Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
chopper
English answer:
helicopter/penis (double entendre, UK English)
Added to glossary by
Jack Doughty
Apr 25, 2008 05:12
17 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
out-of-reach for anyone without a large chopper
English
Art/Literary
Automotive / Cars & Trucks
racing
Humorous description of rally-raid tracks around the world.
One of them states: "Wet, wild, fast and slippy, the White falls rally is like the prettiest girl at school – beautiful, appealing, but out-of-reach for anyone without a large chopper."
According to Longman, the word "chopper" can refer to:
1- British English a large knife that you use for cutting large pieces of meat
2 - informal a helicopter (There was a police chopper waiting for us.)
3 - a type of motorcycle on which the front wheel is further forward than the place where your hands rest
4 - choppers [plural] informal teeth (a row of huge white choppers)
I would exclude meaning one and four based on context. This leaves meaning two and three, and both makes sort of sense.
Meaning two because falls are usually only reachable by helicopter and because someone with an helicopter is probably rich and thus appealing (at least according to the cliché).
Meaning three because rally raids are open to motorbikes too and a someone with an badboy motorbike is appealing according to another cliché.
However, chopper motorbikes are heavy and don't make for a good racing, especially on slippery conditions.
Therefore I would say the correct meaning is number two. Could a native speaker confirm this?
Cheers!
One of them states: "Wet, wild, fast and slippy, the White falls rally is like the prettiest girl at school – beautiful, appealing, but out-of-reach for anyone without a large chopper."
According to Longman, the word "chopper" can refer to:
1- British English a large knife that you use for cutting large pieces of meat
2 - informal a helicopter (There was a police chopper waiting for us.)
3 - a type of motorcycle on which the front wheel is further forward than the place where your hands rest
4 - choppers [plural] informal teeth (a row of huge white choppers)
I would exclude meaning one and four based on context. This leaves meaning two and three, and both makes sort of sense.
Meaning two because falls are usually only reachable by helicopter and because someone with an helicopter is probably rich and thus appealing (at least according to the cliché).
Meaning three because rally raids are open to motorbikes too and a someone with an badboy motorbike is appealing according to another cliché.
However, chopper motorbikes are heavy and don't make for a good racing, especially on slippery conditions.
Therefore I would say the correct meaning is number two. Could a native speaker confirm this?
Cheers!
Responses
| 4 +6 | penis |
Jack Doughty
|
| 4 +3 | bicycle/motorbike |
Egil Presttun
|
| 3 +3 | helecopter |
Louise Mawbey
|
Change log
Apr 26, 2008 06:23: Jack Doughty Created KOG entry
Responses
+6
2 hrs
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
64
Selected
penis
In UK English (don't know about US), "chopper" can be a slang word for a penis, and as this is referring to the availability of the prettiest girl in the school, it probably means she will only go out with someone who is "well-endowed" in this respect.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-25 07:23:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I like yx37029's idea that this may be a double-entendre.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-25 07:23:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I like yx37029's idea that this may be a double-entendre.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Simon Mac
: yes - i've read it again and just realised it is a double-entendre!
6 mins
|
|
Yes, me too! Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Dana Rinaldi
: This is it....
32 mins
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Victoria Porter-Burns
: yep- double-entendre - motorbike and penis senses.
36 mins
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Louise Mawbey
: Yes, that's what I meant by sexual innuendo. I think what is meant is helicopter and an innuendo about the male organ
46 mins
|
|
Thank you. Yes, I agree.//Notification of your comment has been sent to me seven times so far. Only yours! Something wrong with the system somewhere.
|
|
| disagree |
David Moore (X)
: Sorry Jack (and all you others), but I think you let your imagination run away with you here...
