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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread vesta #120084 01/15/2004 8:50 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 In the Sherlock HOlmes story, "The Man with the Twisted Lip" at the scene of a crime, "wax vestas" are found. Not long ago, I posted about "loco focos", strike anywhere matches. I suspected "wax vestas" were different brand of the same thing.See def. 3 Webster's 1913 Dictionary Definition: \Ves"ta\, n. [L. Vesta, akin to Gr. ? Vesta, ? the hearth of the house, and perhaps to Skr. ush to burn (see East), or perhaps to Skr. vas to dwell, and E. was.] 1. (Rom. Myth.) One of the great divinities of the ancient Romans, identical with the Greek Hestia. She was a virgin, and the goddess of the hearth; hence, also, of the fire on it, and the family round it. 2. (Astron.) An asteroid, or minor planet, discovered by Olbers in 1807. 3. A wax friction match. --Simmonds. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: vesta #120085 01/19/2004 12:59 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Very clever name for a match--derived from the mythology. Tangent: I saw a great hearth once at an estate house in which Vesta had been honored. There was a stylized serpent in the artwork and I wondered about the connection between this goddess of the hearth and the serpent. I don't suppose anyone here knows? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: vesta #120086 01/23/2004 9:47 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta The genius paterfamilias (a sort of spirit double of the head of the family) was often portrayed as a snake. Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: vesta #120087 01/23/2004 10:30 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Ah! How very interesting, Bingley. Powerful symbol, the serpent, and moreso now considering that it had been associated with the head of the household. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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