Re: Origin of "Soppu"

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

At  6:03 PM 10/10/94 +0000, Shoujirou Mizutori wrote:
>In the message on 
>Date: Fri, 07 Oct 1994 18:35:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)
>Abe-san explained the origin of the word "soppu"
>
>>You've heard the origin of the word "anko" to describe a fat or
>>particularly round rikishi. (It is from "anko" fish.)
>>
>>This time, I will inform you with the origin of "soppu", the word to
>>describe a rather skinny rikishi.
>>
>>In sumo community, the word "soppu" is believed to be a chiken bone. No
>>Japanese could find a similar word for chiken bone in Japanese
>>dictionaries.
>>
>>This word is actually from English word "soup" for chicken soup or chiken
>>soup stock. Chiken soup stock are made with cooking chiken bones and
>>boiling water. 
>>
In case you did not notice, these two paragraphs are to describe the
association between the word "soppu" and chicken bones for soup stock or
"torigara". I thought this is obvious.
>
>Just curious. Might it be not directry from English, but from other
>language? 
>
>>Skinny rikishi does not look like any soup, but if they eat only chiken
>>soup, "anko" rikishi may be transformed into "soppu" rikishi, I guess.
>>
This meant to be a twisted humor, in case the point is not delivered well.

-Masumi
>
>But skinny rikishi looks like torigara (= chiken bone).
>Won't we (I mean in Japanese) describe skinny peaple, with visible
>ribs or with thinner arms or legss than joints, that he 
>looks like torigara?
>
>>-Masumi
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Masumi Abe                               
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