Whatzat mean? Word origins.

[homoe]

pedant........


A person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning. A person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense.


Old French from Italian pedante teacher; perhaps related to Latin paedagōgus pedagogue.

[homoe]

vexatious...


Of legal actions)instituted without sufficient grounds and serving only to cause annoyance to the defendant. Troublesome; annoying. disorderly; confused or troubled.

[homoe]

Erotomania




A type of delusional disorder where the affected person believes that another person is in love with him or her. This belief is usually applied to someone with higher status or a famous person, but can also be applied to a complete stranger.


Sidebar: I'd never heard of this word or even of this type of disorder until I came across it in the book Strange Justice I'm currently reading.

[homoe]

Conniption sometimes used with fit as in A Conniption Fit......




Behavior that shows that you are suddenly very angry, upset, etc.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by homoe

Conniption sometimes used with fit as in A Conniption Fit......




Behavior that shows that you are suddenly very angry, upset, etc.

aka a tantrum....of epic proportions.

[homoe]

untoward..

Difficult to guide, manage, or work with. Marked by trouble or unhappiness.


More than 700 years ago, English speakers began using the word toward for "forward-moving". After about 150 years, the use was broadened somewhat to mean simply "docile" or "obliging." The opposite of this toward is froward, meaning "perverse" or "ungovernable." Today, froward has fallen out of common use, and the cooperative sense of toward is downright obsolete, but the newcomer to this series—untoward—has kept its toehold. Untoward first showed up as a synonym of unruly in the 1500s, and it is still used, just as it was then, though it has since acquired other meanings as well.

[homoe]

tenacious


Tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely. Not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined.

For all of its nearly 400 years, "tenacious" has adhered closely to its Latin antecedent: tenax, an adjective meaning "tending to hold fast." Almost from the first, "tenacious" could suggest either literal adhesion or figurative stick-to-itiveness. We use "tenacious" of a good memory, too - one that has a better than average capacity to hold information. But you can also have too much of a good thing. The addition in Latin of the prefix per- ("thoroughly") to "tenax" led to the English word pertinacious, meaning "perversely persistent.

[homoe]

excoriate




To censure or criticize severely. To criticize (someone or something) very harshly To wear off the skin.

[homoe]

albeit..........

Although.


In the middle of the 20th century, several usage commentators observed that the "archaic" word albeit was making a comeback. The "archaic" descriptor was not entirely apt. Evidence indicates that "albeit," which was first recorded in English in the 14th century, never really went out of use although, admittedly, its use did seem to drop off a bit in the 19th century. It is true, however, that use of "albeit" has increased considerably since the 1930's.

[homoe]

dagwood..........


A many-layered sandwich.

Sidebar: So named after Dagwood Bumstead, character who made such sandwiches in the comic strip Blondie by M.B.Young.

[homoe]

Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of the 13th Floor..........

While many would quickly dismiss this phobia as pure superstition, those who suffer from extreme cases of triskaidekaphobia find their fear to be very real with physical symptoms such as nausea, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate and a sense of panic.

There is no consensus on where the fear of the number 13 originates, but the fear is generally understood to be a construct of Western societies. Some trace the unlucky origins of 13 to the omission of a 13th law in the Code of Hammurabi. Others point to the biblical story of Judas Iscariot being the 13th person to arrive at the Last Supper. Another explanation links the bad luck of 13 to the evil Norse god Loki.

[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

Sweet Bliss, are we allowed to use phrases or just single words? IF we can use phrases....

rule of thumb

Origin 1782:The 'rule of thumb' has been said to derive from the belief that English law allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick so long as it is was no thicker than his thumb.

The first and original use of the saying is as simple as the words. The thumb was used as a readily available tool of measuring.

It has now been used as a term of commonplace knowledge in a field.

Thanks

[homoe]

Originally Posted by Sweet Bliss

Sure!! It will add to the fun!

Thanks.........

[homoe]

"Shoot Yourself In The Foot".........

To damage or impede one's own plans, progress, or actions through foolish actions or words.

[homoe]

"Cut Your Nose To Spite Your Face".............



To use self-destructive means to try to solve a problem or fix a situation.

[homoe]

curmudgeon..........

A person (especially an old man) who is easily annoyed or angered and who often complains.

[homoe]

"Give Someone The Cold Shoulder"


A rude way of telling someone he isn’t welcome.


Sidebar: Although giving someone the cold shoulder today is considered rude, it was actually regarded as a polite gesture in medieval England. After a feast, the host would let his guests know it was time to leave by giving them a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of beef, mutton, or pork.

[homoe]

"Let Your Hair Down"

To relax or be at ease.


Sidebar: Parisian nobles risked condemnation from their peers if they appeared in public without an elaborate hairdo. Some of the more intricate styles required hours of work, so of course it was a relaxing ritual for these aristocrats to come home at the end of a long day and let their hair down.

[homoe]

"No Spring Chicken"

Someone who is past his prime


Sidebar: New England chicken farmers generally sold chickens in the spring, so the chickens born in the springtime yielded better earnings than the chickens that survived the winter. Sometimes, farmers tried to sell old birds for the price of a new spring chicken. Clever buyers complained that the fowl was “no spring chicken,” and the term came to represent anyone past their prime.

[homoe]

"More Than You Can Shake A Stick At"

Having more of something than you need.


Sidebar: Farmers controlled their sheep by shaking their staffs to indicate where the animals should go. When farmers had more sheep than they could control, it was said they had “more than you can shake a stick at.”