(LAT) ‘to the man.’ An Informal Logical Fallacy which attacks the person rather than their argument. Although it may be used effectively and even rightly so against the Hypocrite and those dissimulating prigs who live in Whited Sepulchres. (Ref Harper Valley PTA by Jeanne C Riley). In the case at hand, there is irony in the fact that the poor fellow who’s using this rhetorical jibe is himself a Straw Man (another ILF) against his Creator who formed him without sufficient Mind or Will. If the Farmer has a master plan it is clearly indiscernible to our protagonist.
Neologism. A pun on the above. Homonym comes originally from the Greek, literally meaning ‘same name.’ So to make such an argument implies that the name you are calling your opponent applies to yourself as well; viz. the kid’s retort, “I know you are, but what am I?” But our man is unfazed by this. He syllogizes, vaguely, thus, “I know that I am a ‘dim-wit.’ I am created in the Image of my Maker. Hence, my Maker is a Dim Wit.”
Alms. N. OE; date ? “Charitable relief of the poor.” Root goes back to Gk eleemosyne, ‘pity, mercy,’ Also has links to “compassionate, pity, mercy.”’ Of unknown origin and perhaps imitates cries of pleading. A neolog verb form, ‘Alming,’ could be the act of the giver, but seems more apt for the asker who sits on the street corner crying, “Alms, alms, alms for the poor.”
The audience (mass noun) viewed as the collection of its members as unique individual participants. The first use of this that the author heard was by Chris Hardman of Antenna Theater in S.F in the early 1980s. He invented Walkman Theater immersive performance pieces where the audience was literally in the middle of the ‘stage’ which could be anyplace, and often was. Each member of this ‘cast’ was ‘alone,’— wearing their private headphones,— and could not be certain what their fellow ‘audients’’ were experiencing (or for that matter even, hearing). So the experience was unique and made one aware that you were co-creating the theatrical experience. And loads of fun. It does not seem to have caught on in popular usage. The earliest (and rare) definitions i could find are from the early 90’s.
Variant of ‘old’ that more accurately preserves the Anglo-Saxon vowel. Surviving in northern English and Scottish; after late 14c. it was distinctly Scottish.
Pain resulting from a rapid change in pressure which in severe cases can be fatal. A condition of bubbles in the blood which sometimes occurs during ascent. Also known as decompression sickness or interestingly, Caisson Disease. See below.
A pun. From Besmirch; To make dirty or stained. The expression of one who sneers at the plight of others who are downtrodden. As the laughing centurions at the foot of the Cross.
A digestive juice (described as being bitter? Who did that taste test?) secreted by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, that aids in the digestion of fats. Also, two (black and yellow) of the four humors in ancient and medieval philosophy. (The other two being Blood and Phlegm). First described by Hippocrates and later by Galen whose writings on the subject came to be called Humourism or Humoralism (this author’s favorite term, as it points up the ethical/moral component of Comedy, most notably in bitter or black comedy.)
Pretty obvious portmanteau*—block head. Block, implying dense. But Noggin has some interesting etymological roots; the first reference to “head” appears as an Americanism from the mid 1800s. Origin unknown. The word originally meant, c 1620s, “small cup, mug,” but later came to refer to the contents, “small drink” (1690s), and is also a small quantity of liquor, about a quarter of a pint. So a head that can’t hold very much (or maybe is besotted with booze).
*Portmanteau: Coined in 1882. Thank you, Mr. Dodgson.
A short, small weapon, a pointed dagger. Of unknown origin from
c 1300. Though this def. is now archaic, it is also used in knitting and sewing for a blunt, large eyed tool for drawing cord or laces through materials such as leather, which doesn’t sound very dangerous. Perhaps this was an inside joke by Shakespeare in Hamlet’s soliloquy; he wasn’t really serious about dispatching himself, it was just all part of the pantomime, getting into character before the show.
Too, it would then also reference the rich man and the eye of the needle. The term is also used in printing, lithography and bookbinding, which somehow seems related.
Shortening of Bon Mot, literally “good word.” A clever remark or saying; a Witticism. From French. (evidemment!) From Latin muttire “to mutter, mumble, murmur.” Often best served as a not quite heard aside.
Most commonly this refers to a cart that carries an ammunition case. President Kennedy’s flag-draped casket was carried on a horse-drawn caisson to the U.S. Capitol to lie in state. And there is the World War I song, As The Caissons Go Rolling Along. In engineering it is a watertight chamber used in construction work under water or as a foundation used in the construction of bridges or tunnels.
