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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Vegetating #171028 10/30/2007 4:06 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Does anyone know how vegetables came to be used to describe immobility/inactivity? I mean, I get the obvious sense, because vegetables don't tend to move on their own! But why vegetables in particular? I'm thinking of terms like couch potato, and the unflattering (to say the least) reference to someone "becoming a vegetable". Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Vegetating Jackie #171029 10/30/2007 4:12 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh I think it's an extension of the medical term vegetative which means 'brain-damaged'. Ironic since in Latin vegetare 'to enliven', causative form of vegere 'to be alive' < PIE *weg- 'to be strong, lively'. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Vegetating Jackie #171037 10/30/2007 7:09 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Originally Posted By: Jackie term like couch potato "couch potato", that's a funnny new to me one. Potatoes are very 'lively'too.When you throw peels in the compost bin that still have the sprout beginnigs in them they will sprout and become potatoes. So whoever lies on the couch too long risks etc...... 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 Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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