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Bunny rabbits

Posted by Word Camel on March 07, 2002

In Reply to: Movie Slang and Cooked Rabbits posted by TheFallen on March 06, 2002

: Over here in the UK (well, London at least) the phrase "bunny boiler" to describe a woman who looks like she might rapidly become worryingly obsessive and clingy if ever dated is in fairly wide usage - the link being to the psychotic character played by Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction".

Bunny and rabbit are essentially interchangeable. The only difference I can find is that one, 'bunny' is especially used for young rabbits. On the other hand, we could just be saying " rabbit, rabbit" when we refer to bunny rabits.

Rabbit is from probably from the Dutch "robbe" according to one dictionary. The thing is, I'm wondering where "bunny" is from. I'm wondering if it's one of those pig/pork things - i.e. the Normans invade in 1066 and bring all sorts of words for food, etc, and both names for a farm animal or a food survive side-by-side.

"Bunny" is also a mining term meaning a great collection of ore without a vein leading to it or from it. There is a village in Nottinghamshire named Bunny, which in contrast to the mining 'bunny' has a great many roads leading to it but not very many leading out which gives it a Bermuda triangle-like quality. I once arrived in Bunny four times while trying to find a road - any road - that would take me to Nottingham. Or maybe it's just my driving.

Camel

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