Brian Ray Epi Sg (custom?) sighting

[Basvarken]

Opa en oma is normal in Dutch for grandfather and grandmother. Haven't heard it in another language yet. Maybe it has to do with Dutch immigrants?

The German language uses them too, Chris

[uwe]

Yes, and that is why Lowend's posting had me totally baffled, I was rubbing my eyes in disbelief. I had never heard Oma or Opa in another langugage.

You're all Germans (mostly) after all.

[leftybass]

I live in Central Texas which is basically New Germany, hear Oma/Opa a lot.

[uwe]

It's interesting that those two terms would survive - vocal-heavy as they are, they don't even sound that German. You guys probably pronounce it oh-ma and oh-pa as in "Oh my God", right? In German it is a bit more uh-ma or uh-pa (pronounce the "uh" like the "o" in odd, but longer) or, in some regions, uhmma or uhppa (as in Pink Floyd's Umma Gumma with the emphasis on the ending "a").

[westen44]

I live in Central Texas which is basically New Germany, hear Oma/Opa a lot.

The friend I mentioned was originally from Texas, too, where she lived for twenty years before moving to the Pacific Northwest.  It's very possible she was relating to hearing the term there instead of thinking she had heard it up North.  Nevertheless, it was obvious she was familiar with it but I wasn't. 

[amptech]

In German it is a bit more uh-ma or uh-pa (pronounce the "uh" like the "o" in odd, but longer) or, in some regions, uhmma or uhppa (as in Pink Floyd's Umma Gumma with the emphasis on the ending "a").

Didn´t Hawkwind have a song called Opa-loka?

[godofthunder]

My wife's family immigrated form Germay in '36, I'll have to ask her about this.

[Dave W]

... or, in some regions, uhmma or uhppa ...

That's what my stepdad's kids called their grandparents.

[uwe]

My wife's family immigrated form Germany in '36 ...

I can assume why.  Lucky.

[lowend1]

Yeah, '36 was really cutting it close. As I mentioned earlier, my dad's family left in '29-'30 because of the economy over there, and ironically landed smack in the middle of the Depression here. By '43 he was behind a Browning M1917 in Italy. Fortunately, a nasty case of trenchfoot got him sent stateside to West Point, where he was tapped as an interpreter to keep an eye on the POWs. I always found it odd that they would transfer prisoners there, of all places. Not exactly Gitmo...

[4stringer77]

I don't know much about my German heritage. All I know is my Grandfather was from Chicago. His side of the family had already been in this country for at least a couple generations before he ran away from an unstable family and joined the Navy at 17 right at the start of the war. He had an Aunt named Rose Miller. She was a good friend of Armand Hammer from what I've heard and was quite wealthy when she passed.

[westen44]

I'm beginning to wonder if there is anyone here without some German roots.  In my case, it was my great-great-grandfather who came over from Germany. 

[Dave W]

I'm beginning to wonder if there is anyone here without some German roots...

Maybe that explains this story I saw the other day: Lederhosen Maker Opens First U.S. Store in Cincinnati

[lowend1]

[westen44]

The movie didn't do very well, but I thought Eric Idle's character was funny.