Trouper/trooper
Posted by Simon Walsh on February 24, 2004
In Reply to: Trouper/trooper posted by ESC on February 24, 2004
: : : Can anyone clear up a little arguement I'm currently involved in?
: : : The phrase involved is "....like a trooper" OR
: : : "....like a trouper"
: : : Eg, swears like...., plays like...
: : : I'm pretty convinced that it's the latter which is correct, as in trouper on the stage, gritty, show must go on etc etc. Anyone shed any light?
: : : Cheers..
: : From the Associated Press Stylebook:
: : troop, troops, troupe -- A TROOP is a group of people or animals. TROOPS means several such groups, particularly groups of soldiers. Use TROUPE only for ensembles of actors, dancers, singers, etc.
: : I am going to guess that it's "swear like a trooper" (as in soldier) and "a real trouper" (as in an acting company, the show must go on. Now I am off to check Merriam-Webster.
: Merriam-Webster says:
: Trouper -- a person who deals with and persists through difficulty or hardship without complaint. You're a real trouper to wait so long.
: And I found this book:
: Swear Like a Trooper: A Dictionary of Military Terms and Phrases
: by Authors: William L. Priest
: Released: September, 2000
: ISBN: 1883522137
: Hardcover
:
Thank you very much indeed.