Happy Father's Day

[etumukutenyak]

Things My Dad Said:

"We can't afford it."*

"Keep your wrist straight when you throw a punch, and never hit any thing harder than your hand."

"Good scoff, dear. I'm not as hungry as I was."

"Cuppa?"

"Now go practice until you get it right."




*This became the mantra for the town government as well, so much so that they embroidered it on a a little plaque for him. Fiscal responsibility for the win!

Comments

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Your father was English?

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

He is first-generation American, of Irish immigrants. Put a tweed cap on his head and he'd look like any other Irishman in the Midlands. Of course as soon as he talks you can tell he's a Noo Yawkuh.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

It's words like "scoff" and "cuppa" that threw me.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Of course! Those English landlords had to pick up a wee bit of Irish slang, now, didn't they?

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I've no doubt they did. Just as, being a native Londoner, I learned that one of the basic words for food was "nosh". I'd no idea that it was Jewish till many years later, when I encountered it in New York.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes, Yiddish is inextricably intertwined now, along with Irish.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

And a few other languages.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Oh, you think?

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I'll respond after I've taken a shufti from the verandah.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

So, what's the etymology of scoff?

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

You asked:

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

[Cape Du., repr. Du. schoft, quarter of a day, hence each of the four meals of the day.]

Food; also a meal. (Cf. SCAFF n.) Also attrib.
1846 Swell's Night Guide 51 It vas hout-and-hout good scoff, and no flies. 1855 J. W. COLENSO Ten Weeks in Natal 54 The meat and other scoff (food), which the Kafirs are so fond of. 1863 J. S. DOBIE Jrnl. 6 Jan. (1945) 60 The best one was consigned to the Kafirs for ‘scoff’. 1879 R. J. ATCHERLEY Trip Boërland 101 Kafirs..get wages varying from 15s. to £1, besides their food, or ‘scoff’..Indian or mealie flour. 1892 R. CHURCHILL Men, Mines, & Anim. ix. (1895) 132 They were stranded without any skoff. 1899 FLYNT Tramping with Tramps II. iii. (1900) 251 Scoff's always more plenty than money. 1900 S. CHAMBERS Rhodesians 63 The bones left over from the Boss's skoff. 1902 ‘COLDSTREAMER’ Ballads of Boer War vii. 66 They gives 'im ‘schoff’ an' treats 'im kind, Instead o' striking 'im be'ind. 1926 Variety 29 Dec. 5/3 Slang, in addition to providing me with seven flops weekly and three scoffs daily, has saved me from night school. 1928 Daily Express 14 May 10/6 While you've had me locked up, I've eaten your scoff! 1934 Detective Fiction Weekly 21 Apr. 109/2 Where the criminal eats he says he scoffs, and if he goes to a restaurant it is called a beanery, chow joint or scoff joint. 1955 J. COPE Fair House v. 62 He treated them familiarly, shared his skoff-tin with them. 1960 [see BEVVY]. 1969 in Halpert & Story Christmas Mumming in Newfoundland 84 One of the men might suggest to those in his group that everyone come over to his house for a ‘scoff’. 1976 Australasian Express 11 June 25/3 A particularly memorable scoff was had on Colitzani beach. 1977 J. WAINWRIGHT Do Nothin' xi. 182 A dance, all of her own, with guests and scoff and booze of her own choice. 1981 Guardian 24 Aug. 8 Ah! Scoff ahoy! I spy Florida Cocktail and Gammon Steak Hawaii!

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Excellent - thanks!

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Your job doesn't give you access to the OED?

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I do, but I'll take a look. Besides, at the time, I was on the couch at home. ;-)

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Ah, the first was opposite for us. I managed our finances starting when I was eight and I spent a lot of time telling my father we couldn't afford what he wanted. When he became an officer, I had to go to his commanding officer to have the money put back in my name because it had been moved to his name.

He never cared if we were eating scraps as long as he got to eat out with other officers at fancy places, and such.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

I know I'm very lucky - he's not perfect, but he's been a darned good Dad.