# Ta ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574 "2001-03-26T18:41:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574/1 "2001-03-26T18:41:46Z")

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What does “ta” mean? I had assumed it mean good-bye, as in ta-ta for now. However, recent context seems to indicate it means thanks. I found one reference saying it means “Thanks Alot,” and if that’s the case, everyone who uses it should hang his head in shame since “alot” is not a word, and it should be “TAL.” I’ve mainly seen it used by Australians.

Just two letters, but so much confusion. Can anybody help?

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574/2 "2001-03-26T18:54:26Z")

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**Ta** means thanks here in the UK, although **ta-ta** still means goodbye.

> [@](#):
>
> Main Entry: **ta**  
> Pronunciation: ‘t[a’]  
> Function: noun  
> Etymology: baby talk  
> Date: 1772  
> British : THANKS

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**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574/3 "2001-03-26T19:10:20Z")

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Oh gawd, I combed the net and the SDMB, and forgot to check the _dictionary_. Thanks, **mattk**. . . or rather, ta.

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574/4 "2001-03-26T22:47:44Z")

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So it’s not _tantalum_?

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574/5 "2001-03-27T00:29:40Z")

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Australians like to shorten any long word, and lengthen any short word. This especially applies to people’s names. So, ‘ta’, which is a word I use often, I would guess originated as an abbreviated “thanks”, rather than an acronym of “ **T** hanks **A** Lot”.

So an Aussie slang term for an American (a bit dated now) is “Seppo”, with the logic running thus:

**American** is too long, so we’ll call them **yanks**.

**Yank** is too short, so we’ll borrow Cockney rhyming slang, and call them **Septic Tanks**.

Hmm, that one’s also too long, better shorten it to **Seppo**.

Better explain that this is not really derogatory. If an Australian adds an “-o” suffix to your name, than he or she likes you.

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ta/59574/6 "2001-03-27T00:37:41Z")

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D’uh, all that hpyothesis, and I didn’t check **mattk** ’s post. The British origin makes sense. :o

A quick note on pronunciation:

“Ta” is _taah_.

The two syllables in “ta-ta” are different from each other. It’s _ta-taah_. the first syllable is a short ‘a’, but it is the one which carries the stress.