Max, I LOVE this phrase that you used!
I was wondering if anyone else has some other lovely descriptors, group nouns, or whatever, about what we have here.
Oooo so sorry to go off thread so quick but what do you mean when you say "blagging" Max?
In French a blague is a joke. Are you hijacking his definition or making fun of it. I don't know where Jackie got your quote so I can't know by the context around it.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
blagging
SYLLABICATION:
blag·ging
PRONUNCIATION:
blgng
NOUN:
Caribbean Informal talk, usually among men, occurring in a public place: “the
street corner, the rum shop, the crossroads, wherever hanging out, or . . .
blagging, takes place” (Roger D. Abrahams).
ETYMOLOGY:
From French blaguer, to talk through one's hat, from blague, bladder, pouch,
of Germanic origin, ultimately from Latin bulga, leather bag. See bulge.
Dear Max: I wonder if there is any relationship between your "blag" to rob, and the much older British slang "lag" to arrest, or as noun a criminal.
Hey, Jackie, I too am not sure about the context of " A glory of words" but I like descriptive phrases. let me try...
This word forum:(sweetly) A flocking of wordlarks.
The members of this word forum: (crudely) The Grand Anuls of word retention.
But wait... uh?... is a prize given for this contest?
My Dear Jackie, in rural Alabama, October usually brings a blaze of Autumn color to the many stands of hardwoods. But in every stand there are trees of such breathtaking beauty that, as the locals say, "that tree is so purdy it makes you want to slap yore mammy." ( Don't ask me, thats just what they say). These special trees are called "Glory Trees".
Jackie, in the forest of words that is this forum, you are a Glory Tree and others are not. Milum
said the [Cheshire] Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
Milum!
Jackie, in the forest of words that is this forum, you are a Glory Tree
Oh, mercy!
But thank you! (Geez, my hands are cold.) You are the sweetest thing. I love the idea of being a wordlark!
But sorry, no prizes...
Ok, Milum, I am now splashing some water from our stream of banter on to you (see, I'm being nice, not even making you so much as dip your toes in.):
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
Would someone with access to the OED please look "blag" up and publish the results?
(bl&g) [Etym. unknown.]
Robbery (with violence); theft.
1885 Session Paper 30 July 471 There has been another blag down round here. 1936 J. Curtis Gilt Kid 22, I don't want to say ‘O.K.’ and then find out that I've let myself in for+doing a blag on the crown jewels. 1960 Observer 24 Jan. 5/1 The top screwing teams, the ones who went in for the really big blags, violent robberies.
Hence blag v., to rob (with violence); to steal. So "blagger, one who blags.
1933 C. E. Leach On Top of Underworld x. 137 Blag, snatch a watch chain right off. 1938 F. D. Sharpe S. of Flying Squad i. 15 Blaggers, screwsmen, [etc.]+abound in the Underworld of London. Ibid. 329 ‘Johnny blagged the till’—Johnny took the till. 1945 J. Henry What Price Crime? 93 Another is known as the ‘blagger’ or ‘snatcher’. These are usually young louts who specialize in snatching ladies' handbags and bolting off.
perhaps it's a blend of bag and lag; take a look at these citations:
(l&g)
†1. trans. To carry off, steal. Obs.
1573 Tusser Husb. xx. (1878) 54 Some corne away lag in bottle and bag. Some steales, for a iest, egges out of the nest. Ibid. xxxvi. 86 Poore cunnie, so bagged, is soone ouer lagged.
(b&g) trans.
6. colloq. a. To seize, catch, take possession of, steal. To add to one's ‘bag’ (bag n. 9). fig.
Our newcomer Milum holds forth: The members of this word forum: (crudely) The Grand Anuls of word retention.
I'd say it's *actually® more like the opposite, Milo.
... and then goes on: Jackie, in the forest of words that is this forum, you are a Glory Tree and others are not.
Not at all disagreeing with ya about our special Jackie and the magic she makes, but. What are the others, then?
Anna, I am not eating at your house if you make chopped liver from trees!
but maybe we are all drift wood.. we drift in and out of the threads..
