Comments | angharad: Public Service Announcement #2

angharad

Public Service Announcement #2

Jul 09, 2005 13:19

"Sirrah" does not mean "sir". It means, sort of, the opposite. A (slightly) more recognisable synonym might be "varlet ( Read more... )

psa, language

Comments 9

mlfoley July 9 2005, 20:30:02 UTC

I always use sirrah. And yes, I know exactly what it means. ;)

angharad July 9 2005, 20:35:16 UTC

You, I'd expect to get that right. I've seen folks call you sirrah, though, and if you don't escalate it into a name-calling slap-fest, and I'm just never sure whether they know it.

mlfoley July 9 2005, 20:37:02 UTC

The two who do that I can think of offhand - weishaupt and samverick - that would do it both know what it means. But we engage in the usual "guy stuff" of mocking one another all of the time and it's all meant in jest.

angharad July 9 2005, 21:02:20 UTC

Totally. Usually it's obvious when you're doing that, but not always. *shrug* Maybe nobody ever actually makes this mistake, but then again I thought "wallah" (french for "there it is") was always a joke, too, and it's not...

wikkywikky July 9 2005, 20:36:31 UTC

Or maybe you are calling them a particularly tasty wine! "You have notes of berry and a particularly earthy finish, Syrah!"

angharad July 9 2005, 20:58:40 UTC

"in bed"!

angharad July 9 2005, 20:59:59 UTC

Or you might be comparing them to the star Alpheratz!

bonelesspuppy July 12 2005, 08:02:34 UTC

I've noticed that people who abuse "sirrah" often inflict similar wrongs on "thou." You know you've got your hands on some quality pseudo-Medieval fantasy when a character addresses the king as "Thy Majesty."

angharad July 12 2005, 08:56:37 UTC

Thy Majesty

Ahahaha!