New Post
Search
Help[Opinions] Ralph
98 on UK charts?? Am I hallucinating?
edit: I don't mean to be disdainful - my dad's name is Ralph so I have a soft spot for it - I'm just very surprised.
*
"That cynicism you refer to I acquired the day I discovered I was different from little boys."
edit: I don't mean to be disdainful - my dad's name is Ralph so I have a soft spot for it - I'm just very surprised.
*
"That cynicism you refer to I acquired the day I discovered I was different from little boys."
This message was edited 6/10/2019, 8:02 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
Wow, I'm surprised to see it in the UK top 100 as well.
When I was around 6, I had a Curious George stuffed animal that I decided to rename Ralph. I guess I liked it back then? These days, not so much!
When I was around 6, I had a Curious George stuffed animal that I decided to rename Ralph. I guess I liked it back then? These days, not so much!
1
My Dad's name is also Ralph. Growing up I was always embarrassed by it because it was both ugly and a synonym for "vomit". I guess I'm lucky to have just had a dad with an embarrassing name as opposed to an embarrassing personality. He's pretty charming.
1
Perhaps "ralph" is not a slang term for "vomit" in the UK, as it is in the US. At any rate, it's all I can think of when I hear the name Ralph, that and an overweight bus driver who engages in bombastic self-promotion to hide his low self-esteem. Kind of a shame, I know, since Ralph is an ancient, established name, 18th-century spelling change notwithstanding.
1
You don't hear it too often where I live because people don't often discuss retching, but it is a euphemism in my area of the USA too. Even without the slang term, Ralph sounds like an onomatopoeia for the act of vomitting.
Prior to getting on this website, I hand never heard that Randy was a slang term for anything, but from what I've heard on here it is pretty common in Britain and parts of the US.
Prior to getting on this website, I hand never heard that Randy was a slang term for anything, but from what I've heard on here it is pretty common in Britain and parts of the US.
1
Yes, perhaps Ralph is the American Randy and vice versa.
Where my husband attended college, SUNY Maritime, every summer the entire student body took a steam-powered ship to Europe to get hands-on training running the boiler. One summer, a friend of his named Bill earned the nickname Ralph because he became seasick and vomited on the deck.
Where my husband attended college, SUNY Maritime, every summer the entire student body took a steam-powered ship to Europe to get hands-on training running the boiler. One summer, a friend of his named Bill earned the nickname Ralph because he became seasick and vomited on the deck.
1
Well, I’ll agree with you there. I have heard Ralph used in exchange for vomit my whole life. ThTs exactly what I think about as well. And my husband is from the other side of the United States , and he has heard it as well, and used it too.
1
Oh I had no idea about the "vomit" thing!
1
I'm an American, and I had no idea "ralph" was a slang term for vomit. (I'm 28.)
1
"Ralph" is not a well-used slang term for "vomit" for all Americans. I honestly don't believe I have ever heard anyone use it with that meaning except in the mentions of that I have seen on baby name discussion boards. :)
You have evidently been watching a lot of "Honeymooners" reruns.
You have evidently been watching a lot of "Honeymooners" reruns.
1
It's pretty well-used, in my experience, and it's one of the first 3 or so words I'd list if I needed facetious euphemisms for vomit (verb). "Calling Ralph on the big white telephone," is the elaborated idiom. (It may be getting a little out of date, obviously)
1
I’ve never even heard of Honeymooners. I was raised on one side and my husband the other side of the United States and both of us have heard of and used it our entire lives.
This message was edited 6/10/2019, 8:57 AM
1
You all need to get out more.
This is not meant seriously.
This is not meant seriously.
This message was edited 6/10/2019, 8:48 AM
1
You must be, surely!
I've only ever known one Ralph, whose parents pronounced it Rafe which I thought was beyond pretentious. They were very pretentious people, and the child had some kind of ghastly psychological issue that I think they were trying to compensate for.
Ralph itself, however pronounced, has a suave Noel Cowardly vibe which should be attractive and amusing but somehow isn't.
I've only ever known one Ralph, whose parents pronounced it Rafe which I thought was beyond pretentious. They were very pretentious people, and the child had some kind of ghastly psychological issue that I think they were trying to compensate for.
Ralph itself, however pronounced, has a suave Noel Cowardly vibe which should be attractive and amusing but somehow isn't.
1