Lana in Evansville, Indiana, says all the women in her family affectionately call each other Gert or Gertie. She has discovered that one of her friends also uses the name Gertie as a term of endearment for the women in her own family. Although in this case it seems to function as a generic term, the female equivalent of the names Joe or Mac, for a couple of decades starting in the 1920s, the name Dirty Gertie was slang for “a promiscuous woman,” immortalized in the song “Dirty Gertie from Bizerte,” Bizerte being a town in Tunisia. This is part of a complete episode.
I’m wondering if the term of endearment, “girly” turned into “gertie” somewhere along the line?
My girlfriend in Australia had the same two given names as me. We generally simply called each other “Soos”, but signed notes as S1 (she was older than I) or S2. However after she lived in Georgia, USA for about 5 years in late 1980s, she changed to calling me “Gert”, and has called me that ever since. She could never tell me exactly why, but I didn’t object. It’s been a personal “thing” between us for decades
In Newfoundland the word bridge, also spelled brudge, can mean “a deck” or “a porch,” while the word porch refers to an additional room, usually attached at the back of a house, and used as a storage space or mud room. If a Newfoundlander says it’s...
Jennifer teaches yoga on the beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and she and her students have been collecting synonyms for derrière, such as dump truck, rear end, and badonkadonk. The last of these has been around for at least 25 years, and was...
Subscribe to the fantastic A Way with Words newsletter!
Martha and Grant send occasional messages with language headlines, event announcements, linguistic tidbits, and episode reminders. It’s a great way to stay in touch with what’s happening with the show.
I’m wondering if the term of endearment, “girly” turned into “gertie” somewhere along the line?
My girlfriend in Australia had the same two given names as me. We generally simply called each other “Soos”, but signed notes as S1 (she was older than I) or S2. However after she lived in Georgia, USA for about 5 years in late 1980s, she changed to calling me “Gert”, and has called me that ever since. She could never tell me exactly why, but I didn’t object. It’s been a personal “thing” between us for decades