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

who voted strap? I've got two votes on my side - now I am conflicted. Should I stand up for my fellow strapper or should I bend to the will of the majority?

Oh GAWD! Here we go again!

Actually with the one consonant after the vowel, the "o" should be long; therefore, it is neither strap, nor strahp, but strohp (stretch the "o"). If it were to be pronounced as we have been saying it incorrectly for all these many years, it would have to be spelled stropp.

Sorry, but them's the rules.

Il tak yourr word for itt, Brus

I fel much betterr

Languages change. And I think I recall a few instances brought up in the past where even my morphology teacher was hard pressed when asked which she would prefer.

Personally I think I'll go with strop as it seems to have overwhelming support in its use now, however else it might have been used in the olden days (pre 1990'ies).


Actually, with the colours or the poll-bars and whatnot, I thought for an instant that they were about the presidential election numbers muahaha

Seraphim - he would be "stroppy" because of his age. It's 1950s british slang for being bolshy, awkward, argumentative and prone to argue. It would be great if the word came from the razor strop, but unfortunately it doesn't. It's a from a deliberate mis-pronounciation of "obstrerous" (ie "obstroperous")for comic effect. Otherwise I would have been a "streppy" tennager. Quite possibly with a sore-throat.

Reagrds,
Neil

Originally Posted by Bruce

Actually with the one consonant after the vowel, the "o" should be long; therefore, it is neither strap, nor strahp, but strohp (stretch the "o"). If it were to be pronounced as we have been saying it incorrectly for all these many years, it would have to be spelled stropp.

Sorry, but them's the rules.

I have to disagree here. There would have to be an "e" at the end for it to be "strohp", plus the most common phonetic use of "o" is the ahh sound, then oh, then oo. Think of it: top, pop, shot, stop, prop. Now take pope, rope, dope, etc.

But then, as a friend of mine would say, it's just like the rhinoceros that's in the room right now. Rhinoceros is simply the word we made up to describe the large, horned pachyderm. However we describe our razor maintenance equipment doesn't really matter or change the way it operates. Anyway, that's my smart bit for the day

Steven Seaman stroked a strip of strap to strop.

A strop, a strip of strap, did Steven Seaman stroke.

If Steven Seaman stroked a strip of strap to strop,

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

James.

When I went to primary school in the early 80's the strap was an almost forgotten legend from the ancients who went to school in the 70's. Roumer had it that this strap was infact a belt. Hence the saying "You've done it now boy, I'm gunna give you a belting you won't forget!"
It wasn't until I started using a straight that I heard of a strop. When I first saw the buckles on each end I didn't think this could be the mythical strap. But since then I have seen strops with a buckle at only one end that would make a perfect strap.
But I find the with my students a four foot long cane works better than a strop / strap.