Exclamation in Prisoner

Question

Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian soap "Prisoner".
One of its characters, a prisoner named Lizzie Birdsworth, has the habit of making a certain exclamation which, I assume, meaning-wise (or pragmatically) corresponds fairly well to the Homer Simpsonian "Duh!".

It sounds like the French word for heart, "coeur", but the vowel is more back and the initial consonant sounds more affricated, producing something like "kxoohr" or even "khhhr". (Sorry for the crude transcription. I guess (kX:(O)R) could be more accurate.)

Is this just a sound she makes? Or would an Australian use "coeur" in that way? Or is it some other word that I'm just ignorant about?

jouni maho

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian soap "Prisoner".[/nq]
~~snip~~
[nq:1]It sounds like the French word for heart, "coeur", but the vowel is more back and the initial consonant sounds more affricated, producing something like "kxoohr" or even "khhhr". (Sorry for the crude transcription. I guess (kX:(O)R) could be more accurate.)[/nq]
Check out "cor" it's a Cockney exclamation. (There are many Cockney links in AusEng..)

Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 21 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey to whhvs)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian soap "Prisoner". One of its characters, a prisoner named Lizzie ... Australian use "coeur" in that way? Or is it some other word that I'm just ignorant about? jouni maho[/nq]
It sounds like you might be speaking of "cor":
From the *Macquarie Concise Dictionary,* an Australian dictionary at www.macquariedictionary.com.au/
(quote)
cor /kO/ interjection Colloquial (an exclamation of surprise)."

(end quote)
However, if so, this is not equivalent to Homer Simpsons "d'oh!" Homer's exclamation (he probably also says "duh!" but that's a different exclamation) is used when he suddenly realizes that there is something seriously wrong.The situation has turned against his interests or he has made a serious error, as illustrated in the following dialogue:

From
http://hosted.ray.easynet.co.uk/homer simpson/hquotes1.html
(quote)
Homer : "Well, it was a long trip, but we're almost there!" Marge : "Homer, did you remember to lock the front door of the house?" Homer : "D'OH!"
(end quote)
The word is pronounced similarly but not identically to the word "dough." The "d" is spoken with more force, as if it were kept under pressure before release.

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]soap "Prisoner". One of its characters, a prisoner named Lizzie ... other word that I'm just ignorant about? jouni maho[/nq]
[nq:1]It sounds like you might be speaking of "cor": From the *Macquarie Concise Dictionary,* an Australian dictionary at www.macquariedictionary.com.au/ (quote) cor /kO/ interjection Colloquial (an exclamation of surprise)."[/nq]
I have long assumed that "cor" was a corruption of or euphemism for "***"
"cor blimey" = "(may) *** blind me"
Any truth to this?

Usenet · Answer

Just a suggestion, but there's a French word "ecoeurant" which the Google translator translates as "nauseating". It's often pronounced ay-KRRR-anh and sometimes the first and last syllables are barely audible, giving something along the lines of what you have described.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian soap "Prisoner". One of its characters, a prisoner named Lizzie ... Or would an Australian use "coeur" in that way? Or is it some other word that I'm just ignorant about?[/nq]
Others have said that this is usually rendered "Cor!". If it matches "Duh!" it won't be "Cor!" a longstanding way of expressing surprise or appreciation but a newer exclamation, one that I've never seen written down. It will be familiar, though, to anyone who's seen Basil in Fawlty Towers . Perhaps it should be written "Cuh!".

Matti

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian ... is it some other word that I'm just ignorant about?[/nq]
[nq:1]Others have said that this is usually rendered "Cor!". If it matches "Duh!" it won't be "Cor!" a longstanding ... will be familiar, though, to anyone who's seen Basil in Fawlty Towers . Perhaps it should be written "Cuh!".[/nq]
Agreed. I don't think it has anything to do with "cor!" Matti's "cuh!" is similar to "huh!" perhaps pronounced through a catarrh-ridden throat. It's an expression of derision.
Philip Eden

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It sounds like you might be speaking of "cor": From the *Macquarie Concise Dictionary,* an Australian dictionary at www.macquariedictionary.com.au/ (quote) cor /kO/ interjection Colloquial (an exclamation of surprise)." (end quote)[/nq]
In a rightpondian context, frequently encountered as "Cor! Stone the crows."
Could be an expression of surprise, or an expression of leering admiration.
Jitze

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian soap "Prisoner".[/nq]
Cor! That's about thirty years old. I can tell you that it definitely did end.

Regards
John

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Not long ago, Swedish TV showed the seemingly never-ending Australian soap "Prisoner".[/nq]
[nq:1]Cor! That's about thirty years old. I can tell you that it definitely did end.[/nq]
Are we talking about "The Prisoner" with Patrick McGoohan? that wasn't Australian.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Cor! That's about thirty years old. I can tell you that it definitely did end.[/nq]
[nq:1]Are we talking about "The Prisoner" with Patrick McGoohan? that wasn't Australian.[/nq]
"Prisoner Cell Block H", I suspect.
Philip Eden

Exclamation in Prisoner

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