môre, interjection

Forms:
Also mora, morre.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, ‘morning’ or ‘tomorrow’.
1. [Afrikaans, elliptical form of goeie môre.] goeie môre.
1916 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 200Maria: Mora, Mr van Kalabas. Van K: What the dickens are you doing here during office hours?
1917 S.T. Plaatje Native Life 81The morning coffee had been made right enough but the maid’s ‘Morre Nooi’ (Good morning ma’am) was rather sullen and almost bordering on insolence.
1973 E. Prov. Herald 27 Mar. 17‘Goeie môre,’ he said, materialising from nowhere. ‘Môre,’ we said, walking on.
1988 Personality 17 Oct. 26 (advt)Then, speed trap. A bush..came alive as a traffic policeman leapt out from behind it, and waved me down...I drove back to him. ‘Môre, officer..’ I said cheerfully.
2. In the idioms môre is nog ’n dag/- ˌəs ˌnɔx ə ˈdax/, also môre is nog a dag, more’s nog ’n dag, and (obsolete) môre is ook ’n dag/- ˈʊək-/ [Afrikaans, môre tomorrow + is is + nog another (or ook also) + ’n a + dag day], expressions used as an (often ironic) excuse for procrastination. Also attributive. Cf. alles sal regkom.
Note:
Similar in meaning to Spanish (and English) ‘mañana’.
[1909 Lady S. Wilson S. Afr. Mem. 213When one of the veldcornets went and begged his permission to collect volunteers as reinforcements, all the General did was to scratch his head and murmur in Dutch, ‘Morro is nocher dag’ (To-morrow is another day).]
1919 M.C. Bruce Golden Vessel 94That lively good nature which..banishes the duty of the day because ‘Morrer is ook een dag,’ wants some toning up to bring the character of the people into line with other nations.
1944 C.R. Prance Under Blue Roof 118‘Môre is ook ’n dag’ (to-morrow is also a day) is the backveld motto, akin to ‘Manana’ of old Spain.
1959 M.W. Spilhaus Under Bright Sky 49Japie is the one who is stern with his children, and counteracts whatever notion of môre is ook ’n dag Flora’s soft heart might let them get away with.
1969 I. Vaughan Last of Sunlit Yrs 74Only in South Africa, I thought, where ‘môre is nog ’n dag’, could this happy atmosphere attend a roaring railway engine and coaches running through a small village.
1976 Cape Times 21 July 10Môre is nog ’n dag just won’t do any more. Complacency is irresponsible.
1980 Daily Dispatch 25 Feb. 8Westerners seem to suffer more from workaholism than those who live in traditional eastern cultures where people seem to have a natural wisdom, a kind of ‘môre is nog ’n dag’ outlook.
1986 Style Feb. 31101 Reasons for staying in South Africa:...95. Môre is nog ’n dag.
1990 Weekend Post 13 Jan. 3People here have an attitude of ‘Môre is nog ’n dag,’ and so although they are friendly and helpful it is terrible to try and get something done.
In the idioms môre is nog ’n dag/- ˌəs ˌnɔx ə ˈdax/, also môre is nog a dag, more’s nog ’n dag, and (obsolete) môre is ook ’n dag/- ˈʊək-/ [Afrikaans, môre tomorrow + is is + nog another (or ook also) + ’n a + dag day],expressions used as an (often ironic) excuse for procrastination. Also attributive.
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