Author Topic: Verdigris (Read 6040 times)

Noemon · « **on:** November 19, 2004, 07:17:34 AM »

I was just talking to a friend of mine and we were trying to remember the name for the patina that forms on copper and bronze. Verdigris leaps to mind, of course, but isn't there another? Something starting with an "s", maybe?

an online thesaurus isn't turning up anything, unfortunately.

Also, I was looking at the etymology of "verdigris", and saw that it come from the Old French "vert de Grice", which transaltes as "green of Greece". So...why Greece? Greek bronze statues do exist, of course, but they didn't have a corner on brozework. There are certainly some areas of Greece that are verdant, of course, but it certainly isn't the only place in Europe that can make that claim. Is there a lot of foilage in Greece that is the same color as bronze and copper patina? Anybody have any ideas?

Jonathon · « **Reply #1 on:** November 19, 2004, 08:04:00 AM »

From Etymonline:

Quote

verdigris
1300, from O.Fr. verte grez, verte de Grece, lit. "green of Greece." The reason for it being called that is not known.

That's the best I can find.

Noemon · « **Reply #2 on:** November 19, 2004, 08:21:41 AM »

Too bad. I was hoping you'd say "Oh, well, everybody knows that [insert interesting etymological detail here]"

You know there's a story there! I wonder what it is? This will drive me nuts until I completely forget about it in a few hours.

FLR · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2004, 07:14:16 AM »

Greece doesn't have a corner on bronzework? How about just really old bronzework that people are interested in collecting during the era when France was inventing all the cool words?

Noemon · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2004, 03:03:47 PM »

I'd guess that Rome had as many bronzes though, if not more.

Porter · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2004, 08:10:14 PM »

Should I feel like a cretin if this word doesn't even seem vaguely familiar?

Jonathon · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2004, 08:45:20 PM »

Yes, you should. Educated people talk about verdigris all the time.

Porter · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2004, 09:15:20 PM »

*feels not smart*

FLR · « **Reply #8 on:** November 22, 2004, 02:09:42 PM »

Quote

Should I feel like a cretin

I believe they prefer to be called Cretians.

I would not have known what the word verdigris meant without this thread. Everything I ever need to know I learned on GalacticCactus.

Icarus · « **Reply #9 on:** November 22, 2004, 06:46:58 PM »

I would instinctively parse it in Spanish as "verde y gris," or grayish-green (greenish-gray?). Until I read this thread, I would never have thought of "Green of Greece." Frankly, it doesn't make sense--though I would not presume to contradict an etymology dictionary without substantial research.

Jonathon · « **Reply #10 on:** November 22, 2004, 07:50:31 PM »

It's always disconcerting when the real etymology of a word contradicts the etymology that seems so obvious and logical to you.

Icarus · « **Reply #11 on:** November 22, 2004, 08:00:31 PM »

Jonathon · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2004, 08:55:19 PM »

I was being serious . . .

Icarus · « **Reply #13 on:** November 22, 2004, 09:47:08 PM »

Oh, okay then . . . Quite right!

Lady Montagu · « **Reply #14 on:** November 23, 2004, 06:06:58 AM »

...Though people here to an absurd degree
Seem fixated on your verdigris...

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #15 on:** December 02, 2004, 01:39:20 AM »

I wonder if future etymologists will sit around and say, "Dude, why did they call them French fries? It's not like France had a corner on fatty foods."

Uchiha Itachi · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2004, 07:38:08 PM »

Actually, for a time, they kinda did. Or at least, they were the world leader in deep fat frying technology when potatoes were being introduced to Europe.

And even putting that aside, I think that France is still the world leader in really fatty foods. I'm sure that the Inuit/Aleut and some other more or less purely carnivorous peoples can beat them on individual dishes, and we're number one for inventing foods that make you fat no matter what the advertising says, but the French really do have an edge when it comes to inventing ways to put real, honest to goodness, animal derived fat[/b] in food.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2004, 10:10:58 PM »

Yet they're all skinny...

figure that one out.

*goes to have a third helping of cassolet"

*figures it out*

Porter · « **Reply #18 on:** December 03, 2004, 06:48:40 AM »

Maybe they just don't eat much of it.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #19 on:** December 03, 2004, 07:59:17 AM »

zactly.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #20 on:** December 03, 2004, 07:59:45 AM »

hence my "third helping" comment.

I don't think my funny is as obvious as I think it is.

sarcasticmuppet · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2004, 08:03:28 AM »

I laughed.

Porter · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2004, 08:05:49 AM »

In all fairness, I'm just about the densest guy this earth has ever produced, so the fact that I didn't pick up on it don't mean nothin'.

Noemon · « **Reply #23 on:** December 03, 2004, 08:32:01 AM »

Maybe you should adopt the super hero alter ego of Captain Neutronium.

Noemon · « **Reply #24 on:** December 03, 2004, 08:32:46 AM »

Captain Neutronium thinks the world revolves around him--and he's right.