Subject:
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Re: New Brickbay promotion
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 14 Jun 2001 14:39:50 GMT
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Viewed:
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222 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Matthew Gerber writes:
> From Dictionary.com:
>
> gyp also gip (jp) Slang
> tr.v. gypped, also gipped gyp·ping, gip·ping gyps, gips
> To deprive (another) of something by fraud; cheat or swindle.
> n.
> 1. A fraud or swindle.
> 2. One who defrauds; a swindler.
> [Probably short for Gypsy.]
I imagine some will get similarly upset when I refer to gypsum.
If people are willing to go to such preposterous etymological lengths to
be offended, I'd like to point out that every time someone "testifies" in
court or elswhere, that person is using a word derived from "testis" and,
specifically, the Roman custom of hefting one another's testicles while
agreeing to a contract. Likewise, the next time you hear that someone is
"fascinated," you might point out that to be "fascinated" is to be abjured
to inaction by a phallic amulet. I'm offended by the rampant sexism and
objectification of the male genitalia by these two common words!
The point is that, like numerology, etymology can yield any answer you
like if you're willing to work the data hard enough.
Dave!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: New Brickbay promotion
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| (...) Dave, I *know* you're smarter than this. You know well the difference between the semantic load of "gypsum" (if there is one, outside of East Tawas, MI, where it indicates employment ;) ) and that of "gypping" (or "Gypsy"). (...) What's so (...) (23 years ago, 14-Jun-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: New Brickbay promotion
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| (...) He is correct. From Dictionary.com: gyp also gip (jp) Slang tr.v. gypped, also gipped gyp·ping, gip·ping gyps, gips To deprive (another) of something by fraud; cheat or swindle. n. 1. A fraud or swindle. 2. One who defrauds; a swindler. (...) (23 years ago, 14-Jun-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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