Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2018 August 12

= August 12 =

Whack up a ginger
What does “whack up a ginger” (if I’m hearing it correctly) mean? In context it seems to be “screw up one’s courage” but it’s such an odd phrase I’d like to know more. See: Jeeves and Wooster, E01, 28 minutes in. Temerarius (talk) 16:33, 12 August 2018 (UTC)
 * I think the relevant article is Gingering. &rsaquo; Mortee  talk 16:35, 12 August 2018 (UTC)


 * The phrase used is "whack up the ginger"; entering that on a popular web search engine will give you plenty of results. In particular, this site says summon up the courage or spirit; originally American slang. As late as 1909 an OED citation from Britain calls “ginger” an Americanism. HenryFlower 20:38, 12 August 2018 (UTC)


 * EO dates the use of ginger to mean "spirit, spunk, temper" to 1843. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:58, 12 August 2018 (UTC)