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#62568 - 03/27/02 08:05 AM windowlicker
belligerentyouth Offline
old hand

Registered: 12/20/00
Posts: 1055
Loc: Berlin
Here's a weird one for you.
Described as "a name for the sort of 'nutter' who sits next to you on the bus and does something weird." (www.geezer.demon.co.uk) by some, this word seems to have its roots in the French phrase for 'window shopping', or just looking at things in shop windows that you can't afford:"lécher les
vitrines". This translates literally into English as "to lick the windows."


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#62569 - 03/27/02 08:53 AM Re: windowlicker
Sparteye Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/05/01
Posts: 1773
Wow. And it sure is evocative, too.


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#62570 - 03/27/02 09:00 AM Re: windowlicker
Rapunzel Offline
enthusiast

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 328
Loc: Eastern Pennsylvania
This translates literally into English as "to lick the windows."

We used to babysit a little boy who literally licked the windows of our car. *shudder*




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#62571 - 04/02/02 12:13 PM Re: windowlicker
Fiberbabe Offline
old hand

Registered: 01/12/01
Posts: 771
Loc: Portland, Oregon
Reminds me of that old schoolyard epithet: paste-eater.


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#62572 - 04/02/02 01:13 PM Re: windowlicker
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Reminds me of a joke I got by e-mail recently about a school where girls were kissing the mirrors after applying lipstick. The principal solved the problem by having the janitor show a group of the girls how much effort it required for him to remove the lipstick smudges from the mirrors. He demonstrated by dipping a plunger into a toilet and scrubbing the mirror with it.
There were no further lipstick smears seen on the mirrors.


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#62573 - 04/06/02 07:01 PM Re: windowlicker
Wordwind Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
Reminds me of being very young and comparing in my very young scientific mind the taste of small crayons to the large ones I found awkward to hold in my little hands. The small crayons tasted much better than the large ones, which were somewhat bitter.

Best regards,
WordWindowlicker


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#62574 - 04/08/02 01:02 PM Re: window sill licker
musick Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/24/00
Posts: 2658
Loc: Chicago
This reminded me of the unfortunate discovery that kindergarten - 2nd (or so) graders were found to have a high rate/incidence of high lead count/poisoning as the Chi-town public schools were painted with the stuff in the 40/50's, and kids were chewing on the sill as they looked out the window.


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#62575 - 04/08/02 02:49 PM Re: window sill licker
of troy Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
until the late 80's the yellow paint on yellow pencils was Yellow lead and chromium! didya ever chew on a pencil? welcome to heavy metal poisoning 101!

_________________________
my other obsession

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#62576 - 04/09/02 07:36 AM Re: window sill licker
Wordwind Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
Heavens, yes, I chewed on pencils! I chewed on a lot of things, come to think of it. I guess the lead content in my body is pretty high. I think there's a fairly involved blood procedure in which all of the blood is taken out of you body and thoroughly washed. Wonder whether I could tell my doctor about all the things I've chewed so that he could recommend washing this blood?


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#62577 - 04/09/02 02:32 PM Re: window sill licker
of troy Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
it would be alot easier to chelate your body..

this gets into chemisty (not one of my strong points) but certain chemicals, say carbon monoxide, actually do a better job of linking to the Oxygen receptors in you blood than oxygen. so your body will actually soak up CO, rather than oxygen.

some heavy metal do the same thing, and displace calcium, or magnesium or other elements your body needs.

chelating is a process that helps your body get rid of the bad metals, (ie lead, mercury, chromium, etc,) by offering form of good elements that replace them.. ) they can be pretty un-paletable, (unless, you like me, like me, the chalky taste of tums) but not really gross.

i am sure one of the good doctors, or scientist can give more precise or detailed info. Lead is an issue, in cities, (in the past from both paint and gas fumes), and several friends have had lead poisoning.

_________________________
my other obsession

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