Our bad, easy mistake to make...

[Gob]

A mother's heartfelt and humorous message of support for her child's gender choice has gone viral after she took out a classified advertisement in a Queensland paper to retract the birth of her daughter and celebrate her new son.

Yolanda Bogert of Jimboomba, a suburb in Brisbane's south-west, published a light-hearted birth retraction in The Courier Mail's births section on December 2 which said: "In 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget, Elizabeth Anne, as a daughter. He informs us that we were mistaken. Oops! Our bad. We would now like to present, our wonderful son - Kai Bogert. Loving you is the easiest thing in the world. Tidy your room."

Kai was known as Elizabeth Anne for the past 19 years but told his mother a few days ago that he no longer wanted to live as a girl.

Ms Bogert told The Courier Mail she had always known there was something different about Kai; there had been some small signs when he was younger and then more evident signs in later years, but they had never really been discussed openly.

Ms Bogert said she wanted to show her son she supported him.

Kai said he was shocked but happy about his mum's reaction and that he'd made no decisions about any hormone treatment or gender reassignment surgery but "so far I have never been happier".

[BoSoxGal]

Anybody would be lucky to have parents like that!

[wesw]

what s sprogget?

[rubato]

A diminutive sprog.


And a sprog is a prog with an "s" added purely as decorative sibilant so you could SSsssslide into the word with a toothy hissing noise.


Prog of course is a Newfoundland word for "Food". Newfoundlands don't actually talk they just wander around drooling and eat whatever falls on the floor.


And that's the whole story.


yrs,
rubato

[Lord Jim]

Newfoundlands don't actually talk they just wander around drooling and eat whatever falls on the floor.

Ahh, someone you can relate to then...

[Big RR]

I agree with BSG; I'm very impressed with the actions of the mother.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Seems dad is supportive too as the article says "we" and "our".

Good for them.

[MajGenl.Meade]

A sprog is a term for offspring but I can't quite see the 'diminutive' explanation. That would surely be "sproglet"? This word is found in numerous references.

OED traces sprog to the 1940s armed services where it was applied to new (male) soldiers -

perhaps from obsolete sprag: 'lively young man'

My guess is that the parents were humorously indicating their first thought that they had a female offspring. Being educationally challenged (syn. Australian; cf. USian), they did not use the correct spelling - sprogette.


Urban Dictionary

sprogette
Female of sprog, used as a term of endearment not insult.
Addressing a young girl. "Come on sprogette, time for your dinner."

[wesw]

my bicycle has a sprogget!!!!

[Big RR]

Thanks meade for the references; I always assumed "sprog" was derived from the verb to spring, and meant offspring. An irregular conjugation of the verb to be sure (probably derived from a corruption of the past participle sprung) or maybe from sprout. We live and learn.

[wesw]

sprig?

[Big RR]

Maybe. A sprog from our family tree?

[wesw]

sounds right....

[Jarlaxle]

Wait..."sprag" is a lively young man? Err...not to a racer. It's a part inside a transmission!