Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5
#120750 01/22/04 10:06 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Looking at the background etymology of Anu’s ‘fensibles’, I came across this charming expression in OED2:

to make a Virginia fence: ‘to walk like a drunken man’ (Lowell Biglow Papers Introd.) [...]

1745 Franklin Drinker's Dict. Wks. 1887 II. 26 He makes a Virginia Fence.





#120751 01/22/04 11:41 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
ah yes, the Drinker's Dictionary..
http://snipurl.com/3zok

(Max, there may well be a site out there with just the dictionary, but here is the uncluttered link to the above:
http://www.historycarper.com/resources/twobf2/pg36-37.htm)

#120752 01/22/04 12:56 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Amplification, or the Art of saying Little in Much, seems to be principally studied by the Gentlemen Retainers to the Law. 'Tis highly useful when they are to speak at the Bar; for by its Help, they talk a great while, and appear to say a great deal, when they have really very little to say. But 'tis principally us'd in Deeds and every thing they write. You must abridge their Performances to understand them; and when you find how little there is in a Writing of vast Bulk, you will be as much surpriz'd as a Stranger at the Opening of a Pumpkin.


No comment.


#120753 01/22/04 01:43 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
'Scuse me, sir, that's "fencible"...and--are you looking to bring the wrath of both Wordwind and Sparteye down on your head? Actually, the VA. fence thing could as well be Kentucky fence; Kentucky's surveying was done on the metes and bounds system, and it wouldn't surprise me if Virginia's were, also.

In the course of trying to find out the above, I came across this utterly charming story, which I strongly recommend that everyone read, but esp. Dr. Bill. I'll try posting the link, but it's humongously long. If it makes the thread go wide, I may just copy the entire story.

http://


EDIT: It didn't make the thread wide on my screen, but I know that may not be true for everybody. Holler if it made yours go wide.

EDIT 2: Ok, I did. I'd prefer it go straight to the read, but I guess people can figure out to click on Story. Edit 3: Eep--sorry about the mantle.

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/NorShip.html

Click on Story.

You can edit out your link, Jackie.


#120755 01/22/04 02:09 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Now you C it, then you didn't...

fensabill, -ly obs. ff. fencible, fencibly

fensiveObs.


= defensive.

1583 Stanyhurst Æneis ii. (Arb.) 53 Fensiue seruice. 1595 Barnfield Sonn. i, Skin, the bodies fensiue wall. 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. 15 The Troyans+seeke to retire into their fensive towne. 1621 Quarles Div. Poems, Esther (1717) 157 The Hills His fensive Bulwarks are.


OED2 of course!


#120756 01/22/04 02:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
In Colonial days fences were often made without vertical
posts, because they did not have posthole diggers. The logs
were split, the laid at an angle of almost 90 degrees to
each other with ends overlapping enough to be stable.
The zig-zag made them quite stable. Here's pictures of a
modern version, which, however does use vertical posts.
Remember Abraham Lincoln as a young man worked as a rail-splitter.
http://home.comcast.net/~matancero/BigWormFence1.html


#120757 01/22/04 02:35 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Fences like this are used at the Sharpsville/Antietam battleground park. Quite fascinating construction!


#120758 01/22/04 04:19 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
M
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
M
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
wow, good catch, Bill - I've never seen anything like that, and it certainly makes one think of staggering homeward! And I guess on the battlefield, with plentiful lumber delivered by railroad, it would have been a good strategy to hedge your bets...


#120759 01/22/04 04:52 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Augh, I left out a couple of things I meant to put in my first post; I got sidetracked by that story and how to share it.

I was only poking the borax about the c vs. s spellings! And yes, I see now that the split-rail fence is the much more likely reference--thanks, Dr. Bill.

I had also meant to say that fencible might not be as far off the apparent meaning as the W.A.D. seems to indicate. Even if it did mean "capable of being fenced", couldn't one reason for putting up a fence be, well, defense (or defence )?

Here's a picture of a buck fence, in case you haven't seen one of those, either.
http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/fr/research/aspen/or_gifs/fence2.gif


Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5