NationStates Jolt Archive


Regional Influence

Dunroaming
15-04-2006, 15:16
My nation is a Truckler. As someone who has a good command of English, I do not recognise the word. Nor does the Oxford English Dictionary. A truckle is a small, barrel-shaped cheese. My nation does not make cheese (as far as I know)
Please remember that this game is played worldwide. It is perfectly acceptable for nations to converse in whatever way they wish, but it is not acceptable to use American slang as an integral part of the game.
Steenia
15-04-2006, 15:51
Oh nevermind. Truckler makes a lot more sense now (thank you Google):

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/truckler
And
http://www.duckspeaker.com/about.htm
I V Stalin
15-04-2006, 15:52
truckler

n : someone who humbles himself as a sign of respect; who behaves as if he had no self-respect

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=truckler

Don't think this is in the right forum either.
Dunroaming
15-04-2006, 16:18
I think you have clearly shown why my point was well made. You are using an American dictionary. Truckler is not a word I recognise. As most of the English speaking world lives outside the United States, the game should not be dependent on the assumption that everyone is conversant with American slang.
Erastide
15-04-2006, 17:43
I think you have clearly shown why my point was well made. You are using an American dictionary. Truckler is not a word I recognise. As most of the English speaking world lives outside the United States, the game should not be dependent on the assumption that everyone is conversant with American slang.
Actually, [violet] brought that one up. And she's Australian. I think all the mods were just as confused as you the first time it came up. ;)
Kavenna
15-04-2006, 17:50
Ahem... I don't think it's American slang. I am an American and, personally, I have never heard the word truckler before in my life.

Besides, did anyone see the etymology? "Truckler" descended from Middle English - something that seems to rule out it being American slang. More likely, it's obscure British slang.
Multiland
15-04-2006, 17:56
I've looked up "Truckler" in American online dictionaries. It doesn't say they're slang. But then it doesn't say that obviously-slang words, such as "ass-licker", are slang either.

Do American dictionaries not state when something is slang? And howcome?

If it's not slang, but just happens to be American (like for example "hood" instead of "bonnet" when referring to the engine-containing front part of a car), then I see no reason why it shouldn't be used. But if it's slang, I agree with Dunroaming.

Oh and P.S. I think it probably is American, regardless of whether it's slang - I looked it up in dictionary.com and that usually says when a word is "Chifely British", so I don't see why it wouldn't say when a word is "Chiefly" from another country
Dunroaming
15-04-2006, 18:41
The Oxford English Dictionary is universally recognised as the foremost authority on the English language. It does not have any entry for "truckler".
I happen to be someone who takes pleasure in the use of the language. My nation is not a truckler as the word has, for me, and all of those who live outside the U.S., no meaning. Please have the category deleted or re-named.
Jenrak
15-04-2006, 18:56
The Oxford English Dictionary is universally recognised as the foremost authority on the English language. It does not have any entry for "truckler".
I happen to be someone who takes pleasure in the use of the language. My nation is not a truckler as the word has, for me, and all of those who live outside the U.S., no meaning. Please have the category deleted or re-named.

Truly. If Oxford doesn't have it, then its slang.
I V Stalin
15-04-2006, 19:07
The Oxford English Dictionary is universally recognised as the foremost authority on the English language. It does not have any entry for "truckler".
I happen to be someone who takes pleasure in the use of the language. My nation is not a truckler as the word has, for me, and all of those who live outside the U.S., no meaning. Please have the category deleted or re-named.
It doesn't mean it's the only one worth referencing.

From the Chambers dictionary (which is English, not American):
truckle -
verb (truckled, truckling) intrans to submit or give in passively or weakly.
http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/chref/chref.py/main?query=truckle&title=21st
Katganistan
15-04-2006, 20:25
Your objection is noted; your snobbery is laughable; your request denied.
The Most Glorious Hack
15-04-2006, 23:57
I do not recognise the word. Nor does the Oxford English Dictionary.Hm. Curious. Which edition did you use? First or Second? With or without the supliments? The 1971 compact edition? 1971 compact with the 1987 suppliment? The 1991 compact edition? Electronic (CD-ROM) edition (the 1992 version 1, the 1999 version 2, or the 2002 version 3)? Online edition? The 'Shorter'? The 'New'? The 'Concise'? The Century? What about the Seiko Pocket Oxford English Dictionary? Did you perhaps think to check "The New Oxford American Dictionary"? Or, perhaps, "The Canadian Oxford Dictionary"? I understand you not wishing to check "The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary", however.

I'll stop at my local bookshop after work and quickly look through as many non-shrink wrapped dictionaries as possible and tell you my results. With any luck, their Insanely Massive And Exceptionally Heavy version of the OED will be open for access. Of course, I could just point out that Merriam-Webster (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/truckler) does have the word "truckler".
Dunroaming
16-04-2006, 01:32
Chambers dictionary describes the verb truckle but does not give any noun derivative.
It is not snobbery to use language with care. It is juvenile to criticize those who care about the language. Is someone who is guilty of snobbery a snobber?
The fact that Merriam-Webster has the word truckler proves my point.
Is Nationstates a universal game, or is it only for those who were born in the USA? Can you not realise that that this insignificant discussion about a word encapsulates why USA is experiencing such international problems. The word is American. It is not recognised anywhere outside the U.S. When I raise an objection, my protest is rudely ignored. Well I am not prepared to truckle in this instance.
Frisbeeteria
16-04-2006, 01:44
Is Nationstates a universal game, or is it only for those who were born in the USA? Can you not realise that that this insignificant discussion about a word encapsulates why USA is experiencing such international problems. The word is American. It is not recognised anywhere outside the U.S. When I raise an objection, my protest is rudely ignored. Well I am not prepared to truckle in this instance.
Since you seem unable to read the fact that this word was provided by an Australian, and since you've decided to turn a minor quibble into an anti-nationalist rant that has nothing whatsoever to do with what you claim it does, we'll just be closing this thread now.