a French thing I don't understand?
Likely not the place for this question, but it's about an accent, so maybe somewhat appropriate....did anyone see last night's CSI:Miami? What accent was the cop sporting?
See above re- fruity criminals. More transported for buggery than sedition...
So that means the pom/pomme de terre/potato connection is spurious? It's what I was told.
Yeah, that one's pretty unlikely. The connection was supposedly that British soldiers in WWI ate a lot of potatoes, but 'pom' was probably already in use by then (M-W dates it at 1912, which to me seems a little hopeful in its precision). There are also theories that it was an acronym for Port Of Melbourne, or Permit Of Migration, or had something to do with Portsmouth. I believe the pomegranate deal is now pretty widely accepted among etymologists.
yeah and we all know how fruity etymologists ... never mind