Seldom Used Words (Cont'd)

[Handley_Page]

That is a wonderful book, Og, I do enjoy your postings immensely. Here is one that seems to fit right in;

nine days' wonder - noun something that creates a short-lived sensation

Most of the "celebrity" stories of today's newspapers are a 9-day wonder (of course, there are those of us who may wonder why).
It generally refers to something regarded as 'trivial' by all but the most die-hard participant or enthusiast.

 

[CarlusMagnus]

That is a wonderful book, Og, I do enjoy your postings immensely. Here is one that seems to fit right in;

nine days' wonder - noun something that creates a short-lived sensation

See:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/nine-days-wonder.html

for more information.

 

[AllardChardon]

Thank you, Carlus, for posting the link that explains "nine days' wonder". I truly enjoyed reading about its lengthy history.

I don't know how often this word is used these days, but it fits right in with Og's slang words;

nincompoop - noun FOOL, SIMPLETON

 

[Handley_Page]

Thank you, Carlus, for posting the link that explains "nine days' wonder". I truly enjoyed reading about its lengthy history.

I don't know how often this word is used these days, but it fits right in with Og's slang words;

nincompoop - noun FOOL, SIMPLETON

It's often shortened to "Ninny" round here.

 

[AllardChardon]

Handley, nincompoop is such a funny word, almost sounds like baby talk. My dictionary says "origin unknown".

Here is another in the same vein;

niminy-piminy - adj MINCING, EFFEMINATE

 

[oggbashan]

Handley, nincompoop is such a funny word, almost sounds like baby talk. My dictionary says "origin unknown".

Here is another in the same vein;

niminy-piminy - adj MINCING, EFFEMINATE

Oxford Shorter Dictionary:

Nincompoop 1676 Etymology unknown: probably fanciful - A fool. blockhead, simpleton, ninny. Also known in abbreviations as Nincom, Nincum.

niminy-piminy - 1801 (imitative of a mincing utterance) Mincing, affected; lacking in force or spirit. [Og's note: applied to Regency Dandies attempting to imitate Beau Nash and other non-pariels of fashion. Someone described as niminy-piminy was failing to achieve the correct effect; also used by Gilbert in G&S operetta Patience]

 

[CarlusMagnus]

Oxford Shorter Dictionary:

Nincompoop 1676 Etymology unknown: probably fanciful - A fool. blockhead, simpleton, ninny. Also known in abbreviations as Nincom, Nincum.

niminy-piminy - 1801 (imitative of a mincing utterance) Mincing, affected; lacking in force or spirit. [Og's note: applied to Regency Dandies attempting to imitate Beau Nash and other non-pariels of fashion. Someone described as niminy-piminy was failing to achieve the correct effect; also used by Gilbert in G&S operetta Patience]

For nincompoop, the dictionary on my Mac (New Oxford American), gives

ORIGIN late 17th cent.: perhaps from the given name Nicholas or from Nicodemus (by association with the Pharisee of this name, and his naive questioning of Jesus Christ; compare with French nicodème ‘simpleton’).

 

[oggbashan]

For nincompoop, the dictionary on my Mac (New Oxford American), gives

ORIGIN late 17th cent.: perhaps from the given name Nicholas or from Nicodemus (by association with the Pharisee of this name, and his naive questioning of Jesus Christ; compare with French nicodème ‘simpleton’).

Poop is even earlier = Arse (US ass)

To do a poop is still nursery slang in the UK for shit.

 

[CarlusMagnus]

Poop is even earlier = Arse (US ass)

To do a poop is still nursery slang in the UK for shit.

Do you have a source for ass/arse? I've never seen that meaning before, and the sources I've seen all allege that, in the second meaning you give, poop is an onomatopœtic word for its referent—whether action or result.

poop may also mean a stupid or ineffectual person, according to the New Oxford American, but NOA suggests that, in that meaning, the word may be a shortening of nincompoop.

There are several other meanings—but they need not concern us here.

 

[oggbashan]

Do you have a source for ass/arse? I've never seen that meaning before, and the sources I've seen all allege that, in the second meaning you give, poop is an onomatopœtic word for its referent—whether action or result.

poop may also mean a stupid or ineffectual person, according to the New Oxford American, but NOA suggests that, in that meaning, the word may be a shortening of nincompoop.

There are several other meanings—but they need not concern us here.

A Dictionary of Historical Slang - a book I often quote - give this:

poop The seat at the back of a coach from the back of a ship 2. The posteriors: low colloquial from circa 1640 'While he manages his Whip-staff with one Hand, he scratches his Poop with the other'.

It goes on for the verb: 1. to copulate, 2. To break wind 1721, hence 3. C19-20 to defecate.

Shorter Oxford Dictionary:

poop 2. [by transference from stern of a ship] ... the hinder part of a man or animal. (colloquial or vulgar)

 

[AllardChardon]

Very educational, gentlemen. When I was a child, our family used the phrase, "I need to poop", but also, "I need to go poo-poo." Pee-pee was the other word used most often for "number one". It wasn't until I got older and the other kids teased me that I switched to piss and shit. And, of course, the verb changed from go to take, for some reason. What an amusing side-thread!

nimiety - noun EXCESS, REDUNDANCY

 

[CarlusMagnus]

A Dictionary of Historical Slang - a book I often quote - give this:

poop The seat at the back of a coach from the back of a ship 2. The posteriors: low colloquial from circa 1640 'While he manages his Whip-staff with one Hand, he scratches his Poop with the other'.

