Re: Guardian 23000

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 18:16:35 +0000, Brian Skinner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 wrote in <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> "Dr Ivan D. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>>      I suspect we inherited it from the US or somewhere else, though, as
>> the prototypical Australian two-syllable abbreviation invariably ends in
>> -ie, e.g. "cossie" for (swimming) costume, "brekkie" for breakfast, even
>> "Ivie" for Ivan!

> A recent UK puzzle had a clue with a 4-letter answer, the definition
> part of which was "Australian PM" . The answer was [ROT13]: NEIB

        Good one!  Yes, that's an exception...  (I think my original
(self-)observation was that we seemed to always abbreviate to two
syllables, later on realising that most of then ended in -ie.)  As an off-
the-cuff observation, -o is most often used for peoples' names: Jacko, Robbo,
Davo, yes, even Ivo (But note, Macka!).  "cuppa" I'd argue is a contraction
of "cup of (tea)".

-- 
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering,     ___     CMS  Collaboration,
Brunel University.     [EMAIL PROTECTED]             Room 40-1-B12, CERN
        KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".