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beak
DCHP-3 (Mar 2023)
1av. — Sports, Informal
to jeer at someone, usually a member of an opposing team, a teammate or a friend.
Type: 1. Origin — Depending on the speaker's intention, beaking someone can be done with camaraderie, affection or malice. As part of the spirit of competition, it has its origins in sports. The term beaking seems to be more prevalent in Western Canada (especially the Prairies) than its close synonym, chirping.
Historically, the meaning derives from metaphoric use. OED-3 lists as definition 1.b 'strike with a beak' the attribute "occasionally figurative", with a late 18th-century example "Like cocks, for ever at each other beaking."
Historically, the meaning derives from metaphoric use. OED-3 lists as definition 1.b 'strike with a beak' the attribute "occasionally figurative", with a late 18th-century example "Like cocks, for ever at each other beaking."
See: chirp
Quotations
2002
The Smokie starter (who said later, "They were beaking me so I went over to beak them back") skated from his crease all the way to the Silverbacks bench to add emphasis to his words and Trail coach Aldo Iaquinta replaced him with Spracklen.
2003
I was just wearing them while I was driving there. They were fashionable and they matched the suit. One of the guys on the team dared me to wear them through the whole thing. Once they started beaking me, I thought about taking them off, but I thought I might as well have some pride in them . . . Where I'm from, in Edmonton and Calgary, you can dress however you want.
2010
"He was beating me in scoring because I missed a couple games," Jason said. "And he was beaking me, saying 'Oh, a first year is leading the team in scoring' because I led the team in scoring last year.
"But I've caught up to him and now I'm beating him."
2011
The goal also allowed Bell to keep up with his roommate, fellow-defenceman Landon Cross, a 17-year-old from Brandon. Cross scored his first goal Wednesday, in the Blazers' 6-5 overtime victory in Victoria.
"In the house, he was beaking me a bit," Bell said with a laugh. "We're roomates and he was beaking me a bit with the billets."
2011
Gheyssen: I have been able to meet so many incredible people playing with the Cougs. The friendships I have built with some of the swamp donkeys on my team will last a lifetime. Our team is extremely close, and the abundance of pranks, inside jokes, and constant beaking will be something I will always remember. My favourite memories would be our three back-to-back trips to nationals. Playing in that atmosphere is so exciting. Off the court, my favourite memory was probably when I hid a fart machine under one of the girl’s seat on the bus and she thought her chocolate milk was “mooing.” She thought she won a huge prize.
1bv. — Social Relations, Western Canadian, Informal
to speak rudely to someone.
Type: 1. Origin — This meaning of beaking is derived from usage in competitive sports (see above) and has spread into the general language. As the 2009 quotation illustrates (or the 2015), originally the novelty was marked by quotation marks.
Quotations
2009
BAR BRAWL: Just before midnight, police managed to keep a fight from breaking out at a bar on Highway 11. Police were in the parking lot of the bar as events there were percolating. Bar patrons were out in the parking lot, "beaking" at each other, and generally causing some low level trouble [...]
2014
My cousin recounted the time I was so 'bad ass' the last time we hung out in Montana when I got into a near dust up over the possession of four quarters at a pool table in a bar (yes the man's problem was that petty) that I thought were ours. Beaking back and forth as I offered him two dollars worth of quarters to soothe his nerves over such a minor misunderstanding, he would not let it go.
2015
Selinger started "beaking" at a group of young men standing outside the bar, and a scuffle started between him and another unidentified young man.
2022
So we have boneheads beaking away at the coffee shop. At the sewing circle. The senior's club. The team events. And of course, at the gabfests known as Instagram or Facebook and others. Lots of wise people there, for sure. Yet one wonders how there can be so many smart people, and yet so many different ideas what is right or wrong.