A waterfall, especially one containing great volumes of water. From Greek, kata- “down” and rhattein- “to dash, break hard.” Such as might befall a dare devil who decides to go over in a barrel. Also a clouding of the eye that blocks the passage of light.
Tax, levy,” 1530s, from the verb cess “impose a tax upon” (altered spelling of sess (assess). Also, cess-pool, “cistern or well to receive sediment or filth,” 1670s, perhaps an alteration of cistern. There are several possible etymologies. “Drainpipe,” Old French “a vent, air hole.” (With its suggestion of “down the drain.”). The Italian cesso “privy” [OED].” In Late Latin “privy, drain”; or “a bog on the banks of a tidal river.” In any case, not a place to be stuck.” (Also see Obligate below)
Straight from the Latin, meaning book. Also related to a writing added to a will to explain, alter, add to, or revoke original terms. See Blocknoggin above.
Entered English via Latin mid 1600s. Originally meaning ‘allied by blood, related by birth, etc.’ it could also refer to things, ‘related in origin, traceable to a common source.’ By about 1780 it began to be used specifically in describing words coming from the same root or original word but showing differences because of separate linguistic development. And by 1800 had come to also mean ‘from the same original language.’ Cognates are however more like cousins than siblings. A philologist, (who needn’t be a linguist) like a tailor, must often unravel what has been given him, taking it apart so it might once again to appear new. The strands are of varied material, tex and color. And must be rewoven or reworked. In the hands of a master tailor, the piece may be ‘altered’ to make it not only appear but actually be a new thing. A Cloak of Many Colors, say…
From Discombulate, ‘to upset, embarrass,’ 1834, discombobricate, American English, mock-Latin coinage of a type popular the time. Where it came from nobody knows. But it comes from the same attitude that brought us such doozies as absquatulate, bloviate, hornswoggle. Mark Twain passed many of them down to us and no doubt coined not a few of his own.
Combobulate is an elision of an ‘unpaired word,’ which is the negative of a word whose positive form is now obsolete or rare.
These unpaired negatives are, if not legion, at any rate quite common. We can say someone is unkempt, unruly, disconsolate or uncouth, and perhaps best of the batch, disgruntled. but we can’t normally say that he is kempt, ruly, consolate or couth unless we are exploiting the unfamiliar word for humorous effect. “Who dare question my Couth?!” For more on this and many other fascinating factoids the reader is encouraged to look at the invaluable website World Wide Words. You will not be disappointed.
Middle English ‘to compense’ is to give or do something good to balance out or make up for something bad or to make up for some defect. In Old French ‘compensable’ meant “to consider, ponder.” (Hm, think about it).
From confabulate. V. Engage in conversation, talk. In Psychology, “to fabricate imaginary experiences to compensate for loss of memory.” In more common usage, often shortened to the more casual ‘confab’ or the even more jokey ‘conflab.’
French. A play on Coquette. A flirtatious woman (with whom the author has little experience). Comes from mid 17th century: feminine of the adj coquet, ‘wanton’, diminutive of coq.
Cheat, defraud. Mid 16c. Unknown origin.
Pun on Crawl. Caul. Early 14c. until the 17c. ‘close-fitting cap worn by women,’ from French, of unknown origin. In medical usage beginning the the late 14c. the reference is to various membranes, particularly, beginning in the mid 15c., the amnion enclosing the fetus before birth. In folk lore, if a child was born draped in the sac, it was believed to augur prosperity, the gift of eloquence, and curiously, protect against drowning.
The pun, craul, suggests crawling back into the cozy comfort of the womb, safe and secure from the slings and arrows, the onslaught of life and its hordes of outrageous fortune. Also see Beckett.
Entered English from Latin mid 1600s in the figurative sense of ‘dim, indistinct.’ Oddly, its literal use, ‘pertaining to or resembling twilight,’ seems to have arrived later, around 1750, from Latin crepusculum ‘twilight, dusk,’ especially of evening twilight. Also 17c.-18c. it was used to refer to morning twilight symbolizing imperfect enlightenment. An older— more musical, less dire sounding— adjective form was crepusculine around 1540.
A moment of sudden insight, which leads to a dramatic transformation of attitude or belief. From the Bible story in Acts of Saul of Tarsus being struck down by a bright light and converted on the road to Damascus.
Canadian? Ice hockey slang, c 1960s. Short for decoy. To fake a defender out of position.
