Thread: Some say strap, some say strop. OED to the rescue!

You can strap with any strop , but you can't strop with any strap .

Originally Posted by dave5225

You can strap with any strop , but you can't strop with any strap .

Bravo!

strop

In my limited lexicon strop denotes the leather thing you rub a razor upon. A strap can mean too many other things for it to work well with my razors.

Originally Posted by dave5225

You can strap with any strop , but you can't strop with any strap .

Well said!!! Must be a strop then...

It really doesn't matter but strop sounds special.

strop (strp)
n. 1. A strap, especially a short rope whose ends are spliced together to make a ring.
2. A flexible strip of leather or canvas used for sharpening a razor.

tr.v. stropped, strop·ping, strops

Dict. Amer. (ed. 2) 455 Strap, a razor-strop is, with us, generally called a razor-strap

Now my question is this: Who is "us"? 19th century Americans? Hmm? Hmm?

Well I say let's call it a chazwozzle and be done with the whole thing.

James.

I've always called it a strop. In reading stories and such, when used with the razor it is called strop and when used to discipline a child, strap.

Allen

Growing up on the farm, there were plenty of handy implements for punishment, but I guess in retrospect I should be grateful my dad used an electric razor.