h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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Tee hee!

With the installation of a new pro-Roman Emperor to guide the Empire into its 21st century I shall from time to time feel it necessary to suggest we re-acquaint ourselves with the depths of our psycho-socio-econo-philosophical roots.

The 'fountain' was long the symbol of Rome's success as a civilisation. Throughout the so called Dark Ages, when 'naturalist' nomads were able to disrupt the mechanations of the roman empire builders, evidence of Rome's power often grew overgrown or collapsed and like us it disappeared back into a pagan forest.

But the image of broken viaducts peeking from the vines of overgrowth is a classic symbol of the eternal power of Man's works over Nature.
So it was natural in the later age of the Renaissance to see power still flowing from the aquaducts and public fountains. Here was the magic power of the Roman way, the social order of written decree and the organisational skill that could conquer all obstacles. To bring water and waste it publicly was the crown of creative decadence.

The proof Man's power of Nature was in the ancient Roman's ability to harness the effect of gravity upon large volumes of useful water. The fountain becomes the symbol of control and resourcefulness. And it was even speculated by that Ponce De Leon chappy that life itself could be sourced if one cleared back the overgrowth and rediscovered all the former glory that was the Roman Empire. All hail the Rat Singer! Emperor!

Let the chanting begin. And let us get organised and meet 4 times a day under the angelus bell just as our muslim brothers will meet under their minaret. Let the chanting begin.

All together now...

~jwf~

Gnomon's comment about a light year reminds me of a quiz that used the Trivial Pursuit question cards. Some friends were asked "how long is a nanosecond" and answered (correctly) "a billionth of a second", clarifying that they were using the American billion (this was back when such distinctions mattered). TP had the (incorrect) answer "a millionth of a second" on the card, so they were judged to have it wrong!

No one's posted here for 2 weeks. Does that mean that no outsiders or even insiders have questions about British English any more?

My life won't be the same if I don't have this cosy corner of h2g2 to come to.

What is the etymology of "cosy" and why do the American's spell it with a very uncosy "z"?

And where did that apostrophe come from? Will I have to expel myself from the thread for using it?

the americans like to use the letter 'z' because, well, it's considered quite hip and ecentric and all that jazz...so to speak...you know old vs. new or something of the sorts

What exactly is the goal of this thread?

Do you think it should have a goal?

I think the goal is adequately described throughout the thread, perhaps you should try the bbacklog. Oh, and the thread that started it off pre-rupert.



Sorry, that's not fair. There is no goal, merely a purpose. And that purpose is to discuss the whys and wherefores of the British English language. Want to know why we capitalise the 'I' but not 'you'? Want to learn the origins of the word 'banana'? Want to ask for opinions on a written piece ? All this and more

Not being a bit OTT there am I?

and you wouldn't believe how hard it was to not make a 'porpoise' pun in there!

"Ictoan S.H.A.D.O.W. Secretary - AWE - WAWi
and you wouldn't believe how hard it was to not make a 'porpoise' pun in there!"

Actually I would!

As for the backlog well it started, as a continuation of another thread, back in 2001. Maybe it's my sense of procrastination speaking here, but there really are other things I rather read.

Now as to the why and why nots just call it Grammatical Rules.
For the 'where did ___ come from', there are reference books with that information or better 'jet' why not put it into the guide?
That way nobody would have to wade thru years of conversation to find a particular word or phrase.

Oh, I don't know - why stop just when we're enjoying it?

TC,

"What is the etymology of "cosy" and why do the American's spell it with a very uncosy "z"?"

The Concise OED ventures no derivation for "cosy, cosey, cozy" other than it's perhaps Scots or Northern English for "full of holes or crevices" suggesting a sheltered place.
It gives an 1837 usage of "cozey" indicating that it's from the French "causer" - to have a quiet chat. Either would fit with the NorthAm "cozying up to ..." - the latter the better.

I can't find a reference to "uncosy", nor "uncozy". Would you care to claim to have coined it? Will you restrict its use to "a lack of snugness, or discreet conversation" or would you allow me to use it as a verb "to remove an external insulating layer from a vessel used for the infusion of tea in boiling water"?

Sorry for my absence, I've been busy trying to bum the price of a cup of tea.

