The stunning success of the Walt Disney/Pixar animation feature "Monsters Inc.", which had a weekend opening almost double the previous box office record set by "Shrek", has been cited in the press as yet another example of "cocooning". One Google source gives this definition of "cocooning": The need to protect oneself from the harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world. Is "cocooning" something which is only happening in North America post-September 11th, or is it something that is being experienced in Britain and elsewhere as well. No doubt, airline travel has been affected everywhere, but has the impact sunk deeper down into the values of the average family (as appears to be the case in North America)?
Dear plutarch: I think some essential components of "cocooning" would be a considerable degree of denial, withdrawal, an avoidance of news, because it might be bad. There have been "survivalists" in US for a long time, who hoarded food and moved into the boondocks with rifles and ammunition. I am not in a position to see it, but I doubt that their numbers has increased significantly.
Plutarch, I am even more cocooned than I thought: I have not heard of this new movie, and I just yesterday found out why there have been posts about the Yankees being in Phoenix being attacked by snakes--apparently there is a baseball team called...oh yeah, the Diamondbacks (I think). And they must be pretty good, because it seems that they made it to the World Series, which is now apparently over. I was told who won, but have forgotten. Anyway--the reason for my post (finally) is that I have heard the word cocooning used to describe a cultural trend of the nineties: people staying home with their TV's, rented movies, and their computers.
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I just yesterday found out why there have been posts about the Yankees being in Phoenix being attacked by snakes--apparently there is a baseball team called...oh yeah, the Diamondbacks (I think). ... it seems that they made it to the World Series, which is now apparently over. I was told who won, but have forgotten. A sports post from Jackie??? ROTFL!
chrys·a·lis (krs-ls) n. pl. chrys·a·lis·es or chry·sal·i·des (kr-sl-dz) A pupa, especially of a moth or butterfly, enclosed in a firm case or cocoon. A protected stage of development.
I suspect there's something heretical about this question, but I wonder if chrys/khrűs-/khrűso- (gold) was the root of the name "Christ"? or, if they are even related, is it a chicken/egg question, with gold being named after Him? Does the Big Book (the *other big book, i mean) offer any etymological information for "Christ"?
The word 'christ' is a title, not a name. Jesus is a name, not a title. Christ means the deliverer, the saviour. In olden times the man was refered to most often as Jesus the Christ.
Thought about the correct spelling before posting - but was determined to reply without assistance. With the benefit of hindsight should have kept my fingers still - misinformation is worse than silence!
I'm simply relieved to have the spelling of chrysalis warmly nested in a special little cocoon in my brain now! I never know when a random spelling bee may swarm my way!
Oh, and for the interest of all you word hounds, in looking up cocoon to try to find chrysalis, when its spelling escaped me, I found a good Scrabble word to store away: cocoyam, a synonym for taro. Always grateful for language crumbs, WW
Cocooning did not spring full grown from the ashes of the WTC on September 11 any more than did the heroism of firefighters.
Cocconing has been a term used to describe the tendency of some to amuse themselves at home with high quality home entertainment systems and ordered in food rather than going out to restaurants and theaters.
if annoinTEd, then appoinTEd, as deliverer, and sav-i-our
Of course, if one wishes to draw that conclusion, one is free to do so. It's not inherent in the word.
I do realise that you, Faldage, are on the etymological high ground in this case, but I just can't resist some word play, ESPECIALLY if I can tweak TEd a little!
Speaking of escaping unnecessary cocoons, how do you spell crysallis?
By my vague recall, the terms cocoon and chrysalis are not synonyms: the former applies to moths and and the latter to butterflies. But bartleby does not support such a distinction. Have we any moth-er who can elucidate?
Main Entry: lep·i·dop·ter·an <javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?lepido03.wav=lepidopteran')> <javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?lepido03.wav=lepidopteran')> Pronunciation: -r&n Function: noun Etymology: New Latin Lepidoptera, from lepid- + Greek pteron wing -- more at FEATHER <dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=feather> Date: circa 1901 : any of a large order (Lepidoptera) of insects comprising the butterflies, moths, and skippers that as adults have four broad or lanceolate wings usually covered with minute overlapping and often brightly colored scales and that as larvae are caterpillars
Keiva: I didn't mean to imply that the cocoon and chrysalis were synonymous--just related. But I'll look at little more into which of the lepidopterans spins a cocoon... I seem to recall having read about some important differences between the moth and flutterby...
OK...here's what I found:
After several weeks the caterpillar prepares to enter the pupal stage. The butterflies attach themselves to a firm support, shed their exoskeleton and become a chrysalis. Moth and skipper caterpillars cover themselves with silk (forming a protective cocoon), shed their exoskeleton and pupate. The chrysalis stage may last several weeks -- during which time the body of the caterpillar is broken down and slowly reformed into the body of an adult butterfly. The pupae inside the cocoons of moths generally spend the winter in the cocoon before completing their transformation the following spring
...a term used to describe the tendency of some to amuse themselves at home with high quality home entertainment systems and ordered in food rather than going out to restaurants and theaters.
What then would be the term tendered to those that tend to amuse themselves with conversation and cook meals for themselves... 'slackers'?
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