Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday

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Persuasion by Jane Austen

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 I had no more discoveries to make, than you would have as to the fashion and strength of any old pelisse, which you had seen lent about among half your acquaintance, ever since you could remember, and which at last, on some very wet day, is lent to yourself.  (63)

Pelisse
a long cloak or coat made of fur or lined or trimmed with fur.

This definition from this site.

This is yet another example of a word that I could easily guess at and probably have read many times but didn't think I needed to look it up.  But I did learn a little something about the fact that a pelisse is traditionally a fur lined or trimmed article of clothing and the image I found online doesn't show any fur trim so I'm assuming it's lined.  The etymology of this word is especially interesting.

French, from Old French pelice, from Late Latin pellicia, from feminine of pellicius made of skin, from Latin pellis skin

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Immediately surrounding Mrs. Musgrove were the little Harvilles, whom she was sedulously guarding from the tyranny of the two children form the Cottage, expressly arrived to amuse them.  (132)

sedulous
involving or accomplished with careful perseverance

diligent in application or pursuit

This definition from this site.

One of these days I'll post a list of words, none of which I understood.  However, until that day comes along, there is this adverb (or adverbial, to be more precise) which I've seen used and abused online more often than I care to consider.  So there's a strong argument for people to look up a word before they use it, if only to avoid the embarrassment of someone like me linking to it.  Unfortunately, there are so very many that I don't have time to create that many links.

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. . .  tressels and trays, bending under the weight of brawn and cold pies, where riotous boys were holding high revel.  (132)


tressel (noun)
(redirected to "trestle")  

a braced frame serving as a support 

brawn  (noun)
the flesh of a boar
Both definitions from this site.

Bonus Recipe!  I found a recipe for a Brawn.  Click here!  

I learned a few things here.  I assumed a tressel table was a sideboard style of table where one would lay out an array of foods.  But "tressel" has more to do with how the frame is braced and, when I saw this I realized that a tressel table has a very specific design.  Brawn was also a surprise and finding a recipe for making brawn definitely interested me. Then I read the ingredients.  I'm not going to make it.  I may never even try ti but you never know. Has anyone reading my blog tried brawn?  What did you think of it?

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Every body has their taste in noises as well as in other matter; and sounds are quite innoxious, or most distressing by their sort rather than their quantity.  (133)


innoxious (adjective)
(redirected to "innocuous")

producing no injury : not harmful

This definition from this site.

I wouldn't have shared this word at all because it has been replaced with 'innocuous" and this interested me enough to pass it along to you.  After all, we still use the word "noxious" so why don't we still use "innoxious"?  And we don't use "nocuous" but we still have "innocuous" and it is this dichotomy that fascinates me.  That and I'm not sure why this America's Next Top Model contender is one of the first images that popped up.  Her, a puppy, and two different kitties.  I suppose the implication is that "cute" equals "innocuous."  I don't think any human is "innocuous" once they've hit puberty.