TOTSO makes it into the German language

[roadtester]

I was idlely surfing roads information in the German Wikipedia and came across this entry for a TOTSO (in the English language sense):

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOTSO

The article is quite extensive, with lots of examples, and what's more, there doesn't seem to be an English language equivalent Wikipedia entry - although there is a shorter Dutch one:

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOTSO

[Glom]

Ok. Who here did this?

[roadtester]

Ok. Who here did this?

firefly?

[Viator]

The first version of the article on the German-language Wikipedia dates from 23 February 2007 -- so it's been under the SABRE radar for quite some time! The originator lives in Baden-Württemberg.

Although the English-language acronym has a certain ring to it, I must say that I do like the German expression for one particular kind of TOTSO: namely,
eine abknickende Vorfahrtsstraße .

The Dutch-language version dates from 23 May 2009 and its creator says that he mainly works on articles about motorways in Europe, but sometimes also writes about other topics, such as cable cars, railways, and aviation.

[Chris5156]

Well, this is very delightful and pleasing. I coined the term in January 2002, but little did I imagine it would still be in regular use now and have migrated to other languages also.

How long before I get in the OED?

[Owain]

Well, this is very delightful and pleasing. I coined the term in January 2002, but little did I imagine it would still be in regular use now and have migrated to other languages also.

How long before I get in the OED?

I recall my dad talking about 'turning off to stay on' when I was a kid. Probably when he took me to the 1990 Motor Show, which necessitated driving up the M42. He never said 'TOTSO' though, which will surely be in the OED at some point.

[RichardA626]

Is TOTSO used at all in dutch, considering how common they are on Dutch main roads?

[nowster]

How long before I get in the OED?

If we put you through a mangle we might be able to squeeze you between two pages.

[roadtester]

Ooh look - here's the famous travel writer Simon Calder using it in his contribution to an anthology of travel writings (and he's never even owned a car):

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=G2_ ... so&f=false

[owen b]

Ooh look - here's the famous travel writer Simon Calder using it in his contribution to an anthology of travel writings (and he's never even owned a car):

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=G2_ ... so&f=false

Nice, but the example he quotes as a TOTSO isn't a TOTSO. A2/A299 (Brenley Corner) is not a TOTSO. The A2 goes straight on. Calder is getting mixed up with the M2.

[Chris5156]

Ooh look - here's the famous travel writer Simon Calder using it in his contribution to an anthology of travel writings (and he's never even owned a car):

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=G2_ ... so&f=false

Good god. This just gets better and better!

It’s part of his chapter title too.

[roadtester]

And TOTSO in (I think) Finnish:

https://teilla.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/b ... intyy.html

and also, it appears, something to do with ladies' underwear (I'm baffled):

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Full-Body ... 2297706857

[FosseWay]

We have at least one member from Finland, though I forget his username. He certainly has/had a roads website, as he hosted pictures of the border crossing at Haparanda in the days when Sweden drove on the left and you had to cross sides.

[Viator]

And TOTSO in (I think) Finnish:

https://teilla.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/b ... intyy.html

Great detective work, roadtester.

That Finnish page includes the wonderful kaksi kaksois-TOTSOA (two double TOTSOs, what we call a "cannon" on SABRE): an example being the meeting of routes 3 and 65.

One of the comments mentions that because of the existence of explicitly numbered multiplexes in Finland -- plus supplementary E-road numbering (see the last photo on the page) -- you can come across as much as a six-fold TOTSO in that country!

[Viator]

We have at least one member from Finland, though I forget his username. He certainly has/had a roads website, as he hosted pictures of the border crossing at Haparanda in the days when Sweden drove on the left and you had to cross sides.

MJG? The Matti Grönroos who posted the TOTSO piece is also the author of the excellent Introduction to Roads in Finland site I mentioned on SABRE in 2014.

[MJG]

We have at least one member from Finland, though I forget his username. He certainly has/had a roads website, as he hosted pictures of the border crossing at Haparanda in the days when Sweden drove on the left and you had to cross sides.

It is me.

The website is at https://tiet.mattigronroos.fi and the blog at https://teilla.blogspot.com - yes, in Finnish.

The pictures about the ancient border crossing arrangements are contained by the article of the road 29: https://tiet.mattigronroos.fi/Valtatie_29

[FosseWay]

Yes, precisely - kiitos paljon, Matti

[firefly]

Ok. Who here did this?

firefly?

Most certainly not.

[brombeer]

Is TOTSO used at all in dutch, considering how common they are on Dutch main roads?

Not in everyday speak. But the term is well known in the community of Dutch road enthusiasts. What is now the biggest Dutch language roads forum, wegenforum.nl/.be, gradually came into being around 2003-2005. Many of the posters of the early days had met on non-Dutch forums that existed earlier. SABRE was one of those, so that's how the term TOTSO more or less instantly made its way into the Dutch language discussion.

[owen b]

So we have now established that "TOTSO" exists as a word in English, Finnish, German and Dutch, and not just on roads forums, also in a well known travel writer's book. And we have very good evidence about its origin and spread.

Seriously, as Owain suggested, surely the OED could be interested in this new word and this thread specifically. Shouldn't SABRE contact them?

I would have thought that it's the sort of word that could feature in a book such as this : http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/201611 ... of-britain