Where does the word...?

Question

BLOKE come from?
And what's the origin of skedaddle (meaning to scarper)? Oh, scarper is another one. Where does that come from?

Answer 1

Bloke, which means 'a man; a fellow', is first recorded in England in the 1820s. It first appeared in a glossary by the late 1830s, spelled "bloak" and defined as "a gentleman."

By the 1850s, bloke had travelled to America, where it appeared in a slang dictionary written by former New York City Chief of Police George W. Matsell, in its usual spelling and defined as "A man." Throughout the late nineteenth century, the word was rather common in American English, first in underworld slang, later in more general use (even Mark Twain used it: "I made up my mind to be a square bloke," he wrote in Life on the Mississippi). It lasted until the 1930s, when it is found in Cab Calloway's signature "Minnie the Moocher" and in writings of Damon Runyon, before fading away. It is now rare in America and is usually regarded as a typical Briticism.

The origin of bloke is uncertain. It is sometimes attributed to Shelta, a private language, derived in part from Irish Gaelic, spoken by the tinkers (or Travelling People) in Ireland.

Answer 2

"Bloke" is a slang term for "man." It is used primarily in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and is believed to derive from Shelta[citation needed]. In Australia, "guy", which is seen to refer to a male of lesser manly qualities, can be used as a derogatory term. It is also used as a neutral, generic term for man, and the plural "guys" may also be used of a group which includes women. Depending on the connotation, a "bloke" can never be a "guy" and vice - versa.

In Australia the poet C. J. Dennis popularised the idiom with his poem The Sentimental Bloke and its various spin-offs presenting a bloke as a typical larrikin. Bloke is also a song by Chris Franklin.

In Australian English, a similar term is "sheila", a generic (sometimes mildly derogatory) term for a woman.

Answer 3

bloke -
"fellow," 1851, London slang, of unknown origin, perhaps from Celt. ploc "large, stubborn person;" another suggestion is "Gypsy and Hind. loke "a man."

skedaddle -
"to run away," 1861, American Civil War military slang, of unknown origin, perhaps connected to earlier use in northern England dialect with a meaning "to spill."

scarper -
probably ultimately from Italian scappare, from Vulgar Latin *excappare

Answer 4

"scarper" meaning to run away or leave hurriedly is from Cockney rhyming slang:- Skapa Floe=go.

Answer 5

I'm also looking forward to answers to this question. Sometimes I think American and British English are two different languages. I hope the people who answer this question also translate it for us.