Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith Talk Forums General Topics Q&A about words This tuckers me out...
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
I've read an unusual number of books lately by Brits or Anglophiles, and something that's really sticking in my etymological craw is the turn of phrase involving "tucking into" a plate of food. Now, where I'm from, "tuck in" and "tuck" have connotations that have nothing to do with mealtime.
1. Tucking in your shirt.
2. Being tucked into bed.
3. Nip & tuck (i.e. cosmetic surgery)
4. The sewing-specific sense, taking a tuck in a waistband, for instance - a shorthand for altering something to a smaller size (I could go into far deeper detail on this one, but I won't bother.)
In thinking about this, I became further confused when my Joyceian brain took over and led me down the paths of:
5. Friar Tuck (of Robin Hood fame)
6. The surname "Tucker"
7. Tuckered out = tired
Anyone have any enlightening thoughts? Logic (spurious or otherwise) to explain a connection among these? Some of the connections I find obvious (3 & 4 dovetail very nicely in my mind), but particularly "tucking into" a plate of food is a mystery to me...
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted ![]()
This tuckers me out...
Fiberbabe 04/11/2004 10:50 PM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
inselpeter 04/11/2004 11:00 PM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
wwh 04/12/2004 12:39 AM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
sjmaxq 04/12/2004 4:02 AM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
AnnaStrophic 04/12/2004 10:58 AM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
Fiberbabe 04/12/2004 5:03 PM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
wwh 04/12/2004 5:19 PM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
Fiberbabe 04/12/2004 5:22 PM ![]()
Re: 1,2,3,1,2,3...
Buffalo Shrdlu 04/12/2004 7:27 PM ![]()
Re: 1,2,3,1,2,3...
Capfka 04/12/2004 9:56 PM ![]()
Re: 1,2,3,1,2,3...
wwh 04/12/2004 10:35 PM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
hibernicus 04/12/2004 1:35 PM ![]()
Re: This tuckers me out...
jheem 04/13/2004 6:07 PM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith Talk