Submitted by Sir Joshua, Aug 22, 2007 07:59

Baby steps, baby steps. as we heard in 'What about Bob?' Just as 'conspiritor' now means two people doing, usually a bad, thing together, it originally meant, from the Latin conspiriato, two people breathing together, i.e., being in literal lock-step about something. Language moves slowly, and many times colored by specific events which permanently color it, especially now in times when one television broadcast can conjoin two words for the sake of making a point and the entire country can hear it and WHAM! we have a new word.

Considering Padre Cawdry was so down on the King James Bible I am surprised he wasn't made 'toast' as we would say today, i.e., burned at the stake. Also, his 'Fy on it!' comment comes from the Viking 'Fy fan!' the heartiest of Scandinavian curses meaning 'Sh_t from the bowels of the Devil.' That's also where 'Fy, Fi, Fo, Fum...I smell the blood of an Englishman.' comes from. (the 'y' is pronounced as an 'e' hence we say Fe whereas originally it was pronounced what we would say as Fi). So the next time you feel bold, just speak up in public and say 'Fy on you!' Those around you will think you old and cranky vs. foul-mouthed and blunt. But, hey, if it catches on it will kill 'Rap' and that will be worth it all. Now I wonder what late Norse was for bit_h?

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