Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#141107 03/20/05 10:37 PM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5
O
orchard Offline OP
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
O
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5
Hello. A couple of tip-of-the-tongue questions for all you wordy boffins (no offence):
*I'm sure I remember seeing a word for when Roman emperors gave a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to gladiators. It may be derived from 'pollex'.
*There's a word for the irritation in your throat that precedes a cough that I can't recall. Might begin with 'p'.

Many thanks if you can answer these.

Ben


Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
The second one is pertussis.

Edit:

Well, I was wrong. Opened mouth without looking. But I THINK it is something like that. Pertussis is whooping cough.


TEd
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
The Roman hand gesture voting for a gladiator's death was the pollice verso -- thumbs down.



Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Welcome, Orchard.

To add a tiny bit to Father Steve's info, I was taught when studying the Colosseum that the base phrase was pollicem vertere meaning “to turn the thumb”. It is not certain that the popular conception that 'thumbs up = spare him' is correct. Neither, come to that, is there a lot of solid ground for the other thing we all 'know' about the games ~ that they all faced the Emperor's box saying "We who are about to die salute you". I learned that there seemed to only be one documented example of this (Suetonius?) and that was from an execution event (one of the naumachia staged by the nice Claudius!) rather than a gladiatorial contest.

Sorry, can't help with the tickly throat thing.


#141111 03/21/05 01:13 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
post-nasal drip?


#141112 03/21/05 01:16 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Many years ago, when I was a supervisor in a large prosecuting attorney's office, I had to approve or disapprove a hundred requests a day. I bought a small, square rubber stamp on which a fist with a thumb sticking out was printed. I would use it with a red ink pad and rotate it so that the thumb faced up for approval or the thumb faced down for disapproval. I'd put my initials over the fist part and send the document on its way. Funny how you remember things like that. Funnier still that, in the super-serious world of a prosecutor's office, I got away with doing it at all.


Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Bingley sent me this:
When a man went down, cries of Habet, Hoc habet! (He's had it!), and shouts of Mitte! (Let him go!) or Iugula! (Kill him!) could be heard. If able, the wounded gladiator would lay down his shield and raise his left hand to plea for mercy, which the crowd signified either by extending their thumbs up or down (pollice verso); turning the thumb upwards and jabbing it toward the heart (pollicem vertere) also was a sign of disapproval, and approval indicated by pressing the thumb and forefinger together (pollicem premere).
From Gladiators
http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa041500b.htm


#141114 03/21/05 06:36 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
perhaps you've come across this "hard word", as used by Pynchon:

desuperpollicate - to give a 'thumbs down'
"Mr. Warford peers over at this wife, who for the second time tonight desuperpollicates...." - Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon



#141115 03/21/05 12:43 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
i have some vague recollection that pollox (or a word something like it) is a name for one of the bones in the the thumb. (and there is a similar word for for one of the bones in the big toe. . . ) does this ring any bells with anyone?


Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5
O
orchard Offline OP
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
O
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5
Thx for the 'pollice verso' one. I found it in Chambers last night. Wish there was a verb though (not desuperpollicate). I'm sure I found that other one on Forthright's Phrontistery so I'll search around there.


Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5