BS: TSA language musing

Subject: BS: TSA language musing
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 04:13 PM

Recently I read a book on the sources of English words, and the book had an interesting statistic, which I now wish I had memorized. It said something to the effect that 80% of the words that we use in everyday life come from Old English. I consider this a remarkable fact, given how archaic Old English seems now.

Then last week I was in the airport at Monterey, California, and I had time to study a sign put up by the Transportation Safety Authority. The sign said:

If it can be

poured
sprayed
squeezed
smeared OR
spread

then it is a
liquid, aerosol or gel.

I surmised that all the verbs were Germanic/Old English, and all the nouns were Latinate. I've looked up the words at the Yahoo Reference site, and except for 'poured', I was right.

spray - Middle Dutch
squeeze - Middle English
smear - Middle English. Originally meant to anoint, if you can imagine that.

spread - Old Enlish

'Poured' is a bit mysterious. My unabridged dictionary says 'origin uncertain.' Yahoo says perhaps from the Old North French. Never heard of Old North French before!

The nouns [liquid, aerosol, and gel] are all Latinate. Well, almost. 'aero' is Greek.

I think it's kind of cute that when the TSA wanted to describe actions it used Germanic/Old English words, and to categorize things, it turned to Latinate forms.

Since this was in California, I now want to know how you say 'squeeze, smear, and spread' in Spanish.

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 06:32 PM

I can be squeezed. Am I a liquid, an aerosol, or a gel?

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 10:18 PM

So...you are related to the Charmin?

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 11:19 PM

Rap, I think Bill just called you an asswipe. Are you going to take that? Go get him!

***FIGHT***FIGHT***FIGHT***

Spaw, sliding into a corner to watch and enjoy --hehehehehehehehe--

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 11:33 PM

pour, ME, 14th c., not in OE: OED

pour, Spanish- Eschar o vaciar liquidos de una parte a otra. Velasquez dictionary.

(Did you really want to know?)

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: GUEST,Kev from Ilford
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 11:47 PM

Oh if it is not hard enough to be English in these petty Euro Beurocrat ball crushing days..

we English have known since the times of the Crusades

If We travel to foreign hot sweaty lands,

just say what we need to comunicate in ENGLISH

in a LOUUUUD assertive tone of voice:

and then add something foreign sounding to the end of each word.

Its good diplomacy and helps stop the natives
thinking they are organized and brave enought to fight back in mass bodies

against our English cannons..


So.. poured becomes "pourio" and squeezed becomes "squeezio"



and now that you Yanks think they have a better empire than ours,

just add "have a nice dayio" after each cannonade against johnny foreiner..

cup of tea please.. grrrrmmm..

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 11:57 AM

Guest Kev, there was an extremely funny English tv program, carried on PBS over here, about an Englishman traveling in Europe that I would like to get on tape or cd, but I think it has been deep-sixed for political incorrectness. I still can't think of Air France without using his name for it, 'Frog Air.' Great comedy and satire.
The English TV program about the Euro Gravy Train in Brussels is available, and well-worth re-watching.

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 03:42 PM

Say, Bill, let's go beat the crap outa Spaw....

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 04:15 PM

Anybody see the SNL Harry Potter parody? All spells end in -io, like Couch-eo! Stereo!

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 01:04 AM

'I can be squeezed. Am I a liquid, an aerosol, or a gel?'

Rapaire: only if you change shape as a result.
======
Did I really want to know how to say 'squeeze' and 'smear' in Spanish? Yes. I want to know if the Spanish words are onomatopeic or not.

I could consult a dictionary, I supposed, but it's more fun to hear from someone who speaks the language.
======
Spaw: let's keep it clean.

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 09:03 AM

Leeneia. where does onomatopoeia come into it? Neither "smear" nor "squeeze" is onomatopoeic in English (modern or Old), so what's the relevance whether the Spanish words are so?

Neither the act of squeezing nor the act of smearing has any particular sound for the word to imitate.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Bert
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 11:23 AM

Neither the act of squeezing nor the act of smearing has any particular sound for the word to imitate...

squeezing Oooof!
smearing   Sluuurp!

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 01:20 PM

Q, have you tried netflix? They have a lot of PBS/BBC programs available. We've just been enjoying three seasons of "William & Mary" with Martin Clunes as a undertaker and Julie Graham as a midwife. What a great show! Clunes has a really NICE singing voice, too.

We also found the first season of "Doc Martin" also starring Clunes, at netflix.

Bert, but then wouldn't they be: sqOooofing and
Sluuurping? Not quite what is meant, if I remember correctly?**bg**

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 01:42 PM

There is much variation in the sounds of various liquids, aerosols and gels as they are smeared or squeezed. Some go, 'squuez'; others go 'blurp.' The TSA is going to spend a billion tax dollars on a long-term study.

Please note that if something can be squeegeed, it is not a liquid, aerosol or gel. (So confusing.)

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 08:17 AM

Silk Screen Printing uses a squeegee and I would describe the ink as a liquid or a gel, or at an extreme stratch - a cream

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 11:58 AM

They used to want to make you drink what ever liquid you had.

Be it breast milk or metropolitan sewer water samples for the EPA.

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: Amos
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 12:02 PM

Rapaire:

In your case, I would say aerosol.

Except on the rare occasion when you are all wet.

A

Subject: RE: BS: TSA language musing
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 12:52 PM

So evidently granulated sugar (for exaple), which can be poured, counts as a "liquid, aerosol or gel" in California. Another case of "only in America"...