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

Wouldn't mingle be an antonym of mangle (and hence be related). A mangle is also an early- and mid-20th century device for wringing out clothes, which leads to an explanation of the word 'wrought'. I thought this might have been brought into the English language in the same fashion as bring/brought, think/thought etc. However, Steven Pinker suggests it stems from the word work (in its original German). Any thoughts?

Not in my book. The two are unconnected.

Alji

Any ideas on the origin of the word "spud" meaning potato(e) ?

I think its from the ancient saxon word "spoodulikke" which was then adopted many centuries later by a third rate "slow" food chain charging exorbitant prices for a shrivelled up Kind Edward and a few strands of last weeks rancid coleslaw.

Having done some digging around (pun intended) I have found that it is from the Danish "spyd" meaning spear.
This gave rise to the name of a popular digging implement and also "to spud" being to weed...spud therefore is from the method of harvesting potatoes that existed before rotivators and riddles.

.....hmmmmmmmmmm......

like mine better although you are probably right!

have a for your trouble!

So why do my folks call a hole in one's sock a spud? Has anyone else heard this or is it just my family?

k

Isn't spud the past tense of spade?
IE:
I am going to spade the garden.
I have spuds. But no coleslaw.


jwf

bbk,

Spud was commonly used (but I know not why) in NW England for holes in socks (not counting the one provided for inserting your foot) but I've not heard it used for years; indicating that:
socks are now harder wearing, or
people no longer admit to having holey socks, or
affluence allows socks to be discarded when they become threadbare, or
(as in my case) the washing machine chews them to bits while they are (otherwise) still seviceable.

Not much help but thanks for the reminder.

Has anyone else pondered the word "bedraggled"?

As in be-draggled possibly looking tousled after having been dragged or bed-raggled possibly looking tousled when emerging from slumber.

Haven't bothered to investigate, Life should still hold some mysteries.

"Spade" that was what was done to one of our cats; and
wasn't "Cole's Law" a rather pathetic TV heart-throb detective series in the 60s or 70s?

What, your cat dressed in a trenchcoat and hat and called itself Sam? What a funny animal.
As to bedraggled, if you are bejewelled you are covered in jewels so, if you are bedraggled you must be covered in draggles, presumably a lesser cousin to the dragon. Sounds rather unpleasent really.

Bedraggled is about getting wet - Be + Draggle.
Draggle; to make wet and dirty by dragging through the mud, wet grass etc.
Drabble; to make wet and soiled by draggling.
Dribble; a weak, unsteady stream; a trickle. A drizzling shower; a falling or leaking in drops.
Drizzle; To rain slightly in very small drops.
Mizzle; To rain in fine, mistlike droplets; drizzle.

Frazzle; a state of extreme exhaustion; "he was worn to a frazzle"; wear away by rubbing
So could we have "She looked befrazzled!" or "I feel absolutely befrazzled!".

Alji

FmL ©Ln bedraggled, I can tell you.

My American compatriots borrowed the word spud. It was adopted By the US military, who had always been impressed by the historical use of potatoes as weapons. Easy to throw by hand, or launch as a projectile, some believe they were the inspiration behind hand grenades. More recently, though, they gained immortality (and, subsequently, notoriety, thanks to Saddam), with the introduction of Spud Missiles. Of course, the American spelling and pronunciation is just slightly different.

But before you scoff, at least we can rhyme potato with tomato!

Oh, it's so nice to be back!

What about befuddled or bewildered?

The prefix be- usually turns up when an action has befallen you. A ship is becalmed, you are benighted when night comes down while you are still outside, and so on. But with a number of be-words, like befuddled and bewildered, and indeed bedraggled, the verbs they have been formed from have become obsolete.

Be-n

What?

I typed: "I've been bedraggled, I can tell you." I previewed my posting and checked it carefully. How could that have changed to the meaningless typing? Has something happened to h2g2 since I went away?

Possibly you have been be-new_servered. I haven't noticed many problems with them though.

Or has some kind of draggle befallen you? I'm not quite sure, but who can doubt the profound truth of it?

Seeya
Spiff

Yo K!
I think your combo of " and ' causes it to do some weird GDML thing. I recently typed up a LINK with an ' in the attribute.
Something like "John's Hompepage".
The link worked, it took you where it was supposed to but the original paragraph would disappear completely if you tried to hit the back button to return to the entry. The rest of the entry was intact, but the entire paragraph with the link would delete itself.
jwf (bemoaning)