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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
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formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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As it gives
1. thin
2. unmelodious,
it gives the impression that it is mainly used in a musical context.
Do you use scrawny referring to any aspect of music?
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Pooh-Bah
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dalehileman
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From etymonline scrannel
"thin, meager," 1637; any modern use traces to John Milton ("Lycidas," 124), who may have invented it from dial. scranny (see scrawny). Or from a Scand. source akin to Norw. skran "rubbish." Lycidas And, when they list, their lean and fleshy songs
Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw;
The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed, 125
But, swoln with wind and the rank mist they draw,
Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread;
Besides what the grim Wolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace, and nothing said.
Looks like unmelodious may have come first.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Do you use scrawny referring to any aspect of music? not normally, no. but I wasn't really thinking about the musical connection, anyway, rather the similarity in both meaning and sound of scrannel and scrawny. which I see Myr has addressed. not to mention flannel. which isn't usually scrannel until after it's been well-loved. :¬ )
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Myr : Looks like unmelodious may have come first. While Milton's L'Allegro, il Pensero ed il Moderato has been put to music very melodiously by G.F.Handel.  scranny and scrawny for violin music (Dale's link) I can imagine what that might sound like.Thin Katzengejammer.
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old hand
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old hand
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hee hee  Obscure adj. a thing that dalehileman has never heard before
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Carpal Tunnel
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Lycidas And, when they list, their lean and fleshy songs
Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw;
The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed, 125
But, swoln with wind and the rank mist they draw,
Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread;
Besides what the grim Wolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace, and nothing said.
I clinged to Milton because his poetry is so "melodious" it sort of asks to be set to music and this one I mentionend is a two CD's long a beautiful upliftng experience. Starting with: "Hence, loathed melancholy" and ending two CD's later with "Thy pleasures, Moderation give,". Not one scrannel bit in it.(sorry . I'm not doing the music review , but I recommend it as a lift for low energy.
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