does anyone now why we say "tar", when i used to go down torksey fishing and said ta they looked at me gone out. they asked why i was using the word as a thank you but asked why a black smelly substance meant thanks. didnt no and stil dont???

Brooksy,
It's "ta" not "tar"
But interesting question in general, I'd like to know the answer too.

yes ino how its spelt but folk in other areas assume you mean tar, even tho we no its ta. by the way where does this word come from .

I have looked in my large collins dictionary and there is no real clue. It never occured to me before that other parts don't use this word, and it's one of my hobbies "language and dialects".
Maybe it's one of those baby words like poppo for horse, and danny for hand, which is easier for a toddler to say than the correct word.

Come on forum work your magic . . . . . .

I could be wrong but I am confident that this word has old viking connections, the word in Danish for thank you is "Tak", and TA is a corruption of that word rather than the English version.

Originally posted by brooksy
does anyone now why we say "tar", when i used to go down torksey fishing and said ta they looked at me gone out. they asked why i was using the word as a thank you but asked why a black smelly substance meant thanks. didnt no and stil dont???

Look Here (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=ta&searchmode=none)

Its baby talk that seems to continue into adulthood with some Sheffielders.
Didn't your mum say to you, "say ta"?, and so it continues generation to generation.

thought it meant.....thanks alot

oh no ! my language is still infantile!

Ta for telling me :(

Originally posted by D_A_V
I could be wrong but I am confident that this word has old viking connections, the word in Danish for thank you is "Tak", and TA is a corruption of that word rather than the English version. That was what I heard, and when you consider that the north is still linguisticly smattered with both small and large bits of Viking language and heritage, that explanation makes good sense.

I always thought the Danish variant was the real one.

But what always has interested me apart from "ta" is "tara" for goodbye. Where does that come from?

i was once working i milton keynes and bought a sarnie from a shop as i was leaving i said "cheers duck"..i heard the bird say "that blawkes just called me a blady dack"

:hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

this post is good just remembered while i was in somerset my uncle who was with us and who talks in a broard yorkshire accent asked for chips opened but they misunderstod him and thought he meant chip hottened and told him the chips were hot by which point we all stared laughing :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

chips opened :clap:

I'd quite forgotten about that phrase, brilliant!

Ah'll 'av 'em wi' scraps, ta luv! :thumbsup: