A.Word.A.Day --oscar

A.Word.A.Day

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Sep 5, 2018

This week’s theme
Words coined by rhyming slang

This week’s words
raspberry
titfer
oscar
boracic
scooby

Oscar Asche in Chu Chin Chow, 1916

Photo: F.W. Burford/Wikimedia

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

PRONUNCIATION:

(OS-kuhr)

MEANING:

noun: Cash.

ETYMOLOGY:

Rhyming slang, Oscar Asche ⇨ cash. Asche (1871-1936) was an Australian actor, director, and writer. Earliest documented use: 1917.

USAGE:

“People are throwing away money. Not just valuable things, but actual oscar/moola/cash money.”
Sunday Mail (Adelaide, Australia); May 22, 2011.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -John Cage, composer (5 Sep 1912-1992)

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