The English language sure is a strange one isn't it. Especially when you mix it with words from other languages if ya know what I mean.
Duh!
Well, the U.S. Civil War had many such words that just make ya go to itching about what they meant. Of course it could just be lice that is making you itch or maybe you just don't wash enough. Could be you would get more dates or attention from your wife if ya washed. I bet you may even garner more friends if you showered daily and maybe used a little deodorant as well. You could even dress up a bit from the normal torn jeans and shirts with holes in them, then like me you may even stop bad habits like picking your nose in public plac..........ummm...anyways, here are some Civil War words that sure seem strange.
Abatis? Break it up into syllables. A Bait Is. Well, I know what a bait is. All depends on what yer fishin for. Could be worms, or leeches, or flies or just plain corn. I love corn on the cob with a lot of butter and salt, but I digest. Sure enough it has nothing to do with fishin. It seems that it is a word for a bunch of felled trees with sharpened branches pointing towards the enemy. I don't know about you but I would have called it "A bunch of felled trees with sharpened branches, pointing towards the enemy." Sheesh!
Parrott Gun? Well, they seemed to have spelled this wrong. Parrot only has ONE t at the end. Is a gun that is used by a parrot all that scary? What, are the bullets the size of mustard seeds? Or... is it a gun that shoots parrots at you? Now that would be scary, seeing a feather flying parrot, beak first coming your way!! DUCK!! No actually PARROT!! So after doing some diligent research I found that it has nothing to do with a parrot bird! Seriously? It is a big cannon that has a unique look because of a reinforcing band of iron at its breech and it's named after its inventor Robert Parker PARROTT. Oh boy. Confusing I know.
Let's take one more example.
Cheval-de-Frise or chevaux-de-frise? Well, it sounds French to me and all I want to know is, what are the French doing in our private war?? Hmmm? One side or the other was going to lose and have to surrender and we didn't need the French to help, experts though they may be in that regard. (Brings up another Civil War couple of words, French Leave. Exactly! France....leave. Just leave. Please.)
Is this a finely done steak, some food with fries, or a mis-spelled wording of Chateau-de-frise, which means it is freezing at the Chateau. This word should come with it's own manual.
So once again I sat down to hours of research in the French language and wouldn't you know it, the French came up with another word for a bunch of felled trees with sharpened branches pointing towards the enemy. Sure, sure they did a little more work with these trees as they took a log of the tree and and fixed spiked branches to it to and pointed them at the enemy. It comes from a French word for "horse from Friesland." I guess the Frisians (Who?) were the first to use this kind of defense. Wish it were land of the fries. Now I'm hungry!!
Well, enough of these language gymnastics!!! (Do I use the word well too much?) Well, I don't care!! So that's it for another....... FLANAGAN'S CORNEEEERRRRR!!
Disclaimer: There were no Frenchmen harmed in the making of this blog.
Duh!
Well, the U.S. Civil War had many such words that just make ya go to itching about what they meant. Of course it could just be lice that is making you itch or maybe you just don't wash enough. Could be you would get more dates or attention from your wife if ya washed. I bet you may even garner more friends if you showered daily and maybe used a little deodorant as well. You could even dress up a bit from the normal torn jeans and shirts with holes in them, then like me you may even stop bad habits like picking your nose in public plac..........ummm...anyways, here are some Civil War words that sure seem strange.
Abatis? Break it up into syllables. A Bait Is. Well, I know what a bait is. All depends on what yer fishin for. Could be worms, or leeches, or flies or just plain corn. I love corn on the cob with a lot of butter and salt, but I digest. Sure enough it has nothing to do with fishin. It seems that it is a word for a bunch of felled trees with sharpened branches pointing towards the enemy. I don't know about you but I would have called it "A bunch of felled trees with sharpened branches, pointing towards the enemy." Sheesh!
Parrott Gun? Well, they seemed to have spelled this wrong. Parrot only has ONE t at the end. Is a gun that is used by a parrot all that scary? What, are the bullets the size of mustard seeds? Or... is it a gun that shoots parrots at you? Now that would be scary, seeing a feather flying parrot, beak first coming your way!! DUCK!! No actually PARROT!! So after doing some diligent research I found that it has nothing to do with a parrot bird! Seriously? It is a big cannon that has a unique look because of a reinforcing band of iron at its breech and it's named after its inventor Robert Parker PARROTT. Oh boy. Confusing I know.
Let's take one more example.
Cheval-de-Frise or chevaux-de-frise? Well, it sounds French to me and all I want to know is, what are the French doing in our private war?? Hmmm? One side or the other was going to lose and have to surrender and we didn't need the French to help, experts though they may be in that regard. (Brings up another Civil War couple of words, French Leave. Exactly! France....leave. Just leave. Please.)
Is this a finely done steak, some food with fries, or a mis-spelled wording of Chateau-de-frise, which means it is freezing at the Chateau. This word should come with it's own manual.
So once again I sat down to hours of research in the French language and wouldn't you know it, the French came up with another word for a bunch of felled trees with sharpened branches pointing towards the enemy. Sure, sure they did a little more work with these trees as they took a log of the tree and and fixed spiked branches to it to and pointed them at the enemy. It comes from a French word for "horse from Friesland." I guess the Frisians (Who?) were the first to use this kind of defense. Wish it were land of the fries. Now I'm hungry!!
Well, enough of these language gymnastics!!! (Do I use the word well too much?) Well, I don't care!! So that's it for another....... FLANAGAN'S CORNEEEERRRRR!!
Disclaimer: There were no Frenchmen harmed in the making of this blog.
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