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stranger
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stranger
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I am enjoying "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa" by F.C. Selous, written in the 19th century, a second time. Nearly every second page delights with old turns of phrase or words. One adjective Selous uses is goussy, as in "a forest of goussy trees". A brief Google revealed nothing except that it appears French. Can anybody help?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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ugh. the slaughter of elephants (and I presume other wildlife). no thanks. (I was interested in goussy, but not no more.) link to context
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Carpal Tunnel
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While googling about, I came across another form (maybe): magoussy. No definition of that either.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I have a half dozen ancient dictionaries, it's not in any of
them. Sorry. Checked a couple French dictionaries as well:
ne rien.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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Welcome aBoard, Rupert. Could it possibly be a bastardization of gossamer? I can't see trees slaughtering animals, somehow. Then there's gouache, either a painting or a method of painting. But since it's a book centered on hunting, prolly tsuwm's link is the correct path.
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Carpal Tunnel
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>I can't see trees slaughtering animals, somehow.
where in the whorl d'ya get that?! it's not in my post or certainly not the link..
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Carpal Tunnel
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French Google gives only family names on this, maybe the trees are named after a Monsieur Goussy.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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I have been looking around too and haven't found anything more.
I did read several pages from the novel, but didn't find it interesting. The idea of 'man the big hunter' is so out moded in this century.
Now if he was 'shooting' with a camera, that would be fabulous.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I'll say this about it, it doesn't appear to be any sort of typo, as this author uses 'goussy' nine(9!) times in the referenced book, all in relation to forests or trees.
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where in the whorl d'ya get that?! From the OP.
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Nuncle used google intransitively!
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Nuncle used google intransitively!Valency ( link) is one of the more slippery terms in linguistics.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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veteran
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veteran
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I thought at first a riff on "gusset," but that seems too far a stretch.
Given the context, a play on "gossamer" is sensical, even appropriate. The guys are walking through a "jungle" or very dense growth and then come to a mere "forest" with very little undergrowth which is compared to gossamer which is very light or insubstantial - but not quite gossamer, because it's not entirely "delicate."
Last edited by TheFallibleFiend; 04/07/11 01:52 PM.
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>a play on "gossamer"
maybe. but to use the same 'play' nine times? that's a tad self-indulgent.
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addict
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addict
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Maybe he was trying to start a new trend? Or mayhaps it was a personal idiosyncrasy (rather like myn  ) and he just enjoyed using the word
----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
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old hand
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old hand
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A Play on Gussed up as in dressed up?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Trees goussied up in their spring (or fall) finery? Why not?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Trees goussied up in their spring (or fall) finery? Why not? Now that you put it that way, I remember my grandmother saying that when a person was all dressed up. I don't know how it was spelled, gussied or goussied. But gussied up, fit to kill.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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This is from Pantagruel chapter IX : (partly)
"Jona andie guaussa goussy etan beharda er remedio beharde versela ysser landa. Anbat es otoy y es nausu ey nessassust gourray proposian ordine den. Non yssena bayta facheria egabe gen herassy badia sadassu noura assia. Aran hondavan gualde cydassu naydassuna. Estou oussyc eg vinan soury hien er darstura eguy harm. Genicoa plasar vadu.' Are you there, said Eudemon, Genicoa? To this said Carpalim, St. Trinian's rammer unstitch your bum, for I had almost understood it. Then answered Panurge:"
"I think we need our olde Franche specialist for this"
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----please, draw me a sheep----
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