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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
pulka Czech spelling of polka
“---In 1830, Anna was dancing and singing to a tune she liked ("Strycek Nimra Koupil Simla") and invented a little dance which she called "Madera". Neruba, liking what he saw asked her to repeat the dance for him, seeing the possibilities of the dance, and the possibility of money, took it to Prague in 1835, it was here it was supposedly dubbed the Pulka (meaning a half), and later on went to Vienna in 1839 by a music band from Prague under the leadership of Pergier. In 1840 J. Raal, (a.k.a.: Raab, Baab) a dancing master of Prague danced it at the Odéon Theater and made it a huge success. “
pullet
n.
5ME poullet < OFr poulet, dim. of poule, hen: see POULTRY6 a young hen, usually one not more than a year old .
punctilio
n.,
pl. 3os 5altered (infl. by L) < Sp puntillo or It puntiglio, dim. of punto < L punctum, a POINT6
1 a nice point of conduct, ceremony, etc.
2 observance of petty formalities
punji - a sharpend stick dipped feces and hidden in small pit, intended to cause infected wound of enemy falling into the pit.
pupigerous
1. bearing or containing a pupa; -- said of dipterous larvæ which do not molt when the pupa is formed within them.
purblind
adj.
5ME pur blind: see PURE & BLIND6
1 orig., completely blind
2 partly blind
3 slow in perceiving or understanding
purdah
n.
5Urdu & Hindi pardah, veil < Pers6
1 the practice among some Hindus and Muslims of secluding or hiding women from strangers
2 a curtain or partition used for this
3 the section of a house reserved primarily for women
purfle
vt.
3fled, 3fling 5ME purfilen < MFr pourfiler < pour, for (< L pro: see PRO1) + fil, thread: see FILE16
1 to decorate the border of
2 to adorn or edge with metallic thread, beads, lace, etc.
n.
an ornamental border or trimming, as the inlaid border of a violin Also pur4fling
Purim
n.
5Heb purim, pl., lit., lots < ? Akkadian pur, stone6 a Jewish holiday, the Feast of Lots, celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, commemorating the deliverance of the Jews by Esther from a general massacre plotted by Haman: Esth. 9:21
purl 1
vi.
5< ? Scand, as in Norw purla, to ripple6
1 to move in ripples or with a murmuring sound
2 to move in eddies; swirl
n.
1 a purling stream or rill
2 the murmuring sound of purling water
purl 2
vt., vi.
5earlier pirl, prob. < the n.6
1 PURFLE
2 to edge (lace) with a chain of small loops
3 to invert (a stitch or stitches) in knitting: see KNIT, illus.
n.
5earlier pyrle < a Romance source as in It (Venetian) pirlo, a joining of warp and woof by twisting together the threads < echoic base *pirl, to twirl6
1 twisted metal thread, as of gold or silver, used in embroidery
2 a small loop, or a chain of loops, made on the edge of lace
3 an inversion of stitches in knitting to produce a ribbed effect
My mother taught me to knit once when I was sick. “Knit one, purl two”. Easier to do than explain.
purs[lane 7p%rs4lin, 3lan#8
n.
5ME purcelane < MFr porcelaine < LL porcilaca, purslane, altered < L portulaca: see PORTULACA6 any of various prostrate weeds (genus Portulaca) of the purslane family, with pink, fleshy stems and small, yellow, short-lived flowers; esp., an annual (P. oleracea) sometimes used as a potherb and in salads
adj.
designating a family (Portulacaceae, order Caryophyllales) of dicotyledonous plants, including claytonia and portulaca
A friend whose son was an archeaologist working in the Netherlands told me his son said purslane, which I had thought was just a nuisance weed on clay tennis courts, was a pot herb brought to America by the Dutch in early
1600x, I have eaten it in salads, and it is quite acceptable.
pursuivant
n.
5ME pursevante < OFr poursuivant, prp. of poursuivre < poursuir: see PURSUE6
1 in the British Heralds‘ College, an officer ranking below a herald
2 a follower; attendant
puttee
n.
5Hindi paPPj, bandage < Sans paPPika < paPPa, strip of cloth6 a covering for the lower leg, in the form of a cloth or leather gaiter or a cloth strip wound spirally
In WWI American soldiers were required to wear knitted olive drab strips of wool about two inches wide, and thirty inches long, wound around lower leg from above ankle to below the knee. It was difficult to apply them so that they looked right, and didn’t start sagging immediately.
pyretic
adj.
5ModL pyreticus < Gr pyretos, burning heat, fever < pyr, FIRE6 of, causing, or characterized by fever
Aspirin is an antipyretic.
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Posts: 725
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725 |
There are two elements of a cello (or any member of the violin family) which are strictly ornamental: the scroll and the purfling. All other aspects of the instrument are functional, that is, essential to the production of tone.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
But the functional parts can also be ornamental. Especially the cellist.
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Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
If I might trespass on Dr. Bill's territory for a moment ...
The famous conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham, (not known for his sweetness of temper) was getting more and more irritated with a cellist at a rehearsal until he burst out: "Madam, you have between your legs something capable of giving pleasure to thousands, and all you can do is sit there and scratch it."
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Bingley: I never intended that anyone should regard this as "my territory". I started posting things here hoping to entice others to do likewise.
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Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I never intended that anyone should regard this as "my territory".
Umm.
I don't think that's what he meant by "your territory", Dr Bill.
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Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Forgive me my trespasses, the Devil makes me commit them
That word in Lord's Prayer alwa;ys puzzled me a bit.
Bingley's contributions are so welcome they could never be called trespasses.
What is the etymology of trespass?
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
According to the AHD( http://www.bartleby.com/61/16/T0341600.html), it's from French tres from Latin trans over and pass. So basically it means crossing boundaries, whether moral or physical. Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
For some time (notably during the reign of Jamie the 6 (or 1, depending on how you're counting)) the primary meaning was crossing moral boundaries.
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Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
An interesting little snippet from the British Footpaths Handbook:
There are no laws of trespass in Scotland. If you do no damage, you are free to go where you will. This seems a great advantage at first … there is a sort of utopian freedom to roam. But no official trespass laws means also no official "rights-of-way". Thus maps of Scotland do not have the friendly little red dashes indicating footpaths, which walkers in England have come to love and rely upon.
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