Actually®, we make chopped liver from legumes.
faldage, i am ready to believe you are a legume-- (specificaly, a nut!) but your better half? she doesn't seem nutty to me.. and can't believe she'd make chopped liver from kidney (beans) or nuts!
a legume-- (specificaly, a nut!)
Nuts? Legumes??
I don't think so.
Peanuts-- (legumes!) nuts to you!
Not nuts to me! To me they're legumes.
Nuts are indehiscent and legumes are dehiscent. If you can reconcile that there's more differences we could talk about. (Wouldn't want to be accused of giving TMI)
Dear AnnaStrophic,
Look into my eyes
Others have known for a long time
What I have only known for the briefest of time
That you have a most beautiful mind.
Milum
PS: the Others who are not are belMarduk. I am mad at him.
Faldage, trust you to think that nuts are indecent...
Is there really such a thing as chopped liver? I have heard of paté, but never heard anyone say, "What am I, paté?"
And when I looked up peanut, I learned a new word--thank you.
peanut, low plant (Arachis hypogaea) of the pulse family, and its protein-rich, edible seeds. Native to South America, it is now widely cultivated. The seeds (peanuts) are eaten fresh or roasted and used in cooking and confection. They are ground to make peanut butter and yield an oil used for margarine, cooking oil, soap manufacture, and industrial purposes. The peanut plant is unusual for its geocarpy: when the pod begins to form, it is pushed into the ground by elongation of the stalk and matures underground.
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The Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 1999, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/
RE: Is there really such a thing as chopped liver?
Oh yes. chopped chicken livers are wonderfu. the gently poached livers are chopped, so that they still have some texture. hard boiled eggs are added.. chicken fat, and spices.. the result, an ambroisa. Some deli's have good chopped chicken liver, but appetizing shops.. similar to deli's but not quite the same, are good sourses. Manhattans lower east side, or parts of flushing, (queens) or brooklyn-- where i am less familiar with the neighborhoods, every borough has at least one nieghborhood, that has the best appetizing shop, that has the best chopped chicken liver..
chopped liver is one of those dishes, that sounds like nothing.. it is the simplest of food, but when done right, it is fit for a king.
RE: Is there really such a thing as chopped liver?
Oh yes. chopped chicken livers are wonderfu. the gently poached livers are chopped, so that they still have some texture. hard boiled eggs are added.. chicken fat, and spices.. the result, an ambrosia. Some deli's have good chopped chicken liver, but appetizing shops.. similar to deli's but not quite the same, are good sourses. Manhattans lower east side, or parts of flushing, (queens) or brooklyn-- where i am less familiar with the neighborhoods, every borough has at least one nieghborhood, that has the best appetizing shop, that has the best chopped chicken liver..
chopped liver is one of those dishes, that sounds like nothing.. it is the simplest of food, but when done right, it is fit for a king.
Not chopped liver.
Yeah, the seed pods, unlike those of peas, beans and other legumes, go back in the ground. That's why *some people mistakenly believe peanuts to be related to the potato and other nuts.
And who said anything about indecent?
Indehiscent; that means they smell like hissy turkeys.
Other nuts? are there other nuts that grow back into the ground?
i know some mangrove trees have trendrels that drop from branches and form new roots.. so the tree not only has a main trunk, but many small, trunk like appendages..each one forms it own root system. it's a very effective for a tree that grows in costal waters, and can be subject to storm damage. but it doesn't send seed pods underground.
aside from the peanut plant, and mangrove, i don't know of any other plant that have this geocarpy habit.
nor do i know of any true nuts that grow underground. i think the peanut is mistaken for a nut, because of its oilyness, and its firm crunchy texture. Legumes are not general thought of as an oil source (green pea oil any one?) but nuts are (walnut oil, almond oil) and some legumes are amost toxic eaten in a dry state.
other nuts that grow back into the ground?
Other than what?
green pea oil any one?
How bout soybean oil?
Banyan trees also go in for this geocarpy if I've understood it aright.
Bingley
Chopped liver is fabulous, especially when eaten with onions fried (caramelized) in butter. But as usual, what is great to taste is bad to waist.
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Um Milum, I am not a he but a she. And why exactly are you mad at me?
Because I included you in some fun we were having with puns and inuendo
OR
Because I immediately apologized if I inadvertently made you feel bad after Jackie said you might not have understood my joking.