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Joined: Feb 2007
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Feb 2007
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A news story last week described Camilla, of Charles and Camilla, as looking a bit "linsey-woolsey." Can anyone help me with the origin of that perfect bit of description?
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Orig. a textile material, woven from a mixture of wool and flax; now, a dress material of coarse inferior wool, woven upon a cotton warp. (i.e., a mixture of linen and wool)
figuritively, a strange medley in talk or action; confusion, nonsense.
What linsie wolsy hast thou to speake to us againe.
- All's Well, WS
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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curiously, jewish law prohibbits it! It is considered wrong to mix fibers in this way!
linsey woolsy was often used for things like bench covers (on wagon cushions, or other outdoor/rough places.)
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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see Quinion for a comment on the Shakespearean use!
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jul 2005
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My immediate conjecture: By semantic drift, this ought to mean also ambiguous or befuddled, after the pols Linsey or Lidsey, and after woolly thinking: fuzzy; unclear; disorganized (see also tsu's link above)
Anyone else have this reaction
dalehileman
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293 |
Quote:
curiously, jewish law prohibbits it! It is considered wrong to mix fibers in this way!
linsey woolsy was often used for things like bench covers (on wagon cushions, or other outdoor/rough places.)
Yes, according to the bible, one of the laws God handed to Moses was about mixing different types of clothing (along with instruction about marrying your daughter-in-law, wearing tatoos and shaving your beard). It is in Leviticus around chapter 20-21
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