May 25 2006
Slanguistics
The other day Damon tried to use a British accent and what he said was a British slang term. Not being familiar with what he was saying, I questioned the word he was using. I thought he either misheard the word somewhere or was doing something he can be quite good at- making it up.
Well, it has been on my mind thesee last few days and this morning I finally remembered to do a google search.
Damon, I am ready to conceed that I was wrong:
tosser Noun. An idiot, a contemptible person. Also, occasionally spelt tossa.
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Yes, language has fascinated me for most of my life – probably ever since I was subtely challenged by a cutie, long ago, as to whether I knew what the word “immortality” meant. Long about ‘92, I was drinking beer in a bar in the formerly Sandwich islands with a buddy from Missoula when an Aussie named Mick called him a “wanker” a term very akin to tosser (which is far more priapic in its true connotation than simply foolish, by the way), nearly precipitating a brawl. I have worked alongside a few Brits and Aussies over the years, and the language differences can be stark, at times. About the same number of people speak English natively as those who speak Spanish worldwide (a bit over 400 million). Mucho Adieu.