What is a 'sesh'?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,cobra
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 01:19 PM

My father's people were from the Glens of Antrim and they would often talk about so-and-so having a bit of a ceili at his/her house. There was no dancing involved as a rule or, if there was, it would be very much the exception rather than the rule. Singing, storytelling and playing of tunes would be the order of the day at these. Oh, and stout. Never forget the stout.

The airneal was something else again. Traditionally, in Donegal, these would be storytelling evenings. Many's the night I had the bejasus scared out of me by Michi Sheain Neil O'Bhaoill as an impressionable thirteen year-old.

AS others have said above, I suspect seisuin is a straight lift as Bearla, mar a deirthear.

Slan agus beannacht.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 06:54 AM

abbreviation
The result of abbreviating; a reduced form; an abridgement. A shortened form of a word, phrase, or symbol.

abridgement
1 The act or process of abridging; shortening; curtailment; an instance of this.

contraction
1 The action of contracting; the state of being contracted; decrease in extent, shortening, shrinking, narrowing; limitation; esp. (a) shortening of a muscle or muscles in response to a nerve impulse, generating tension in the muscle(s) and frequently producing movement.
2 a Abbreviation of a writing etc.; (an) abridgement; condensation, conciseness. Now rare or obs. The shortening of a word, syllable, etc. by combination or elision; a contracted form of a word etc.

elision
1 (An) omission of a sound, syllable, etc., running together the sounds on either side of it; (an) omission of a passage in a book etc.

pick the bones out of the OED CD ROM - PAL - abreviation can be abridgement which looks for all the world to be the same, identical, fully analogous, congruent, self-similar, and in no way mutually exclusive to contraction.

AND looking in the paper version (Principle Abbreviations) I find "RC Ch." for Roman Catholic Church (note full stop) and Rmc (no full stop) for Romanic and looking for full stops explain if you will, Mr Anonymous, How come US has no f.s.'s and W.Ind. does? OED is my arbiter and seems to be - Ah! bitty.

But I will give you p'r'aps - maybe.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 12:41 PM

but 'praps the apostrophe is the wrong place.

Or p'r'aps there should even be two

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 11:40 AM

'praps we should add the full stop just to please the pedants.

You don't need a full stop, because it's a contraction, not an abbreviation.

Is that pedantic enough for you?

S.M.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,Paul Burke lost his biscuit
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:42 AM

'ceili' would make more sense says Peter Kennedy. But that's already spoken for by the dancers, and we wouldn't want any of them in the seisiun, would we? And there might be objections from Regina Ceili, better known as the Bergin Mary.

It would be interesting to consult Dinneen on this if Myles naG is anything to go by. He took apart a review of a piano recital, written in the Irish Times in Irish, which referred to the soloist as a 'pianador'- pointing out that the only meaning Dinneen ascribes to the word is 'torturer'.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: The Shambles
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:27 AM

There must be something in this thread that makes me slow.

And I suggest we know what it is. For (some time ago in this thread you did ask us:

And what was wrong with Lysergsäure-diethylamid?

Perhaps you have answered your own question there?

Was it it good one Wolfgang?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 02:58 PM

alliterate LOL

Sorry, but that's how long it took me. Bit more than half a minute this time. There must be something in this thread that makes me slow.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 02:47 PM

Paul Burke, thanks for clearing up the 'seisiun' origin.
My Irish-English dictionary says it means a 'session, or a get-together'.
Sounds like a direct lift from the English as opposed to a translation, of which 'ceili' would make more sense.

Seamus

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 12:45 PM

Aye Big Mick! The game wez caaled that up on Tyneside in UK as well - Must've been taken/brought ower by the immigrants

Me da' aalways referred to his mate's 'plus-four' trousers as 'FOF's'

They were tied at the knee 'fo' fear he'd sh*t himself'

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 11:35 AM

Ron,

I wasn't serious.
It is a normal process in all languages that often used words get shorter. Automobil became Auto in German, Fahrrad (bicycle) became Rad and even Kaiserslautern (K-town) is often called Lautern now in spoken German. Amerikaner we often just call 'Ami(s)' (pron: ummy) BTW.

Wolfgang (being glad about the shortening of LlanfairPG by the Brits; sorry about that)

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Big Mick
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 11:14 AM

'praps we should add the full stop just to please the pedants.

Ahhhhh ..... childhood memories. Having grown up in Western Michigan, a favorite summertime game was to be found in the sand dunes along Lake Michigan. We would go to the top of the dunes, with a small piece of cardboard and play 'praps. You would get a running start and jump on the piece of cardboard, sliding down the sand dunes. The name came from the fact that 'praps you would get sand in the crack of yer arse, and 'praps you wouldn't.

