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Re: A Southerner defends 'chunked'

samwatts — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:04:57 -0500

Not to defend the idea of chunking what was chunked, but I share a hometown with the former governor, and in Rocky Mount we chunk stuff all the time. (See it even has tenses!)

Not to overtheorize, but in my opinion, one normally chunks to get rid of and chucks to place. Eg., "He chunked the ball to the sideline," vs. "He chucked it to the receiver."

Re: A few examples of 'chunked'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:38:00 -0500

Good point. It also seems to pick up on the other meaning of "chunked" as tearing something larger (in this case, the sod) into chunks.

— RTB

Re: A few examples of 'chunked'

jjsmith2 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:27:06 -0500

true, but in this situation it is completely different. Chunk in golf has a negative denotation, where as the southern colloquialism does not.

Re: A few examples of 'chunked'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:57:25 -0500

But it does seem to have a similar meaning of hitting something into the air.

— RTB

Re: A few examples of 'chunked'

jjsmith2 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:46:05 -0500

Chunk has a different meaning in relationship to golf than what you are thinking about. In golf it means you hit the ground before you hit the ball leaving a huge divot (chunk of dirt).

Re: A few examples of 'chunked'

domewatcher — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:40:48 -0500

Chunk is the Southern version of chuck. You see, the letter “c” and the letter “k” are pronounced somewhat alike down here in the South. So to make it easier on the children, we substitute “n” in cases where “c” is followed by a “k.” In economics it is known as the rule of “78’s.”

For example, “Walker, Texas Ranger” is Chunk Norris. Fried chicken is actually fried chinken. And Beckwith is really Benkwith. It is much easier to understand than that business about “eye before e except after c.”

I am no expert but I do have a Masters degree in English from North Carolina State University.

Re: Another defense of 'chunk'

ktuscan — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:28:33 -0500

dang right we got Ernest T. and he's just plain ornery. Why is it outsiders feel the need to mock us anyway? You can't help it if you don't have the native tongue! Chunkin' rocks at your window all the way from Eastern NC!

Re: Another defense of 'chunk'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:54:29 -0500

In linguistic terms, that's a portmanteau word. Hmmm... I think it's more of a nasally variant.

— RTB

Re: Another defense of 'chunk'

pdbeth — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:47:55 -0500

"Chunk:" convenient, colloquial combination of "dunked" and "chucked." Same basic motion involved...

Re: Another defense of 'chunk'

Isaac136 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:22:12 -0500

Oh you are just askin' for it, Beckwith. Better "chuck" that Seattle 'tude or Ernest T. Bass can show you 'zactly what we mean by chunkin'.

Then we're gonna send someone to give you a thrashin'.

Re: A Southerner defends 'chunked'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:04:39 -0500

Now look, where I'm from it isn't skookum to attack someone just because he's a cheechako. As the Dome barista, I have to object.

— RTB

Re: A Southerner defends 'chunked'

Isaac136 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:51:19 -0500

Beckwith, I *knew* you weren't one of us (though the name Beckwith has has been in North Carolina for generations).

I don't know about your "southern fried" whippersnapper co-workers, but if'n they don't know that "chunk" is a southernism, they musta been reared by Yankees or worse, Californians.

Also, if ya ain't from here ya got no bidness typing in dialect.

Re: A Southerner defends 'chunked'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:28:52 -0500

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

— RTB

Re: A Southerner defends 'chunked'

cornbread — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:16:57 -0500

They call me MR. BECKWITH!

Just doesn't have the same ring as Mr. Tibbs.

Punkin chunkin (pumpkin tossing)

ClemPson Tigers

A poster named Cornbread has faith in RTB to learn.

Re: Mumpower coins a word

silly99 — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:27:25 -0400

I can't tell what he means by "envirojacker," even with the context. It seems to fit polluters, ie those who dump large amounts of toxins into the (shared) environment, but I'm sure he's actually trying to smear the good people who oppose polluters.