Seldom-Used Words

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Gentlemen, both are correct because the word means basically "after lunch" and could refer to the nap often taken after the mid-day meal, back when life was less hectic, I suppose.

postilion or postillion - noun one who rides as the guide on a near horse of one of the pairs attached to a coach or post chaise esp. without a coachman

Postillion is one of the words frequently used to ridicule early dictionaries/phrase books produced for aristocrats doing the 18th/19th Century Grand Tours of Europe.

One of the first phrase books included translations from English into French, German, Spanish etc. of "The postillion has been struck by lightning" and similar unlikely statements but nothing about "Where is the hotel?"

Is it a myth? Wikipedia seems to think it is but I have handled several 19th Century books that have so-called 'useful' conversations that are equally unlikely.

[trysail]

vizard n., (archaic) a mask or visor. Also, visard.

Origin:
1545–55; variant of visor.






Arthur Conan Doyle used the word in "The Adventure of A Scandal in Bohemia" which, of course, features the famous consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes.

[sapphicus68]

petrichor (n) - the smell of the ground after rain. lovely

[AllardChardon]

Thank you, Trysail, for mentioning a book I still want to read and that great word, as well.

Og, it is good to know that postillion is used in ways other than the dictionary states. You are a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate your input very much.

postiche - noun false hair: as a. SWITCH b. TOUPEE

[trysail]

Originally Posted by sapphicus68

petrichor (n) - the smell of the ground after rain. lovely

☝

★★★★★




You just filled a void in my life. Ever since I was a child, the unique, very pungent and distinctive smell that only comes with the summer rain has never had a name. In fact, I wondered if other people noticed what I've always smelled.


That is a GREAT word!

[AllardChardon]

I most whole-heartedly agree, Sapphicus, with Trysail about the intoxicating smell of earth after a rain, especially a spring rain. Makes me swoon. But such a word as petrichor to describe this primal scent, I am not so sure. It needs to be something much more evocative, IMHO.

In my last post I used the word switch in regards to fake hair. Here is a bit of clarification;

switch(1) - noun 6. a heavy strand of hair used in addition to a person's own hair for some coiffures

[AllardChardon]

Here is a word that relates to a previous post;

post horn - noun a simple straight or coiled brass or copper wind instrument with cupped mouthpiece used especially by postillions of the 18th and 19th centuries

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Here is a word that relates to a previous post;

post horn - noun a simple straight or coiled brass or copper wind instrument with cupped mouthpiece used especially by postillions of the 18th and 19th centuries

The family of Thurn und Taxis were responsible for establishing mail services in Europe that operated even between countries at war with each other.

Their vehicles carried a post horn to warn other vehicles that a fast postal coach was coming. Later a simplified post horn device was used by their vehicles and continued to be shown on all postal coaches and later buses throughout the states that later became Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian empire. Many European stamps of the 19th and early 20th Centuries showed the Thurn und Taxis post horn.

The post horn logo is used by many countries for their postal services.

And yes, we get 'taxi' from the Thurn und Taxis family name.

[Handley_Page]

Originally Posted by oggbashan

The family of Thurn und Taxis were responsible for establishing mail services in Europe that operated even between countries at war with each other.

Their vehicles carried a post horn to warn other vehicles that a fast postal coach was coming. Later a simplified post horn device was used by their vehicles and continued to be shown on all postal coaches and later buses throughout the states that later became Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian empire. Many European stamps of the 19th and early 20th Centuries showed the Thurn und Taxis post horn.

The post horn logo is used by many countries for their postal services.

And yes, we get 'taxi' from the Thurn und Taxis family name.

The Post Horn symbol is still used by the Bundespost.

As to SWITCH, Allard - dam burst or what ?

5 A long tress of hair; esp. one of false or detached hair tied at one end and used in hairdressing to supplement the natural growth of hair.