From Italian diminuendo ‘lessening, diminishing,’ musical instruction to a performer to lessen the volume of sound, 1775. The instruction is often indicated by “>” or abbreviated “dim.” Amusingly suggesting in the title of the piece, as used here, “Dim, dim. . .” Or perhaps, “Dimmer, dimmer. . .”
OE. Scum thrown off during the process of smelting. Sense of worthless leftovers from 1400s. Later came to refer to refuse or rubbish, mid 1500s.
V. ‘To insist on payment of debt.’ Early 17th c.
N.‘An agent employed to collect debts.’ Early 17c.
Adj. Dunn ‘dingy brown, dark-colored’ from OE going back to PIE dusnos meaning ‘dark.’
All three senses apply here. As a noun, ‘dun color,’ mid 16c. “A dun horse” from late 14c. Whereby comes the figurative expression, the dun is in the mire, meaning stuck or at a standstill and needing rescuing. The sense is used by both Chaucer and Shakespeare. The latter using the sense of being covered or even consumed by the dark gives us what may well be the word’s greatest appearance in ‘the Scottish play.’ In her chilling soliloquy, Lady Macbeth steels herself for the evil task she is about to embark upon, invoking the darkness, careless of the debt and the inevitable arrival of the merciless agent who will surely come for to Dun the debt: “Act 1, Scene 5: Come, thick night, / And pall me in the dunnest smoke of hell.”
Variant of N. excrescence early 15c., “action of growing out,” from Latin excrescentia (plural) “abnormal growths.” Meaning “that which grows out abnormally” (on a living thing) is from 1570s.
Act of making satisfaction or reparation for an offense. ‘Atonement, Reparation, early 15c. from Latin. (Which, by the by, was not spoken in the Revival Tent).
Old English, “glad, cheerful, happy, joyful,” etc. However, it often means ‘glad’ in a relative sense, “content to accept when something better is unobtainable; under the circumstances.” As in Luke 15:16 KJV
Land that is plowed but unplanted, in order to revitalize the soil or to prevent overproduction. (A wise-ass critic could have a field day with this). It can describe, metaphorically, something left unused; say a fallow mind.
Ellipsis of figurante (Ital), ‘appearing.’ From ballet, a dancer in the chorus appearing in crowd scenes or as background for soloists. More generally, ‘walk on’ suggesting a bit player, akin to the supernumerary, or ‘spear carrier’ in opera.
Mid 16th c. “flap about loosely,” probably a derivative from Middle English. Perhaps imitative of something flapping lazily in the wind. The sense of “go limp, droop, become languid” used her is from early 1600s.
Goods from a sunken ship which have floated to the surface. Often used with Jetsam— floating goods that have been thrown overboard. Generally, it’s used to describe odds and ends usually strewn about. Both are actual legal maritime terms, along with Lagan and Derelict— a useful term for another day.
Agree to give up or do without something. But also to lie. Both senses are used in the piece. ‘The forswearing over’ in the first. The second, ‘Any lie to allay the torture.’ The ‘swearing’ a result of realizing one had been so easily duped.
From an obs verb, “to load a ship with cargo.” Whence we get the term freight. Used colloquially, to describe being filled with dread over the likelihood of something turning out undesirable, or even disastrous. Freighted with Dread.
Fr. Neologism from frottage; rubbing or friction. In art, a technique to make an impression by placing material such as paper over an uneven surface to ‘take a rubbing’ of it using pencil or charcoal, such as is done in old cemeteries to copy headstones. Cf ‘a shaded lie’; truth is often revealed out of a darkness, appearing as a negative. Frottage is also a term for a paraphilia— taking pleasure by rubbing against the clothed body of another for sexual gratification usually in public places. Done with the consent of the other person, this is what was referred to in days gone by as ‘dry humping,’ which on the one hand was a pretty sure pregnancy prevention, but was a kind of fake sex. On the other hand, it was a way to get around the strictures about sex that called for the foreswearing (see above) of same, which was just not sustainable. Used as above it also suggests forgery, another fake representation, an untruth in order to gain something. Ranging far afield here, the reader is cautioned not to read too much into this.
Ben Jonson, appropriating the word, used the term ‘froted’ to mean rubbed.
