Pedantic about 'brassic'

[Whatdoiknowanyway]

Ok, I know there's a pedants' corner for this sort of thing but I seem to read so often someone posting that they're 'brassic'.

I'm sufficiently sad that I did a search. Over 500 messages used the term 'brassic', 25 used 'boracic'.

Yes I do need to get out more but please, it's 'boracic' as in ' boracic lint' = skint. Not brassic.

Off to get a life now....

Bless!

Perhaps the miscreants think they are too poor for a whole cauliflower or cabbage...

Brassic meant cold where I grew up... away, I'm skint.

Gosh you ARE rather sad though hey? But I admire you research skills.

another for brassic meaning cold

I always thought the phrase was 'brassy'

I've not heard that used for a long time, then I've heard it at the school gates this morning. I think she was referring to having no money to go out.

It's a London thing...Boracic Lint = skint.

But because it is shortened (like most cockney words are) to Boracic...it does sound like Brassic...so people I suppose spell it that way.

It is boracic though...and I am...brassic

I approve of the research -I can confirm that my own has also suggested that 'boracic' is the correct spelling. As you were.

Brassic, where i came from means being down to 'brass tacks' ie basics. So if you are brassic, it means that you cannot afford anything except what you need to very basically live, therefore you are skint. I think the fathings were brass? as opposed to silver coins.

Getting down to brass tacks means straight, no frills talking.

Language develops and changes over time/regionally, so you are being ridiculous to be bothered by this.

gee I learn something every day!

Brassic means cold or skint if you are from up north..and it is classed as variant spelling, so it is allowed.

Oh yes and i think it also refers to the brass balls that hung ouside of pawn shops? Brassic can mean cold, as in "its cold enough to freeze the brass balls off a monkey".

Boracic is quoted in my giant Chambers dictionary as having the meaing penniless or skint.

Would you all like to know why? ...............................................

Because it was rhyming slang: Boracic Lint = skint!!!!!! (I love my giant dictionary.)

The balls on a brass monkey were a naval term - a brass monkey was a thing a bit like a snooker triangle which they stacked up cannon balls on, but the metal contracted in very cold weather, making the balls fall off.

You know what's impressive about this thread? All done with no Wikipedia!

It's marvellous that people can be concerned enough about etymology when there are people in the U.K relying on food banks in order to survive.

Yeah and there's babies dying of malaria too

TSC. I am originally from Manchester/Bolton too.. :)

Winter is Coming, I am sure there are many depressing factors about our country at the moment, but I am not sure how that is particularly relevant to this thread....

Brassic for skint
Baltic for c

*cold

Erm....

Am i being a bit thick here, i thought Boracic was pronounced 'b'rassic'?!?! so if you are skint then you say "i cant have a bag of chips (or whatever!) i'm b'rassic"

so surly that makes this whole thread a moot point!!!

Well I never knew that!

WinterIsComing

celebmum - if people start spelling according to their mispronunciations, Pedants' corner would explode!

Erm - apologies to all. Have had some sleep now and deeply regret my frothing and sense-of-humour-failure post

My Dad is from the East End and he says boracic lint / skint but b'rassic is the EE pronunciation. The brass connotations very interesting too.

I usually like these sorts of threads but MN seems to have got on top of me today. And I am a knobber at times. Sorry again OP.