tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post8650676835901512358..comments2024-03-28T19:23:37.979-05:00Comments on Althouse: Etymology question of the day.Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-56521710228722409072018-02-03T01:30:52.336-06:002018-02-03T01:30:52.336-06:00in this writer’s opinion it is not a boner to use ...<i>in this writer’s opinion it is not a boner to use effete this way<br /><br /></i>Do the effete have boners?<br />Ralph Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07915708905660273961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-64788970299648442652018-02-02T20:47:58.096-06:002018-02-02T20:47:58.096-06:00In reading Spiro's comment in its expanded unc...In reading Spiro's comment in its expanded uncut form ( I never heard the whole context before,) I am quite sympathetic with his statement of opinion. Indeed we see that "Reality is what doesn't go away when you stop believing in it." I understand why our politicians are so disappointing. Who can stand when the entrenched bureaucrats say "you must protect us from our willful crimes or Government itself will be debased." A fraternity of past winners initiating new conspirators. Josephbleauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12407587570806062403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-83850713381936537282018-02-02T20:41:51.285-06:002018-02-02T20:41:51.285-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Josephbleauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12407587570806062403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-52940753945013726602018-02-02T16:04:57.530-06:002018-02-02T16:04:57.530-06:00Defeat the fetus.Defeat the fetus.Char Char Binks, Esq.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10649888089413308406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-82792451000232601722018-02-02T13:54:46.225-06:002018-02-02T13:54:46.225-06:00I'm sure she did, but the question is what she...<i>I'm sure she did, but the question is what she understood — perhaps more than you intended to say.</i><br /><br />I was a counter customer every day, who she knew as the one who wrote math on napkins.rhhardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06901742898653890646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-25802074351939206482018-02-02T12:51:36.115-06:002018-02-02T12:51:36.115-06:00"She appeared to understand."
I'm s..."She appeared to understand."<br /><br />I'm sure she did, but the question is what she understood — perhaps more than you intended to say.Ann Althousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51696677779152350332018-02-02T11:16:48.114-06:002018-02-02T11:16:48.114-06:00The two old American columnists I miss most are Sa...The two old American columnists I miss most are Safire and Seligman. buwayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02388691837737324814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-11176972915993042502018-02-02T11:11:56.340-06:002018-02-02T11:11:56.340-06:00Agnew could have been President except for stoopin...Agnew could have been President except for stooping to penny ante corruption. He was feisty enough he might have beaten Carter and then it's unlikely we would have Reagan. <br /><br />But you are right, Livermoron, he does sound a lot smarter now than he did then. Reminiscent of Mark Twain's quip about his father.Steven Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430645803810847730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-69359726645488393422018-02-02T11:09:52.207-06:002018-02-02T11:09:52.207-06:00Oops, Ann got there before me, while my comment wa...Oops, Ann got there before me, while my comment was in the works. Sorry.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11386165669907559416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-41928194151794717082018-02-02T11:08:38.532-06:002018-02-02T11:08:38.532-06:00Any discussion of "effete" is incomplete...Any discussion of "effete" is incomplete without mentioning Vice President Spiro Agnew's statement, "A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete core of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals." Agnew, who went on to resign his office in return for not receiving jail time for having taken bribes as governor of Maryland, also waxed eloquent about "nattering nabobs of negativism" and "the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history." His speechwriter was William Safire, who must have enjoyed himself immensely. Years later, when Agnew was ordered by a Maryland court to pay the state $268,000 for bribes he had taken, Agnew tried (unsuccessfully) to have the payment treated as tax-deductible.<br /><br />Agnew was far from the only Maryland official who took bribes during that period or engaged in conflicts of interest. The zeitgeist can perhaps best be summed up by the story of state senator Joe Staszak, who owned a tavern and sponsored a bill to prevent competition from liquor wholesalers. When asked if he had a conflict of interest, Staszak replied, "How does this conflict with my interest?"Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11386165669907559416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-55971731934962677512018-02-02T11:02:58.378-06:002018-02-02T11:02:58.378-06:00Safire's coinage 'nattering nabobs of nega...Safire's coinage 'nattering nabobs of negativism' was actually written by his staffers, Norma Loquendi and Rosie Scenario.tcrossehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13861315905142017219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-3905342389327480572018-02-02T11:01:27.236-06:002018-02-02T11:01:27.236-06:00Spiro sounds a lot smarter today than he did back ...Spiro sounds a lot smarter today than he did back then.<br /><br />Not a nattering nabob at all. