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Author Topic: The random etymology of the day  (Read 237862 times)

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Offline Noemon

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #800 on: October 28, 2008, 11:25:52 AM »
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Monosyllabic is too long a word.
Well, it's spelled "monosyllabic", but it's pronounced "uuh".
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #801 on: October 31, 2008, 12:07:15 AM »
Dishevelled?  What's the etymology, and why isn't the antonym "hevelled"?

My, you're well-hevelled today!  Going anywhere special?
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Offline goofy

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #802 on: October 31, 2008, 07:03:11 AM »
Wow, who knew: from Old French deschevelé, from des "dis-" plus chevel, cheveu "hair".
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #803 on: October 31, 2008, 08:05:55 AM »
Does "macabre" have anything to do with the Maccabees?
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Offline Annie Subjunctive

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #804 on: October 31, 2008, 08:16:01 AM »
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c.1430, from O.Fr. (danse) Macabré "(dance) of Death" (1376), probably a translation of M.L. (Chorea) Machabæorum, lit. "dance of the Maccabees" (leaders of the Jewish revolt against Syro-Hellenes, see Maccabees). The association with the dance of death seems to be via vivid descriptions of the martyrdom of the Maccabees in the Apocryphal books. The abstracted sense of "gruesome" is first attested 1842 in Fr., 1889 in Eng.
Did you already know that? My, you're perceptive.
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #805 on: October 31, 2008, 08:19:44 AM »
I didn't know that.  I must be supernaturally perceptive.

For my next trick, I will demonstrate the etymology of "blood hound", so named because they are a vampire's best friend.
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Fighting thread drift with guilt, reverse psychology, and chicken soup.
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I love Bones.  -- Sweet Clementine
She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. -- anonymous

Offline Jonathon

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #806 on: October 31, 2008, 08:22:05 AM »
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Wow, who knew: from Old French deschevelé, from des "dis-" plus chevel, cheveu "hair".
I knew! In answer to your first question, Tante, pay attention to how it's said: it's really dis + sheveled, not dis + heveled. But I guess whoever came up with the spelling didn't like the back-to-back s's.
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Offline Jonathon

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #807 on: October 31, 2008, 08:22:43 AM »
And I just looked up macabre in the OED and on Etymonline and was surprised to find that it probably is connected to Maccabee. Weird.
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Offline Porter

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #808 on: October 31, 2008, 08:25:23 AM »
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For my next trick, I will demonstrate the etymology of "blood hound", so named because they are a vampire's best friend.
I read Dracula this week.  It was surprisingly good.
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #809 on: October 31, 2008, 08:28:05 AM »
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Quote
Wow, who knew: from Old French deschevelé, from des "dis-" plus chevel, cheveu "hair".
I knew! In answer to your first question, Tante, pay attention to how it's said: it's really dis + sheveled, not dis + heveled. But I guess whoever came up with the spelling didn't like the back-to-back s's.
Such people are just begging to be buttbuttinated.



I try to be at least somewhat shevelled.  
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Fighting thread drift with guilt, reverse psychology, and chicken soup.
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Offline Annie Subjunctive

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #810 on: October 31, 2008, 09:25:38 AM »
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I read Dracula this week. It was surprisingly good.
You should read Frankenstein. It's surprisingly good as well. One of my favorites, actually.
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Offline Porter

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #811 on: October 31, 2008, 09:28:10 AM »
I think I'll read that next Halloween season. :)
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #812 on: October 31, 2008, 10:18:25 AM »
When did Halloween get upgraded to a season?
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Fighting thread drift with guilt, reverse psychology, and chicken soup.
Sweet! Law of Moses loopholes! -- Anneke
I love Bones.  -- Sweet Clementine
She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. -- anonymous

Offline Porter

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #813 on: October 31, 2008, 10:21:14 AM »
Apparently, "season" has been upgraded and nobody told me.
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Offline Jonathon

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #814 on: October 31, 2008, 10:23:03 AM »
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When did Halloween get upgraded to a season?
When they started putting out Halloween candy in stores in late August.
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #815 on: October 31, 2008, 10:30:05 AM »
Well, where I live, we have candy available all year long -- in every season.
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Fighting thread drift with guilt, reverse psychology, and chicken soup.
Sweet! Law of Moses loopholes! -- Anneke
I love Bones.  -- Sweet Clementine
She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. -- anonymous

Offline Jonathon

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #816 on: October 31, 2008, 10:33:23 AM »
But is it Halloween candy?
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Offline Tante Shvester

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #817 on: October 31, 2008, 10:34:50 AM »
It's different?  I thought people just gave out run-of-the-mill candy to the Halloween kids.

What's "Halloween Candy"?
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Fighting thread drift with guilt, reverse psychology, and chicken soup.
Sweet! Law of Moses loopholes! -- Anneke
I love Bones.  -- Sweet Clementine
She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. -- anonymous

Offline Annie Subjunctive

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #818 on: October 31, 2008, 10:38:47 AM »
Oh no, Halloween candy is special. Cheap, waxy and sugary, yes, but special. It involves those horrid peanut butter taffies in orange and black wrappers.

*shudder*
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Offline Jonathon

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #819 on: October 31, 2008, 10:40:09 AM »
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It's different?  I thought people just gave out run-of-the-mill candy to the Halloween kids.

What's "Halloween Candy"?
Halloween-themed packaging.
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Offline Lyrhawn

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #820 on: October 31, 2008, 07:41:52 PM »
Just like the difference between Christmas presents and regular presents.

It's all in the wrapping.

Well that and the method of distribution I suppose.  
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Offline Porter

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« Reply #821 on: October 31, 2008, 09:06:12 PM »
And the fact that Christmas presents are considered obligatory. <_<
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Offline Annie Subjunctive

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #822 on: November 01, 2008, 12:53:05 AM »
My boyfriend's brother is a funny, funny kid. He sent a text today that said "I just shake my head and sigh when I realize that Halloween gets more and more commercialized every year. We are losing the real reason for the season."
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Offline Porter

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« Reply #823 on: November 01, 2008, 10:08:59 AM »
El Dia de los Muertos?
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Offline pooka

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The random etymology of the day
« Reply #824 on: November 01, 2008, 08:20:11 PM »
My name is Muerte! It means Death!
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