In an e-mail message from a vicar-chum in the Mother Country, she asked what vestments I wore to conduct a funeral (the Burial Office) on Thursday last. I responded and her response was that, back in Blighty, they do not bother with such frippery.
I thought frippery referred to foolishness, nonsense, things that are a waste of time. But mayhaps there is a closer connection to vesture.
I note that Shanks (where IS Shanks?) and FishonaBike (where IS FishonaBike) both used this term back in 2000 on this Board. They being Anglic, it must be an Anglicism. Mustn't it?
well, etymyonline gives us:
frippery
1568, "old clothes, cast-off garments," from M.Fr. friperie "old clothes, an old clothes shop," from O.Fr. freperie, from frepe "rag," from L.L. faluppa "chip, splinter, straw, fiber." The notion is of "things worn down, clothes rubbed to rags." The ironic meaning "finery" (but with overtones of tawdriness) dates from 1637.
so, no frip answer at hand, I'd say your vesture guess is very clothe.
>>Anglican<<
Well, it derives from Latin through old French, if that means anything. The main definitions refer to unnecessarilly showy clothing, so the more general meaning of pretentiousnesss or ostentation are apparently originally metaphorical. I like the Latin "faluppa" ("worthless material") from which it ultimately derives: especially as I imagine it rendered in Brooklynese.
etaoin sez: no frip answer at hand, I'd say your vesture guess is very clothe.
You have fallen dangerously under the influence of TEd. I will pray for you.
The adjectival form appears to be "fripperous" which got 126 Google hits but did not make it into the One-Look Dictionary system.
frippery itself has been adjectivized, as has frippish (marked obs. rare by OED).
1739 GRAY Lett. Wks. 1884 II. 49 That city..made so frippery an appearance, that instead of spending some days there..we only dined, and went on to Parma. 1768 FOOTE Devil on 2 Sticks I, In spite of the frippery French Salick laws, a woman is a free agent. 1795 Jemima I. 161 His dress..is so frippery. 1844 Blackw. Mag. LV. 200 Neither will they be persuaded by the frippery tomes which load the counters. 1859 JEPHSON Brittany v. 55 Numbers of frippery and vulgar ornaments on the table. 18.. M. PATTISON Mem. ii. (1885) 89 Betake themselves..to the frippery work of attending boards.
1787 Generous Attachment I. 156 Let them erect their pompous edifices with all the frippish grandeur of modern architecture.
Got it! Any band with Robert Fripp in it may properly be called King Crimson, no matter who the others might be.
Friperie in French has a few meanings.
The first is a term for old clothing.
The second is a shop that sells used clothing.
The third is a set of clothing for an occassion. I think that may be what your friend is referring to Father Steve.
a set of clothing for an occassion.
Now that makes some sense, what with the Mother Country being just across the ditch from France and all.
>>A shop that sells old clothing<<
Why do I love that?
In reply to:
Friperie in French has a few meanings.
The first is a term for old clothing.
The second is a shop that sells used clothing.
The third is a set of clothing for an occassion. I think that may be what your friend is referring to Father Steve.
1 obsolete a : castoff clothes b : a place where old clothes are sold
2 a : a piece of finery : FINERY; especially : a showy nonessential article of dress that may be cheap and tawdry, excessively detailed and ornamented, or elegant and rich <the fripperies of her elegant bonnet trembling -- Arnold Bennett> b : affected elegance : OSTENTATION
[W3]
but I think now I've mantled the entire thread.
>>A shop that sells old clothing<<
Why do I love that?
Probably for the same reason that I love the word "coleporteur"
>>>Probably for the same reason that I love the word "coleporteur"
Ooo, really?? Very few people I know love colporteurs. I'm too lazy to look it up in English, but in French a colporteur is a door-to-door saleman (think vacuum cleaners and insurance).
I'm too lazy:
of devotional literature.
Bel, I don't love door-to-door salesmen anymore than anyone else - this in spite of the fact that I once sold vacuum cleaners (and there's a job that sucks). I DO love the word "colporteur", first because I like the idea that there is such a specific occupational word, and second because of Cole Porter, the songwriter. Makes me wonder if that WAS his real name.......
Makes me wonder if that WAS his real name.......
Nuh-uh. It was Willy Loman.
sounds like it's night and day between the word and the name...
Roger, please sing that for us!!