---------------------------------------------------------
Excerpted from Oxford Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1998 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

...In my last post I used the word switch in regards to fake hair. Here is a bit of clarification;

switch(1) - noun 6. a heavy strand of hair used in addition to a person's own hair for some coiffures

Historical Slang:

switch verb. To copulate (with a woman) 1772 Bridges 'Paris... longs to switch the gypsy'. obsolete.

switched ppl adj. Married, low (in use up to 1864)

switchel noun. cold tea: Newfoundland colloquial late C19 - early C20

switchel verb. To have sexual intercourse: Restoration period.

[AllardChardon]

What an interesting read I found this morning about posthorn and switch, gentlemen! Thank you, Og and Handley.

Additional appreciation for Og is due, for his historical contributions and the links to the information. I had no idea post horn was such a common logo and now I will know what it means, when I see it. I had read about the Thurn und Taxis family in regards to Malta, but did not realize how old, rich and powerful the family was, until now. I would like to taste their beer sometime. Do you know what kind of beer it is?

Here is a word that attracted my attention because of the definition;

post hoc - noun the fallacy of arguing from a temporal sequence to causal relation

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

... I had read about the Thurn und Taxis family in regards to Malta, but did not realize how old, rich and powerful the family was, until now. I would like to taste their beer sometime. Do you know what kind of beer it is?

...

This is the former Thurn und Taxis brewery

Most of their beer is a range of lagers. Note that they are in Munich and produce a festival beer just for the Munich Beer Festival.

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

...post hoc - noun the fallacy of arguing from a temporal sequence to causal relation

That is the short form. The full statement of the fallacy is post hoc, ergo propter hoc, meaning because one thing follows another, the first must be the cause of the latter.

For examples:

1.The length of women's skirts reduced in the early 1920s and was followed by hyperinflation of the Mark in Germany, therefore short skirts cause hyperinflation.

2. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 1944, causing the Allies to win the war in Europe.

[CarlusMagnus]

Originally Posted by oggbashan

…therefore short skirts cause hyperinflation.

Bad example. Short skirts do cause hyperinflation. Depends upon what's inflating, of course…

[AllardChardon]

Thank you, Og, again, for the wealth of information, explanation and links. I prefer Guinnesss Draught, but would love to try that Paulaner Hell.

My father used the word ad hoc often, so I was more familiar with it than post hoc. Thanks for the great examples.

ad hoc - adv (or adj) for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of the wider application

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by CarlusMagnus

Bad example. Short skirts do cause hyperinflation. Depends upon what's inflating, of course…

If they induce hyperinflation, then there is probably an element of wishful thinking involved.

There have been academic studies that relate fashion changes in women's clothing to economic rises and falls. However the correlation could be to the availability of disposable incomes, not to the fashions themselves.

[AllardChardon]

Og, that is very interesting about fashion and finances. I never really thought about that before. Completely changing the length of women's dresses and skirts would require a fair amount of money to replace the existing wardrobe. That or a lot of alterations. It costs me a fair amount of cash just to buy 1850s period clothes, a little at a time.

postern - noun 1. a back door or gate 2. a private or side entrance or way

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Og, that is very interesting about fashion and finances. I never really thought about that before. Completely changing the length of women's dresses and skirts would require a fair amount of money to replace the existing wardrobe. That or a lot of alterations. It costs me a fair amount of cash just to buy 1850s period clothes, a little at a time.

postern - noun 1. a back door or gate 2. a private or side entrance or way

1. Victorian and Edwardian women's fashion was often a mark of wealth and status. In theory, the fashions showed that women could not work while wearing the large dresses and they would need a maid to help them dress. High status women would change their clothes several times a day, and the cost of hand-made dresses was high, even if the actual seamstresses were poorly paid. For example a lady would be expected to wear a morning gown, an afternoon tea dress and an evening gown on a normal day, with a ball gown for more formal occasions.

2. The invention and distribution of sewing machines, and the steel crinoline changed the status of hoop-skirted dresses. They were cheaper to produce and instead of layers of expensively detailed petticoats one steel crinoline could be used under almost any dress. When servants started wearing hooped dresses the fashion had to change. Initially the change was extra detail such as many flounces and more expensive materials like imported lace. After the hooped skirt, dresses became much more decorated and fitted.