I'll get me cap.

Mick

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 11:13 AM

I agree, this thread should be in the music section.

Wolfgang - it is a U.S. tradition to give towns nickames.   Even Chicago is called Chi Town!

I'm curious why people are consider it "dumbing down" when words are abbreviated? It's our language, let's have fun with it! Screw the rules!!! Calling it a "sesh" is cute and easily recognizable.

I wonder the origin's of "sesh" have anything to do with the similarity to the word Feis?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,Mr Red in mischievious mood
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 11:08 AM

if we say it we can say session, if we type an abbr. we all understand - what's the prob.? 'praps we should add the full stop just to please the pedants.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 10:59 AM

May I protest in this thread that the US-soldiers in Germany don't use the easily pronouncable proper name of Kaiserslautern and just call it K-town instead. And what was wrong with Lysergsäure-diethylamid?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 09:01 AM

The Queen opened a new sesh of Parliament?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 04:43 AM

Perhaps whoever relgated this thread from the music-related section would be kind enough to put it back?

Thank you.

I think 'seisiun' possibly originated in the Comhaltas shows of the early 70s, which were supposed to have some of the ambience of a session. I can probably dig out some back copies of Treoir as citation.

That may well be the case but there are many other uses for the word.

Will we be hearing Court sessions being referred to as Court seshies?

Or a recording sesh?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 03:29 AM

I think 'seisiun' possibly originated in the Comhaltas shows of the early 70s, which were supposed to have some of the ambience of a session. I can probably dig out some back copies of Treoir as citation. It was quickly acquired by organised tourist show sessions in hotels, and provided a decent summer income for a lot of young musicians before the tiger economy days.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,passing through
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 02:54 AM

Well, it seemed to me that the original post was about the apparent dumbing-down of language. Along similar lines, a current down-dumbing locally is the tendency to refer to a festival as a "fester". That could stop and I'd be glad.

The Shambles does appear in this thread to be the "playground punching bag"; and catspaw49 seems more than a little full-of-self. You yourself become pretty tiresome, Spaw...

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 12:40 AM

Spaw, you almost blew chunk.
I heard that Chunk is your dog.
True?
This thread is turning into quite a nice sesh..oops, sorry Roger - session.
Or seisiun.
Or procession, recession, secession..whatever.


Seamus

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 11:25 PM

A friend since kindergarten named Katie?
That's what I get for hanging around with anal-retentive people...
I can't win.

Anyhow, for being 84, Katie's quite the hot number, even if she does say that dinner was "delish." My sister and I think my dad could do worse.
But hey, isn't there a Gershwin song about abbreviated words like this?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 11:22 PM

No, "Since" is simply her middle name.

~S~

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 11:17 PM

Actually Susan, the real question is what was her name BEFORE Kindergarten.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 11:12 PM

My mom, born in 1922, had a friend named Katie since kindergarten.

I think I'll change my name to "Katie Since Kindergarten." I'm overdue for another Mudcat name-change and that will do nicely.

~S~

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 11:03 PM

"Maybe it's what octogenarians do for a good time - abbreviate words... "

That would be "octoes" - c'mon, get with it daddy-o!

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:33 PM

Geez Joe....You need to be getting ready soon. Age is rapidly overtaking you. Your time is near at hand....And speaking of hands, get that thing outta' your hand Man......Damn, that's disgusting! I might toss lunch..........

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:08 PM

My mom, born in 1922, had a friend named Katie since kindergarten. Katie comes from Detroit, and now lives in central Michigan. Anyhow, Katies's the kind of person who would use the term "sesh." She would visit my folks in "Sara," not Sarasota (Florida), and then she'd take a side trip over to "Miam" (Miami). I'm not sure where and when Katie picked this up,   but my dad has been talking about this trait of Katie's for years.
I think it's kind of a 1940's "cool" thing or something.
Maybe it's what octogenarians do for a good time - abbreviate words...

-Joe-

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 08:39 PM

(I prefer "session" but it's not exactly a shock or an unkonwn to see or hear "sesh")

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 08:34 PM

A shortening of the word "session" that I've known in common use in the UK since I first learned of sessions in the 80s, and presumably a common shortening long before then...

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 07:23 PM

Ya' know lox, you're probably right, but he didn't used to be. He has written some beautiful lyrics and poetry and for a long time he was taken on the other issues with a grain of salt. But we've been hearing this diatribe in ever building quantities for 8 years now! Sooooo......LOL......Sorry, but every once in awhile I take a day and take a few shots at the lad. Probably a stupid and pissy thing to do but I enjoy it, much as he daily enjoys asking the same already answerewd questions over and over.