OE. ‘To roam about idly without purpose or goal.’ Also see gadfly and Gad about. Also gallivant. Used here iin multiple ways. First, a play on words, (gift of) gad for gab. So, the gift of being content with no end or destination known. The section also refers to Gadarenes (Luke 5:1-20) where Jesus drove the demon(s) called Legion out of a possessed man into a herd of swine who drove themselves off a cliff. (Hence, Pigs sure did Fly). Intriguingly, the healed man wished to join the Crew and travel with the disciples but, being a gentile, was refused and was told to stay behind and spread the good news. Perhaps, by default, becoming the original gadfly, needing to come up with a theology all his own. Further back, Gad, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, was the eponymous ancestor of the tribe, who with the others wandered 40 years in the desert, and is one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Now that’s some gadding.
Syriac. Mark 15:22 A place outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. A hill called Golgotha (in Aramaic: “the place of a skull’).” In Koine Greek, kraníon, often translated as skull in English but more accurately means cranium, the part of the skull enclosing the brain.
Eng. ca 1600. Used by Shakespeare in Hamlet (3:2), the Prince’s Advice to the Players. The audience who stood in the ‘Pit’, an uncovered area directly in front of the stage. Probably derived from grundling (grundle?), a small smelt-like fish with a large gaping mouth. The groundlings were also referred to as Stinkards or Penny-stinkers. The term later came to denote a person of unsophisticated taste. One can imagine the audience standing beneath the apron of the stage gaping up at the actors, who, hidden in the wings behind the curtains, laughed at the rubes below.
A beheading of disgruntled ‘thrown into a cranky Miff.’ Late 1600s. See Combobulate above.
Eng. Gyre from c 1600s ‘to go in a circle, go round (gyrate, gyroscope). Jape comes from the late 14c., “to trick, beguile, jilt; to mock,” also “to act foolishly; to speak jokingly, jest pleasantly,” mid-15c. took on a slang sense of “have sex with”. See Carrol’s Jabberwocky.
“By, on, chance”. This from Ben Johnson, who by some calculations coined more words than even Shakespeare. Cf. the more familiar, Hob Nob: 1760s, “to drink to each other,” from hob and nob (1750s) “to toast each other by turns, to buy alternate rounds of drinks, which is an alteration of hab nab “to have or have not, hit or miss”. Believe I’ll have another drink.
By chance, perhaps. Adverbial form of Hap. c 1200, from Old Norse, “chance, a person’s luck, fortune, fate;” also “unforeseen occurrence.” Happy derives from it. Here used as a pun for happy, in the sense that happiness depends largely on pure luck, likely ephemeral.
Early 1500s. Gray or white with age. The sense of venerable or ancient is from around 1600. Also came to be used as “trivial.”
Eng. Short, thick nail with a large head, 1590s, used to fasten soles of shoes. Because they were used to make heavy boots and shoes, the word was used figuratively for “rustic person” 17c. (See Genus Rusticus)
Hob: Side of fireplace, 1670s, alteration of hubbe (1510s), of unknown origin, perhaps somehow related to the first element in hobnail. Short for hobgoblin, a clown or prankster. Hence, to play (the) hob is to “make mischief” (by 1834).
The adjectival form hobnailed might be construed as being nailed to the bar stool, and also of thick and heavy head.
Large cask or barrel, late 14c., presumably based on some resemblance to or some mark formerly borne by the casks.
Latin, literally ‘in (one’s) absence.’ Absence: the state of not being present, late 14c.
1660s, from French inclément (16c.) and directly from Latin inclementem “harsh, unmerciful.”
Situated in the original place.
See Gyre above.
Eng. “to make a brief, harsh, grating sound,” early 1500s. The figurative sense of “have an unpleasant effect on” is from 1530s; that of “cause to vibrate or shake” is from 1560s.
Eng. Mid 1500s. A lively, irregular dance. Ben Johnson used it to refer to a merry ballad or tune, a fanciful dialogue or light comic act during an interlude or at the end of a play. Ajig— In the act of jigging. A- adjective with the notion “in, at; engaged in.” + Jig.
“Relating to or pertaining to prophecy or divination,” mid 1800s from Greek mantikos “prophetic, oracular, of or for a soothsayer,” from mantis, “a seer, a prophet, one touched by divine madness.”
OE. From Latin mantellum, “cloak”. The figurative sense, “that which enshrouds, something that conceals, a covering” is from c. 1300. Allusive use as a “symbol of literary authority or artistic pre-eminence” (by 1789) is taken from the story of Elijah’s mantle (II Kings ii.13).
From Latin. A beggar, one who lives by asking alms, late 14c.
16th c. “Gloomy, of a sour temper, sullen and austere,” from Latin morosus “morose, peevish, hypercritical.”
