Friday, 23 July 2010

Geezer (Mascarita)


gee·zer

Slang: An old person, especially an eccentric old man.
[Probably alteration of dialectal guiser, masquerader, from Middle English gysar, from gysen, to dress, from gyse, guise, fashion; see guise.]

Word History: A relationship with a word we know well is disguised in the word geezer. A clue to this relationship is found in British dialect. The English Dialect Dictionary defines geezer as "a queer character, a strangely-acting person," and refers the reader to guiser, "a mummer, masquerader." The citations for guiser refer to practices such as the following: "People, usually children ... go about on Christmas Eve, singing, wearing masks, or otherwise disguised," the last word of this passage being the one to which geezer is related.

8 comments:

  1. Alegre mascarita que gritas al pasar...

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  2. i like geuze (and the illo of course)!

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  3. Dear Oskar,

    The lady with the geezer bares a remarkable resemblance to the wife of a famous cartoonist with whom I once worked.

    Lee Marvin Newland

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  4. Me parece que a la ñata le van a remover el guiser.

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  5. Un sueño recurrente, Grillo: ando en calzones en lugares públicos, buscando cómo esconderme.

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  6. Asi vale la pena irse a la cama y soñar, Fraga. No como yo que siempre sueño que estoy completamente vestido pero voy con el culo al aire.

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  7. jajajajajajajaja!!!!
    Al menos te refrescas un poco, che!

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