Main Entry: pro·pin·qui·ty
Pronunciation: pr&-'pi[ng]-kw&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English propinquite, from Latin propinquitat-, propinquitas kinship, proximity, from propinquus near, akin, from prope near -- more at APPROACH
Date: 14th century
1 : nearness of blood : KINSHIP
2 : nearness in place or time : PROXIMITY

I've always loved this word, particularly the way it wriggles off the tongue. I haven't seen it used many times in print, but I do seem to recall the first time was in one of the James Bond books. I think one of the super-villains used it when he said to Bond: "Nothing propinks like propinquity." It may have been Goldfinger, but I can't remember. Any ideas anyone? Also interested in other's delight in this word.

Cheers

Solrep, welcome. Are you the sole representative of something, then? Your country, maybe? I will guess, by your closing and the time of your post that you are from one of the Down Under countries.

I can't help on the book, but I do like the word, except for my propensity for confusing it with propensity (not awake, quite, yet).

Thank you for the welcome, Jackie,
No, not down under -- southern Ontario, Canada. I've been receiving AWAD for ages, but only this morning logged on to the message board, which is why I haven't got around to adding anything to my profile.

The bond source for propinquity has me curious, but not curious enough to re-read all the books again. I posed the question on a Bond Newsgroup -- alas, they are all movie Bond fans. I should add, I'm not especially a Bond fan, myself -- prefer George Smiley by far. My memory of the Bond reference goes back to the sixties.

Thanks again for the welcome.

David

can't help you with the Bond usage, but I can give you a 14th century use per your citation:

c1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. iii. 25 (Camb. MS.) The moost presyous kynde of any propinquite or alyaunce þat may ben.

oh, and I did find a net use of "obese propinquity" that was explained to mean "fat chance".

Hi solrep,

Amazing where a Web search can take you! My theory is that the Bond villain was paying homage to Owens-Corning, who may well be planning an advertising campaign "Nothing propinks like our insulation" (a campaign based on being ProPink-witty?)

http://www.owens-corning.com/around/insulation/products/propinkloosefill.asp

"Mr. Mortcloke the undertaker did accordingly, with a visage of professional length and most grievous solemnity, distribute among the pall-bearers little cards, assigning their respective situations in attendance upon the coffin. As this precedence is supposed to be regulated by propinquity to the defunct, the undertaker, however skilful a master of these lugubrious ceremonies, did not escape giving some offence. To be related to Mrs. Bertram was to be of kin to the lands of Singleside, and was a propinquity of which each relative present at that moment was particularly jealous."

~Sir Walter Scott, Guy Mannering, Chap. 37.

Since I didn't want to give away the answer (for those in threaded mode), in the title itself. But if my memory serves me well, this, one of my favourite Bond lines, is from the otherwise not too brilliant Fleming work: Diamonds are forever. It is, I think, both a quotation, and a chapter title (about three chapters before the end), and refers to the close quarters onboard the QE2 that Bond and Tiffany (wasn't it?) find themselves in, when their affair finally begins (or is consummated, depending upon which way you look at it).

I think she wins his approval by the way she makes sauce bearnaise...

cheer

the sunshine warrior

sol (or may we call you David?)

Bond (the books only) is one of my favourite series of novels. (Don't ask why - perhaps it's just the puerility of my temperament.) I couldn't leave this thread simply with the 'answer' (as I remember it). I have to add that there are at least two Bond books (IMO) which can be taken seriously in a literary sense: The spy who loved me (which Fleming decreed should never be filmed) and Casino Royale. In addition, before the 'formula' set in, there was at least one other cracking spy book: From Russia with love (also, incidentally, one of the better films).

Within the formula, of course, the following contain individually brilliant sequences: Moonraker (never has rubber bridge been so superbly evoked, and the climactic Yarborough deal is superb - a legend in bridge circles), Goldfinger (again more for the competitive sequences - the game of canasta, the golf match etc), Dr No (just for the sheer outrageous looniness of the plot and action sequences).

Bond books (primarily the later ones), that fail to impress: Thunderball (movie tie-in and it shows, though it starts impressively), OHMSS (Bond goes soap opera); You only live twice (almost good - but the soap opera theme continues) and The man with the golden gun (trashy, bored with writing, hollow viciousness).

The books of short stories are all pretty taut, and, of course, in some case more like morality plays than spy stories. Great fun.

The other books, IMO, are good for the Bond enthusiast, but not necessarily suited to anybody else. These are, of course, Diamonds are forever and Live and let die. I don't think I've missed out any. (?)

The Bond novels have been re-issued in the UK, over the past 5 or 10 years, in an edition with a charming introduction by Anthony Burgess, in which he speaks of the attraction of Bond - the obsession with 'things' - the guns, the cigarettes, the cars, the vodka with pepper thrown in, and so on. Probably worth seeking out (only if you're interested in Bond, of course).

cheer

the sunshine warrior

Thank you everyone for your enlightening response. The question of who said it has been bugging me for some time. At least now I don't have to read ALL the Bond books - -nothing against them, just that I rarely read books twice (too many others to read).

Carpe rutila