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I've always had a bit of soft spot for knowing where slang terms come from, but am puzzled by a couple.
Firstly, why is a board marker known as a 'Sharpie'?
Bit more local on this one - in the East Midlands, why is an ice cream known as an 'Oakie'?
Any help gratefully received!
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innit
Sharpie is a branded equivalent to "marker"
(Don't actually use them on whiteboards though - they are permanent markers)
"Oakie" is an old slang term for icecream. Hokey-pokey comes from the same origin. It's not limited to the UK, it was used in the US and Australasia as well.
[url=
(the ice-cream song)[/url]
[url= http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/audio/2275383/ice-cream-and-hokey-pokey ]Explanation[/url]
Great - that's the Sharpie cleared up. Now then, what gives with 'Oakie' in Leicestershire? I was born in Leicester, have lived in the county all my life apart from three years at Uni and a couple in that London. But I'd never really heard 'Oakie' until I started going out with my now wife. I think it is a NW of Leicester thing - a bit like m'y'ode. As in "Ay up m'y'ode lad"*?
* See Queen's English equivalent "Hello Sir".
Beaten to it!