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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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If she asked too many questions, her mother would say...
Mnimaka
1
2008/03/09 - 10:23am

Whenever I asked my grandfather "what is that grandpa?" He'd often reply "why that's a gillguy with a hoodlehopper on it". I'd love to know the possible origin of that one.

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
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2
2008/03/09 - 10:57am

Mnimaka, I don't know the origin, but I'm sure stealing that. It's awesome!

I imagine it's just another nonsense phrase -- as silly as "a whim-wham for a treacle mill." Thanks for sharing this one with us. I hadn't heard it.

Guest
3
2008/03/25 - 5:20pm

There's also the spelling “gilguy”. And according to Google “doodlehopper” is more common than “hoodlehopper” (whatever that fact may signify…).

“Words, words, words!”
—Wm Shakespeare

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
4
2008/04/07 - 9:22pm

>>>> And according to Google “doodlehopper” is more common than “hoodlehopper” (whatever that fact may signify…)<< What exactly Does that signify, Wordsmith? 🙂 (Don't know how I missed this thread until just now. Love that word!)

Guest
5
2008/04/08 - 2:50pm

I guess both words just seem so phonosemantic that it doesn't really matter which letter either of them starts with. But, also, to tell the truth, I hadn't heard the word “d/hoodlehopper” before so I guess I just didn't know the difference… 🙁

Emmett Redd
6
2008/04/08 - 6:42pm

Red Skelton had a character called Clem Kadiddlehopper.

Emmett

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