From Miasma. 17th c. “Effluvia arising from the ground and floating in the atmosphere, considered to be infectious or injurious to health,” from Modern Latin miasma “noxious vapors,” from Greek miasma, “stain, pollution, defilement, taint of guilt. Also see will-of-the-wisp.
“Urinate,” by c. 1830s. Malformed from micturition and given an erroneous sense. Intentionally used here in its incorrect sense, the verb micturition correctly refers to the ‘need’ to urinate. But grammar is hard enough even when you don’t “really gotta to go.”
The entire scenery and properties of a stage play, 1830, from French, literally “setting on the stage.”
“Low, lowest,” applied to tides which have the least difference of height between the flood and ebb, late 15c., of unknown origin, original sense perhaps is “without power.”
1560s. “Sordidly parsimonious, stingy.” Of uncertain origin. Rarely used these days for obvious reasons. Parsimonious would be the better choice in formal usage. Here the choice is based solely on meter.
c.1400. “Hard-heartedness; defiant impenitence,” from Late Latin. “Stubborn, inexorable, unyielding; hardened,” especially against moral influences. In Church Latin “to harden the heart against God.”
Mid 16th c. “To bind, fasten, connect,” the literal sense of the Latin word, is now obsolete in English. The main modern sense, “to put under moral obligation” came about c. 1660. Used here as an adjective, (grammar hounds please comment) it denotes being bound to one’s past, (see CESS above) unable to break free.
Neologism. Olio + Graphy
Olio: (n.) Savory medley dish, from Spanish ‘olla’: “pot, jar.” The sense was transferred from the pot to what went into it. The English extended sense comes from 1640s of “any mixture or medley, a collection of various pieces”
-Graphy: Word-forming element meaning “process of writing or recording” or “a writing, recording, or description.”
1720, Latin, literally “with round mouth.” From Ars Poetica, by Horace, “. . .Grais ingenium, Grais dedit ore rotundo Musa loqui.” [To the Greeks the Muse gave native wit,] “to the Greeks she gave speech in well-rounded phrase.”
Remains of food left from a meal, a table scrap,” mid-15c. Of uncertain origin. Most commonly found in crossword puzzles. (the word, not the scraps.)
Middle English, late 15c. As an adj, otiose c. 1800, “unfruitful, futile.” From Lat with the sense of being unoccupied or not busy. The sense of being “at leisure, idle” is from c. 1850. Cf. Latin phrase, odium cum dignitate, “leisure with dignity.” And no doubt, within the “false-walled sanctum” Otiosity sounds much more Dignified than “idleness, futility, or being unoccupied,” and particularly, “not busy.”
c. 1600, “sinning, offending, causing offense,” also “morbid, bad, corrupt,” from Latin. Peccadillo.
Kept in, confined,” mid 1500s, variant of penned. Pent-up appeared a few years later.
Mid-14c. Our old friends, the Humours again. Having the temperament formerly supposed to result from predominance of the bodily humor phlegm; cool, calm, self-possessed, but can also mean, sense, cold, dull, apathetic. Goes all the way back to Gk.
c. 1200. Lamentation, mourning, audible expression of sorrow. From Old French. The Latin notion probably is of beating one’s breast in grief. The sense of complaint, mumbling, grumbling is from late 14c. The legal sense of legal complaint or statement of grievances is from late 14c.
Mid-15c. From Plumb (n). The meaning, “to take soundings with a plumb,” is from mid1500s. The figurative sense, “get to the bottom of,” is from late 1500s.
Neologism. Pontificate + -Ory. Pontificate, 1818, to say a pontifical Mass, (decrees of dogma; indeed, the Pope is called the Supreme Pontiff) is from Med Lat. The meaning, to speak in a pompous or dogmatic way, is from 1922. (I’m guessing by some wise-cracking NY Newspaper wag.) The usage herein was suggested by another church term, Offertory, which is the part of a church service where offerings are given (or taken, depending on your view). A rather formal term for Passing the Plate. So the term used here is meant to suggest a semi-formal pontification. You know, like a poem.
1570s. Another portmanteau. Altered from the phrase, (I) pray thee. (14c.; see pray). This pops up all over Shakespeare’s plays but interestingly not in Hamlet’s famous speech to the Players (Hamlet III:2), which is the reference in the piece here, Cogi-Tramic. He says, “I pray you.” ”Pray Thee” or “Prithee” was in WS’ times the more familiar usage. So as is his wont, Hamlet here is in his full pontifical mode (see above). But this relationship has flipped, so that to the modern ear Prithee sounds the more formal, though it is doubted few readers have lately used the phrase, “I pray you,” either.
