|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
Looking at the background etymology of Anu’s ‘fensibles’, I came across this charming expression in OED2:
to make a Virginia fence: ‘to walk like a drunken man’ (Lowell Biglow Papers Introd.) [...]
1745 Franklin Drinker's Dict. Wks. 1887 II. 26 He makes a Virginia Fence.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
Amplification, or the Art of saying Little in Much, seems to be principally studied by the Gentlemen Retainers to the Law. 'Tis highly useful when they are to speak at the Bar; for by its Help, they talk a great while, and appear to say a great deal, when they have really very little to say. But 'tis principally us'd in Deeds and every thing they write. You must abridge their Performances to understand them; and when you find how little there is in a Writing of vast Bulk, you will be as much surpriz'd as a Stranger at the Opening of a Pumpkin.
No comment.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
'Scuse me, sir, that's "fen cible"...and--are you looking to bring the wrath of both Wordwind and Sparteye down on your head?  Actually, the VA. fence thing could as well be Kentucky fence; Kentucky's surveying was done on the metes and bounds system, and it wouldn't surprise me if Virginia's were, also. In the course of trying to find out the above, I came across this utterly charming story, which I strongly recommend that everyone read, but esp. Dr. Bill. I'll try posting the link, but it's humongously long. If it makes the thread go wide, I may just copy the entire story. http://EDIT: It didn't make the thread wide on my screen, but I know that may not be true for everybody. Holler if it made yours go wide. EDIT 2: Ok, I did. I'd prefer it go straight to the read, but I guess people can figure out to click on Story. Edit 3: Eep--sorry about the mantle.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
Now you C it, then you didn't...
fensabill, -ly obs. ff. fencible, fencibly
fensiveObs.
= defensive.
1583 Stanyhurst Æneis ii. (Arb.) 53 Fensiue seruice. 1595 Barnfield Sonn. i, Skin, the bodies fensiue wall. 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. 15 The Troyans+seeke to retire into their fensive towne. 1621 Quarles Div. Poems, Esther (1717) 157 The Hills His fensive Bulwarks are.
OED2 of course!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
In Colonial days fences were often made without vertical posts, because they did not have posthole diggers. The logs were split, the laid at an angle of almost 90 degrees to each other with ends overlapping enough to be stable. The zig-zag made them quite stable. Here's pictures of a modern version, which, however does use vertical posts. Remember Abraham Lincoln as a young man worked as a rail-splitter. http://home.comcast.net/~matancero/BigWormFence1.html
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Fences like this are used at the Sharpsville/Antietam battleground park. Quite fascinating construction!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
wow, good catch, Bill - I've never seen anything like that, and it certainly makes one think of staggering homeward! And I guess on the battlefield, with plentiful lumber delivered by railroad, it would have been a good strategy to hedge your bets...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Augh, I left out a couple of things I meant to put in my first post; I got sidetracked by that story and how to share it. I was only poking the borax about the c vs. s spellings! And yes, I see now that the split-rail fence is the much more likely reference--thanks, Dr. Bill. I had also meant to say that fencible might not be as far off the apparent meaning as the W.A.D. seems to indicate. Even if it did mean "capable of being fenced", couldn't one reason for putting up a fence be, well, defense (or defence )? Here's a picture of a buck fence, in case you haven't seen one of those, either. http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/fr/research/aspen/or_gifs/fence2.gif
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
332
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
