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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Sounds like too committed to commitment.
How bout waffler?
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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What is the etymology of retranca? If we could take a look at its own word history, it may be easier to figure out possible synonyms.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear WW: There was a caballero called El Retranco, because, like the Chatanooga Choo-choo,
he always..............on time.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dunno about the etymology but the meaning seems to be connected more with hiding things than with avoiding commitment. There is, in my Diccionario Usual, another meaning, freno, given that translates out as a part of the bridle that goes in the horse's mouth to control it. Another definition for freno is a part of a machine that limits or stops movement.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Retranca sounds a lot like retrench, meaning to cut back, particularly on expenditure. Is there a connection?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The trench in retrench comes from the Latin truncare, to mutilate. Spanish tranquear means to make a big leap. Doesn't sound like they're related.
I think the cut back on expenditures meaning of retrench is a figurative meaning derived from the military idea of falling back and digging new trenches. I got thinking that the idea of waffling that Maurice mentions in the opening of this thread may derive from being limited in motion, being limited in ability to make that last step necessary for a commitment. Portuguese definitions of retranca include a blocking of a goal in soccer and category, identifying marker. The lovely ASp will get back with us on that latter Portuguese definition.
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old hand
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old hand
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freno is brake in Italian.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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But "frenetic" means having no brakes, behaviourwise.
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old hand
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old hand
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Atomica gives as the source for frenetic:
Middle English frenetik, from Old French frenetique, from Latin phrenēticus, from Greek phrenītikos, from phrenītis, brain disease, from phrēn, mind.
I see the connection with phrenology now.
Hey, does anyone know what governs whether or not words with ultimately Greek origins keep their ph- at the front? Is frenetic spelled with an f because it came through French? (No, wait, they use ph too, as in phoque.) Anyone?
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Phrenology reminds me of ancient joke about the guy who was a nut about phrenology.
When he tried to break a date because tempted to go to a lecture on phrenology, his
girl friend said: "Well, it's your choice. Heads or tail."
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