🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1997Oct28.153004@dion.belpak.mogilev.by>, Igor Ilyin
<ilin@dion.belpak.mogilev.by> writes
>Hi, could you kindly explain the meaning (s) of the following "specific"
>English collocations which I failed to interpret:
>???
>* Admiralty ham
>* All my eyes (& Betty Martin)
>* Arch tiffy
>* Aunt Tom
>* Ballroom without a parachute
>* Baker flying!
>* B-B brain
>* I'll come to your party with bells on!
>* big Harry
>* Big Red with the long Green Stem
>* Black Russian
>
I think you mean "colloquialism", not "collocation"

Admiralty ham = any tinned meat. Naval slang, no longer in use.

All my eye (*not* eyes) and Betty Martin = all rubbish, nonsense. (A
phrase of uncertain origin, according to Brewer's Dictionary of phrase
and fable)

Arch tiffy: "tiffy" is naval slang for "Artificer", a non-commissioned
rank concerned with the repair and maintenance of the engines and other
technical systems aboard ship. I have never heard or seen the phrase
"Arch tiffy", but it might conceivably mean the Chief ERA (Engine Room
Artificer)

"Black Russian": in a naval context, probably refers to Balkan Sobranie
cigarettes, which are (were?) made with black paper. 

Baker flying = this could refer to the international signal flag B, a
plain red flag with a triangular piece cut out of the edge). In the
phonetic alphabet in use up to the end of world war 2, "Baker" stood for
the letter B. A ship flying flag B is taking on or discharging
explosives or oil fuel.

BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.

I don't know what the other phrases mean, but if you could post the
sentences in which they occur, and tell us something of the context, I
or others may be able to help further. It sounds as though the text is
about the Royal Navy in the early years of this century -- am I right?
-- 
John Davies (john@redwoods.demon.co.uk)

I agree with Ian that the only two which make sense are "come to your
party with bells on" and "Black Russian". Definitely more context
needed, but it sounds rather a strange text.

John Davies wrote:
 
> BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
> English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
> sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
> not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
> know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.

In France, BB means Brigitte Bardot ;-)

 
-----------------------------------------------------------
Maurice CLERC
http://calvaweb.calvacom.fr/mcft10/
"La fin est dans les moyens"
"The aim is in the means"
------------------------------------------------------------

In article <63njl8$qrq@panix3.panix.com>, Bruce Tindall
<tindall@panix.com> writes
>John Davies  <john@redwoods.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
>>English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
>>sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
>>not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
>>know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.
>
>It seems much more likely that "BB brain" means "a person with a
>very small brain."  A "BB" is a small round pellet fired from an
>air rifle; it is "0.175 inch in diameter", according to the
>Merriam-Webster 9th Collegiate Dictionary.
>
It all depends on the context, and the original poster has still not
told us what that is. From other expressions in the list, it seemed
highly likely that the text the phrases were taken from dealt with the
Royal Navy in the first half of this century, in which case the most
likely meaning of "BB" would indeed be as I suggested. So far as I know,
the usage you mention is confined to the US. Partridge mentions 3 other
slang meanings of "BB", none of which seem very likely in the
circumstances.
-- 
John Davies (john@redwoods.demon.co.uk)

Maurice Clerc wrote:
> 
> John Davies wrote:
> 
> > BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
> > English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
> > sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
> > not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
> > know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.
> 
> In France, BB means Brigitte Bardot ;-)

I've come accross BB as an abbreviation for Benjamin Britten.

--
Paul Clark

Paul Clark <pdc@met.phy.umist.ac.uk> wrote:

>  Maurice Clerc wrote:
>  > 
>  > John Davies wrote:
>  > 
>  > > BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
>  > > English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
>  > > sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
>  > > not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
>  > > know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.
>  > 
>  > In France, BB means Brigitte Bardot ;-)
>  
>  I've come accross BB as an abbreviation for Benjamin Britten.
  
You must be joking.  BB is an abbreviation for Barnum and Bailey.


Regards,
Ken

--
Ken Livingston
kenliv@pcug.org.au

>>  > > BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
>>  > > English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
>>  > > sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
>>  > > not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
>>  > > know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.
>>  > 
>>  > In France, BB means Brigitte Bardot ;-)
>>  
>>  I've come accross BB as an abbreviation for Benjamin Britten.
>  
>You must be joking.  BB is an abbreviation for Barnum and Bailey.

A BB is a small (3 mm diameter or so) copper-coated steel sphere, fired as
a projectile from rifles popular among young males in the US. The usual
source of propulsion is either a spring or compressed-air. Fired from a
"BB gun," a BB will not usually penetrate the skin of a person (although
it can cause blindness if it hits an eye).

I have always thought that "BB brain" signified that a person's brain was
no larger than a BB.

Miles Abernathy, miles@mail.utexas.edu, http://klingon.util.utexas.edu/

I think BB refers to the shot used in a BB gun.  It is very small
and thus refers to a very small brain.



In article <345EBAE5.56FC@calvanet.calvacom.fr>, mcft10@calvanet.calvacom.fr 
says...
>
>John Davies wrote:
> 
>> BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
>> English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
>> sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
>> not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
>> know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meaning



>
>In France, BB means Brigitte Bardot ;-)
>
> 
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>Maurice CLERC
>http://calvaweb.calvacom.fr/mcft10/
>"La fin est dans les moyens"
>"The aim is in the means"
>------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

In article <346e0d70.0@nt.dave-world.net>, Jimmie Aranda <jaranda@dave-
world.net> writes
>
>I think BB refers to the shot used in a BB gun.  It is very small
>and thus refers to a very small brain.

I'm inclined to agree, unless it is a soft brain, like a BB pencil.
>
>
>

-- 
Regards, John Woodgate, Phone +44 (0)1268 747839 Fax +44 (0)1268 777124. 
OOO - Own Opinions Only. It is useless to threaten a strong man - he will
ignore you. It is dangerous to threaten a weak man - he will kill you if he can.