Re: Toodle
Pip?
Posted by Word Camel on March 08, 2002
In Reply to: Tally ho? posted by nita
on March 08, 2002
: : : : as to the origin of "sally forth"?
anyone?
: : : If you meant "sally port":
: : : Lifted verbatim from the Word
Detective:
: : : "Sally ports" were a feature of castles and fortresses, a closely-guarded
opening or door in the wall of a fortified building designed for the quick passage
of troops. One of the primary uses of these doors was to mount quick attacks on
whatever enemy army might be besieging the castle at the moment, and here's where
we meet "sally." A "sally," from the Latin "salire" meaning "to jump," was originally
a sudden rush out of a besieged position, a lightning attack designed to surprise
the enemy. "Sally" in this original sense first appeared around 1560, and "sally
port" is first found around 1649. "Sally" has since acquired the broader sense
of "an excursion or escapade." And since castles and fortresses are in short supply
these days, "sally port" has gradually come to mean any guarded doorway or opening.
:
: ...which perfectly answers the original question. To sally forth is relatively
commonly used, albeit usually when the speaker wants to be deliberately archaic.
:
: Now's what's the origin of "Tally Ho"?
: Ah, thank goodness for the South
where archaic phrasing still occurs. Sally forth and sally out are still used
quite commonly, espically in Louisiana. I have sallied forth from many a banquette
after receiving lagniappe.
: As to Tally Ho . . .
: Two hundred years ago,
according to a magazine of that date, the English fox-hunter's cry was
: "
Tallio, Hoix, Hark, Forward," which is a corruption of the French hunter's call.
Four hundred years ago the French hunter encouraged his dogs with the musical
cry of "Thia-hilaud a qui forheur!" sometimes printed "Tya-hillaut a qui forheur!"
(These huntsmen's shouts are given in a quaint and rare old French book illustrated
with the strange pictures of the day and entitled "La Venerie de Jacques du Fouilloux,
a Paris 1573.") From this the English manufactured "Tallio, hoix, hark, forward."
Later it has been abbreviated to simply "Tally-ho."
As long as we are on the
subject of obscure English expressions...
As an aside, the relocation team
of a well known-consultancy that begins with the letter "A" is advising American's
relocating to Britian that "toodle pip" is how they should say "goodbye".
- Re: Toodle Pip? nita 03/08/02 (
0)
- Re:
Toodle Pip? TheUnlurker 03/08/02 ( 2)
|