Origins of Slang
NEWCOMER to the 4YA morning programmes is Where Did It Come. From? a programme dealing with the origin of slang words and phrases, and this is heard on Wednesdays at 11.45. Its origins are obscure, no credit being given to its parentage either at the beginning or end of the session, and its. vitality, verging on vulgarity, comes as something of a shock from this respectable station. This shock is accentuated by its appearance shortly after the Wednesday discussion session, where the ladies give themselves over to a usually fairly earnest discussion of various "problems." Where Did It Come From? opened with a breezy reassurance that we were not going to be "stuffy"’-was it like etymologists, or semanticistsand then the compére, having laid to rest our probably non-existent fears, swept us along on a swift and well-pro-duced set of illustrations of the origins of slang expressions: "Hobson’s choice," "screw," "not worth his salt," among others. Despite its high-pressure manner, I found this programme interest-ing-sufficiently interesting, in fact, to make the energy of its delivery a work
of super-erogation.
Loquax
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19540423.2.23.8
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 770, 23 April 1954, Page 11
Word count
Tapeke kupu
182Origins of Slang New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 770, 23 April 1954, Page 11
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
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