Sex! Or, why is the “M-word” taboo?
In Chinook Jargon dialects, the word “moosum” (“sleep”) is more or less tabooed. In some, which I associate with the Coast and which I tend to perceive as older, there’s a phrase “tenas moosum”.… Continue reading
Tag Archive: moosum
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A trip to Metaline
To paraphrase Daniel Johnston, have you been to Metaline? If you had visited that mining camp on the BC border in Washington’s first year of statehood, you might have found Chinook Jargon useful.… Continue reading
Chinook Jargon songs, part 3
From the same book as parts 1 and 2 (page 66): found in the 1864-1867 diary of Arthur S. Farwell, ‘later Surveyor-General’ for BC. (See also part 1, part 2 and part 4.)
Chinook Jargon songs, part 2
This is another version of the song I blogged about in part 1. It’s on page 62 of the same book. (See also part 1, part 3 and part 4.) From ‘the papers… Continue reading
From Copenhagen to Okanogan, part 4
[Final installment. See previous episodes for more info on this fascinating pioneer memoir…life in the Okanogan Highlands of Washington State, 1880s-1930s. Most of what I’ve excerpted in this blog happened in the last… Continue reading