----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for July 19, 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------
fuddy duddy [n. FUD-ee DUD-ee]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A fuddy duddy is an old-fashioned person with fussy, hyper-critical
ways. Example: "Professor Higgins is such a fuddy duddy, he won't
even let his boys play in the yard on Saturdays."
The origin of this phrase is uncertain. It seems to have first
gotten started around 1900 in Maine, a place and time of puritanical,
straight-laced attitudes. Some dictionaries suggest that the phrase
is related to "fuddled," an old word meaning "drunk or confused," but
that theory seems unlikely because a fuddy duddy is not the kind of
person who is likely to get drunk.
A more intriguing theory is that it emerged from the letters sometimes
found after the names of clergymen who were also professors, something
fairly common in those days. Someone known as "James Witherspoon,
Ph.D., D.D." might have been called "James Witherspoon, fuddy duddy"
by those with little respect for his credentials.
Today's sponsor: Free PHOTO greetings http://www.zing.com/z?e40c50z11
Share your special moments with family and friends. New PHOTO
greetings at Zing.com! Send animated cards starring you or choose
from thousands of photos. Tons of funny, cute, cool, and animated
cards for you to customize.
Zing.com - the hottest new place for online greetings!
http://www.zing.com/z?e40c50z11
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cool Word of the Day list membership: 119,791
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To send a free gift subscription: http://www.tlk-lists.com/giftsub/
Subscribing, unsubscribing, address changes:
Existing subscribers: http://www.tlk-lists.com/change/
To join as a new subscriber: http://www.tlk-lists.com/join/
To become a sponsor: http://www.tlk-lists.com/sponsor/
Feedback: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1999, The Learning Kingdom, Inc.
http://www.LearningKingdom.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
