h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No - the kind of rhyming sland where the actual rhyming word is dropped - like "my old china [plate]" etc.

So (and this is where it gets very contrived): "bunk [bed]" = head, so bunking off = heading off....except it isn't
What we're looking for here is a rhyme for skive?

The former naval term was "swing the lead" mostly for pretending to be sick, but also for other work avoidance practices. Rhymes with bunk bed! Next?

I am still puzzled as to why Dunc should even think to look "bunker" up in a French dictionary. Why not Serbo-Croat or Zulu? Still, all very fascinating.

PS. I have started on the Index. I must be mad with over 2000 entries to catalogue.

TC, I think DJ is on the right track. At least, he should certainly be looking in the French direction - I have this feeling that bunker has its roots in 'bon coeur'. No, I don't know why!

You are very brave to attempt an index. I fear for your sanity; not now, but later! Still, you will be a brilliant expert.

So, may I suggest you consider the further trouble of making an article out of the highlights. More than that, it could be the basis of a British English Forum, where all h2g2's most dazzling, witty contributors - and me too - discuss the nuances (and nonces) of British English.

TC - are you up for the task?

I suspect strongly that 'to bunk off' is a recent and American introduction (which doesn't preclude any argument over roots). In any case, it is much used in America, and is therefore not British English at all. Skive, on the other hand, is what I am doing now, and may well be.

We, that is to say the Old Caistorians used the phrase "bunking off" when I was at school, which means at least 15 years of use in what can loosely be termed British English.

Presumably "swing the lead" meant bunking off because taking depth soundings was an easy peasy job compared to all the other stuff (hoisting the mainsail, raise the anchor, heave ho) that went on aboard a ship?

(Is this thread posting going to be indexed under "pantomime" then?)

Taking depth soundings in the teeth of a gale (cliche country) was a b. awful job. If you swung the lead, you did just that and waved it over the water and pretended to take a depth sounding. No drag, no effort (and probably a keelhauling or at least a flogging if you were detected in this dangerous practice).
TC could save herself a huge amount of work and file the whole sheebang (unconnected with charabang)under pantomime

Sorry, too many ees in shebang (does that sound Irish?)
Alternatively, 'go the whole hog','the whole bag of tricks', 'the whole shooting match','the whole (kit and)caboodle'.
Nice language, isn't it?

Now look here chaps, firstly recent is a relative term and obviously means more to me than it does you, in terms of time anyway. Secondly, I thought we were looking for words that are exclusively and wholly British. An American understands 'bunking off' (and, I suspect, hog, and caboodle) therefore disinclusion is appropriate, assuming it was ever included in the first place. Thank you and good night.

Well yes - but I needed to know where "bunking off" came from and this was the only thread I could ask. When I ask questions like that in the Ask H2G2 forum as standalone threads everyone studiously ignores them...and I thought it was a British English word and the only way I can reliably know whether an American understands "bunking off" is to ask one...and what if its rude to them? I could get a smack (meaning slap, not heroin, obviously...).

The recent advert for a Dublin radio station concludes with the tag line "It's the dogs" which means that that phrase is no longer British English either so that rule would undermine the very basis of this thread. (Would it unravel though?)

See - now I've confused myself...

British English is like your hot water tank... parts flow out of use, some get spread far and wide, and there's a constant influx of new words coming into it from widely spread places. (OK, the analogy breaks down because it's copied, not given).

This must be our second British English thread pantomime. You can tell Christmas is approaching. Bah, humbug!

I'm going to bunk off home to my lil' bunker before bunking out with my bunking friends to the multibunk cinema.

Oh, and DJ, you look very fetching in the horse outfit. But tell me, who's in there with you?

Have a lovely weekend!

bunking off is not the same as debunking ?,im confused.am also suffering from wondering cursor at the moment,time to get rid of some cookies i think

Yes, K, I'm ready for the job. I had already planned making it into an entry with a little diary sort of thing, a dramatis personae (that's all of you) and an index of words discussed, together with the postings they're mentioned in. I won't link each post, though, if anyone's interested enough, they will have to count the dots. which should be fun!

french dictionary beause you Brits inherited a great deal of their &the old Romans) language - you could have had german with all that imported German roalty but no!!!

BTW james, is that wondering or wandering cursors you're cursed with?

Maybe it's not the cursor he's cursed with - but the cookies?!

Java

Hi TC I keep running into you nice too see you.

Can I interest anyone in my word?
SPECTACULARITY
When Humpty Dumpty and I use it, it indicates a suggestion or idea of breath taking stupidity.
So far I have only had cause to use it at work and the senior suit at whom it was aimed regarded it as a compliment. Much to the amusement of my colleagues who know me well enough to realise that compliments are applied sideways or downwards only. Anyone paid more than me isn't worth the money.

Added to the W idiolect forthwith.

Well I'm amazed we don't have more German in our English too.We have everything else it would appear from being conquered a few times and being a country people have apparently migrated to for a very long time.It's still a changing language so by the end of this century there should be some more additions.I wonder how long this thread is going to last-probably to the end of the century as well.