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Well, that's the word we usually use. We strip the tree of its decorations.
No music though. Usually, stripping the tree is accompanied by the gentle grumbling of Hubby and Son. Not big Christmas decoration fans, either of 'em.
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i don't put up tree any more.. but we put the tree up, and took it down, (we didn't decorate and un or de decorate)
nowdays, i unpack the glass arboritum, (i have a collection of almost 2 dozen glass christmas trees) and pack it back away... as i pack the the other stuff. (like a soft sculptured tree, and glass icicle, and other stuff..
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"Stripping" a tree makes me think of removing its bark ... as in how the First Nations people used various barks to make structures, clothing and implements.
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what do you think of, undress?
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maahey wrote: "what do you think of, undress?"
And the Old Padre responds: I think a lot of it. The expression "dressing a tree" or "dressing the tree" has a sort of antique quality to it, which appeals to an antique like myself. If one may properly be said to "dress" a tree then the reverse of the process must be to "undress" it.
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I guess Sandra would undress the tree (she being the one who usually dresses it so carefully to begin with) but I (the one who drags it across the field, amputates a fresh inch before jamming it into its stand and depriving it of all moisture for at least two weeks before rudely casting it aside) would definitely strip the damned thing if I participated at all in the tree-denuding phase, which I most assuredly do not.
I usually drag the thing to the edge of the surrounding woods, where it idles and browns until Sandra's huge family descends upon us for their annual sojourn (usually in August). Our traditional bonfire is always capped by the tossing of the 'tree' onto the 2-3AM ember pile, resulting in a crackling reminiscent of Lexington and Concord, and sudden flames, often reaching dozens of feet into the darkness.
We mountain folk are easily amused, especially when in our cups.
Ron.
Ron.
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"undecorate" is not a word. ... "If not, then how does one describe, in a single word, the process of removing decorations from a Christmas tree?"Most people I know of talk about "taking down" the tree but I agree with your bride, first you have to "undecorate" it. When we decorate a cake, we never have to undecorate it because it is made to be eaten. When we change the decorations in a room, we redecorate it. We are not rotating the decorations in and out of storage, as we do with Christmas decorations. We are bidding farewell to the old decorations forever. When we decorate a Christmas tree, we can't throw the tree out with the tinsel. We have to undo the decorations. Your bride is not only sweet, but serenely reasonable. Too often we assume that all the words we will ever need have already been fashioned. We just have to go rummaging around for them. Your bride knows better. She has just filled a gap in our vocabulary ... and you are a very lucky man to have both qualities in the same lady, Father Steve. I hope you will honor her edict, and also her innovation. Happy New Year.
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"undecorate" is not a word
OK, if it's not a word, what is it? It's not an illegal set of phonemes in English. It's composed of perfectly acceptable morphemes. It means something and is perfectly understandable in context. And, the kicker, undecorated is in the OED and is listed as a particple. If not a participle of undecorate, then of what?
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Forget stripping. Only God can make a tree.
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And, the kicker, undecorated is in the OED and is listed as a participle. If not a participle of undecorate, then of what?I'm glad you are standing up for your participles, Faldage.
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