English Language Insights 45, Slang: “a blob, a Bobby, a bop, bottled it.”” Definitions, observations, sources.

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English Language Insights 45, Slang: ?“a blob, a Bobby, a bop, bottled it.”” Definitions, observations, sources.

The following slang terms were all defined in Urban Dictionary, had at least 10 reactions from other readers that agreed or disagreed with the proposed definition(s), and at least 75% of the readers that reacted agreed with the definition(s).

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1) a blob

Definition

“A person who simply exists and has nothing to offer to anyone other than her physical presence. A non-blob should never feel threatened by?a blob?because a blob lacks all the qualifications necessary to meet the non-blob threshold. In other words, a blob is inadequate, deficient, lame, and simply not?up to par.?A blob?just exists, and that's about it. It takes a lot of work to transition from a blob to a non-blob, and it rarely happens because most?blobs?are incapable of realizing all that they are to make a change in the first place: a blob.”

?Observation

When not slang for a lethargic person, it refers to an inert mass

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2) a Bobby, a bobby

Definition

a?british?cop?or?police officer.

Observation

This British expression meaning cop has survived for more than 200 years. when Robert Peel founded the police, and hence "Bobby" or "bobby."

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3) a bop

Definition

A song?that will always?be good,?legendary

Observation

This is quoted directly from etymonline:

bop?(n.)

1948, shortening of?bebop?or?rebop. The musical movement had its own lingo, which was in vogue in U.S. early 1950s. "Life" magazine [Sept. 29, 1952] listed examples of bop talk:?crazy?"new, wonderful, wildly exciting;"?gone?(adj.) "the tops—superlative of crazy;"?cool?(adj.) "tasty, pretty;"?goof?"to blow a wrong note or make a mistake;"?hipster?"modern version of hepcat;"?dig?"to understand, appreciate the subtleties of;"?stoned?"drunk, captivated, ecstatic, sent out of this world;"?flip?(v.) "to react enthusiastically."

also from?1948

bop?(v.)

"to hit, strike, punch," 1931, imitative. As a noun from 1934. The sense of "play bop music, play (a song) in a bop style" is from 1948, from?bop?(n.). It soon came to mean "do any sort of dance to pop music" (1956). Related:?Bopped;?bopping.

also from?1931

Entries linking to?bop

bebop?(n.)”

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?4) bottled it

Definition

When somebody opts out of a nerve-wracking task instead of having the courage to do it.

Observation`

When somebody bottles up, imagine a little medicine vial and a person goes into it and puts the tap on to avoid public scrutiny and to calm down.

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Sources

KimberlyDee on June 8, 2020: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=A%20Blob

Nina Iris on January 19, 2006: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a%20Bobby

Maple syrup69 on December 14, 2017: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=A%20bop

Mirrorim on August 13, 2007: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=A%20BOTTLE

https://www.etymonline.com/word/bop

Andrew Burr, an attorney (barrister), arbitrator, etc., made an observation that the etymology of "Bobby" or "bobby" in Great Britain for cop is because Robert Peel founded the police.