LINGUIST List 15.1606

Thu May 20 2004

Sum: English 'Booting'

Editor for this issue: Steve Moran <stevelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Martin Paviour-Smith, Sum - 'booting'

Re: (Linguist 15.1586)

Thanks to all who supplied me with the meaning of the slang term
'booting'. To date this includes the following experts:

Rich Alderson 
Marc Pierce 
Paul Justice 
Sikozu Johnson
Kathleen Ward 
Kim (from Essen University)
joel walters 
David Kaiser 
Jack Hall
F Baube 
Kelly Vincent
Cynthia G. Clopper 
Vicki White 

It appears that 'booting' is a wide spread and well known American
slang term for vomiting, particular when induced by excessive alcohol,
dating back at least 30 years. Something known down here as spewing,
chucking, chundering etc. In my own student days more spectacular and
deliberate displays of this activity were known as 'pelicans' and
'helicopters'. I will leave it to your imagination. So now my class
will have a better idea of the identity these students are
constructing using this term.

Thanks

Martin Paviour-Smith
Massey University
New Zealand