question for any Brits re. slang in DH

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 174842

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "muscatel1988" <cottell@> wrote:
> >
> > ---  Jennifer <elora_fay@> wrote:
> > > "Berk". 
> > > 
> > > Can someone explain exactly what this means? Your help
> > > is greatly appreciated.
> > 
> > http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561501496/berk.html
> > 
> > Despite its etymology, it's a fairly innocuous word.  
> > It's more generally used of men than women.
> > 
> > Mus, who suspects she might be one.
> >
> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> Well, we are slightly off-topic here, but none the less,
> I surge forward. This has been discussed in the OT group,
> and while 'Berk' is innocuous in common usage, it is 
> FAR FAR from innocuous in origin.
> 
> This comes from Cockney Rhyming Slang. Rhyming Slang
> creates a two word rhyming substitute for another word.
> The second word in the rhyming phrase rhymes with the
> actual word.

<snip>
 
> Berk is short for 'Berkeley Hunt'. Remember the second
> word rhymes with the word being substituted.
> 
> 'Hunt' rhyme with a portion of the female anatomy
> which some Brits might also refer to as a 'Fanny',
> and which has no American 'polite' version that I 
> am willing to use in this group. 

> So, this is actually a pretty vile word, but through
> common usage has become softened into something that
> is moderately acceptable in public speech.

Geoff:
It has been extremely softened and is often used in a 
friendly way to chaff someone who ahs done something 
silly - which is how it usually gets used in the HP books. 
I use it myself without any qualms.

Two thoughts. First, it is used equally with both sexes.

Second, I think Encarta is wroing in one respect. Speaking 
as a paid-up native UK English speaker, my rhyming slang 
sources give it as Berkshire Hunt.

Referring back to a previous comment on "tonk", I've never 
met the word before and my teenage rites of passage taught 
me a fair range of words.....

I think that the Tonks family would be most upset to find out 
what the neighbours were saying about them. :-)