acushla

[Daniel Geffen]

Hi. I am a Holmes neophyte. I have been reading the "Barnes & Noble
Complete Sherlock Holmes" and enjoying it. In reading "The Valley of
Fear" I came across a footnote explaining that Conan Doyle had misused
the word "acushla", which actually meant "O diarrhea" instead of the
endearment he had intended. A reference is made to the "Oxford
Sherlock Holmes" as the source of this information.

Being the nerd that I am, I tried to check this out online, and found
that "acushla" is actually in common usage as an endearment and even a
first name. Does anyone have access to the Oxford edition, and if so,
could you help clear up what the editor of the B&N edition is talking
about? I'm dying of curiosity for some reason.

Thanks!

[Doyley]

The Oxford indeed gives "diarrhoea" as one translation, but goes on to
explain that it also means a vein, a pulse, an artery and a pipe. So,
the term, as used in VALL, would be a colloquialism meaning something
like "my heart's pulse".

M

[Gordon Davie]

Post by Doyley
The Oxford indeed gives "diarrhoea" as one translation, but goes on to
explain that it also means a vein, a pulse, an artery and a pipe. So,
the term, as used in VALL, would be a colloquialism meaning something
like "my heart's pulse".

Forgive the late response, but "heart-throb" seems likely there, no?
--
Gordon Davie
Edinburgh, Scotland

"Slipped the surly bonds of Earth...to touch the face of God"

[M]

Sounds good now, but as to whether the term was known back then...?
Maybe someone else can comment.
M

[M.C. van den Bovenkamp]

Post by M
Sounds good now, but as to whether the term was known back then...?
Maybe someone else can comment.

Yes, it was. The first reference in the OED is from 1842.

Regards,

Marco.

[Hardy-Boys.net]

Post by Daniel Geffen
Hi. I am a Holmes neophyte. I have been reading the "Barnes & Noble
Complete Sherlock Holmes" and enjoying it. In reading "The Valley of
Fear" I came across a footnote explaining that Conan Doyle had misused
the word "acushla", which actually meant "O diarrhea" instead of the
endearment he had intended. A reference is made to the "Oxford
Sherlock Holmes" as the source of this information.
Being the nerd that I am, I tried to check this out online, and found
that "acushla" is actually in common usage as an endearment and even a
first name. Does anyone have access to the Oxford edition, and if so,
could you help clear up what the editor of the B&N edition is talking
about? I'm dying of curiosity for some reason.

...

The late, great Horatio Alger also used "acushla" in some of his novels.
Clearly meant to be a term of endearment.