Monday, June 30, 2008
I Shoddy This Post
So quite some time ago, in my long lost other blog, I posted about the seemingly Prince Georgian usage of the words "budge" and "verse," which Language Hat was kind enough to blog about as well. Well, I've found another strange usage. When the boys, or for that matter any kid here in town, wants to lay claim to something, they quickly shout out "I shoddy the last ginger ale!" or whatever it is they want to get.
Of course, a search of definitions comes up with the usual, and nothing else. The only exception is a site for a Pokemon game called "Shoddy Battle," but a search of that site doesn't come up with anything to explain this usage. And so I find myself wondering, is this a spontaneous creation, or has it arisen from somewhere else and are others seeing it as well?
Of course, a search of definitions comes up with the usual, and nothing else. The only exception is a site for a Pokemon game called "Shoddy Battle," but a search of that site doesn't come up with anything to explain this usage. And so I find myself wondering, is this a spontaneous creation, or has it arisen from somewhere else and are others seeing it as well?
Labels: language
// posted by Derryl Murphy @ 8:08 PM 
Comments:
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I should clarify that, as best as I recall, this only came up over the past 6-12 months. Jo agrees; as far as she remembers, there was no sign of this usage before the past school year began.
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My guess is that this derives from calling "shotgun" to claim the passenger seat in a car. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riding_shotgun
# posted by 
: 1:50 PM
: 1:50 PM
I definitely agree. "Shotgun" is called when you want the front passenger seat in a car; it becomes "Shotty" for short; and then "shotty" is applied to laying claim for anything.
I don't know about Canada, but in New Zealand this is as old as the hills and the idea there's anyone left alive who hasn't heard it before completely blows my mind.
# posted by : 8:46 PM
: 8:46 PM
Shotgun sounds like the right explanation, thanks. And Anonymous in NZ, when I was in your beautiful country lo these many years ago, flip flops were referred to as "jandals," which, it may also blow your mind, seems to have made it just about no where else.
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