reduplications and rhyming combinations

ka · Post by ka » 30 Dec 2003 23:52

I've been working over the past two years on a classification of rhyming combinations and reduplications found in the English language. (willy-nilly, hush-hush, fuddy-duddy, hugger-mugger, happy-clappy , hoccus-pocus, jiggery-pokery...)
My work is nearly completed but I still need some examples of reduplications and combinations in context. So if you came across some, (literature, newspapers, adds, commercials etc) could you please send them to me mentioning the source and the author when possible.
Any other interesting information on the subject would of course be welcome. Thanks

Maïwenn · Post by **Maïwenn** » 31 Dec 2003 11:21

Have you thought about "supa dupa" ? Unfortunately I can't provide any context now but the nickname one of my friends used to have : supa dupa crazy boy

Good luck !

serenita · Post by **serenita** » 31 Dec 2003 17:39

I've got "hoity-toity" from Huxley's "Brave New World".

laura · Post by **laura** » 02 Jan 2004 15:18

shilly shally and "dilly-dally"

Bye

laura · Post by **laura** » 02 Jan 2004 15:19

I just know them and I think they're two very common expressions, but I can't mention authors that have used them....

sorry

ka · Post by ka » 02 Jan 2004 20:37

Maïwenn wrote:Have you thought about "supa dupa" ? Unfortunately I can't provide any context now but the nickname one of my friends used to have : supa dupa crazy boy

Good luck !

Thanks a lot.
'Supa-dupa' must be 'super-duper' also spelt 'sooper-dooper' which means exceptionally good,splendid.

Ka

Maïwenn · Post by **Maïwenn** » 02 Jan 2004 21:18

yes, that's it :-) I found many occurences of supa dupa written like that in google

serenita · Post by **serenita** » 03 Jan 2004 14:08

I found "topsy-turvy" in a novel, I don't remember where but it means uspide-down and it's right in the dictionary.
And "easy-peasy" from a children's book (which means very easy, a piece of cake...)

ka · Post by ka » 03 Jan 2004 15:31

Thanks to Serenita , Laura and Maiwenn for their answers. I have never come across 'easy-peasy' before. Do you have the exact source?

Thanks

serenita · Post by **serenita** » 03 Jan 2004 20:20

ka wrote:

Thanks to Serenita , Laura and Maiwenn for their answers. I have never come across 'easy-peasy' before. Do you have the exact source?

Thanks

Yep, it's from "The Story of Tracy Beaker" by Jacqueline Wilson, the famous british children's novelist.

(p.142 of the Corgi Yearling Books edition).

ka · Post by ka » 04 Jan 2004 00:00

Supa-dupa

Thanks a lot

Ka

modsefa · Post by **modsefa** » 16 Jan 2004 01:47

jelly belly..meaning fat and shakey

waky backy..ilegal smoke

fuddy duddy...old fashioned,,stick in the mud

silly billy...stupid man

shilly shally...to hinder

willy nilly...wether or not

dilly dally...to linger or be slow

dont know where these come from but they are all in common speech

pioupiou · Post by **pioupiou** » 16 Jan 2004 14:52

and the very common "okey dokey" or "oki doki" however that is supposed to be spelled

Or even more advanced: "okeley dokeley", source The Simpsons neighbour (what was his name again?)

Esenthiel · Post by **Esenthiel** » 17 Jan 2004 04:58

lucky ducky

serenita · Post by **serenita** » 01 Apr 2004 21:57

All right, I know it's an old topic and everything but every time I come accross one of these rhyming-duplication words I can't help thinking about this message and I have made a list.

Here it is...

Hurdy-gurdy=orgue de barbarie (ka, we both know french so let's make it easy)
Hurry-scurry=bousculade/courir dans tous les sens/à la débandade
Hurly-burly=tohu-bohu/tumulte
Hunky-dory=chouette, au poil...
Hugger-mugger=fouillis, pagaille//secret-(+adjective and adverb form)
Housey-housey=a kind of lottery (British)
Hanky-panky= entourloupe/batifolage
Harum-scarum=écervelé, tête de linotte
Hubba-hubba=(US)bravo!/Vite!/presto!
Nitty-gritty (courant)=let's get down to the nitty-gritty=venons-en aux choses sérieuses/au fond du pb
Flimflam (US, familier)=balivernes blagues/to flimflam=rouler, blouser
Ricky-tick=démodé, rétro