This run is about done and I feel recharged for a few weeks!!!

AND WOLFGANG---Are you sure you won't share? I just used my own images and it was completely disgusting....I almost blew chunk.................

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 06:03 PM

LOL -you have a dangerous and powerful wit 'spaw.

And though your target doesn't give up and would probably deny this, I can feel the cuts from here.

I get the feeling that, rightly or wrongly, he is also the playground punchbag. There are greater challenges for you out there.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 06:01 PM

No, that's too private. You'll have to use your own images.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 05:59 PM

ye see, when aah wez a lad on Tyneside a 'sesh' was what they hung aroond the shoulder of Miss World just before they put the croon on her heid!

Sex was what yez had your coal delivered in

and a creche wiz a 'shunt' what posh people had in their cars


And taalkin' of coal deliveries..... When we joined the European Union wor coalman got aall bilingual and asked us if we wanted the coal 'a la cart' or 'cul de sack'

We also had a german rent man - he wez called Carl Bach Necks Week

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 05:56 PM

Well Wolfie? Are you going to share? What does one of our non-native speakers think for that 30 seconds? If it is really good we can send it to Penthouse magazine! Besides, I just need the rush......

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 05:50 PM

sinaround made my mind wander off to quite pleasurable daydreams. Sometimes it can be an advantage not to be a native speaker. A native speaker would have realised at once the typo interpretation which I needed half a minute to find. But I thank you for that half a minute.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Big Mick
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 12:48 PM

It isn't namecalling, it's a title. A very apropos title. Kind of like Unnamed Fellow Posters, or Current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 12:44 PM

Catspaw - as I do not resort to calling you names. I ask again that you do not do not post to call me names.

For this sets the example that this is acceptable posting behaviour?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 12:36 PM

Yeah.....I got a boner just reading all about it. Thanks for that Mudcat Piss&Moanmeister!!!!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 12:03 PM

Shambles, thankas for bringing this to our attention.

No problem Seamus - the world just had to be informed.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 11:56 AM

Just to add to the confusion, when did 'session' morph into 'seisiun'?
And can 'sesh' be the abbreviation for 'seisiun' even though 'seisiun' is obviously Irish and 'session' is English?
Please help.
Shambles, thankas for bringing this to our attention.

Seamus

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 10:43 AM

I thought a sesh was the tune equivalent of a sinaround.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: leeneia
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 10:38 AM

Too much confusion with "seiche." See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiche

Or didn't you realize that the Great Lakes are the center of the world?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Jeri
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:25 AM

U don't say, J!? Really gonna B this way? Got 'sesh' got 'dis' got 'props', etc. Earlier generations came up with 'info', 'phone', TV, 'bye', 's'truth', and plenty of other shortened words.

Whether an abbreviated word sticks depends only on whether it's adopted by enough people.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Snuffy
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:22 AM

There's bound to be someone along soon telling us that it's really an Irish word that we thieving Brits have stolen, and should be spelled seis

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:15 AM

Language changes - and will do so even more as the present 'text' generation gets older.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Scrump
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:08 AM

In the distant past, we used to use the term 'sesh' as slang for a drinking session. So when I first heard it applied to folk sessions, it seemed natural to me, although I admit I don't tend to use it in conversation, or even in postings like this one. I can c it cd b useful in txt msgs tho.

Seems odd if it makes people cringe - but each to his/her own.

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:06 AM

Perhaps the answer is to register your complaint with Max and then wait for an update. Your complaint is on file. Drop it.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 09:03 AM

Perhaps the answer is simply to enable posters to create longer thread titles?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 08:56 AM

I know space can be a problem at times and Splott found that out when he used "Sesh" before in a similar thread title, although a much longer one. On another Session thread he used Session with no problem and it too was longer than the 7 October thread.

I wasn't criticising Splott Man at all. He did a good job on all three threads.

The Current Bitchmaster on the other hand................

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 08:12 AM

Vu Bist Du Geveyzen Fur Prohibish?

Subject: RE: What is a 'sesh'?
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 07:53 AM

I abbreviated to save space.

Ah!

Despite what other posters paranoia may tell them to inform our forum, to assume and speculate publicly about what may be the sinister motivations behind why others may start threads - the thought that this would be the reason for this example - only occurred to me later.

The reason was certainly not to critise the originator of that thread - this was simply a way of showing an example of the term's use. In this case there was obviously a very good reason for its use.

However, I have noticed locally, that the abbreviated term is starting to be used more - and everytime I hear it - it makes me cringe. But there are many other worse things that are far more cringeworthy........