Pustular; of the nature of a pustule, mid 1700s. + suffix -y; full of or characterized by. Pustule, N.; Small, inflammatory sore or tumor containing pus. Late 14c.
From Latin, literally, What now? A pormanteau from the early 1700s to describe a gossip monger, one always asking ‘What’s the news?” Now considered obsolete, it does pop up here and there in humorous use. Quid, “that which is, essence,” is used in law, e.g. quid pro quo. Around 1600 Quiddity popped up in English, meaning a trifling nicety in argument, a quibble, again coming from Medieval Latin quidditas, “the essence of things,” in Scholastic philosophy.
All of these are present in the term as used here. But , ‘What now?’ can also have another sense, that is, ‘What next?,’ which is an entirely different matter. It is the exasperated query of one who continually finds themself at sea in the flow of the everyday Whatness of Living (much less Being). This, of course is a Quibble that was not much bothered with in Scholastic philosophy, the provenance of Next belonging to the inscrutable designs of the Deity. But, no doubt, has been a serious issue for collegians for just about ever. The author was certainly a proud member of the Club. (And still is in good standing, emeritus. Dues remitted via automatic payment).
Late 14c., ‘carried away in an ecstatic trance,’ from Latin. The sense of ‘engrossed’ is recorded from c 1500. The obsolete noun form as it is used in the poem is from 15c. ‘rapture,’ meaning the state of rapture.
Relating to the kidneys, the function of which is to rid the body of waste, specifically, urine. Renal failure is the inability of the kidney to maintain normal function, so that waste products accumulate in the blood.
From remit, late 14c., remitten, “to forgive, pardon,” from Latin remittere “send back, slacken, let go back, abate. The remittance of sins, comes from John 20:23. KJV. One of those translation issues, it was probably not the best choice, with its seeming approval of paying for one’s forgiveness, and beyond that it seems to give believers the right to ok or reject the forgiveness of other’s sins. But we’ll leave this for believers to figure out. But to the piece at hand, if sins are some sort of debt that must be forgiven unless forgiven, the question becomes, ‘What exactly would the remission of unspent sins be?’ If unspent, there is no debt, hence no forgiveness needed. Please. Here. Take my forgiveness back, I don’t really need it. Thanks.
Neologism. From Rowdy; “a rough, quarrelsome person,” c 1800, of obscure American origin. Possibly derived from row, “noisy commotion” (itself of uncertain origin). The adjectival form is suggested by madding, late 1500s; acting madly or raging. From Hardy, Madding Crowd, 1874. From Gray’s Elegy, 1749. And further back, Drummond of Hawthornden, “Farre from the madding Worldling’s hoarse discords,” 1614.
A lower than usual pun on sacrificial; “of, pertaining to, or used in sacrifice,” c 1600, from Latin sacrificium “a sacrifice.”
Sacrificial: “of, pertaining to, or used in sacrifice.”
Sacramental: “of, pertaining to, or constituting a sacrament,” late 14c., from Late Latin. As a noun, Sacrament, “religious practice or object,” mid-15c.
Sacraria: noun, plural from Latin. Roman Catholic Church.
Characterized by “scornful derision; mocking, sneering, cynical.” Though one who wishes to be recognized as a true artiste, a Sardonocist, if you will, would insist the bitterness must be mixed with a dash of wit and soupçon of panache. This word has a fascinating etymology, going all the way back to Homer. Still in use in the term, “sardonic grin,” the inspiration for Mr. Sardonicus, the movie by the great horror director William Castle. And here we must pay a visit to Henry W. Fowler and his still invaluable guide “Modern English Usage,” 1926. His entry on Humor is a brilliant analysis of the topic and its several “devices.” To wit, sardonic: motive/aim: self-relief; province: adversity; method/means: pessimism; audience: the self
A ‘show’ of knowledge, ca 1800. From sciolist; c 1600, “a pretender to knowledge,” from Late Latin sciolus, “one who knows a little.” See Theosophistry below.
Early 15c., “meat or fish market. In English, sense evolved from “place where meat is sold” to “slaughterhouse” (1540s), then figuratively and generally “confusion, mess” (1901, usually in plural).
To lop or prune.
Direct from Latin simulacrum; “likeness, image, form, representation.” Similar to similar.
