ANTIMACASSAR

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Dr. Goodword
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ANTIMACASSAR

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:47 pm

• antimacassar •

Pronunciation: æn-ti-mê--sêr • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: A cloth or crocheted doily laid on the top of the back of upholstered chairs and couches or on their arms to protect those areas from the hair tonic worn by men in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Antimacassars are still used in some regions today just for decoration.

Notes: Other than the plural, antimacassars, this Good Word is a solitary remnant of a by-gone era. Remember to spell this word with a single C and a double S and you should be OK.

In Play: I've noticed that oily hair tonic seems to be creeping back in style, so a note on an old-fashioned way to defend our furniture against it might not be out of order: "Malcolm has moved back to a slicked-down hair style, so mama's crocheting antimacassars for the living room couch and armchairs." Today, antimacassars are often made of the same material as the upholstery. Disposable paper antimacassars are sometimes used in the cabins of aircraft.

Word History: Today's Good Word is a combination of anti- "against" + Macassar, the trade name of an oily hair tonic produced by Rowland and Son in 19th-century England. Macassar was an English attempt at Mangkasara, the name of a district in Celebes, one of the islands making up the Indonesian archipelago. The hair oil purportedly originated from a plant growing in that district.
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gailr
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Postby gailr » Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:18 pm

Today, antimacassars are often made of the same material as the upholstery. Disposable paper antimacassars are sometimes used in the cabins of aircraft.
Even here...

This word reminds me of childhood visits with a great aunt: antimacassars, samplers and doilies everywhere. It was like a living history museum, without the velvet ropes. :D


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