Three--count them, three--big cat items today, including a passel of lovely pictures.
I was taken with the word, passel, on that ↑ Bluesky link to a blogpost. You see, my dad used that word. having heard it from his first-generation English parents. I don't think I have ever hear anyone else say it. I've watched quite a bit of British tv, but I can say that if the word has been used, it hasn't popped out to me.
I have always assumed that it was the way that Dad said 'parcel'. From googling, it seems that I was at least partially correct. Hey! It does happen!
Loss of the sound of "r" after a vowel and before a consonant in the middle of a word is common in spoken English. This linguistic idiosyncrasy has given the language a few new words, including cuss from curse, bust from burst, and passel from parcel. (Meriam Webster)While we are all familiar with cuss for curse, we probably aren't as familiar with bust for burst, as in to bust one's britches. I wonder though, how many have heard of passel for parcel?
On the other hand, these words also have their own places in the dictionary. For example, passel can be defined as an informal noun without even using the word parcel in the definition: "a large group of people or things of indeterminate number; a pack."
(Note: Don't fret if you can't quite understand the context of the quote at the top. He was posting a link to his blog about cats, and I was just taken with the word, passel.)
My Great Unc used all of the above....Born in 1886. Second generation Canadian, from UEL stock. Thanks for the memory.
ReplyDeleteI have UEL stock, but in this case the word doesn't seem to come from them.
DeleteI use passel all the time for a large number of objects. Then one step up from passel is another colloquial word that we use in my parts, edited for this post, s$%t ton. I think you will be able to get my meaning.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that various people out your way and beyond are familiar with it. Yes, gotcher meaning. :)
DeleteI am familiar with the word but not sure from where.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm disappointed to not see a passel of lovely pictures! Or 3 cats for that matter. I have used passel as a bunch, group. Never for parcel, a word which doesn't come to mind except as parcel post. Mine are all packages.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. It is much more widespread than I had thought, but not so much in Canada from what I can tell so far.
DeleteNever heard the word in the UK growing up, but did hear it quite a bit vin Wisconsin, so I assumed it was an American usage.
ReplyDeleteDad's folks were from around Kent if that helps.
DeleteI heard all three of those in my family as a child, both as quotes and just used instead of the formal word. How about 'Spring is busting out all over'? And what Boud said - it may be a 'MidWestern' usage, as that is what my American influenced parents spoke.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be common that way, but dad was far from there.
DeleteNever heard of passel. I thought it was a type of bowl of soup. Guess Okies and Kansans don't use it. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI am seeing an interesting distribution.
DeleteWe used 'passel' a lot. It is part of our unique way of talking here. That's a passel of fish.
ReplyDeleteAlso, 'Worserthanawful' is another odd expression.
I am learning.
DeleteI use the word passel without giving it much thought. To me it means a lot, I could say I have a passel of cats. I didn't know that it isn't commonly used.
ReplyDeleteIt is farther-flung in usage that I had thought.
DeleteI think I have crossed it while reading, but not spoken.
ReplyDeleteFrom the comments, I am gathering western usage that doesn't extend as far as the west coast.
DeleteI have used it some....PNW
DeleteI'm familiar with all of them and use them occasionally. Bust and cuss more than passel, admittedly.
ReplyDeleteCuss is very common, for sure.
DeleteI have heard passel but only in a movie or tv show.
ReplyDeleteI am coming to the conclusion that we don't use it much in southern Ontario.
DeleteI've often heard passel and bust here in the southern USA.
ReplyDeleteGiven what others have said, I am not surprised now although I may have been earlier.
DeleteWho would have thought that passel actually came from parcel
ReplyDeleteI have used the word, not realizing that it wasn't in common usage. I hadn't thought about it being derived from parcel, a word i have heard used in that context here locally.
ReplyDelete