You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Disgruntled is the same. Dis- is an intensifier, it means very gruntled.
No, it is the opposite of, the reverse, an absence of, apart from.
Wend.
One only wends one's way home, never to anywhere else.
Disgruntled is the same. Dis- is an intensifier, it means very gruntled.
No, it is the opposite of, the reverse, an absence of, apart from.
Nope. Gruntling means complaining.
Whilst you're correct that it is usually a negator, the prefix dis- was an originally an intensifier in this instance. The root word 'gruntle' fell into disuse and then Wodehouse's gag (as mentioned on the previous page) resulted in a resurgence of it for humorous purposes to mean the opposite.
This happens far more often in English than you might think.
The root word ‘gruntle’ fell into disuse and then Wodehouse’s gag (as mentioned on the previous page) resulted in a resurgence of it for humorous purposes to mean the opposite.
This happens far more often in English than you might think.
Ah the gag reframe. Yes I'm familiar with that.
As the late, great Billy Connoly once said…
I know he's not very well, so he might well tell you to...
&*%$ off
tenterhooks
Well there is the saying and the device being used for its intended purpose so you could argue there are two uses for the word.
Once you see a tenterhook in the flesh (so to speak) and understand how they're used in the textile industry it makes the metaphor for being 'in suspense' a lot more Hellraiser than I first thought. The Australian artist Stelarc likes to suspend himself from tenterhooks - all so has this alarming goofy/maniacal laugh which I first heard when he was describing how the hooks make his skin squeak.
Boak.
I’ll stick in “jaunty” as the only time I ever use it is to take the mick out of someone wearing a hat at a jaunty angle. Not sure if it was ever in common use - just haven’t had to chance to check the etymology before posting.
Disgruntled is better than Datgruntled.
Alight is also being on fire so definitely more than single use if looking at the verb and adjective. I bet both aren’t used together that often unless it involves a Phoenix.
The Australian artist Stelarc likes to suspend himself from tenterhooks – all so has this alarming goofy/maniacal laugh which I first heard when he was describing how the hooks make his skin squeak.
I don't think they're tenterhooks. Tenterhooks are kinda like floorboard nails bent 90'.
I've watched a live demonstration of that sort of suspension. That photo is pretty tame by comparison.
I’ve watched a live demonstration of that sort of suspension.
And was the suspendee a volunteer or a volunteer
Uh...
They were consensual, if that's what you mean.
I don’t think they’re tenterhooks.
I was thinking more to the image on being on them than the shape of the hooks
That photo is pretty tame by comparison.
I decided to pick one of his less florid looking photos - black and white does it a lot of favours 😉 - thats an early work, in later works he had less hair but more ears - having had a third one grafted onto his forearm.
You should all read Susie Dent's books if you're interested in this stuff. She wants to bring back lost positives, from when a well attired, polite person who conformed to regulations could be described as kempt, couth and ruly. I've heard her describe herself as combobulated. Couth clings on in parts of Scotland as couthie. As others have noted, the contented meaning of gruntled is the QI klaxon one, being Wodehosian wordplay. I love this stuff.
I decided to pick one of his less florid looking photos
Ah. I shall have a google tomorrow.
I don’t think they’re tenterhooks. Tenterhooks are kinda like floorboard nails bent 90′.
Yes. Tenterhooks are used for stretching cloth, i.e. putting it under tension. To be "on tenterhooks" means to be under tension, i.e. nervous.
