In the US arse simply doesn't exist (I checked the OED--little help, but
nary a US example) unless one is imitating Noel Coward, so the exercise
doesn't work.
I suspect that as the a in arse gathered its present pronunciation it
separated from the more conservative US pronunciation. The r was probably
never voiced in most of Britain.
"stop being an ass" refers to the donkey, but often becomes "stop being an
asshole", "you're an ass" could be either and is more likely to be
understood as posterior, whether the hole is added or no.
Mark
.
>At 10:58 PM 10/23/2003 +0100, you wrote:
>Mark:
>
>I once assumed that "ass" was a simple USAmerican yoof-uh-mizm for "arse",
>but i suspect its trickier than this.
>
>Forget the dictionaries, and run the phrases through you head where you
>*can't* simply substitute "ass" for "arse".
>
>Freemartin cross-breeds are an irrelevant issue.
>
>Etymologically speaking.
>
>Robin
>
> > "Ass" to mean the small equine has almost disappeared in the US except as
> > "jackass" for the male. Otherwise it's donkey or burro, and the female is
> > simply a jenny. And in popular zoological terminology, as in " the wild
> > ass, or onager."
> >
> > Mark
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