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Joined: Feb 2002
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enthusiast
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OP
enthusiast
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A lot of my colleagues have been giving birth lately, and the announcements always talk about the arrival of a bouncing baby boy or girl. I could understand squirming. And I really doubt they throw the baby down to test for bounceability. So what's up with that?
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 24
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 24 |
Maybe it's a concise way of putting - "A baby that makes us bounce with happiness"
On a lexical note, bouncing means healthy and lively. "A bouncing baby" could be a cliche but goes well with babies anyway. Any other word simply lacks the bounce.
That makes me wonder if there is a word for foetal movements inside the womb...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I'd agree with raju on the bouncing = healthy and lively. It's like when you say you have a bounce in your step.
Foetal movements...reminds me of when I was pregnant, watching the baby move inside my (very big) belly reminded me of when a snake eats a mouse. I thought it was funny so I mentioned that to my then-husband, who was so disgusted, he never touched me again.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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is it maybe just alliterative? better than say, bumbling? or blasting? or... 
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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A newborn feels like a rubber doll that would (absit omen)
bounce if dropped.
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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That makes me wonder if there is a word for foetal movements inside the womb...
Treading water?
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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reminded me of when a snake eats a mouse Ohmigawd, bel, only you could come up with that!  I do see what you mean, though--the movements can be rather sinuous. I don't know if there is a name for movements specific to a fetus, but having had 2 babies, I can attest that one was a roller (girl) and the other a puncher (boy). Good question, Boronia; oh, and don't drink the water! (Unless you're ready to have a kid, of course.)
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Etymology of muscle is "little mouse".
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old hand
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old hand
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is it maybe just alliterative? In evidence of this hypothesis: I know of no corresponding epithet (translating as "bouncing") in German or French.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475 |
The OED, 1st print ed., gives the following for bouncing: "That bounces; in various senses of the verb relating alike to loudness, brag, and vigorous or ungainly movement. Often also (like thumping, whacking, whopping, strapping, and other words meaning vigorous, striking) used with the sense of big rather than elegant or graceful." A couple of few citations use the adjective with some wenches. a priest, and a puppy. Here's: "His mother ... lay down her burthen at Elmeby, where this bouncing babe Bonner was born." 1662. Thomas Jefferson is quoted in re a bouncing letter. I'll admit that "bouncing baby (boy)" has a nice alliterative effect to it, too. But I think it was applied to babies at a time in the past when healthy a robust indicated a better chance of survival. There was also animated short about a baby Gerald McBoing-Boing in the early '50s for the rubber baby buggy bumper kinda bounce.
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