GR translation: reet pleats

[Iris Sirius]

A reet is a retard.
On Feb 24, 2013 7:33 PM, "David Morris" <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:

> Reet means Righteous!  Shiny and crisp.
>
> On Sunday, February 24, 2013, Rich Clavey wrote:
>
>> reet, a.
>>
>> (riːt)
>>
>> U.S. dial. var. right a. (usu. in sense 8).
>>    Also a common dial. var. in the U.K.: see Eng. Dial. Dict.
>>
>>    1934 in Webster.    1942 Amer. Mercury July 85 Jelly got into his zoot
>> suit with the reet pleats.    1943 Crisis July 201/2 Negro youths will
>> crack at anyone of any race who is nice looking. They will say, ‘A fine
>> queen‥a reet cheet’.    1946 B. Treadwell Big Bk. Swing 125/1 Reet, fine,
>> O.K.    1977 Hot Car Oct. 42/3 People I've spoken to who went last year
>> said it was reet good and very alcoholic.
>>
>> OED
>>
>>
>> --- On Sun, 2/24/13, jochen stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > From: jochen stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com>
>> > Subject: Re: GR translation: reet pleats
>> > To: "James Kyllo" <jkyllo at gmail.com>
>> > Cc: "Mike Jing" <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>, "Pynchon Mailing
>> List" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> > Date: Sunday, February 24, 2013, 4:56 AM
>> > Seems to me that in the context with
>> > zoot suit it has another meaning:
>> >
>> > The design of the suit had many modifications, and came in
>> > all colors,
>> > but it consisted basically of "the long killer-diller coat
>> > with a
>> > drape shape and wide shoulders; pants with reet-pleats,
>> > billowing out
>> > at the knees, tightly tapered and pegged at the ankles; a
>> > porkpie or
>> > wide-brimmed hat; pointed or thick-soled shoes; and a long,
>> > dangling
>> > keychain."
>> >
>> > Read more:
>> http://www.cdispatch.com/robhardy/article.asp?aid=15572#ixzz2LoSRmsBK
>> >
>> >
>> > 2013/2/24 James Kyllo <jkyllo at gmail.com>:
>> > > Difficult to translate, referring to a song or two:
>> > > Louis Jordan Reet, Petite, And Gone<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkMIKEykTjI>(Louis
>> > Jordan - Reet, Petite and
>> > > Gone)
>> > > and Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE46zm4yjhA>(Jackie
>> > Wilson - Reet Petite)
>> > >
>> > > It's how the word "right" spoken with a Northern accent
>> > is often
>> > > transliterated, and that is used to mean "very" or
>> > "certainly" as in "It's
>> > > reet cold this morning".
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Sun, Feb 24, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Mike Jing <
>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>> > > wrote:
>> > >>
>> > >> P249.4-12   ... It is all out of
>> > shape, no focus to it until a sarcastic
>> > >> flourish from the band, and here comes the meanest
>> > customer Slothrop has
>> > >> seen outside of a Frankenstein movie—wearing a
>> > white zoot suit with reet
>> > >> pleats and a long gold keychain that swings in
>> > flashing loops as he crosses
>> > >> the room with a scowl for everybody, in something
>> > of a hurry but taking the
>> > >> time to scan faces and bodies, head going side to
>> > side, methodical, a little
>> > >> ominous. He stops at last in front of Slothrop,
>> > who’s putting together a
>> > >> Shirley Temple for himself.
>> > >>
>> > >> What are "reet pleats"?  Specifically, what is
>> > the meaning of the word
>> > >> "reet" here?  I am having trouble finding an
>> > appropriate translation.
>> > >>
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > http://www.last.fm/user/Auto_Da_Fe
>> > > http://www.pop.nu/en/show_collection.asp?user=2412
>> > > http://www.librarything.com/profile/Auto_Da_Fe
>> > > http://www.thedetails.co.uk/
>> > > http://www.songkick.com/users/Auto_Da_Fe
>> > > http://big-game.tumblr.com/
>> >
>>
>
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