Just sitting here wondering and reminiscing about a word from my youth. Were you to visit my hometown ... Saint John , New Brunswick.....at this tme of year ..... and be having breakfast in any diner or greasy spoon ..... and tuning in to the local yokels' conversations around you , you would hear one word recurring over and over again. The word is "freshet "! This word has a high frequency rating in late April and early May in and around Saint John..... and , to boot , it's in Webster. I know of no other place in the English - speaking world where this word is still used. How about you ?
Well...I know....but I won't tell (c:
ReplyDeleteNot around here...but I am thinking it means.. yes, it is fresh out today. ?? Am I correct?
ReplyDeleteThe locals do have a jargon that you have to actually hear to understand and more than once we have had to say,"pardon-me". This area was settled long time ago by the Orange Men. There is a town just across the Ottawa river .. Van Cleek Hill and that never comes out the way it is spelled... usually it is Vant Leek Hill.
Not even close , Barb ! Great try though ! Back in the fifties the son of the owner of the one and only hotel in Vankleek Hill was in the seminary with me.. Lynn St - Denis.... remember those hotels with a beverage room for men only and a second one for "accompanied ladies "? Hugs !
ReplyDeleteI sure do remember those places.. ok.. 2nd try... (i cheated)
ReplyDeleteMain Entry: fresh·et
Pronunciation: \ˈfre-shət\
Function: noun
Date: 1596
1archaic : stream 1
2 a: a great rise or overflowing of a stream caused by heavy rains or melted snow b: a swelling quantity : influx
I have never heard that term. But then we do not live near anything that overflows when the snow melts. And any more, we do not have snow. There is a river in my town but it is only a problem with very heavy rains.
ReplyDeleteHave never heard that word before. But I just read Epistling's comment so I see what it means there LOL
ReplyDeleteWish you and your lady a wonderful day! KRAM
"Overflowing stream" but I'm not familiar with it.
ReplyDelete"remember those hotels with a beverage room for men only and a second one for "accompanied ladies "?"
ReplyDeleteIn New Jersey they had two entrances to any food establishment that had a bar. Women were not allowed to enter much less sit at the bar. They had to use the dining room entrance where they could get sloshed in the dining room and that was OK. That was an "oldy but goody" law from the 30s that was only rescinded in the 70s. Yeah, the "enlightened" 70s. (c;
Like the awkward young groom on his honeymoon this blog CAME too soon yesterday with that bookish definition ...... thus depriving me of the fun I get from making the final comments and adding a folksy ... downhome.... spin to an otherwise common word....... loaded with meaning for me although unknown to most.
ReplyDelete