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estimation of Dave Wilton is not very high.
How does he compare with Cecil?
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Dear Faldage: It is true that Brewer has a lot of garbage along with the good stuff.
He spent so many pages on ancient romances nobody reads any more, I can't see
how he managed to miss commenting on Edward Lear.
Dave Wilton just disappointed me but not having enough good stuff. I love the Bayeux
tapestry, but that's about all. Cecil Adams like Word-Detective is more smart-aleck
than informative. I do like www.takeourword.com - that's where I'm going now.
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Just out of curiosity, Brewer does not seem to make any connection between rem acu tetigisti and rimshot. Did I just not look far enough or is this your assumption, Dr. Bill?
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If I remember correctly Brewer said "acu rem" meant you had hit the bullseye. I'll
go look again.
It took me a while, but here it is, from Brewer:
Rem Acu You have hit the mark; you have hit the nail on the head. Rem acu tetigisti (Plautus). A phrase in archery, meaning,
You have hit the white, or the bull's-eye.
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No connection with rimshot, then.
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Dear Faldage: I never listen to games, doubled in spades to basketball games, but had
assumed "Rimshot" was manic-mouthed sportcaster word for a basket with ball never
even touching the rim. "Rem acu" seems quite similar to me, in my benghted cultural isolation.
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Dear Faldage: I never listen to games, doubled in spades to basketball games, but had
assumed "Rimshot" was manic-mouthed sportcaster word for a basket with ball never
even touching the rim. "Rem acu" seems quite similar to me, in my benghted cultural isolation.
Edit: I searched, and can't believe what I got:
Rimshot [Pasties And A G-string ] When the drummer strikes the rim of a drum with a
drumstick, producing a loud, abrupt sound. It's often used to accentuate the weak beats offbeat
(The Folk File, Bill Markwick )
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Shoddy properly means the flue and fluff thrown off from cloth in the process of weaving. This flue, being mixed with new wool,
is woven into a cloth called shoddy- i.e. cloth made of the flue �shod� or thrown off. Shoddy is also made of old garments torn
up and re-spun. The term is used for any loose, sleazy cloth, and metaphorically for literature of an inferior character compiled
from other works. (Shed, provincial pret. �shod;� shoot, obsolete pret. shotten.)
Shoddy characters. Persons of tarnished reputation, like cloth made of shoddy or refuse wool.
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Mentioned three times, but never defined. From Brewer:
Silhouette (3 syl.). A black profile, so called from Etienne de Silhouette, Contr�leur des Finances, 1757,
who made great savings in the public expenditure of France. Some say the black portraits were called
Silhouettes in ridicule; others assert that Silhouette devised this way of taking likenesses to save expense.
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Often used in AWADtalk, but I don't remember seeing its etymology. From Brewer:
Silly is the German selig (blessed), whence the infant Jesus is termed �the harmless silly babe,� and
sheep are called �silly,� meaning harmless or innocent. As the �holy� are easily taken in by wordly
ounning, the word came to signify �gullible,� �foolish,� (See Simplicity .)
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