Some Word Origins and the Schitt Family History

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There is a TV ad currently playing for insurer AAMi that shows a family car and caravan broken down in a remote country location described on their map as “Woop Woop”, with a directional sign pointing to “Ship Creek”. See the ad at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFD6iiavcrk

It raises some interesting aspects about origins . . .

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Woop Woop:

The term Woop Woop is Australian and refers to an imaginary isolated and backwards town or area, thereby meaning far away from anything and remote. Hence expressions such as “He lives way beyond Woop Woop.” 

A similar Australian expression is “beyond the black stump". 

Overseas equivalents are “Boondock” (United States) and “out in the sticks” (UK).

Some possible origins:

• One possible origin of the term is that it derived from the nickname given to men who carried fleeces in shearing sheds, after the sound they made as they ran around.

• It was also the name of a sawmill near the town of Wilga in South West of Western Australia that was abandoned in 1984.

• It has been suggested that it is a corruption of Whoop-Up, the name of a backwoods American gold-mining town in E L Wheeler’s popular book Deadwood Dick on Deck.

The term came into popular usage in the 1920’s.

The town of Wauchope holds an annual Woop Woop Cup horse racing day and, in 2016, celebrated 100 years.

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Ship Creek:

The humour in the use of the term is that it is a play on words, the real expression being “up Shit Creek”, meaning to be in an awkward situation, in an unpleasant predicament and/or in deep trouble.

The origins are not clear or precise.

It is known that the use of the mythical place name of Shit Creek in the above context was already in use in the US in the 1860’s. 

From the middle of the 20th century the words “without a paddle” were added.

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Bonus item:

The Schitt Family History Finally Revealed

Most people are at a loss for a response when someone says - "You don't know Jack Schitt."

Read on and you'll be able to handle the situation intelligently.

Jack is the only son of Awe Schitt and O. Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, a partner of Kneedeep & Schitt, Inc.

Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt, and the deeply religious couple begat 6 Children: Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt, Bull Schitt, and the twins - Deap Schitt and Dip Schitt.

Against her parent's wishes, Deap Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school dropout.

After 15 years of marriage, Jack & Noe Schitt divorced. Noe Schitt later married a Mr. Sherlock, and out of devotion to her children, decided to hyhenate her last name, and became Noe Schitt-Sherlock.

Dip Schitt married a woman named Loda Dung, who became Loda Schitt. The couple produced a nervous son named Chicken Schitt.

Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt, inseperable throughout childhood, subsequently married the Happens brothers. The local newspaper announced the Schitt-Happens wedding, which was quite an event. The Schitt-Happens children were: Dawg, Byrd, and Hoarse.

Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He returned from his travels with his Italian bride - Piza Schitt.

So, now if someone says "you don't know Jack Schitt"' you can beg to differ. You not only know Jack Schitt, but everyone on the Schitt family list.