Friend a mine in North Carolina, had Marvin as a first name, which he did not appreciate, and his other names were even worse (i won't repeat them for sake of anonymity). As an infant, he used to blow saliva bubbles (so i was told). He's been known all his life as Bubbles. He's a sharp dresser, and a successfully smooth-talking salesman--and all of his customers know him as Bubbles.
Nice image, Setanta...of your friend.
Would you buy a used car from a man named Bubbles?
If I saw him first...perhaps.
I do try to avoid buying cars at all, after years of multiple car buying episodes.
Me too. I'm a bus person.
I disagree with Webster.
I think "buddy" comes from Scots, via Robert Burns and J D Salinger
"Gin a body, meet a body,
Comin' through the rye...."
In pronunciation, BTW, the two words are identical, both sounding like "buddy".
McT
Interesting to consider that "buddy" might be from the Scot's pronunciation of body. I like that, McTag, like it more than a diminuation of brother. I checked OED but the only listing for buddy they have has to do with a heavily-budded branch or shrub.
Though we're not from the south, we called our son Bubba for a while when he was a baby... then he graduated to Goomba in elementary school... he's now Arbuthnot. I thought Bubba was from the word "baby" but it is definitely a masculine nickname.
I'm from the Bronx. No Bubbas there. Now I'm in Manhattan. Still never met a Bubba. I lead such a sheltered life.
I'll bet there are some Bubbas in the Bronx and in Manhattan, too, particuarly above 110th Street. I work with one in Boston.
my instinctive reply to myself about bubba, earlier, was much like McTag's - that it relates..at least for some...to a body.
One of my uncles was named 'Uncle Bubi'.
(I've always thought that 'bubele' derives from 'Bube', might be, because I'm used to the one and know a little bit of the other language.)
Good research, Beth. That makes a lot of sense, too.
Walter -- was Bubi his real name?
piffka - i think the site i found that at is my new addiction.
ok - i know this is a wild digression, but check it out >>>
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.07.25/fast4.html
(that is SOOOOOOOO my old neighbourhood)
You found that at Forward? I'm amazed. Looked like an interesting magazine I was reading somewhere. I had to laugh though, the link took me to a page which included this:
Quote:2. Glue stars to sunglasses wherever you want them.
piffka - the original link above the bubbe/bubba quote was to the forward article. the second link was to the sunglasses. That is soooooo North Toronto! cavfancier will be bound to recognize it.
Uncle Bubi's name was Josef.
I had an Uncle Bud. I think his real first name was Augustus...
Fascinating reading, this thread!
I've been surprised a few times when I've introduced myself to Americans as "Peter" and they just can't get their ears round my name. I have learned that I just need to AmericaniZe* it to "PeeDeRR" and then it's understood first time!
Having had a couple of American girlfriends, I quite like my name pronounced with a US accent!!!
Other differences are in simple usage e.g. English "I'm in Halifax at the moment" American "Right now, I'm in Halifax"...go figure (US) = I ask you (UK).
KP
Kitchenpete, I'm glad you've enjoyed reading this thread. It's certainly been an education for me. BTW, "at the moment" is used on both sides of the Atlantic. And I've used the expression, "I ask you," but not as a synonym for "go figure." It's more like, "can you believe it."
