#83670
10/17/2002 1:32 AM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
I've been told by my friend Flamsterette that today is, in honor of Webster's birthday, ... Dictionary Day.
In discussions of how to celebrate the day, it was suggested that everyone get drunk and look up rude words.
I thought that was a great idea, until I realized that that pretty much sums up this group's activities every. damn. day.
Anyway, Happy Dictionary Day!
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#83671
10/17/2002 1:41 AM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
well, in honor of this quasi-holiday, here is a quasi-rude word:
mucking - Euphemistically (chiefly in written work) ppl. a. Cf. muck v. Also as quasi-adv.
1929 R. Aldington Death of Hero iii. x. 375 What the muckin' hell are you doing, down there? 1933 H. G. Wells Bulpington of Blup vi. 237 Don't be a mucking fool! Ibid. 241 Do you think we want to sit round telling ghost stories in this mucking hole? 1935 E. Hemingway Green Hills Afr. xiii. 277 And if I ever hit you I'll break your mucking jaw. 1942 Penguin New Writing XV. 19 I'll miss the silly mucker... Poor old Bob. Went down with his mucking duffle. 1946 D. Hamson We fell among Greeks v. 61 By Christ, it's that mucking dog. 1974 R. Adams Shardik xxxvi. 301 You'd better lend him a hand... We'll be 'alf the mucking night else. Ibid. xlv. 363 The first man peered in his turn. ‘He mucking is, too,’ he said. ‘Aren't you?’
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#83672
10/17/2002 12:33 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
OK, who's Flamsterette?
I heard this on NPR, but as you said, Sparteye, what makes this day different from any other muckin' day among us? I do wonder, though, if there's not a dictionary day cross-pond to celebrate Dr. Johnson's birth...
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#83673
10/17/2002 1:24 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
I do wonder, though, if there's not a dictionary day cross-pond to celebrate Dr. Johnson's birthNope. As you should know by now nauntie, every day is a dictionary day over here. 
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#83674
10/17/2002 1:33 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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spratling, two words: 
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#83675
10/17/2002 1:56 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
Was that really two tongues or just a single forked one, dear AsP? 
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#83676
10/17/2002 2:02 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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That's ASp to you, fisheroonie.
just ask tsuwm
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#83677
10/17/2002 2:08 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
ASp to you, fisheroonie
Bless you.
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#83678
10/17/2002 4:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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From digs back to dictionary. Tsuwm's "muck" reminded me to look up its etymology.
I was surprised to find that both "muck" and "meek" come from Latin "mucus"
preceded by Greek "myxa".Which reminds me of having total body MRI, and seeing
report that I had a "mucocoel" in my right maxillary sinus.
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#83679
10/17/2002 5:20 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Thank you for sharing that, Dr Bill! 
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#83680
10/17/2002 9:34 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Well, AS: I'm not sure if you are razzing me or not. The sinus problem is no longer as painful
as it used to be, and doesn't keep me awake nights, as it used to. I nope you were not
scolding me for "sharing'" something better left unmentioned. Actually the pricipal reason
I made the post was that I was astounded by the etymology of "meek".
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#83681
10/17/2002 9:34 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yeah, so long as he was using a handkerchief ....
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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#83682
10/18/2002 2:19 AM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
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#83683
10/18/2002 8:52 AM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
both "muck" and "meek" come from Latin "mucus"
preceded by Greek "myxa"
Merriam-Webster says different, Bill:
Main Entry: meek
Pronunciation: 'mEk
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjukr gentle; akin to Welsh mwyth soft
Date: 13th century
And for muck:
Etymology: Middle English muk, perhaps from Old English -moc; akin to Old Norse myki dung
Having said which, there is a common "softness" here, and also a phlegmatic person could be called meek (in a slow and stolid way) - so maybe, just maybe.
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#83684
10/18/2002 5:43 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Possibly the greatest exponent of the use of "mucking" as a euphemism was Paul Brickhill, who wrote a large number of
Second World War prisoner esdcape stories - most famous being "Colditz," closely followed by "The Wooden Horse." All good, stirring stuff with plenty of British heroes, always at least one Brit villain, with lots of Germans being German, and often with an absolutely splendid Camp Commandant who had to pretend to be a Nazi but was really a very professional Army or Airforce type, doncha know, what?
Brickhill's direct speech also referred to various people as "muggers"!
I've read most of them and enjoyed them in my youth.
My favourite story about Paul is when he was introduced to Zsa Zsa Gabor at a film premiére, and she said to him "Ah, yes - you are the writer who can't spell 'Fuck'"
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#83685
10/18/2002 9:06 PM
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742 |
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#83686
10/18/2002 9:39 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Stupid question, sjm. Obviously where the muck is!
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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#83687
10/18/2002 10:36 PM
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742 |
>Stupid question, sjm. Obviously where the muck is!
Thanks. I'll happily accept payment in £ for playing straight man.
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#83688
10/18/2002 10:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear Fishonabike: My Webster's New World vs your Merriam-Webster:
meek 7mck8
adj.
5ME meke (earlier meoc) < ON miukr, pliant, gentle < IE base *meug3, *meuk3, to slip, slippery, slimy > MUCK, L mucus, Gr myxa6
1 patient and mild; not inclined to anger or resentment
2 too submissive; easily imposed on; spineless; spiritless
3 [Obs.] gentle or kind
meek$ly
adv.
meek4ness
n.
Edit: But American Heritage Dictionary and ARTFL Webster 1913 agree with you.
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#83689
10/19/2002 10:54 AM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Etymology: Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjukr gentle; akin to Welsh mwyth soft
Date: 13th century
ME meke (earlier meoc) < ON miukr, pliant, gentle < IE base *meug3, *meuk3, to slip, slippery, slimy > MUCK, L mucus, Gr myxa
I just don't see anything incompatible with these two statements of etymology.
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#83690
10/20/2002 3:07 AM
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12 |
"Ok, who's Flamsterette?"
I am, in case you were wondering.
"Did you eat another dictionary?" -- what an online friend said to me once
"Did you eat another dictionary?" -- what an online friend said to me once
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#83691
10/20/2002 11:55 AM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
As an accredited verbivore you'll be right at home here. What took you so long?
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#83692
10/22/2002 12:10 AM
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12 |
What took me so long? I felt that I didn't know a thing about words, entymology, etc. But I'm sure I'll find places to post here on the board. (Sparteye will tell you that I post like a mad fiend once I feel at home on boards)
"Did you eat another dictionary?" -- what an online friend said to me once
"Did you eat another dictionary?" -- what an online friend said to me once
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