Scottish vernacular?

maggiesoop

Was llistening to Radio Scotland's football prog this morning and the presenters talked about someone's "coupon" (face). Although I know this expression, does anyone know where it came from?

molerat

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_origin_of_Scots_word_%27coupon%27_meaning_face

vfish

Dictionary doesn't give an origin (it does sometimes) - first recorded 1962 - http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/ All the citations suggest Glaswegian origins. If you ask them they might have more information?

Torry_Quine

That's a new one on me so I suspect it isn't Scotland wide but more West coast

[Deleted User]

Torry_Quine wrote: »

That's a new one on me so I suspect it isn't Scotland wide but more West coast

I used to hear "check out the coupon on that" which meant "look at (usually) her face" ..... in the same way that you'd examine a pools coupon. That was in Glasgow.

WR

molerat

Some dictionaries suggest Scots and Irish origins.

booler

A common question when I was younger was, "What's up wi' your coupon?"

A "punch on the coupon" also meant a punch on the face. I suspect that (like me) it was around long before 1962. The analogy to bus conductors punching your ticket (coupon) seems the most plausible to me (coming from the WoS).

aliasojo

Haven't heard that in years.

It was commonly used in Edinburgh but not the Highlands.

maggiesoop

I love this site, great replies, thanks to all.

Nosht

I always thought that it came from the rhyming slang "coup de grace" transposed to "face".
Glasgow (Scottish ?) rhyming slang is very up to date with such as "Ruby Murray" for "curry" & "Hank Marvin" for "starving".

Regards,

N. :-)

booler

Not to mention, Gladys Knight and Lillian Gish.