Push bike

Jerry Friedman writes:

Where did the "k" in "bike" come from? That is, why isn't it
"bice"? The NSOED says only "Abbrev. of BICYCLE", but it seems like
an odd abbreviation. Baby talk? Classicist pedantry, since the
Greek word that "cycle" comes from was and is pronounced with an
initial "k" sound?

That's an interesting question. The OED doesn't even have an
etymology beyond its being an abbreviation. They cite it to 1882 in
_Wheelman_, and Google Books shows it showing up there and elsewhere
starting in 1883, without any explanation or scare quotes. I see the
word condemned by 1896, but nobody seems to know where it comes from.
I toyed with the notion that it might originally have been spelled
"bic" (like the later "mic", which got respelled as "mike"), but I
can't find any evidence for that.

--
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1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |those who are one of the two types
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R H Draney wrote:

Django Cat filted:

Why oh why are all the nutters on AUE Americans? We have a proud
tradition in this country of eccentricity, ranging from the mildly
disturbed all the way up the stark raving hatstand. Yet UK posters
on AUE seem to spend an awful lot of time reasoning calmly with
completely certifiable Americans. Why can't we have some genuine
British nutters coming out with bizarre and offensive ideas for
once?

(This is not to suggest all American posters are nutters; the vast
majority of US posters on AUE are wise, witty and well-informed.
But hey, guys, you got a couple of real winger dingers there!).

I may have to start a campaign. Bring back the British Nutter!

Sorry...nobody's been able to reach him for almost ten years now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/380082.stm

....r

A mere amateur.

--

Jerry Friedman wrote:

On May 10, 5:06*pm, "Django Cat" wrote:
the Omrud wrote:
wrote:
John Kane wrote:

A push bike typically refers to bicycle (human powered). *I
was talking to a sport shop owner the other day and said that
I was in the shop to look at the push bikes not the
motorbikes.
...

Push bike is a terribly British affectation.

"terribly"? *"affectation"? *Are the English not permitted a
dialect of, er, English?

I am seriously beginning to think the answer is 'no'.

I'm wondering whether to stop being Mr Nice Guy... er ... Bloke ...
about this crap, as I have been throughout PTD's recent xenophobic
rants.

I won't object if you stop being nice (sort of nice) to PTD, a fly who
you won't catch with honey any more than with vinegar.

I suppose I did call him a ****, but in a cuddly, ironic way.

Speaking of
stickiness, though, may I venture to remind you of the Tar Baby?

Ah. Could be before my time...


Nobody these days wants to claim our variety of English sets a
world standard, but I'm fed up with US-default posters suggesting
it's some quaint f***ing curiosity.

One was plenty, but have there been more than two?

Depends how we define our parameters.

DC

--

On 11 May, 06:50, Evan Kirshenbaum wrote:
Jerry Friedman writes:
Where did the "k" in "bike" come from?

That's an interesting question. *The OED doesn't even have an
etymology beyond its being an abbreviation. *They cite it to 1882 in
_Wheelman_, and Google Books shows it showing up there and elsewhere
starting in 1883, without any explanation or scare quotes. *I see the
word condemned by 1896, but nobody seems to know where it comes from.
I toyed with the notion that it might originally have been spelled
"bic" (like the later "mic", which got respelled as "mike"), but I
can't find any evidence for that.

Other than "mike" itself. [Which is to say, I find that to be a
reasonably convincing argument].

--
WH

Django Cat filted:

R H Draney wrote:

Django Cat filted:

I may have to start a campaign. Bring back the British Nutter!

Sorry...nobody's been able to reach him for almost ten years now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/380082.stm

A mere amateur.

You say amateur; I say bellwether....r


--
A pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
An optometrist asks whether you see the glass
more full like this?...or like this?

Django Cat wrote:
Jerry Friedman wrote:

Speaking of
stickiness, though, may I venture to remind you of the Tar Baby?

Ah. Could be before my time...

BrE folk (apparently including DC) are not in general familiar with Brer
Rabbit and his friends, unless perhaps they are fans of "Sons of the
South". Dad had a book of Brer Rabbit stories which I suspect he may
have got from Warwickshire-based American soldiers during the war (he
also laid his hands on a number of now rare 78s), so I grew up knowing
all about the Tar Baby, although it didn't make an awful lot of sense to
me in the English Midlands in the late 50s.

--
David

Jeffrey Turner wrote
Paul Wolff wrote:
Amethyst Deceiver wrote
On Sun, 10 May 2009 07:34:23 GMT, "Django Cat"
wrote:

In that case, what does the Englisman visualize when the term
"bicycle" is used?

Hang about, I'll ask him when he sobers up.

[Long pause.]

He says he doesn't know, and could you ask the Englishwoman.

The Englishwoman over here visualises a bicycle.
Which, being interpreted, is English as she is spoke.

"Bicycle," "spoke," is this a synecdoche?

In a manner of speaking.
--
Paul

R H Draney wrote:

Django Cat filted:

R H Draney wrote:

Django Cat filted:

I may have to start a campaign. Bring back the British Nutter!

Sorry...nobody's been able to reach him for almost ten years now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/380082.stm

A mere amateur.

You say amateur; I say bellwether....r

Screaming Lord Sutch is a sheep?

--

the Omrud wrote:

Django Cat wrote:
Jerry Friedman wrote:

Speaking of
stickiness, though, may I venture to remind you of the Tar Baby?

Ah. Could be before my time...

BrE folk (apparently including DC) are not in general familiar with
Brer Rabbit and his friends, unless perhaps they are fans of "Sons of
the South".

Song of the South? The Sons of the South look to have been a very
different outfit...

Dad had a book of Brer Rabbit stories which I suspect he
may have got from Warwickshire-based American soldiers during the war
(he also laid his hands on a number of now rare 78s), so I grew up
knowing all about the Tar Baby, although it didn't make an awful lot
of sense to me in the English Midlands in the late 50s.

[Googles; reads story]. Ah, yes, nice one. We did have a teacher in
infants school long long ago who read us Brer Rabbit stories but I'd
forgotten about the Tar Baby.

DC

--

Django Cat wrote:
the Omrud wrote:

Django Cat wrote:
Jerry Friedman wrote:

Speaking of
stickiness, though, may I venture to remind you of the Tar Baby?
Ah. Could be before my time...
BrE folk (apparently including DC) are not in general familiar with
Brer Rabbit and his friends, unless perhaps they are fans of "Sons of
the South".

Song of the South? The Sons of the South look to have been a very
different outfit...

Song, yes that's the fellow.

--
David