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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
An interesting word from a uni rag-week magazine (I read anything!):
Palliasse - A thin mattress filled with straw or sawdust, f. F paillasse, f. It. pagliaccio, f. Rom. paleaceum, f .L palea, straw, chaff.
The word was described by AHD and MW as a variant of paillasse, although I have never seen it spelt that way in English; maybe that is a USn spelling?
The most interesting thing though is that it seems to be only the OED that brings in the Italian word pagliaccio, which generally is defined as meaning ‘clown’, or ‘buffoon’ (hence the famous opera). I can’t see any connection although the language link between country people and clowns is an established one.
There is the last word in the definition above, 'chaff', n. [AC. ceaf; akin to D. kaf, G. kaff.] Light jesting talk; banter; raillery. But it's stretching it a bit to link that with 'clown'!
Is pagliaccio an Oxford error, or is there a positive connection do you think?
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Joined: Jan 2001
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
I think paglia is straw which would make pagliaccio something related to or made of straw. If you then think of a scarecrow (traditionally depicted as being made of straw) it is easy to come up with a new meaning involving a clown. However, the word has straw origins, which could be confirmed by someone having a proper Italian dictionary (not just a translating one).
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I learned the word in French. Is it likely that while the French double "l" has a "y" sound, that English writers inserted the "i" after the "ll" to get correct pronunciation?
Why am I remembering opera, a sad sack called Palliace or something like that?
Edit: I found it.
I Pagliacci, variously translated as Traveling Players or Clowns, is a popular and often performed short opera in the verismo style.
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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That's him, mav. I never did find out what all the agony was about.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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(hence the famous opera)It's OK, dixbie. Some people just need it spelled out. Here, have some chopped liver. 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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spelled out
Some of us are proud to be rustic, so don't be too cavaliera!
My daughter went to her first production at Glyndebourne last week, sweet 16 & posh frock n'all ~ she couldn't believe the elaborations of silver service and crystal goblets of some of the less rustic fellow-picnicers! But definitely no chopped liver in sight.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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What's Glyndebourne, please?
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Pooh-Bah
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OP
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Glyndebourne: http://www.glyndebourne.com/It is quite close to where I live - 15 miles or so - but to my shame I have never been.
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