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-45451234851555151462018-02-02T10:58:59.704-06:002018-02-02T10:58:59.704-06:00The comedy-rock band The Tubes, who started out in...The comedy-rock band The Tubes, who started out in the 1970s and are still(!) working, feature a fictional character named "Quay Lewd, effete British rock star". They may well have gotten the word from Safire.CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209227831122554231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-18669900764743239342018-02-02T10:56:53.389-06:002018-02-02T10:56:53.389-06:00I wanted to stand up and clap at the end of that r...I wanted to stand up and clap at the end of that rant. Like Canadians did for Joe.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXtVrDPhHBgtim in vermonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06547980465313241972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31686411031438086022018-02-02T10:52:12.672-06:002018-02-02T10:52:12.672-06:00Talking about word usage power, you might check ou...Talking about word usage power, you might check out Rose McGowan's tirade at Barnes and Nobles per Variety Mag. The Irish tiger sets them all straight. Rose should fill in for Sarah Sanders when Sarah takes vacations.traditionalguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05706120413005530014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-81521078530043182902018-02-02T10:45:06.245-06:002018-02-02T10:45:06.245-06:00Interesting etymology. From actual procreative exh...Interesting etymology. From actual procreative exhaustion from too much child-bearing to the exhaustion of an overly sophisticated elite incapable of troubling itself to reproduce or even justify its own existence. "Fighting vainly the old ennui."robotherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04158315485808195005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-16462945595354031322018-02-02T10:36:46.980-06:002018-02-02T10:36:46.980-06:00You are all wrong, as usual. Everyone knows that ...You are all wrong, as usual. Everyone knows that Festus was one of Matt Dillon's friends on Gunsmoke.<br /><br />Then again, an effete fetus probably has special needs, like being raised be the Senator from New York.traditionalguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05706120413005530014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-58053137163732384462018-02-02T10:35:50.583-06:002018-02-02T10:35:50.583-06:00effete would be ex-feteffete would be ex-fetrhhardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06901742898653890646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-19174156711661910392018-02-02T10:34:19.196-06:002018-02-02T10:34:19.196-06:00fetifer adj causing fruitfulness
fetificare v to b...fetifer adj causing fruitfulness<br />fetificare v to bring forth young<br />fetificus adj genital<br />fetare v to bring forth young, breed<br />fetura n breeding, gestation, parturation; the young offspring<br />fetus a having recently given birth, pregnant, fruitful<br />fetus n parturation, bearing of fruit, offspring, fruit<br /><br />My own favorite English word is superfetatious. Waitress asking if I wanted walnuts on my fudge and ice cream, "That would be superfetatious." She appeared to understand.<br />rhhardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06901742898653890646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10197784962809052842018-02-02T10:29:32.019-06:002018-02-02T10:29:32.019-06:00Is ineffable related to unfuckable ?Is ineffable related to unfuckable ?tcrossehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13861315905142017219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-44713773593150830112018-02-02T10:29:25.730-06:002018-02-02T10:29:25.730-06:001620s, "functionless as a result of age or ex...<i>1620s, "functionless as a result of age or exhaustion," from Latin effetus (usually in fem. effeta) "exhausted, unproductive, worn out (with bearing offspring), past bearing," literally "that has given birth," from a lost verb, *efferi, from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + fetus "childbearing, offspring" (see fetus). Figurative use is earliest in English; literal use is rare. Sense of "intellectually or morally exhausted" (1790) led to that of "decadent, effeminate" (by 1850s).</i><br /><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/effete" rel="nofollow">effete</a><br /><br /><i>late 14c., "the young while in the womb or egg" (tending to mean vaguely the embryo in the later stage of development), from Latin fetus (often, incorrectly, foetus) "the bearing or hatching of young, a bringing forth, pregnancy, childbearing, offspring," from suffixed form of PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck."<br /><br />In Latin, fetus sometimes was transferred figuratively to the newborn creature itself, or used in a sense of "offspring, brood" (as in Horace's "Germania quos horrida parturit Fetus"), but this was not the basic meaning. It also was used of plants, in the sense of "fruit, produce, shoot," and figuratively as "growth, production." The spelling foetus is sometimes attempted as a learned Latinism, but it is not historic.</i><br /><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/fetus" rel="nofollow">fetus</a><br /><br />Yes. Yes, it is.n.nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04252447117532342957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-38008411660240424632018-02-02T10:24:27.758-06:002018-02-02T10:24:27.758-06:00Is the word baby related to Babylon? Is the word baby related to Babylon? tim in vermonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06547980465313241972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-25531748906522481782018-02-02T10:20:17.091-06:002018-02-02T10:20:17.091-06:00It will be now.
It will be now.<br />Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17424384180201600935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-39498411262209070692018-02-02T10:20:05.756-06:002018-02-02T10:20:05.756-06:00Google says it comes from no longer fertile, or al...Google says it comes from no longer fertile, or all worn out from bearing young. Ex Fetus.tcrossehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13861315905142017219noreply@blogger.com