Surprised by some rapid posting, I decided to check 'Who's Online'. Living as I do in a timezone shared by very few others, and hence not used to the presence of others on the board cotemporaneously and at the same time, I commented to self "There are more users online that you can poke a stick at". This:

1) was the first sign of madness
b) was doubtfully true, depending on the size of the stick, and
iii) caused me to question the origin of the term "there are more ... that you can poke a stick at".

I have since decided that I am not mad, and I don't even have a stick, but I need some help with iii? Any takers?

I'll make one up for you:

Go back to the Dark Ages, when vampires were widely feared. Now grab a stick, even better a wooden cross but a stick will do as a stake if you need one, and poke it at the vampire. (I learned it as "shake a stick at," but it's the same thing, I think). You're really in trouble if there are too many of them - more than you can shake a stick at. (Not "that," I note.)

Good imagination? Anywhere near reality or did I just create another urban legend?

nice wolf, but think of a small herdsman, tending the sheep.. usually the small fire he builds, and his presence is enough to keep the wolf at bay.. and when one does come round, he take his crook, and bops it on the head.. (or better yet he pokes it good in the ribs with the pointy end.. )

and then, a cold winter day.. he get not a lone wolf, or two or three hunting together.. but more wolfs than you could poke a stick at.. a large pack.. and the herd is ...oops, almost said decimated.. lets just leave it with the wolfs winning...

OK, your explanation is certainly as good as mine :-)

Off the subject: "decimated" is an oft-misunderstood word, . We tend to think it means wiped out, i.e. reduced to only one-tenth of its original size - but it's really much less virulent, and means reduced by one-tenth.

Do I see the makings of a theme? "Scan" is another misunderstood word, meaning not to look over hastily and superficially, as many assume, but rather to scrutinize carefully and in great detail. ("We're being scanned, Captain.") Can you think of many other words like these two?

"Scan" is another misunderstood word, meaning not to look over hastily and superficially, as many assume, but rather to scrutinize carefully and in great detail.

Well, with that and peruse, then what the heck do we have for a brief look-over?

Singularly enough [what famous literary character was fond of that expression] Max, you and I seem to be often on the board at the same time, although it's generally around midnight here and I believe mid-morning there, and not the same day.

Living as I do in a timezone shared by very few others

Though likely by more than share mine, ya past-dwelling Aussie.

Or, indeed, mine.

Bingley

.. and getting back to the point Michael Quinion has this to say: http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-sha2.htm

Bingley

then what the heck do we have for a brief look-over?

I believe that's skim. Or that's what I learned, anyway.

Skim- a quick once over.
Bean is right on target.

I would like to add my conjecture to what Mr. Quinion said about shaking a stick being a threatening gesture. Back then, gentlemen carried sticks: walking sticks. It was very common to raise them (and shake them) as a threat, or for emphasis. (I can't help but think of the little guy on the Monopoly cards!) If there were too many of the opposition, then presumably you wouldn't want to shake your stick at them.

"Scan" ... meaning not to look over hastily and superficially, ... but rather to scrutinize carefully and in great detail.

what the heck do we have for a brief look-over?


Scan, for one. Per M-W on line, the root meaning of scan involves looking over point by point. This can be done with great care or superficially. It makes no matter.

The root meaning of decimate did involve killing of one in ten but the other nine were sent off to other legions. The remaining quantity was zero. It's not unlike the trick question involving the ten crows sitting on the fence. Farmer Brown shoots one of the crows. How many are left on the fence?
The answer is, of course, none. The other nine flew away at the sound of the gunshot.
Still, there are those who bristle at the thought of decimating eliminating more than ten percent. The lion's share, on the other hand, is often thought to mean the largest portion, but in the original story it was all.

What was lost to the lion's share has been added to the decimated.

Dear Bingley: thanks for posting the Quinion item. There is what I believe is an inaccurate statement near the end about "counting coup". An American aborigine (aka Indian) in combat who had the courage to show his contempt for the adversary by merely tapping him when he could have struck a damaging blow could count each time he did it, if he eventually was the victor, and could wear some sort of ornament on his ceremonial garments to record this.

What'd I miss?

oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood