Why English

Cornerman said:
I doubt it. What I really think is that the first people that Americans saw use spin affectively for English. So it stuck, like the names Alabama 8-ball, Boston Pool, French Fries. As others have said, the French invented the spin that we know.

On a related subject, I am fully convinced (and I have a little linguistics background to use as reasoning) that the word massé (masser) is actually a bastardization of the name of the city Marseille (in France). I also took six years of French, and the verb masser initially had nothing to do with billiards or masts or straight up and down actions or hammers.

In Boston, the word massé sounds phonetically equivalent to Marseille. I theorize that the first players that the English saw use extreme side spin were from France (and maybe specifically from Marseille), and shots like that would be “de Marseille.”

I’ve read rebutts to this, none of which make sense. The modern usage of the word massé seemed to all come from billiards (to hammer, to strike from above). The only usage my French teachers knew of the word other than billiard was masser = to massage.


Freddie <~~~ linguistically speaking
Click to expand...

When I first started playing I thought it was called Masse` after Mike Massey...

True Story....
 
Cornerman said:
I doubt it. What I really think is that the first people that Americans saw use spin affectively for English. So it stuck, like the names Alabama 8-ball, Boston Pool, French Fries. As others have said, the French invented the spin that we know.



On a related subject, I am fully convinced (and I have a little linguistics background to use as reasoning) that the word massé (masser) is actually a bastardization of the name of the city Marseille (in France). I also took six years of French, and the verb masser initially had nothing to do with billiards or masts or straight up and down actions or hammers.



In Boston, the word massé sounds phonetically equivalent to Marseille. I theorize that the first players that the English saw use extreme side spin were from France (and maybe specifically from Marseille), and shots like that would be “de Marseille.”



I’ve read rebutts to this, none of which make sense. The modern usage of the word massé seemed to all come from billiards (to hammer, to strike from above). The only usage my French teachers knew of the word other than billiard was masser = to massage.





Freddie <~~~ linguistically speaking
Click to expand...
I grew up in the suburbs of Lowell, which to everyone else in the world means I'm from Boston. I assure you I have never heard anyone say masse in a way that sounded anything like Marseille.

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erhino41 said:
I grew up in the suburbs of Lowell, which to everyone else in the world means I'm from Boston. I assure you I have never heard anyone say masse in a way that sounded anything like Marseille.

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I grew up in Massachusetts and heard it everywhere. Especially in areas that like putting an 'R' where there is none. I'm surprised you say you haven't heard it.

mah say

and

mahr say

are both incredibly common in Mass. I'd tell you that my friends from Boston on this site (CatsCradle, PBat, maybe even Koop) say it one of these two ways, but they probably don't realize they sound like that.

Language and pronunciation is something near and dear to me. Without the study, I would never have graduated from engineering school!!!

Freddie
 
Good effort, but the massé shot is still not the "Marseille" shot, big dog. Not even in France. :thumbup::sorry:


Cornerman said:
I grew up in Massachusetts and heard it everywhere. Especially in areas that like putting an 'R' where there is none. I'm surprised you say you haven't heard it.

mah say

and

mahr say

are both incredibly common in Mass. I'd tell you that my friends from Boston on this site (CatsCradle, PBat, maybe even Koop) say it one of these two ways, but they probably don't realize they sound like that.

Language and pronunciation is something near and dear to me. Without the study, I would never have graduated from engineering school!!!

Freddie
Click to expand...
 
On the Accu-stats 2016 make it happen 8 BALL INVITATIONAL!!! Match 13 - Deuel vs Morra...52 minute mark...Danny Diliberto claims that the term “English” came about because a chap named English traveled the Midwest in the late 1800’s doing exhibitions where he, apparently, hit the cue ball off center...most likely for positional or throwing purposes.

So there it is! Settled once and for all with irrefutable evidence
 
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