Join the BBC Wordhunt. Your Language Needs You!

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Kim Lomax - 23 Jun 2005 10:17 GMT

You might be interested to know that the BBC Wordhunt was
launched just over a week ago and can be found at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wordhunt. This appeal is at the heart of a major
new series being made by Takeaway Media for BBC 2 in the UK, in
conjunction with the Oxford English Dictionary.

We are appealing to members of the public to help us rewrite the
dictionary by identifying the origin and first usage of 50 words and
phrases. These range from mullet to minger, and from boffin to bomber
jacket. For a full list visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/wordhunt or
http://www.oed.com/bbcwordhunt.

So far we have received an excellent response and have antedated
several terms already, but the debate is still raging over the Full
Monty and Codswallop. Can you help?

Yours in anticipation,

Kim Lomax

Reply to this Message

David - 23 Jun 2005 16:10 GMT

> We are appealing to members of the public to help us rewrite the
> dictionary by identifying the origin and first usage of 50 words and
> phrases. These range from mullet to minger, and from boffin to bomber
> jacket. For a full list visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/wordhunt or
> http://www.oed.com/bbcwordhunt.

Some of the dates seem surprisingly late. "Pass the parcel" not
recorded in print before 1967?

1975 for "mushy peas" is not at all astonishing as we Northern
consumers of this great delicacy were completely illiterate until then.

Signature

http://www.dacha.freeuk.com/gay/14-0.htm
I think I'll just sit down and ponder,
What I'd do with a much longer tail...

Reply to this Message

John of Aix - 23 Jun 2005 20:50 GMT

>> We are appealing to members of the public to help us rewrite the
>> dictionary by identifying the origin and first usage of 50 words and
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Some of the dates seem surprisingly late. "Pass the parcel" not
> recorded in print before 1967?

I agree, I played this in the early fifties and I'm sure it could be
found in many a 'how to keep your kids amused' book

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / British English / June 2005

Join the BBC Wordhunt. Your Language Needs You!