Words We Don't Use

DianeL · Post by **DianeL** » Tue January 31st, 2012, 2:00 am

It's odd, this is the second time in about a week I've seen the term greensick referring to female virgins, whereas (as a late middle aged reading lover) the only way I've ever seen it used before is, often in histfic, to describe seasickness - almost invariably of some young male character. Which is a pretty interesting juxtaposition!

Hoppinjohn is a dish still perfectly alive and well in the American South; New Year's sure, but not strictly then!

I saw dolt somewhere tonight (I can't recall if it was on these boards or Absolute Write) described as an archaic word, but I use that one myself (verbally, and I don't think I even put it in my writing) regularly. I also use dullard, halfwit, nitwit, and nit. Dullard is a particular favorite of mine.

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Tue January 31st, 2012, 2:38 pm

grangerise - Grangerisation is the addition of all sorts of things directly and indirectly bearing on the book in question, illustrating it, connected with it or its author, or even the author's family ... It includes autograph letters, caricatures, prints, boradsheets, biographical sketches, anecdotes, scandals, press notices, parallel passages, and any other sort of matter which can be got together ... for the matter in hand. The word is from Rev. J[ames] Granger. ~ Ebenezer Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1898

Further information about Rev. Granger:

Rev. Granger (1723-1776) published his Illustrated Biographical History of England in 1769. It included many blank areas for readers' serendipitous additions. As a result, the pastime of personalizing and sentimentalizing books, known as "filling up a Granger," caught on, and continued through the end of the 19th century. Robert Hunter's Encyclopedic Dictionary (1894) remarked, "The range to illustrate it became so prevalent that scarcely a copy of any work embellished with portraits could be found in an unmutilated state."

In 1889 the New York Tribune announced a policy aimed at accommodating its picture-clipping readers: "The portraits of actors will be paged separately, with blank backs for the benefit of Grangerites."

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Wed February 1st, 2012, 2:44 pm

sillabub - A drink made of stale beer or wine, sweeten'd with sugar [and] milk strained into it from the cow. ~ John Kersey's New English Dictionary, 1772

A frothy food to be slapped or slubbered up, prepared by milking from the cow into a vessel containing wine or spirits... The word is a corruption of slap-up or slub-up... and is the exact equivalent of [Low German] slabb'ut, Swiss schlabutz, watery food, spoon-meat, explained [as] to slap, lap or sup up food with a certain noise. ~ Hensleigh Wedgwood's Dictionary of English Etymology, 1878

Curds made by milking [into] vinegar. This word has exercised the etymologists. [John] Minshew thinks it corrupted from swillingbubbles... Henshaw deduces it from the Dutch sulle, a pipe, and buyck, a paunch, because sillabubs are commonly drunk through a spout, out of a jug... It seems more probably derived from ... old English esil a bouc, vinegar for the mouth. ~ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language, 1755

Selibub... is good to coole a cholerick stomacke. ~ Thomas Cogan's Heaven of Health, 1584

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Wed February 1st, 2012, 5:00 pm

We still have syllabub but it sounds a bit more appetising now! A traditional English dessert made with sherry or white wine, whipped cream and sugar and sometimes infused with lemon.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Wed February 1st, 2012, 8:17 pm

I believe syllabub makes frequent appearances at SCA feasts.

Brenna · Post by **Brenna** » Wed February 1st, 2012, 10:57 pm

This is more of a phrase we may not use anymore, but does anyone use "our (insert name here)." I'm reading Daughters of Witching Hill and everytime they say a name, the characters always say "our Bess" or "our Jamie." Why?

DianeL · Post by **DianeL** » Thu February 2nd, 2012, 1:31 am

[quote=""Brenna""]This is more of a phrase we may not use anymore, but does anyone use "our (insert name here)." I'm reading Daughters of Witching Hill and everytime they say a name, the characters always say "our Bess" or "our Jamie." Why?[/quote]

... and, having just been a silly American going on about adorable vicars, now my sad little brain is going to the "Keeping Up Appearances" place - Our Hyacinth. Ahhh.

I'm not quite sure why "our" comes in, just one of those verbal tics perhaps born of habituating what starts off as an affectionate sort of verbal wink. I know the habit isn't antique, though - a friend calls her husband "my Ed" and my dad always called me "my girl" (I use it with my dog all the time - "how's my good girl" "There's my Lolly girl!")

***

Edited to ADORE the word syllabub. It's not a new one on me, but it comes up infrequently enough to seem new and fun every time. Syllabub! Even more fun than syncopated, or contrapuntal! Mmmm. Syllabub dessert sounds good too.

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Thu February 2nd, 2012, 3:16 pm

lucubrator - A person who studies by night, or by candlelight. ~ Leo de Colange's Zell's Popular Encyclopedia, 1871

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Thu February 2nd, 2012, 10:37 pm

[quote=""Brenna""]This is more of a phrase we may not use anymore, but does anyone use "our (insert name here)." I'm reading Daughters of Witching Hill and everytime they say a name, the characters always say "our Bess" or "our Jamie." Why?[/quote]

As a matter of fact, yes people do still use that. Comes in handy when your child/friend/relative has a massively popular name. There are so many Emilys in the world that everyone seems to know at least three, so we must refer to our daughter as "our Emily" to avoid confusion with millions of other Emilys.

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Thu February 2nd, 2012, 10:40 pm

Thanks kinda what I was thinking, LH.