Ta ta

I don't know about the OED, but "Ta!" on its own means thanks. I've not heard it used for years, but in any case it would only be used jokingly or with familiars. If you used it with strangers or in formal situations, you'd be thought uneducated. "Ta-ta!" or "Ta ta! means bye. Only the final "ta" syllable is pronounced like "thanks" ta, which is presumably why no one ever thinks it means "thank yo

[nq:1]i learned from chat that "ta ta" is used to say bye. (as i recall in silence of the lambas or the sequal, it is used by the doctor.) But i looked up today, it says its "thanks" by the Brits. what does OED say?[/nq]
I don't have an OED but the COED says "ta-ta" is a British informal exclamation meaning "goodbye", which is what I'd expect. The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors in t

[nq:1]i learned from chat that "ta ta" is used to say bye. (as i recall in silence of the lambas or the sequal, it is used by the doctor.) But i looked up today, it says its "thanks" by the Brits. what does OED say?[/nq]
Someone will doubtless tell you, but meanwhile please note that it's a single "Ta" for "Thanks!" The doubled "Ta-ta" is the goodbye form, and generally used by or to children.

Xah Lee had it:
[nq:1]i learned from chat that "ta ta" is used to say bye. (as i recall in silence of the lambas or the sequal, it is used by the doctor.) But i looked up today, it says its "thanks" by the Brits. what does OED say?[/nq]
I can't get my OED out at the moment, but "ta ta" means "goodbye". "ta" means "thank you".

David
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replace usenet with the

OED:
A. int. A nursery expression for ?Good-bye?; now also in gen. colloq. use. Cf. TATTY-BYE int. and T.T.F.N. s.v. T 6.
1823 S. HUTCHINSON Let. Sept.-Oct. (1954) 261 Baby I believe has notlearnt any new words since Mrs M. wrote last, but she has the old ones very perfect{em}?Gone?{em}?Ta ta?{em}?By bye?. 1837 DICKENS Pickw. xxvii, ?Tar, tar, Sammy?, replied his father. 1878 F. C. BURNAND

[nq:2]i learned from chat that "ta ta" is used to ... says its "thanks" by the Brits. what does OED say?[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't have an OED but the COED says "ta-ta" is a British informal exclamation meaning "goodbye", which is what I'd expect. The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors in the Oxford Style Manual agrees. "Ta" means "thanks" (from baby-talk "thanks").[/nq]
****.
Meant to

[nq:1]Meant to share with you all that a lady friend of mine who lives in Ohio assures me that "ta-ta" ... a glove. Then, finally, one of the guests gave the stripper a blow job." Now, is that cute, or what?[/nq]
******* are ta-tas only when they are bodacious. B cups never encase ta-tas.

Tony Cooper
Orlando FL

[nq:2]Meant to share with you all that a lady friend ... stripper a blow job." Now, is that cute, or what?[/nq]
[nq:1]******* are ta-tas only when they are bodacious. B cups never encase ta-tas.[/nq]
Her cups runneth over?
So "bodacious ta-tas" is a tautology? Is someone keeping a list of this stuff?

[nq:1]i learned from chat that "ta ta" is used to say bye. (as i recall in silence of the lambas or the sequal, it is used by the doctor.) But i looked up today, it says its "thanks" by the Brits.[/nq]
1. British ta = thank you (informal or lower class usage)
2. British tata = farewell (informal or lower class usage.)

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

[nq:2]i learned from chat that "ta ta" is used to ... looked up today, it says its "thanks" by the Brits.[/nq]
[nq:1]1. British ta = thank you (informal or lower class usage) 2. British tata = farewell (informal or lower class usage.)[/nq]
The American "ta ta" also means farewell (and I'd guess originates as an imitation of a Briticism), and is sort of a silly usage. But I think the Britis