Thread: Illogical American expressions?

Originally Posted by jonesfam

when I said "Hang on, I have to grab my port." she cracked up.

When I moved to Qld in 1960, I had no idea what my schoolmates were talking about when they got their port.

As an aside, I used a Globite school case, my school mates had hard backpack ports.

I didn't run across "port" until I moved to Qld to work after graduating. And it took me years to realise that it is simply an abbreviation of "portmanteau", which is simply French for "suitcase".

Originally Posted by p38arover

When I moved to Qld in 1960, I had no idea what my schoolmates were talking about when they got their port.

As an aside, I used a Globite school case, my school mates had hard backpack ports.

What gave it away Ron? All the schoolbags on the port-rack?

I never realised it was a Queensland expression until, people picked me as a Queenslander, for using the phrase "As full as a State School port-rack.".

Feel sorry for you guys. All the schools I went to had lockers, we didn't have to carry our entire school kit around every day.

Originally Posted by trog

Feel sorry for you guys. All the schools I went to had lockers, we didn't have to carry our entire school kit around every day.

I've only seen school lockers in American movies.

Originally Posted by trog

Feel sorry for you guys. All the schools I went to had lockers, we didn't have to carry our entire school kit around every day.

Yeah, but we didn't go to a reform school.

I m hurt. I was always told they were good schools. At least we were never caught doing the crimes 😈

Hmm, my Grandma was born in 1901 and raised in Five Dock, married at 17 and lived her entire life on small acreage at Mulgoa. She called a large suitcase a Port. The family did travel for holidays quite a bit.

I'll have to ask mum where that came from ?