What cheer! Any Shakespearean scholars?

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Andrew_S
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What cheer! Any Shakespearean scholars?

Post by Andrew_S » Fri Mar 05, 2004 3:04 pm

OK this isn't a Finnish language question, but a language question all the same.

Just started reading the Tempest. One character says "What cheer!", as a greeting I suppose.

It struck me that this is similar to the London greeting "watcha" the origin of which I've always been unsure of.

Questions:
1) What is the precise meaning/sentiment of the phrase "What cheer!"?
2) Is the modern "watcha!" derived from this?


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What cheer! Any Shakespearean scholars?

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eashton
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Post by eashton » Fri Mar 05, 2004 4:16 pm

Well, I don't know if I'm a Shakespearean 'scholar', but I did get a B+ from Walter Ong, S.J. when I took his course on the Bard. :)

It means...what's up? how do you feel?

And, yes, Wotcher/watcha is a derivative.

My OED also confirms this. :)

Slothrop
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Post by Slothrop » Mon Mar 08, 2004 7:31 pm

CHEERS phrase. 1. Goodbye. 2. A typical English drinking toast. 3. Thanks.

You may also hear CHEERIO used as "Good bye". WHAT CHEER (pronounced whatcha) is sometimes used as a greeting. This originates in the phrase "WHAT CHEER are you in?" New Zealanders say HOORAY instead of CHEERS.


(United Kingdom English for the American novice)

Now as for "wotchoolookinat?", I'm not sure the Bard has an answer. The Dark Lady of the Saloon Bar?
"Passion is inversely proportional to the amount of real information available" (Benford's Law of Controversy)


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