Some say strap, some say strop. OED to the rescue! - Page 2

str8razor · 09-06-2008, 03:04 AM

I am going with STROP and that is my story and I am sticking with it.

holli4pirating · 09-06-2008, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utopian

Growing up on the farm, there were plenty of handy implements for punishment, but I guess in retrospect I should be grateful my dad used an electric razor.

I think I would rather be beaten with a strop as opposed to an electric razor... Unless he just held you down and gave you really bad (electric) razor burn. Actually, that might be worse, too...

Philadelph · 09-06-2008, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Well I say let's call it a chazwozzle and be done with the whole thing.

James.

Auntie J, we've decided in chat upon the suggestion of Keljian that it will now be referred to as a Wibble. Yes, a wibble. That is all.

Jimbo · 09-06-2008, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Auntie J, we've decided in chat upon the suggestion of Keljian that it will now be referred to as a Wibble. Yes, a wibble. That is all.

I will not quibble. Wibble is quite acceptawibble to me. Carry on.

James.

majurey · 09-06-2008, 03:16 PM

I always wondered what an Arab strap was. Now I know. A strop from the Middle East.

(There goes that Majurey bringin' down the tone again...

)

Seraphim · 09-06-2008, 05:06 PM

Should a "strapping young lad" be refered to as a "stropping young lad" if he is old enough to shave?

dave5225 · 09-07-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Should a "strapping young lad" be refered to as a "stropping young lad" if he is old enough to shave?

Only if he shaves with a straightrazor

hoglahoo · 09-09-2008, 05:56 PM

Fine. Y'all win. While on SRP I'll call it a strop

nun2sharp · 09-09-2008, 06:09 PM

If you hadnt of brought it up nobody would have cared.

JMS · 09-09-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

If you hadnt of brought it up nobody would have cared.

Obviously Lee cared or he would not have brought it up!

hoglahoo · 10-06-2008, 10:29 PM

who voted strap? I've got two votes on my side - now I am conflicted. Should I stand up for my fellow strapper or should I bend to the will of the majority?

nun2sharp · 10-06-2008, 10:38 PM

Oh GAWD! Here we go again!

Bruce · 10-06-2008, 10:47 PM

Actually with the one consonant after the vowel, the "o" should be long; therefore, it is neither strap, nor strahp, but strohp (stretch the "o"). If it were to be pronounced as we have been saying it incorrectly for all these many years, it would have to be spelled stropp.

Sorry, but them's the rules.

hoglahoo · 10-06-2008, 10:48 PM

Il tak yourr word for itt, Brus

Bruce · 10-06-2008, 10:56 PM

I fel much betterr

Chady · 10-06-2008, 11:03 PM

Languages change. And I think I recall a few instances brought up in the past where even my morphology teacher was hard pressed when asked which she would prefer.

Personally I think I'll go with strop as it seems to have overwhelming support in its use now, however else it might have been used in the olden days (pre 1990'ies

).

Actually, with the colours or the poll-bars and whatnot, I thought for an instant that they were about the presidential election numbers muahaha

Neil Miller · 10-06-2008, 11:52 PM

Seraphim - he would be "stroppy" because of his age. It's 1950s british slang for being bolshy, awkward, argumentative and prone to argue. It would be great if the word came from the razor strop, but unfortunately it doesn't. It's a from a deliberate mis-pronounciation of "obstrerous" (ie "obstroperous")for comic effect. Otherwise I would have been a "streppy" tennager. Quite possibly with a sore-throat.

Reagrds,
Neil

Quick Orange · 10-07-2008, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce

Actually with the one consonant after the vowel, the "o" should be long; therefore, it is neither strap, nor strahp, but strohp (stretch the "o"). If it were to be pronounced as we have been saying it incorrectly for all these many years, it would have to be spelled stropp.

Sorry, but them's the rules.

I have to disagree here. There would have to be an "e" at the end for it to be "strohp", plus the most common phonetic use of "o" is the ahh sound, then oh, then oo. Think of it: top, pop, shot, stop, prop. Now take pope, rope, dope, etc.

But then, as a friend of mine would say, it's just like the rhinoceros that's in the room right now. Rhinoceros is simply the word we made up to describe the large, horned pachyderm. However we describe our razor maintenance equipment doesn't really matter or change the way it operates. Anyway, that's my smart bit for the day

Jimbo · 10-07-2008, 12:43 AM

Steven Seaman stroked a strip of strap to strop.

A strop, a strip of strap, did Steven Seaman stroke.

If Steven Seaman stroked a strip of strap to strop,

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

James.