3. Modern haut couture does not have the same status as before the First World War. In the 19th Century the difference between bespoke hand-made clothing and mass-produced was obvious. Now that shopping chains can produce and sell cheap copies of haut couture within weeks, sometimes with the endorsement of the fashion house, it is difficult to tell the difference between a skirt costing $100 or $3,000. The wearer knows, the uninformed observer might not.

postern - most castles and fortifications had one or more postern gates that allowed people to enter and exit without using the large gatehouses. Sometimes the posterns were concealed to allow messengers to leave and enter unobserved even if the castle was being besieged.

[AllardChardon]

Og, I am always amazed by your knowledge of the history of fashion and its trends. I have found the amount of clothing required to dress a lady in the 1850s to be quite overwhelming, especially on a hot day. After the corset, chemise, drawers, and petticoats, the heavy dress on top is just the final layer, like frosting on a cake. Capes, hats, and gloves, along with stockings and shoes, and the poor women were weighted down by the requirements of fashion. It is very easy to see why women opted for a complete change by the 1920s.

And I thought I had seen postern used around castles, but could not remember where. Thanks for the clarification, like always.

Here is a word I never really knew the proper meaning of;

posterity - noun 1. the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation: DESCENDANTS 2. all future generations

[oggbashan]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Here is a word I never really knew the proper meaning of;

posterity - noun 1. the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation: DESCENDANTS 2. all future generations

Quote from John Quincy Adams: Think of your forefathers! Think of your posterity! Speech 22 December 1802

PS. In 1850s England, if genuine Indian shawls weren't available, Paisley shawls were popular. They were made from woven silk and were warm on cold evenings when décolleté dresses were worn, but could be easily shed if a lady began to glow after dancing.

Another quote: Men sweat, women perspire, ladies glow.

Oops! I got it wrong: "Horses sweat. Men perspire. But ladies merely glow."

[AllardChardon]

Yes, exactly my point, Og. I never realized descendants, and, therefore, forefathers, and posterity were the same thing. I never looked it up, but assumed it meant 'goodness for all' or some such thing from context. Until I ran across in it the Ps, it would have been one of those words I never looked up and just assumed I knew the definition of, like so many others. That is one of the main reasons I continue this thread, to correct my mistaken thoughts about a myriad of things.

In regards to sweating, everyone who goes outside in the South in the summer "glows" within seconds. Lotions and sunscreens just slide right off withing minutes. Hair and make-up never remain the same for long. It was a real experience for this California girl, HUMIDITY, yuck! LOL

I forgot about this one;

posterior(2) - noun the hinder parts of the body, specifically: BUTTOCKS

[oggbashan]

Descendants, Forefathers and Posterity are NOT all the same thing.

I am a descendant of my grandfather. He is one of my forefathers.

My posterity are my daughters and grandchildren. They are my descendants.

Posterity - those who come 'post' = after.

Forefathers - those who come (be)fore.

Descendants - those descended from (a named individual).

[sans_sheriff]

"Brigand" has long been a favorite word of mine, though seldom used in conversation. Frankly, it's a tough to work into a natural flow when talking about work or life at the moment. Should I run into pirates on a semi-recurring basis, my word of choice will make more frequent appearances.

[Handley_Page]

A man passes on to Posterity his life & works. If he's lucky, he'll be remembered with affection.

I saw a different word the other day.

Congeon; it's a medieval word meaning lack-wit.

[AllardChardon]

Og, thanks for correcting me, again. I did not really mean that they were the same in definition, but related through, I guess, relations. LOL The statement that Handley made is a perfect example of my initial confusion. A man passes on to Posterity his life and works. Without knowing posterity is his children, it sounds as if he is leaving his life's works for all mankind to enjoy. That was the error of my thinking, now corrected for all time. I appreciate your patience with me.

Welcome sans-sheriff. With no definition for your entry (I no longer assume I know it), I looked up your favorite word and it is a good one, even if very seldom-used anymore.

posset - noun a hot drink of sweetened and spiced milk curdled with ale or wine