Ron.M -> RE: stupid question (Oct. 20 2010 15:42:52)
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quote:
is that the same thing as bureau but with an x to make everyone confused? Sorry, but the talk of "imported" French words made me think of it. (The "x" is the plural form.) Bureau is an iconic word in historic Glasgow since it was normally understood to mean The Bureau of Employment which was called "The Buroo". This strange word used to fascinate us young kids and we couldn't work out why Buroo was spelt that way. [:D] If you were unemployed, you were "On the Buroo". It was called different names through the decades, like the Labour Exchange, the Employment Office (which folk always called the "Unemployment Office) and the "slicker" up-to-date "Job Centre", but despite any fashionable Government name changes it was still always known as The Buroo. I must have been 10 or 11 before found out it was an imported French word and was not actually pronounced Buroo by people outside the Glasgow area.[:D] cheers, Ron
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