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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Wallah-wallah bing-bang
Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon? I'm asking because I no longer live in an English-speaking country and don't have much occasion to observe current usage.
In my case, it took several years for the light bulb to go on and to realize that this was the dumbed-down version of "voila." I was familiar with the Anglo-Indian usage of this word and couldn't figure out why people were using it inappropriately. After questioning those who use it I've discovered that they have no idea that they really mean "voila," so it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."
Lana
In my case, it took several years for the light bulb to go on and to realize that this was the dumbed-down version of "voila." I was familiar with the Anglo-Indian usage of this word and couldn't figure out why people were using it inappropriately. After questioning those who use it I've discovered that they have no idea that they really mean "voila," so it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."
Lana
Top answer
[nq:1]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon? I'm asking ... "[/nq] As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority.
- [nq:1]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon?
- I'm asking ...
- "[/nq] As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority.
- When you pull a penny out of a child's ear, you might say something that sounds like that (I don't have the slightest idea if there is a proper spelling), but it wouldn't be "wallah".
- ".
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39 Answers
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[nq:1]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon? I'm asking ... they have no idea that they really mean "voila," so it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority. When you pull a penny out of a child's ear, you might say something that sounds like that (I don't ha
As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority. When you pull a penny out of a child's ear, you might say something that sounds like that (I don't ha
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szozu wrote on 31 May 2004:
[nq:1]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon? I'm asking ... they have no idea that they really mean "voila," so it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
Oh, my goodness. Now you've done it. You've pointed out that which no native speaker of English wants to acknowledge: that E
[nq:1]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon? I'm asking ... they have no idea that they really mean "voila," so it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
Oh, my goodness. Now you've done it. You've pointed out that which no native speaker of English wants to acknowledge: that E
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[nq:1]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to print, or is it strictly an internet phenomenon? I'm asking ... they have no idea that they really mean "voila," so it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
I've seen it in print, and I just thought it was a way of poking fun at the use of a borrowed word, not dumbing-down.
john
I've seen it in print, and I just thought it was a way of poking fun at the use of a borrowed word, not dumbing-down.
john
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CyberCypher filted:
[nq:1]I have to admit that when I first heard "Ding-dang, walla-walla bing- bang" 45 years ago, I never imagined that ... If people are now using "walla" for "voila", they must be desperately pretentious. Not surprising if they can't speak French.[/nq]
As Mr Cooper points out, "wallah" is also a word for a person in authority..
By the way, I heard a Chinese ver
[nq:1]I have to admit that when I first heard "Ding-dang, walla-walla bing- bang" 45 years ago, I never imagined that ... If people are now using "walla" for "voila", they must be desperately pretentious. Not surprising if they can't speak French.[/nq]
As Mr Cooper points out, "wallah" is also a word for a person in authority..
By the way, I heard a Chinese ver
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[nq:1]I have to admit that when I first heard "Ding-dang, walla-walla bing- bang" 45 years ago, I never imagined that ... If people are now using "walla" for "voila", they must be desperately pretentious. Not surprising if they can't speak French.[/nq]
I didn't and don't think that "walla walla" was anything but a nonsense phrase. And any connection with "voila" seems to be a stretch. For one
I didn't and don't think that "walla walla" was anything but a nonsense phrase. And any connection with "voila" seems to be a stretch. For one
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[nq:1]szozu wrote on 31 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to ... it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
[nq:1]Oh, my goodness. Now you've done it. You've pointed out that which no native speaker of English wants to acknowledge: that English is being dumbed down in addition to undergoing the normal evolutionary changes to which
[nq:2]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to ... it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
[nq:1]Oh, my goodness. Now you've done it. You've pointed out that which no native speaker of English wants to acknowledge: that English is being dumbed down in addition to undergoing the normal evolutionary changes to which
00
[nq:2]Has the use of "wallah" to mean "voila" spread to ... it doesn't seem equivalent to writing "sez" instead of "says."[/nq]
[nq:1]As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority.[/nq]
Can't say I've heard that one. In Anglo-Indian usage it just means 'fellow'. So the man who operated the fan was a punkah wallah, the guy who carried stuff on a yoke was a banghy wallah. A native of
[nq:1]As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority.[/nq]
Can't say I've heard that one. In Anglo-Indian usage it just means 'fellow'. So the man who operated the fan was a punkah wallah, the guy who carried stuff on a yoke was a banghy wallah. A native of
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[nq:2]As far as I know, a "wallah" is a person in authority.[/nq]
[nq:1]Can't say I've heard that one. In Anglo-Indian usage it just means 'fellow'. So the man who operated the fan ... or whatever. It went fro there to general slang usage in the UK - ambulance wallah, competition wallah, church wallah.[/nq]
My understanding of "wallah" was that is means someone in charge. It could be in ch
[nq:1]Can't say I've heard that one. In Anglo-Indian usage it just means 'fellow'. So the man who operated the fan ... or whatever. It went fro there to general slang usage in the UK - ambulance wallah, competition wallah, church wallah.[/nq]
My understanding of "wallah" was that is means someone in charge. It could be in ch
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Tony Cooper filted:
[nq:1]My usage is a bit more lax. After 20 minutes of making a complete mess of things, throwing out six failed attempts, and bringing in a fan to disburse the smoke, I might say "Presto! Waffles!".[/nq]
Make sure everyone gets a share of that smoke..r
[nq:1]My usage is a bit more lax. After 20 minutes of making a complete mess of things, throwing out six failed attempts, and bringing in a fan to disburse the smoke, I might say "Presto! Waffles!".[/nq]
Make sure everyone gets a share of that smoke..r
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[nq:2]I have to admit that when I first heard "Ding-dang, ... be desperately pretentious. Not surprising if they can't speak French.[/nq]
[nq:1]I didn't and don't think that "walla walla" was anything but a nonsense phrase. And any connection with "voila" seems to be a stretch. For one thing, "walla" has the accent on the first syllable while "voila" (of any spelling) is accented on the second
[nq:1]I didn't and don't think that "walla walla" was anything but a nonsense phrase. And any connection with "voila" seems to be a stretch. For one thing, "walla" has the accent on the first syllable while "voila" (of any spelling) is accented on the second
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