PECKISH

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PECKISH

Postby Dr. Goodword » Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:55 am

• peckish •

Pronunciation: pek-ish • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. (UK) Slightly hungry. 2. Irritable, cranky, crochety, out of sorts.

Notes: We all react peckishly when we are out of sorts (the adverb) and may be blamed for our peckishness (the noun). Of course, the last thing we are apt to do is peck someone (give them a brief kiss) when we are peckish—unless it is the cook and we are hungry, not irritated.

In Play: Be careful of your location when you use this Good Word. In Britain and elsewhere outside the US, it is likely to be taken in the first sense above: "After the huge lunch we had today, I'm not even peckish now." I wouldn't even guess where we might say, "Being peckish makes me peckish," so that both meanings are retrievable, except where the exceptional readers of alphaDictionary's Good Words congregate.

Word History: Today's Good Word sports two meanings derived from the two meanings of peck. The sense of "slightly hungry" comes from peck "to eat little, unenthusiastically", as to peck at one's food. The other comes from the sense of chickens defending themselves from irritation by pecking at a threat. Both senses are attenuated by the suffix -ish "somewhat", seen in reddish, leanish, darkish, or "like" as in foolish, sheepish, and boyish. (It might make Rodger Collins a bit peckish if we overlooked thanking him for suggesting today's Good Word—so thanks, Rodger.)
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Perry
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Postby Perry » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:36 am

A good thing that our Sluggo is never sluggish!
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gailr
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Postby gailr » Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:27 pm

A good thing that our Sluggo is never sluggish!
Nor peckish, really!




[psst! who's next in this sluggo appreaciation post?]

sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:51 am

More at Puckish, me... :twisted:
Actually I get peckish about noonish...
Or is it Pictish?
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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gailr
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Postby gailr » Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:36 am

Actually I get peckish about noonish...
Or is it Pictish?
Pictish?
I should think, sir, Cornish would be preferable.

De gustibus non est disputandum...

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Postby sluggo » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:52 pm

Actually I get peckish about noonish...
Or is it Pictish?
Pictish?
I should think, sir, Cornish would be preferable.

tsk tsk. I knew there'd be unfeathered fowl language weighting in the wings. :roll:
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby gailr » Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:06 pm

tsk tsk. I knew there'd be unfeathered fowl language weighting in the wings. :roll:
As long as you don't think I was giving you the bird...

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Postby Bailey » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:14 pm

Perhaps he's just Pekin? Image Pictish warriors.

mark a-duck-of-a-different-color Bailey

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