Nosy Parkers and Butternuts (minicast)

Welcome to another podcast edition of A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett.

My lovely co-host Martha Barnette is out there doing her derndest to affect the use of affect

And effect. She has great affection for fixing the defect, but I’m not sure she’s affecting

Much effect. Today, some listener mail. Sarah from Wisconsin writes to ask about Nosy Parker,

That’s someone who has an eye on other people’s business.

The kind of person who goes through your medicine chest.

Though I guess modern Nosy Parker’s sneak looks at your email.

Well, Sarah, I found Nosy Parker stuffed deep in the orig onc files.

That’s origin unknown.

I’ll spare you the false trails and tell you that the best we can come up with

Is that more than 100 years ago, the common English surname Parker

Was added to Nosy to create a kind of Joe Blow.

A generic snooper, if you will.

The other theories lack evidence, and this one is the simplest, so I’m going to go with it.

For what it’s worth, I found an 1890 use of Nosy Parker in the British Belgravia magazine,

Which is earlier than the date given by every other word origin authority.

So, hurrah for primary research, but boo for getting the origin straightened out.

Robert in Ohio wants to know if falsehood comes from the hood on a doctoral gown.

He’s talking about those hooded robes that learned folk wear

When they’re traipsing around ivy-covered campuses

Being ever so careful to watch where they put their footnotes?

The answer, Robert, is no.

It’s simply a combination of the word false and a different hood,

This one meaning a condition or quality like in childhood or statehood.

Gregor from Louisville wants to hear about the phrase out-of-pocket.

He says being out-of-pocket means you’re paying for your own expenses,

You know, those situations where the company is ultimately going to foot the bill,

But only after you file the dreaded expense reports.

But Gregor says he hears young people using out-of-pocket to mean out-of-the-office or out-of-town.

He asks us which is right.

Well, Gregor, they’re both right.

Plenty of English expressions have more than one meaning, and this is one of them.

The money sense is far older, dating the late 1600s, but that doesn’t make it more correct.

The newer out-of-pocket started appearing more than 30 years ago

And may spring from several older expressions like being in someone’s pocket,

Which means that you are beholden to them or have a very close relationship to them.

And finally, Laura in Bloomington, Indiana,

Asked what we know about butternut as a British expression of frustration or a mild oath.

As in, oh, butternut, I broke the internet.

Now how will I see the kitty of the day?

Meow.

Laura, to be honest, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

I’ve searched high and low and come up with diddly about butternut.

So we’re going to throw this one out to the masses.

If you know something about it, you can give us a clue by four at words@waywordradio.org.

By the way, you can find the kitty of the day at dailykitten.com.

That’s all for this podcast edition of A Way with Words.

You can join our discussion forums at our brand new website at waywordradio.org.

You can always send us an email at words@waywordradio.org or call us 24 hours a day at 877-929-9673.

For A Way with Words, I’m Grant Barrett.

Oh, and by the way, I have some great news for those of you who have been hankering for new hour-long episodes of our show.

Hanker No More.

Brand new hour-long episodes of A Way with Words are starting soon.

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