Disregarding the Church’s Med Lat use of this word, it is here used simply in its literal translation; sine cura, without care. As in The Man On the Flying Trapeze; He floats through the air with the greatest of ease. (For more, seek out the lyrics for the entire song. Racy.)
Mid 1600s, of uncertain origin, refers to ‘a woman negligent or disordered in her dress.’ Cf English verb slatter “to spill or splash awkwardly, to waste.” In short, A Mess. (Often ‘Hot’).
Early 1700s. To “cast off,” as a snake sloughs its skin or humans’ diseased or dead flesh, as one might use a loofa in their ablutions. Early 1950s American slang, Sluff (off), to avoid work.
See sloughing above. Pseudo OE. The verb, Slough, is of uncertain origin, possibly going back to a PIE root, sleug-, meaning to glide. Also worth noting the related noun, Slough (pronounced, slew) which is a swampy or muddy place, say like a barroom floor after hours. In fact, the term used by folks in the industry for cleaning up a tavern floor is, Swamping.
“Soaked or softened in water,” early 1800s. Earlier “resembling a thing that has been boiled a long time,” c 1600. Originally, simply “boiled.” (c. 1300). Also a British insult, in its mildest form meaning “fool.” Perhaps related to Sog, a‘soft or marshy place,’ mid 1500s of unknown origin. The sense of Fool is also found in the homophone, Sot, from late OE, sott, “stupid person, fool,” which survives today in meaning ‘one who is stupefied with drink.’ The Sot is Sodden. From Green’s Dictionary of Slang the noun (3), Sod, can mean drunkard. (Chiefly Brit).
From N spangle. Early 15c., “small piece of glittering metal.”
V. spangle, mid 16th c “cover with spangles.” Commonly, bespangled.
1500s, ‘a spark.’ Scottish from Gaelic. Also, figuratively, mettle, pluck (think spunky) or interestingly, Spirit, from which the vulgar slang sense may have derived c. 1890, as a double entendre meaning “seminal fluid.” Also used more rarely to describe vaginal fluid.
N. ‘piece of a barrel,’ 1750, from staves (late 14c.), plural of staff, to which the curious reader may research for further exploration. Also a vertical plank in a building or structure. A long pole used as a weapon. (See ‘staff.’). Chiefly Brit., another term for the musical staff. (Which runs horizontally). And lastly, for these purposes, ‘a stanza or verse of a poem.’ Stave-rhyme, alliteration.
V. Mid 1500s ‘to fit with staves,’ from stave (n.). The meaning “break into staves” is from late 1500s. Also from mid 1700s it came to refer to the notion of bashing in the staves of a cask. Past tense stove. Stave off, early 1600s, however, is literally ‘fend off with a staff.’ (With a pole, as above).
(Considering its frequency of usage, apparently an important word for the author, though how so is not certain.)
Elision of Stigmata; from Stigma, late 1500s, “mark made on skin by burning with a hot iron,” from Latin stigma (plural stigmata). The figurative meaning of stigma “a mark of disgrace” is from early 1600s. Stigmas/stigmata “marks resembling the wounds on the body of Christ that appear supernaturally on the bodies of the devout” is from c.1630.
N. Old English, ‘stump of a tree.’ From a PIE root meaning ‘to push, stick, knock, beat.’ In the 14th c. the meaning was expanded to other short, thick, protruding things. Meaning ‘remaining part of something partially consumed’ is from early 1500s.
V. Goes back to the mid 1500s. The term ‘stub one’s toe is from mid 1900s. And from there we get the usage, ‘stub out a cigarette,’ 1920s. The reference in the poem is to the dehorning of cattle (and by extension to little imps who need to be brought into line—for their own well-being, of course).
Pertaining to Styx or the nether world, mid 1500s, from Greek Stygios. Styx, late 14c., the Greek river of the Underworld, literally ‘the Hateful,’ cognate with Gk stygnos ‘gloomy.’
c. 1200, socour, Angl/Fr succors ‘help, aid.’ From Latin succurrere ‘run to help.’ The sharpie always offers succor to the sucker.
‘Bind with long strips of cloth,’ late 15c. Swaddling clothes is from the 1535 Coverdale version of the Bible. (Luke 2:7) where the Savior is enwrapped and layed in the manger.
Early 12c., from Late Latin Te Deum laudamus, ‘Thee God we praise,’ the first words of the ancient Latin hymn. The shortened version literally translates to ‘You Gods,’’ which might be rendered as the exclamatory ‘Ye Gads!” (Late 15c euphemism for God, so as not to take the Name in vain). Also, minor pun on tedium; oh, god, will this ever end?
