View Single Post
Old 08-06-2015, 08:19 AM   #5
AlexBell
Wizard
AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AlexBell ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
AlexBell's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,413
Karma: 13369310
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Launceston, Tasmania
Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant View Post

<-- snipped -->

The second use is a common British phrase, and not rude. One's pecker is one's nose. Equivalent to 'keep your chin up'.

<-- snipped -->
Perhaps there are regional or class differences in slang, and perhaps it changes over time.

I vaguely remember that 'pecker' was a slang term for the male sexual organ in Manchester slums during and after the war. In fact I vaguely remember being taken aback as an adolescent when I read the word in the sense of 'keeping one's courage up.' I certainly don't remember the word being used in the Manchester sense in Australia to where we emigrated 1952, and I've never heard 'pecker' being used for nose either in England or Australia. And I've no idea what the the word might mean in the US.

As I think the Guardian article mentioned any difficulties would be with the parents rather than the children.
AlexBell is offline   Reply With Quote