Foolish Games

I am two fools, I know,/For loving, and for saying so/

- The Tripple Fool

by John Donne

I have expressed this sentiment many times in the last 24 hours: I feel like a fool.

I feel foolish for misreading the signs and mistaking lust for love. I feel foolish that I did not immediately recognise that I was hanging my hopes on a pipe dream. I feel foolish for putting myself in this position. I feel that I should be put in the corner and made to wear the dunce cap - I have obviously not learned anything about relationships, romantic or otherwise, in the last couple of years.

Enough with the self-loathing. Today's question is: what is the origin of the word fool?



A: The word is Old French, originating in the 13th century meaning "madman" or "insane person" or in Vulgar Latin used with a sense of "windbag, empty-headed person". In the 14th century it was used to descibe a court jester, whether that be a professional entertainer or an amusing lunatic that was put on the payroll.

Ah, these foolish games...

Sources:
Dictionary.com - Fool
Online Etymology Dictionary

Get me a coffee, quick!

March 18, 2010

After my many Guinness’s and a very late night, I was in desperate need of a coffee. Well, actually, I would have like to throw a sicky, as I was in desperate need of some more sleep and perhaps a big breakfast fry-up. In any case, I complained to someone and they grabbed the nearest person, ordering “Get this woman a coffee, stat.” This got me wondering, I hear medical doctors on telly saying this all the time, and I have deduced what it means, but in any case, today’s question is: what does the word ‘stat’ mean?

A:
The word 'stat' is from the Latin word 'statim', which means immediately. It is more than likely used because modern medication got a good deal of its terminology from Latin, although most modern doctors just use 'now'.

Source:
The Straight Dope

CMW

March 13, 2010

My sincerist apologies to my regular readers, I have fallen far behind on my regular blogging, but I can assure you that I will be picking it up again! Thankfully, I have kept track of most of my past exploits and can still ask a relevant question to the events of the day!

Back in March, a couple of friends of mine were participating in Canadian Music Week. Both Andrea Ramolo and Diana Catherine and the Thrusty Tweeters played on consecutive nights to eager audiences. I have attended some CMW in previous years and enjoy hearing local talent. So, today’s question is: when did Canadian Music Week Begin?

A:
Canadian Music Week is not just a showcase of Canadian music, it also is a conference for musicians and musical professionals held in various venues throughout Toronto.

Canadian Music Week began in 1981, and has grown to become one of Canada’s largest and most influential media and music conferences. It draws top industry professionals to participate in a four-day program of activities. Designed to stimulate the exchange of market intelligence, increase dialogue and provide networking opportunities, Canadian Music Week continues to present the ideal platform for more than 2,000 national and international delegates.

Source:
Canadian Music Week

Strop and a Half

March 6, 2010

This morning I woke up early to remove the last of my half of the furniture from my former home. I was tired, irritable and sad from having to sort through the detritus of my former life; the best way to describe my disposition was stroppy. In fact, for years I have rated my “strop factor” out of ten – I know that people think that I’m all rainbows and butterflies, but I too have bad days. Today’s question is: what is the origin of the word stroppy?

A: Stroppy is an informal British term for someone who is easily offended or annoyed and bad-tempered. The word is thought to be first used in the 1950s, originating from the word obstreperous; meaning to be unruly or resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner.

Today's strop factor: 3.67 (above average mood, a little tired)

Source:
American Psychological Association (APA):
stroppy. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stroppy

Familia

February 21, 2010

Sundays usually consist of going up to the suburbs to visit my parents for Sunday lunch. This has been a long standing tradition, yet I sometimes find it to be quite torturous. My mother is very critical and has an opinion on everything I do. My father, as lovely as he is, tends to lecture about everything and is a little socially inappropriate with his questions. I don’t have any complaints about my brother, who has been supportive and kind, but things can change. I figure that everyone has their issues with their family, be it parents, siblings or extended family, at some point. Today’s question is: where does the word family come from?

A: The word family first referred to the servants of a household and then to both the servants and the descendants of a common ancestor. It comes from the Latin word familia, meaning 'household; household servants', which came from another Latin term famulus, or 'servant'. It was not until 1667 that the term was used specifically for the group of persons consisting of parents and their children. The word daughter is a very old English word, first recorded c. 1000 as dohtor. It descends from Old English and is related to words in many other Indo-European languages, such as Greek thugater. The modern spelling daughter was first used in a 16th century Bible and was popularized by Shakespeare. The word son is quite a bit older, found in Beowulf in 645. It also descends from Old English and is related to words in many other Indo-European languages, such as Greek huios. Mother is one of the surviving words from Anglo-Saxon (starting as modor), which are among the most fundamental words in English. Mother has many cognates in other languages, including Old High German muoter, Dutch moeder, Old Norse mothir, Latin mater, Greek meter, and Sanskrit mat. These words share an Indo-European root. Father is derived from Latin pater and has cognates in many other languages; the word entered Old English as feder and foeder.

Source:
Dictionary.com