Portmanteau: Theo-, from Gk, ‘god or gods.’
Sophistry, ‘specious but fallacious reasoning,’ mid-14c., from Med Latin sophistria. The term, Sophist from Greek sophistes ‘a master of one’s craft; a wise or prudent man, one clever in matters of daily life, from sophos ‘adept in matters of everyday life, shrewd; skilled in the sciences, learned; clever; too clever. The term came to mean one who gives intellectual instruction for pay. Sophists taught before the development of logic and grammar, came to attach great value to quibbles, which soon brought them into contempt.
Of course, the Medieval Scholastics could hold their own against them. And plenty of modern day evangelists, far less schooled than any of the ancients, are thrilled to argue about the minutiae of their deity’s most trifling attributes. A cautionary tale for young religion students.
Late Old English. Meaning “condition of servitude” is from early 14c. Also enthral is “to hold in mental or moral bondage,” late 1500s from en- (1) “make, put in” + thrall (n.). Literal sense (1610s) is rare in English. To hold spellbound; captivate: The magic show enthralled us. As an adj., “fascinated to the exclusion of anything else.”
Late 14c., from Latin, ‘a change of form or appearance.’ A metamorposis. An action noun taken from the verb, transfigure from early 13c., also from Latin transfigurare ‘change the shape of.’ The Christian religious sense is of ‘an exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change.’ A metamorphosis. And specifically to the transfiguration of Jesus on a mountaintop before three of his disciples. Here the reference is to the apostle Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. (See damascene above).
‘To change completely,’ mid 1600s, apparently a perversion of transmigure, from transmigrate; to cause to go from one state of existence or place to another. Also in some religions refers to the passing of the soul at death from one body or being to another. In modern usage mostly used humorously, being transformed in a surprising or magical manner, often into a grotesque or bizarre shape.
Portmanteau of Trundle and Tremble. The sense being of an out-of-control bicycle or motor-car (Mr Toad) or in this case a wild ride in an Irish Buggy (wheel barrow). It suggests that point when, struggling to regain control, one realizes the situation will not end well.
Properly Clamber. But. . .
V. To climb, move, or get in or out of something in an awkward and laborious way, typically using both hands and feet.
N. An awkward and laborious climb or movement.
Up- is added as a prefix to let the reader know which way the clamberer is climbing. (Just in case one is unfamiliar where the mire and muck lies).
Elision of Verisimilitude, appearance of truth or reality, likelihood,” c. 1600. From French verisimilitude mid 1500s, from Latin verisimilitudo “likeness to truth.” Note that it is not necessarily truth itself, but the appearance of likeness. Could be sorta true or in contemporary humorous parlance, “Truthy.” Check your sources.
From Void, ‘to clear (some place, of something’, c. 1300, from Old French vuider ‘to empty, drain; to abandon, evacuate.’ Evacuate; the earliest English usage is medical and was used as early as the first century by Pliny in reference to the bowels. Though voiding is sometimes used in this sense, it is more often used in reference to the bladder.
‘In addition,’ late 14c., from Middle English with alle (c. 1200).
From Old English wald, ‘forest, wooded upland,’ similar to the German wald, ‘forest,’ e.g. Schwarzer Wald, Black Forest. (Spooky). In English usage not current since mid-16c., it survives mainly in place names (such as Cotswold). Its use here is to evoke days of Auld. (See above)
Womb. N. Old English wamb, womb ‘belly, bowels, heart, uterus.’
Unknown origin. The sense here of being in the womb. Cf housed from house.
Using -ed to create an adjective from a noun occurs frequently with body parts, e.g. jug eared, cross eyed, lilly livered, big boned, knock kneed, hard headed, sex crazed, pot bellied, and so on. It pops up pretty regularly in Early Modern English, c 15-16c. before grammar rules were fixed, e.g. ‘intentioned,’ ‘thrilled.’ Even then, it was often stressed as a syllable. The trick is often used in modern day slang.
-ward; adverbial suffix expressing direction, Old English -weard, ‘-toward,’ literally ‘turned toward.’ ‘The Worm Turns.’ Towards where? This little guy is headed back to his comfy, ooshy-gooshy, wet and warm hole he calls home. Besides, his kind have been around a lot longer than most. (They only go back about 500 million years). Obviously, Natural Selection does not favor new species. Rabbit hole— Disney cartoon, 1937, “The Worm Turns.”
poetastrophy 