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Discussion Groups / English Usage / September 2008Worked as a teamster ...
Hello: I can't find "rattabass," it must be a distortion of something. Could it be related to "rat?" ----- [Italian family] ... [his] father worked as a teamster for a man whom he correctly described to his friends "as a goombah himself, ghinny rattabass [...] Bomber's Law, by George V. Higgins, p. 127 ----- Thanks, Marius Hancu > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Bomber's Law, by George V. Higgins, p. 127 > ----- I have to say that in this as in several of your recent posts you fall well short of your own previous high standards of quoting. You include typos, particularly of the kind that a perfunctory spell-check would ask you to reconsider, and you fail to include full context. This quote should read (my amendments to your original in double brackets) " ... [his] father worked as a teamster for a man whom he correctly described to his ((own)) friends ((as)) "((a biggah meanah bastard, even though he's)) a goombah himself, ghinny rattabass [...]"" That would give the clue to those who don't have access to the book that this is use of eye dialect in reported speech and that 'rattabass' is possibly not a word itself but a representation of how an Italian might pronounce a word, the -a suffix being standard and already used (as -ah) in the earlier 'big' and 'mean'.. I think the best guess is that Dominic is saying 'rat bass' which I take to be a shortening of 'rat bastard'.  SignatureJohn Dean Oxford >> Hello: >> I can't find "rattabass," it must be a distortion of something. >> Could it be related to "rat?" >> [Italian family] >> ... [his] father worked as a teamster for a man whom he correctly >> described to his friends "as a goombah himself, ghinny rattabass >> [...] >> Bomber's Law, by George V. Higgins, p. 127 [I agree that proper quoting and context are vital] > 'rattabass' is possibly not a word itself but a representation of > how an Italian might pronounce a word, the -a suffix being standard > and already used (as -ah) in the earlier 'big' and 'mean'.. > I think the best guess is that Dominic is saying 'rat bass' which I > take to be a shortening of 'rat bastard'. Alternatively, or in addition, "ratta bassa", low, or despicable, rat. The elision of the final "a" could be dialect or a concession to the goombah's masculinity. Dottore Fontana? > Alternatively, or in addition, "ratta bassa", low, or despicable, rat. > The elision of the final "a" could be dialect or a concession to the > goombah's masculinity. Dottore Fontana? YGIAGAMS. SignatureRichard Fontana >> Alternatively, or in addition, "ratta bassa", low, or despicable, >> rat. The elision of the final "a" could be dialect or a concession >> to the goombah's masculinity. Dottore Fontana? > YGIAGAMS. There, see? > That would give the clue to those who don't have access to the book that > this is use of eye dialect in reported speech and that 'rattabass' is > possibly not a word itself but a representation of how an Italian might > pronounce a word, the -a suffix being standard and already used (as -ah) in > the earlier 'big' and 'mean'.. > I think the best guess is that Dominic is saying 'rat bass' which I take to > be a shortening of 'rat bastard'. Sorry for the quote. Glad you have the book:-) Thanks. Marius Hancu >> I can't find "rattabass," it must be a distortion of something. >> Could it be related to "rat?" [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> [...] Bomber's Law, by George V. Higgins, p. 127 >> ----- [...] > That would give the clue to those who don't have access to the book > that this is use of eye dialect in reported speech and that [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I think the best guess is that Dominic is saying 'rat bass' which I > take to be a shortening of 'rat bastard'. And would "rat bastard" be the same as "right bastard"? (I often hear "right" pronounced more or less as "rat," especially in parts of the American South. "Ratcheer" is "right here." Don't ask me for reasons or details. I just listen and understand.) SignatureMaria C. > And would "rat bastard" be the same as "right bastard"? > > (I often hear "right" pronounced more or less as "rat," especially in > parts of the American South. "Ratcheer" is "right here." Don't ask me > for reasons or details. I just listen and understand.) Interesting thought:-) Thanks. Marius Hancu |
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