Sunday, December 16, 2007 - The Dictionary Comes Out Again
Another interesting discussion hit at breakfast today. The kids were eating CocoWheats and Miss Language wanted to know what they were, anyhow. I told her chocolatized farina. That did not satisfy so she read the box and then wanted to know what farina is. We have cleverly positioned her seat near the piece of furniture that holds our dining room dictionary (when it's not on the rungs of her chair) just so she can quickly deal with a Vocabulary Emergency.
She looked up 'farina.' (Un)fortunately, she got distracted en route to 'farina'and asked if anyone knows what 'fard' means. Someone said something about a type of poet and then Devastatingly Handsome asked could it be a bard who ate too many beans? No. Turns out to be some archaic word:
--noun
1.
facial cosmetics.
–verb (used with object)
2.
to apply cosmetics to (the face).
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < MF, OF: n. deriv. of farder to apply makeup, prob. < Old Low Franconian *farwiðon to dye, color (cf. OHG farwjan, G färben)]
I helpfully pointed out to Miss Language that when young men come to call and she is not ready, we can tell them she is in the bathroom farding. She did not seem to appreciate the suggestion.
Then at dinner I served pesto tortellini. One of Miss Language's had ruptured. This led to a discussion of what is the word for just one 'tortellini'? Doubtless you will be heartbroken to hear the dictionary let us down. So we were going with 'tortellinus', till we discovered actually several had ruptured. Whew. Problem solved.
OK...I just looked up 'farnia', and my dictionary failed to list that word. So did you make it up, or is it too archaic to be included in 1991's Websters?
LOL....no wonder I was so confused. I had slipped into one of my dyslexic tendencies. =) Of course, I already know what 'farina' is. I'm going to laugh about this all day!
Your family is a riot! Next year I should be finished will all my manual labor in the remodel project and vow to check up on my friends regularly. Just a few more ceilings and walls to prime and paint and then I am just going to be old for awhile. I will be lurking on you.
Love and Thoughts,
Miss Meg
ps thanks for stopping by my blog - fudge is a once a year treat since my hips tried to take over my body. I don't have Miss Dance to hang out with or I could eat it twice a year... or more.
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