All my life I've been eager to embrace the new day. There had never been any question that I would've wanted to 'sleep in' and miss out on a day's work, but for reasons I would not even want to go into here, I have felt like not wanting to get out of bed these last few mornings.
It's a slippery slope, and to stop me from sliding any further, I decided to take another trip to Ulladulla for lunch at the bowlo and a visit to my favourite op-shop for some more books. "I" decided but in the end it became a "we", and so "we" set off just after breakfast, because if it had been just "I", there would've been no or only burnt dinner tonight.
It was bangers and mash at the bowlo, washed down with a chardie, followed by blueberry cheese cake. If that wasn't enough to make me happy, the above book on offer at my favourite op-shop promised to get me over the line in just eight minutes. To me, happiness is no laughing matter, but, having spent more than eighty YEARS trying to be happy, I didn't think another eight MINUTES would be much help, and so I passed it up for "Lessons in Letting Go". Not that I believe I am a hoarder of bookx, because when it comes to books, it's not hoarding, is it?
However, the real treasures I discovered were a copy of Bob Carr's book "My Reading Life - Adventures in the World of Books" and "Origin Uncertain". While I found Bob Carr's book in the BIOGRAPHIES section, Anatoly Liberman's "Origin Uncertain" had been well and truly hidden away under "L" amongst all the other usual dross in the FICTION section.
It's the sort of book I can read all day. As it says on the dust jacket:
"Lost origins of words revealed. We like to recount that goodbye started out as "god be with you," that whiskey comes from the Gaelic for "water of life," or that avocado originated as the Aztec word for "testicle." But there are many words with origins unknown, disputed, or so buried in old journals that they may as well be lost to the general public. In Origin Uncertain: Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology, eminent etymologist Anatoly Liberman draws on his professional expertise and etymological database to tell the stories of less understood words such as nerd, fake, ain't, hitchhike, trash, curmudgeon, and quiz, as well as puzzling idioms like kick the bucket and pay through the nose. By casting a net so broadly, the book addresses language history, language usage (including grammar), history (both ancient and modern), religion, superstitions, and material culture. Writing in the spirit of adventure through the annals of word origins, Liberman also shows how historical linguists construct etymologies, how to evaluate competing explanations, and how to pursue further research."
Something to think about over breakfast as you tuck into your avocado on toast!
