"Whitlin' Chip", "Totin' Chip" & "Firem'n Chit"

[Bob58]

I'm reminded of a teacher's remonstration that every individual has at least three vocsablaries.

1. The words we use every day.

2. The words & language that we use when writing, especially schoolwork or letters of thanks or introduction. (You remember writing letters don't you?, Complete with Inside addresses, Salutations, Bodies, Closings & Signatures) And

3. the specialzed language, jargon, that is associted with jobs, hobbies etc.

 

A lot of each type of language flies around this forum. (I often slip from one to another... sometimes on purpose.) While I think that its important that we always respect each other, in our rush we sometimes miss some of the wordpaly that I imagine an educated person might enjoy. I can imagine a smile creeping over Lord BP's face should he hear of Totin' Chips & Firem'n Chits in the same sentence.

 

A "chit" is a small piece of paper, a ticket, that entitles one to something. (The ticket at the laundry or the coat check, the parking stub at the pay parking lot.) A "chip" is, of course, a small piece of wood -- a castoff from carving, chopping or cutting. Now let the imagination kick in... can you see the young scout watching anxiously as his patrol leader, maybe his brother or a grandfatherly "troop elder" type picking up a nice clean "chip", an inch or 2 by 2 or 3 inches, from the clean, aromatic fresh shavings at his feet. Slowly carefully carves the lad's name adding his own initials and the date he recognizes a young lads spectacular mastery of knife ax & saw skills. Perhaps B-P would have rubbed a bit of ash into them to make it easier to read.

 

Just enjoying the wordplay.

 

Bob

 

 

[Adrianvs]

Even if there were nothing else, the word "vocsablaries" would have made the previous post worthwhile.

 

:-)