Posted by Pdianek on November 06, 2003
In Reply to: Re: Argy Bargy posted by masakim on November 05, 2003
: : : Ahhhh -- so "argy", being short for "argument", must be pronounced with a hard G, like "got"? Since I'd only ever read the expression, not heard it, I'd assumed it was a soft G (as in "giraffe"), viewing that -GY ending as similar to the one in "rangy" -- meaning tall and slender.
: : : Thanks for clarifying!
: : Oh, but it *is* a soft 'g'. At least this is how I've always heard it. I'm not sure why, but that's how it's pronounced.
: Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day (January 2, 2001) gives both:
: argy-bargy /ahr-jee-BAHR-jee or ahr-ghee-BAHR-ghee/ (noun)
: : a lively discussion : argument, dispute
: Example sentence:
: In the corner of the pub, Ted and Donnie were caught up in a beauty of an argy-bargy over the football game, each man arguing his point with gusto.
: Did you know?
: "Argy-bargy" and its slightly older variant "argle-bargle" have been a part of British English since the second half of the 19th century. "Argy" and "argle" evolved in certain English and Scottish dialects as variant forms of "argue." As far as we can tell, "bargy" and "bargle" never existed as independent words; they only came to life with the compounds as singsong doublings of "argy" and "argle."
: argie [g- as in 'get'] verb argue, especially contentiously.
: argie-bargie noun a quarrel, haggling. verb dispute, haggle.
: From _The Pocket Scots Dictionary_ .
Okay, here's what I understand from this: argy-bargy: the soft G is preferred, but the hard G can be used in some areas/by some people. But if you're going for argle-bargle instead (maybe you're in Glasgow?), that's definitely a hard G.