Yay TC!
You got me head scratching on cozy.

Yep, with a 'z'.
That's how I would spell it and I have no idea where it comes from.

And yet - probably because of exposure to a few lovingly hand-knit teapot covers - I feel so firmly convinced I understand its meaning - even if I couldn't adequately define its sense of enveloping warmth and insulated well being. I wonder if 'coz' as in Shakespeare's cousins might be involved somewhere along the line.


Yep, it's usually spelled with a 'zed' in Canada.
But at least we don't call it a 'zee'.

~jwf~

Cosy with a 'z' - now I had never come acorss that at all! It seems odd to me...

The use of -ize rather than -ise is official Brit. Eng; the US are using old spelling, not new.

About -or and -our OED says (inter alia)


The earliest adopted words in Middle English had o or u (onor, onur), but the regular representation after 1300 was that of Anglo-Norman ou (onour, honour). In many instances this is still retained; but, in the early modern period, many of the -our words, which in other respects were like their Latin originals, were respelt in -or after Latin; and nearly all words taken then or later directly from Latin were ultimately spelt -or, though, even in these words, there was at first a considerable variation between -or and -our.
(i) Such nouns of condition now spelt with -or as existed in Middle English, such as ERROR n., HORROR n., LIQUOR n., PALLOR n., TENOR n., were formerly frequently spelt with -our. -or is occasionally found in some of these words in Middle English; it became more common in the 16th cent., and generally prevailed by the end of the 18th cent.
. . . In a sizeable group of words which entered the language before 1500, -our was a common spelling down to about 1800, in more or less free variation with -or. The latter became the usual spelling in all such words in the U.S., but in Britain about two dozen have remained with -our, e.g. CANDOUR n., COLOUR n., HONOUR n., SPLENDOUR n. A few formations on English first elements are found in later Middle English and in older Scots, e.g. DREADOUR n., QUENCHOUR n., RADDOUR n.1
In some words -our represents an alteration of some other ending, either of Old French (ultimately Latin) origin (e.g. ARBOUR n., ARMOUR n., DEMEANOUR n., ENDEAVOUR n., SUCCOUR n.), or of Germanic origin (e.g. HARBOUR n. and NEIGHBOUR n.); these also are spelt with -or in the U.S.


The upshot is, from Shakespeare to Sheridan, -or was a favored ending in Brit Eng; after 1800 it was left to the revolutionary Americans and a more archaic -our favoured for some but not all such words.

About cosy, OED mentions the Gaelic còsagach ‘full of holes or crevices; sheltered, snug, warm’, f. còsag little hole, crevice, dim. of còs hollow, hole. It does not commit to this derivation, as " the phonetic form and the sense both presenting difficulties. App. the primary sense was of personal condition, not of places or circumstances". The first recorded use of cosy is as late as 1709.

It brings to mind another Gaelic word: the Irish for "sleep" is "codail", pronounced "cuddle". The OED however does not consider that the possible origin of the English word cuddle ("A dialectal or nursery word of uncertain derivation").

I am not yet swayed from my belief that 'coz', a familiar form of cousin found regularly in Shakespeare (particulary the comedies), is the true root of cozy.

Cozy being a state of comfort and security such as romantic idealists will claim was the status quo in the 'merrie olde' days when large extended families prevailed in the shire and everyone was probably related to everyone else.

>>
SHALLOW:
Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with you, coz; marry, this, coz: there is, as ’twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here. Do you understand me?
SLENDER:
Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be so,
I shall do that that is reason.
<<



Shakespeare also uses 'cozier' in 12th Night 2.3 but of course in that case he means a 'cobbler'. Just one cobbler of indeterminant age, not a load of old ones.

Indeed, with the possible exception of warm flannel or faded denim, there is nothing so cozy as a well worn pair of old shoes.
~jwf~

Cosi fan tutte: a comfortable admirer of Jimmy Galway.

While on my trip to Amsterdam, I discovered the origin of the English verb "to clomp" meaning to walk making lots of noise with your feet:

"Klomp" is the Dutch for a wooden clog.

just been listening to radio 4's word of mouth where the presenter referred to someone writing in to correct him on something. He referred to them as a 'forensic grammarian'. Interesting term.