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Does anyone know the origin of the word "frog" for the nut, or thumb grip (so to speak), of the bow of stringed instruments?
Last edited by inselpeter; 03/11/06 12:02 PM.
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wow. a tough one. searching several of the regular sites turns up nothing. I can only guess that it's a reference to the physical shape? it kind of looks like a frog if you use your imagination... :P
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I did find this, A loop fastened to a belt to hold a tool or weapon, and the frog *is one of the anchors of the hair on the bow, so that's a possibility. I wonder if this bow is the technological relative/descendant of the weapon.
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now that sounds much more likely. early musical bows were much more "bow" shaped than the flat bow of today. I believe that in other cultures, African, for example, the bows still have the rounded shape, especially those handmade.
great topic, Insel!
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Of course, the modern instrumental bow isn't flat, but inverted, with the bend *facing* the hair. (That, in itself, must have been a huge breakthrough). This makes sense from a mechanical standpoint, because the hair flexes toward the bow, as opposed to away from it, as in an archer's bow. It seems to me, though, that I have seen primitive stringed instruments with concave bows where the 'hair' contacts the string from below, but it also seems to me I could be wrong.
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Cavers use one of two harness rigs for ascending from deep pits.
The ropewalker system: The climber is attached to the rope with little one-way cams on each foot that allows him to literally "walk" up the rope.
Or,
The frog system: Here the climber sits back into his body harness that is attached to the rope and then he stands up on both feet while moving the one way "jumar" upwards, much like a hopping frog.
That's all I know about "frogs" and my Granny told me to say all you know about a subject and then shut up.
But before I shut up I would like to say that I miss my Granny.
Last edited by themilum; 03/11/06 01:02 PM.
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> primitive stringed instruments with concave bows where the 'hair' contacts the string from below
I have seen pictures where the bow is held below the neck, so bow and hair are encircling the neck, but do you mean the hair is actually between the neck and string? that would mean stringing the bow each time, or I guess if left that way, you'd never lose your bow!
and milo, I only ever knew one of my grandparents, and I miss my Granny, too.
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I note that the third sense of the five choices offered in the OED seems the closest relative, so I wonder if the button-like protuberance was named after the frog fastening on a coat?
[Of obscure origin; perh. ad. Pg. froco (repr. L. floccus flock n.), which has much the same sense.]
1. An attachment to the waist-belt in which a sword or bayonet or hatchet may be carried.
2. An ornamental fastening for the front of a military coat or cloak, consisting of a spindle-shaped button, covered with silk or other material, which passes through a loop on the opposite side of the garment.
3. Comb., as frog-belt, -button.
© OED
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I'm going with Maverick's above-listed no. 2, for the time being. By protuberance, though, do you mean the screw that pokes out at the end of the stick, or the little inlaid bulls-eye that is usually on either side of the frog proper, which bulls-eye does not protuberate 
Last edited by inselpeter; 03/13/06 12:32 PM.
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> the little inlaid bulls-eye
what is this, a bullfrog?!
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Good question Myr - I had not heard of them being called that; my gran was a florist (Kent, UK) and just referred to them as 'bases' AFAICR, but no doubt someone else can shed more light.
Thanks too for the pic of the musical frogs - I had thought it referred only to the metallic knob, rather than the entire endpiece of the bow. Going bach to basics has helped me get a handel on it.
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The little metallic knob is the screw; it is used to tighten and loosen the hairs, but, even though the two are sold as a unit, I don't know if the screw is technically considered part of the frog. Of course, if the little bull's eye decoration is the frog as in military dress, that could throw me back to the saber anchor.
The flower things are probably called frogs because they're green and they sit in the water. Something you'd say to a kid, kind of.
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Quote:
Going bach to basics has helped me get a handel on it.
Right, mav. In other words, it ain't baroque, don't fix it.[/occam's razor]
Last edited by AnnaStrophic; 03/13/06 04:21 PM.
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> it ain't baroque, don't fix it oooh, you just wait til Fong sees that...
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