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There's a word that sounds similar to rido and means right, as in correct. I've heard it in a movie. What is it?

Jim Reynolds
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Eric
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  • You mean 'right' as in the opposite of 'wrong' or opposite of 'left'? Riba [reeba] & Louis [lewie] have been used as some obscure Cockney rhyming slang for 'right & 'left' before now. I have no source or citation, I've merely heard it used in conversation sporadically over the past 40 years or so. It's generally preceded by 'hang a' [riba/louis] & concluded with a location 'at the post office/just here' [etc] as an instruction whilst driving. – DoneWithThis. Sep 17 '21 at 17:32
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    @Tetsujin in opposite of wrong obviously. – Eric Sep 17 '21 at 19:00
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    @user218867 It isn't obvious at all. Please edit that clarification into your question. – James K Sep 18 '21 at 16:03
  • Shame on you to move this question here. – Eric Sep 18 '21 at 23:54
  • @gon You mean 'left' as the opposite of 'stayed' or the opposite of 'rido'? – Jim Reynolds Sep 25 '21 at 12:10

1 Answers1

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Alrighty then!

It doesn’t sound like "rido" — it sounds like "righto", because that’s what it is. Per the paywalled OED entry:

righto

A. int. colloquial. Expressing acknowledgement, assent, or compliance; ‘OK!’, ‘that's fine’, ‘agreed’. Cf. righty-ho int.

It means exactly the same thing Right! means. Their earliest citation is from Kipling:

  • 1893 R. Kipling Many Inventions 374
    ‘What’s the matter? Hit?’ said Bai-Jove-Judson. ‘No, I’ve just seized of your roos-de-gare. Beg y’ pardon, sir.’ ‘Right O! Just the half a fraction of a point more.’ The wheel turned under the steady hand.

Notice that they reference righty-ho, which sounds like "righteo". That’s pretty common, too. Again, means the same ol’ thing by any other nameo.

tchrist
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    Note that it's not "right-to", but "right-oh" – Hot Licks Sep 16 '21 at 22:24
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    @HotLicks Rye-toe! – tchrist Sep 16 '21 at 22:24
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    "It doesn’t sound like "rido" — it sounds like "righto", because that’s what it is." - It doesn't sound like "righto", it is "righto", which does in fact sound like "rido" (or "ride-oh", which is what I assume the OP meant). – nnnnnn Sep 17 '21 at 00:23
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    @nnnnnn: Some British seem to think that Americans pronounce t as d. – GEdgar Sep 17 '21 at 00:33
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    @GEdgar - Some Australians pronounce t as d when it appears in the middle of some words (e.g., water, or indeed righto), or pronounce it sort of halfway between t and d. – nnnnnn Sep 17 '21 at 00:59
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    @nnnnnn The issue is that Brits and Americans will us a tap/flap as an intervocalic D, but Brits do not use it for intervocalic T in the way Americans, Canadians, and Australians do. – GArthurBrown Sep 17 '21 at 08:52
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    @nnnnnn And, with Canadian Raising, right-oh and ride-oh will have different I sound. So this will vary from region to region. – GArthurBrown Sep 17 '21 at 08:54
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    For those baffled by roos-de-gare: it is Kipling's rendering of the French expression ruse de guerre, deliberately misspelt to imply that it was mispronounced. As for seized of, I think it means realised. – TonyK Sep 17 '21 at 09:28
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    it's incredibly confusing to the new-to-English OP is "righty-ho" is mentioned. it is 1000% archaic. the answer is simply "rightieo" or "righto". (the enormous bold headline here "Alrighty then" has no connection at anything asked) – Fattie Sep 18 '21 at 15:44
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    "Rido" doesn't sound like "right-o"? Do you live underwater? ;) – Jim Reynolds Sep 25 '21 at 12:02