Hunh, which is it?

[kz_blogorambling]

Current marital disgreement:

Is it "Can of whup-ass"
or

"Can of Whoop-ass"?

Comments

[blanx73.livejournal.com]

Whoop-ass.

[delphica.livejournal.com]

Google has about a million more hits for whoop-ass than whup-ass, but I'm not convinced.

Whup-ass makes more sense, as in "I'm gonna whup your ass, boy" which is something you'd hear if you were listening to James and his brother play one-on-one basketball in the wilds of Oklahoma. If you asked James's brother to spell that word, he'd spell it w-h-i-p.

Whoop-ass sounds like you're having a party, like "We're gonna whoop it up ... on my ass!" I guess there's a use for that as well.

I got your package on Friday, so far I'm enjoying it! Thank you very much!

[greencaped-k.livejournal.com]

Yeah, based on the same logic I vote for "whup".

speaking of marital disagreement.

[warhol.livejournal.com]

"Whup"?! What kind of word is that? That might be how people talk in *your* family, but not in *mine*.

The word is "whip", so the proper phrase is "open a can of whip-ass on you."

Re: speaking of marital disagreement.

[greencaped-k.livejournal.com]

I stand by *whup*. And you are my family. So sorry to tell you this, but in your family, people say *whup*.

Re: speaking of marital disagreement.

[warhol.livejournal.com]

....in your family, people say *whup*....

I can think of two ways to change this. Which do you prefer?

Re: speaking of marital disagreement.

[skipmagic.livejournal.com]

But said with the right kind of mumble, it may accidentally come out as "wimp-ass". And opening a can of wimp-ass on someone pretty much implies you're gonna take a dump on 'em.

Fearful, no. Dirty, yeah.

Re: speaking of marital disagreement.

[warhol.livejournal.com]

Well for all of you that don't know the origin of the phrase, it dates back to California during the 1850s; miners, wanting to urge their mules onward, would threaten to "open up with the cane to whip that ass."

[crankyasanoldma.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Mark tried googlefight for his case, but like you I just didn't think that was right despite the result.

[delphica.livejournal.com]

I think the lesson here for you, Mark and I is that if you get to the point where you're in the internet looking up etymologies for it, you don't really have any effective whup/whoop ass of the canned variety to bring on anyway.

[windswept.livejournal.com]

The former.

[pricciar.livejournal.com]

It's whoop-ass. Because, when you are opening that can you don't care about logic, spelling or grammar, you are just there to get the job done.

pat

[scout1222.livejournal.com]

I kind of like this answer. (though I think whup is probably the right call) I like the logic.

[karald.livejournal.com]

Whoop-ass. But not pronouncing the oo as in noon and moon.

If you go here: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/whoop and click the fourth little red sound symbol, that's how I pronounce it.

[suebdoo.livejournal.com]

Whoop-ass

[billdo1.livejournal.com]

Whup-ass. The other option is just people who like to think they have a can of whup-ass, but are actually afraid of their spell-checkers.

[crankyasanoldma.livejournal.com]

I knew I liked you.

[beagledave.livejournal.com]

http://www.slangsite.com/slang/W.html

"whoop-ass: (noun) Associated with the state of being beat up.
Example: I'm about to open a can of whoop-ass on you. "


bonus example...the Hawkeyes opened up a large can of whoop ass on the Michigan mens basketball team. ;)

[crankyasanoldma.livejournal.com]

See, I checked a slang dictionary as well, and found both terms accepted.

[beagledave.livejournal.com]

If you REALLY wanna dork out, put on your propeller beanie and head here

1) "The OED has "whup" as a US colloquialism of "whip", but all of its verb definitions for "whoop" have to do with hooting sound"

2) "The American Dialect Society has discussed this on their mailing list. (Mild) consensus is that whip-ass is correct"

[davew0071.livejournal.com]

The former. "Whoop" is a cry, as in "War Whoop." "Whup" is a corruption of "whip," as in "whipping boy" or "Whip your ass."

[postmoderngirl.livejournal.com]

Whup.

Whoop is pronounced differently.

[jamespolk.livejournal.com]

To me they are pronounced the same.

[haardvark.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's "whup", absolutely.

This reminds me of the time ms.'v and myself argued for upwards of an hour about what constituted a "serif" in various typefaces.

[drainbead.livejournal.com]

Definitely whoop.

[politzania.livejournal.com]

According to the can of Jones Soda Co. energy drink on the shelf next to my desk: WHOOP ASS, with no hyphen.
This news release from their website agrees: " "We saw considerable progress in several initiatives, including the strong acceptance of our high-energy drink Whoop Ass. "

[mrblue92.livejournal.com]

Personally I think both usages are lame and should be avoided at all costs.

Besides, if this noise-making ass of which you speak can be contained in mere cans it hardly seems worthy of respect. Might as well threaten to open a can of baked beans and fart in one's general direction.

*snerk*