1 hr
|
| agree |
BrettMN
: It's a double-entendre (note: "large chopper" was used, not just "chopper," negating arguments below (you need a LARGE chopper to compete in this race). (Note that "chopper" for "penis" is unknown in AmE. This is clearly a BrE double entendre only!) ;-)
7 hrs
|
|
Thank you. Yes, I thought it probably wouldn't work in AmE but I wasn't sure.
|
|
| agree |
Cagdas Karatas
: with yx37029 and Victoria; a double-entendre
1 day 7 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
V_Nedkov
: w/Louise and you :)
4 days
|
|
Thank you.
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected as most useful. Thank you."
+3
1 hr
helecopter
My first instinct tells me this means helecopter - you can't get to the race unless you have your own helecopter.
I also believe there is a sexual innuendo in this but I may be wrong!!
My opinion as a native speaker
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-25 06:47:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Can't even spell helicopter right!
I also believe there is a sexual innuendo in this but I may be wrong!!
My opinion as a native speaker
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-25 06:47:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Can't even spell helicopter right!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Simon Mac
: Yes helicopter is the meaning I would immediately understand as well, though Jack is right too - it is a double entendre (as you also suggested)
31 mins
|
| agree |
kmtext
: Yes, definitely a double entendre - or maybe even a triple. There's also the implication that you need to be very brave to take part in the rally as well.
1 hr
|
| disagree |
David Moore (X)
: I cna't really see a helicopter being needed for this type of rally...
1 hr
|
|
It is a bit difficult to tell but in my opinion the helicopter is not needed for the rally but for getting there - the text is about rally tracks around the world - maybe it is more of a spectators guide to the tracks. A bit more context would help
|
|
| agree |
ayman musa
9 hrs
|
| agree |
V_Nedkov
: w/you and Jack
4 days
|
+3
35 mins
English term (edited):
chopper
bicycle/motorbike
The joke is all about the fact that a chopper normally means a motorbike, but in the White Falls Rally they probably use bicycles that you can see on these pictures:
http://www.nemba.org/digitalnemba/images/Chopper-Race.jpg
http://www.nemba.org/digitalnemba/Pedrosfest2005.html
In other words, a chopper can be a bicycle without engine, used on slippery, dirty roads in the mountains.
We are not talking about helicopters here.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-25 07:43:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You can't take part in a rally with a helicopter, so you can rule out that alternative. You could consider only watching the rally, but if a helicopter is needed to do so, how could the rally be arranged? Fly in the cars/bikes with helicopters? Keep in mind that there must be a road or track for the cars/bikes to race on anyway! And about girls... Yes, a rich man with a helicopter and a lady, ok, thinkable. But a schoolgirl? I think we shold keep our feet on the ground.
http://www.nemba.org/digitalnemba/images/Chopper-Race.jpg
http://www.nemba.org/digitalnemba/Pedrosfest2005.html
In other words, a chopper can be a bicycle without engine, used on slippery, dirty roads in the mountains.
We are not talking about helicopters here.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-25 07:43:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You can't take part in a rally with a helicopter, so you can rule out that alternative. You could consider only watching the rally, but if a helicopter is needed to do so, how could the rally be arranged? Fly in the cars/bikes with helicopters? Keep in mind that there must be a road or track for the cars/bikes to race on anyway! And about girls... Yes, a rich man with a helicopter and a lady, ok, thinkable. But a schoolgirl? I think we shold keep our feet on the ground.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Phong Le
21 mins
|
| agree |
Victoria Porter-Burns
: Yes - it does refer to the motorbike kind of chopper - double entendre motorbike and penis senses of the word, as Jack suggests
2 hrs
|
| disagree |
kmtext
: You're being too literal. It's a metaphor which is being used to demonstrate the inaccessibility of the terrain. The landscape is so difficult to cross that most normal vehicles and mere mortals would be unable to do so. Only the elite can do it.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
David Moore (X)
: You may be no ENS, but I agree with you and disagree with grigua (and kmtext - why, if there is any sort of a rally on, would it be held where no-one can reach it? They are writing about the course, not how you get there!...)
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Mehmet Hascan
7 hrs
|
Discussion