Text 1343, 70 rader
Skriven 2006-08-01 14:26:04 av Ardith Hinton (1:153/716.0)
   Kommentar till text 1336 av Carol Shenkenberger (6:757/1)
Ärende: whence
==============
Hi, Carol!  Recently you wrote in a message to Aleksej R. Serdyukov:

CS>  I think 'widdershins' is the aft end of a horse and
CS>  also somewhat semantically related <g>.  Hair on the
CS>  back of a horses legs or something like that?


          The "withers" is the highest part of a horse's back, behind the neck.
I'd seen the word before but had to look up the meaning too....  :-)



CS>  If you've 'gone widdershins' you are a 'horses ass'
CS>  but it's a very polite way of saying that (also
CS>  indicates you are a bit crazy).


          In folk etymology, maybe!  Remember the "weird sisters" from MACBETH?
I think "weird" was probably intended as an allusion to the supernatural there,
but the same word is also used nowadays to describe folks who seem a bit crazy.
IIRC these women walked around their cauldron "widdershins" (or "withershins").
According to my RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER'S, "withershins" is an adverb meaning:

             in a direction contrary to the natural one,
             esp. contrary to the apparent course of the
             sun or counterclockwise; considered as unlucky
             or causing disaster


          The origin of "wither", in both cases, is a word meaning "against" or
"in opposition".  When a horse is pulling a load, the withers resist the strain
of the collar & pull in the opposite direction.  And I imagine a person who has
"gone widdershins" is opposing convention... whether deliberately or not!  On a
ship, though, I imagine the propeller is usually at the rear end.  Hmm....  :-)



CS>  Come up with another word and I'll add what i know of
CS>  it's usage.


          Yes, that was fun!  And all in the same part of the dictionary.  :-))



CS>  Oh one last gift.  Dag-nabbit.  Yup, not just the
CS>  Clampetts from the hillbilly TV show.  Also said as
CS>  'dang-nabbit'.  Both are slightly stronger ways of
CS>  saying 'damn' which you do not do in front of ladies,
CS>  but even a lady can say 'dang-nabbit' or 'durn'.


          My father... who grew up in Saskatchewan... often said "dadgummit" or
"dadburnit".  He had some other prairie expressions which I found quite amusing
too, e.g. "sore as a boiled owl" (meaning very angry, like Chief H.)....  :-)))



CS>  I can lose an OZ guy really fast though.


          Seems fair enough.  Sometimes they lose me!  And it took me awhile to
figure out why George Bush was called "Dubya".  I finally clued in when I heard
somebody say it aloud, speaking with an American accent... [chuckle].




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)