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"Old Home Week"

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Johnny Hartner

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Jan 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/1/99
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What exactly IS this phrase? I've checked every major reference tool to
find nothing. Is it a cliche, a slang expression, a euphemism, an idiom,
a colloquialism? Webster's Chappman's Slang Dic., Funk, none of them have
this. What gives?

Brian J Goggin

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Jan 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/1/99
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On 1 Jan 1999 14:45:47 GMT, za...@telerama.lm.com (Johnny Hartner)
wrote:

OED refers the anxious enquirer to its 1904 citation; it then gives
two more:

===begins=====

1904 Boston Herald 2 Aug. 6 In_Massachusetts this first week in August
is being observed as *Old Home Week, and preparations have been made
for welcoming back_visitors who return to their native, or earlier,
home to renew acquaintance with former scenes and companions.
1949 T. Rattigan Harlequinade 63 What with Mums in front and babies in
the wings it's not so much a dress rehearsal as old home week.
1973 _I. Drummond' Jaws of Watchdog i. 11 He and Jenny embraced
warmly. _Old home week,' said the Princess sourly.

===ends=====

bjg


nancy g.

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Jan 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/1/99
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Brian J Goggin wrote:

> OED refers the anxious enquirer to its 1904 citation; it then gives
> two more:
>
> ===begins=====
>
> 1904 Boston Herald 2 Aug. 6 In_Massachusetts this first week in August
> is being observed as *Old Home Week, and preparations have been made
> for welcoming back_visitors who return to their native, or earlier,
> home to renew acquaintance with former scenes and companions.

(snip)

Thanks for this cite, Brian. I've used the phrase all my life and
never really thought about its literal meaning or origins; I never
knew it had its roots in my very own home town.

Is this a regionalism? Do people in other parts of the country say
"Old Home Week" still, on a regular basis?


nancy g
who knew Homecoming Weekend is generally in the fall,
but never knew Old Home Week had an assigned season too.

David McMurray

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Jan 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/1/99
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nancy g. <nan...@tiac.net> wrote:

> Brian J Goggin wrote:
>
[OED on the subject phrase]


>
> Thanks for this cite, Brian. I've used the phrase all my life and
> never really thought about its literal meaning or origins; I never
> knew it had its roots in my very own home town.
>
> Is this a regionalism? Do people in other parts of the country say
> "Old Home Week" still, on a regular basis?
>

I don't know about other parts of the US, but it is common enough in my
part of Canada. It is often used to describe any event at which one
meets several people one has not seen for a long time, even if that is
not a stated purpose of the event.

"It's like old home week around here" is the way I would expect it to be
used most often.

--
David

Truly Donovan

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Jan 2, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/2/99
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On Fri, 01 Jan 1999 12:27:56 -0500, "nancy g." <nan...@tiac.net>
wrote:

>Is this a regionalism? Do people in other parts of the country say
>"Old Home Week" still, on a regular basis?

Well, not all *that* regularly, since we don't schedule them, but yes.

--
Truly Donovan
reply to truly at lunemere dot com

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