It goes on for the verb: 1. to copulate, 2. To break wind 1721, hence 3. C19-20 to defecate.

Shorter Oxford Dictionary:

poop 2. [by transference from stern of a ship] ... the hinder part of a man or animal. (colloquial or vulgar)

Of course! From the Latin puppis, a ship's stern. One of those other meanings I wasn't concerned with.

Not sure where the to copulate comes from—though just about any word can be used for that provided only that context makes it (nearly) obvious what is meant.

 

[oggbashan]

Of course! From the Latin puppis, a ship's stern. One of those other meanings I wasn't concerned with.

Not sure where the to copulate comes from—though just about any word can be used for that provided only that context makes it (nearly) obvious what is meant.

It seems that the largest percentage of words in my Dictionary of Historical Slang are about fucking and sexual innuendo...

 

[CarlusMagnus]

It seems that the largest percentage of words in my Dictionary of Historical Slang are about fucking and sexual innuendo...

That is, after all, what history and slang have been about since Helen of Troy—if not earlier.

 

[Handley_Page]

That is, after all, what history and slang have been about since Helen of Troy—if not earlier.

Given a guess that Helen of Troy would be about 1800bc, I think its a great deal older than that. Fragments of pottery found in that village near the Kings Valley in Egypt would seem to indicate that who was doing what with and to whom was a popular subject of discussion.

 

[AllardChardon]

Is there anything as strong as the hormonal drip that propels both sexes towards copulation? Now, if that could be bottled...

I inadvertently missed this one, which also was mentioned in Og's slang dictionary;

Nimrod - noun 1. a mighty hunter and great-grandson of Noah 2. often not cap: HUNTER

 

[CarlusMagnus]

Is there anything as strong as the hormonal drip that propels both sexes towards copulation? Now, if that could be bottled...

I inadvertently missed this one, which also was mentioned in Og's slang dictionary;

Nimrod - noun 1. a mighty hunter and great-grandson of Noah 2. often not cap: HUNTER

The name is biblical in origin, as the name of his ancestor suggests.

But according to my dictionary there's a third meaning: informal, an inept person.

I've heard the word used that way: "You nimrod!" meaning, "You jerk!"

 

[AllardChardon]

Carlus, I wonder why my dictionary does not list the third definition. Oh well, thanks for adding it.

I am adding this one, because I was not aware of all its meanings;

nimbus - noun 1.a. a luminous rainstorm, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth b. a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing 2. an indication (as a circle) of radiating light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign 3.a. the rain cloud that is of uniform grayness and extends over the entire sky b. a cloud from which rain is falling

 

[Handley_Page]

Carlus, I wonder why my dictionary does not list the third definition. Oh well, thanks for adding it.

I am adding this one, because I was not aware of all its meanings;

nimbus - noun 1.a. a luminous rainstorm, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth b. a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing 2. an indication (as a circle) of radiating light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign 3.a. the rain cloud that is of uniform grayness and extends over the entire sky
b. a cloud from which rain is falling

We've been getting a great deal of nimbus over here.

 

[AllardChardon]

Handley, and not much nimbus happening in my neck of the woods, which is very unusual for this time of year. Usually I am shoveling snow, instead of watering thirsty plants.

nim - verb STEAL, FILCH archaic: THIEVE

 

[oggbashan]

...

nim - verb STEAL, FILCH archaic: THIEVE

Historical Slang:

nim - noun - a thief circa 1620-40

nim as a verb, transitive and intransitive - C17 - C20; low cant until mid C17; then cant until 1850, still current but archaic. From Anglo-Saxon niman, to take.

nimmer - thief

nimming - thieving

Shorter Oxford

nim - Now only archaic from Old English niman - 1. To take, in various senses - up to 1566; 2. to betake oneself, to go - up to 1430; 3. to steal, filch, pilfer 1606 (common in 17th Century)

nimmer - Middle English - 1. one who takes; 2. a pilferer, thief 1608

 

[Handley_Page]

So Shakespeare's character 'Nim' was simply for "Thief" ?

 

[oggbashan]

So Shakespeare's character 'Nim' was simply for "Thief" ?

Of course. Nym is a variant spelling of nim. Bardolph refers to 'barred' = rigged dice and 'dolph' = fool. 'Pistol' = prick.

Once Shakespeare had created those characters, their names took on meaning of their own, based on the plays.

 

[AllardChardon]

Ah, the things I learn on this thread from the wonderfully knowledgeable contributors, whether I am present or not. Thank you.

nil - noun NOTHING, ZERO

nill - vi archaic: to be unwilling ~ vt archaic: not to will: REFUSE

 

[AllardChardon]

Greetings, everyone.

I like the sound and the definition of this one;

nihil obstat - noun 1. the certification by an official censor of the Roman Catholic Church that a book has been examined and found to contain nothing opposed to faith and morals 2. authoritative or official approval