Quote:
Originally posted by Richard Notton
prat. n. informal 1 Brit. an incompetent or stupid person. 2 a persons buttocks. - Origin C16: of unknown origin.
I can tell you no English nationals of the WASP lineage use or understand the definition 2 above and it has come as a surprise to me, however, it is possible that since the 16th century the understanding of "persons buttocks" has become "arse"
R.
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Though not as weighty a tome as the Oxford Concise Dictionary, and understanding that we are two countries separated by a common language, the 10th edition of Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, while not listing "Prat" does list "Prat-fall".
prat-fall 1: a fall on the buttocks 2: a humiliating mishap or blunder
thus keeping prat alive in the American lexicon.
07-03-07, 00:39
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