just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Stick with me here boys, this is a game-changer.
I recently had an ephiphany while reading about the "dead rabbit" gang of New York ("gangs of new york"). this is what set it off:

The word "Rabbit" is the phonetic corruption of the Irish word ráibéad, meaning "man to be feared". "Dead" was a slang intensifier meaning "very".[1] Thus, a "Dead Ráibéad" means a man to be greatly feared.

There are many examples of sayings where "dead" was being used in place of "very" from the same time period- dead set, dead ringer, etc etc.

I'm proposing that at some point the practice of saying "dead" instead of "very" fell out of fashion, and the up-and-coming dogmen began associating the phrase with actual death and dying. This isn't the case. A dead game dog is really a
Very Game Dog

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Where did u read this? Its horseshit, a dead game dog is just that.........dead.

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

I wrote it and it's the historical truth. A dead game dog is a actually a very game dog.

1.)Study the time period when "dead" game was first used
2.)Study the vernacular of that time-period
3.)be sharp enough to see past a literal translation

"me tarzan, oooh oooh no no horseshit, dead mean dead"

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Rabbit in Irish is Coinin (with / over the eye's but I don't know how to lol)

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

The Dog fancier - Google Books

here's a link to Dog fancier magazine from 1914. Look how many "dead" game dogs are for sale. Obviously they aren't DEAD, they are VERY game. It's a figure of speech. I fully comprehend what the term "dead-game" has come to mean in modern times. My point is that it didn't always mean what it has come to mean today. And that has largely to do with modern dogmen misinterpreting the old language.

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Good Post... Makes perfect sense

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Well, that's nice. The only irish word I mentioned was ráibéad which is an Irish word that sounds like
(i.e. the phonetic corruption I mentioned) the English word rabbit.

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

hmm since you put it that way it actually makes more sense. guess i learned somthing today

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

That makes a lot of sense! Interesting to say the least...

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

i think the term has evolved since then but it makes sense. i disagree with all dogs will quit and i also disagree with ever dog that quits is a cur. if that was true there would be no such thing as game, deep game and dead game. TG had is right when u wrote degrees of gameness. So i guess it was the equivilent to deep game back then...

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Thanks guys, this is something I've been thinking about for a while now

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

"i disagree with all dogs will quit"

I also disagree with this. I believe that some will stay to kill or be killed!!!

I also believe that there are humans that will do the same.

Obvisously, Tom Garner has never been in a combat zone, (being a college boy) ever heard of the " MEDAL OF HONOR"

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

LoL that didnt have anything to do with what is being talked about in this thread

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

dude, I'm not saying that there are not dogs that would take their death, I'm just showing what I found interesting about the history of the wording

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Good post. It make sense. Thanks for taking the time to do the research

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Makes sense to me...neat little bit of info

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Well I believe that any dog can be MADE to quit through rubs, poor conditioning, shock, exhaustion, but the post was interesting.

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Makes sense to me. When I hear dead game I never associated the word dead with actual dying or death I thought it meant determined or like you said very game. The term dead game is also used for a gambler who will continue to gamble even though lady luck is not on his side and when referring to gambling it doesn't mean the gambler is dead so I think your right on with this. And in the time period your talking about fighting dogs were more likely to live then die so it makes sense they were referring to very game.

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

Makes sense, in both cases, the old sense and the new sense. No point in ever making your game dog dead game though, pick it up and lose the money, yanno?:cool:

 

Re: just realized the TRUE meaning of "Dead Game"

You could be DEAD right the word dead means absolutely as in dead ringer, dead quiet, dead calm etc and it is not slang but one of its real meanings. So that would make it absolutely game.