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GROCERY

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:38 am
by Dr. Goodword

• grocery •

Pronunciation: gro-sêr-ee • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. (UK) Meat and vegetable produce. 2. (US) A small store where these products and household supplies (soap, mops, pots and pans, etc.) are sold.

Notes: The products sold in a grocery store are groceries in the US, grocery in the UK. Grocery is derived from the name of the person who runs a grocery store, a grocer. Grocery stores have all but been replaced by huge supermarkets and local convenience stores today. Convenience stores usually lack the fresh produce that characterize the grocery store, so the latter are sometimes called greengroceries to emphasize their fresh vegetables and fruits.

In Play: Interestingly enough, neighborhood grocery stores are still prevalent in large cities, where the population is sufficient to support them, "Mercedes stopped at the grocery (store) on her way home from work and picked up a lovely aubergine to stir fry." Getting the groceries home is always risky: "Elwin hung a bag of groceries on a little used doorknob and forgot them until the smell revived his memory."

Word History: Although (most) grocers aren't gross, gross is where their name comes from. Today's word is derived from grocer by the addition of the common suffix -y. Grocer originated in Medieval Latin grossarius "wholesale merchant", which entered English from Anglo-Norman grosser, bringing with it the same meaning. Grossarius was derived from Latin grossus "thick", which later came to mean simply "large". How did gross get its unfavorable meaning? The meanings "thick" and "large" led the word to refer to overweight people, which, through our usual prejudices, gave the word its current pejorative shade.

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:05 am
by Philip Hudson
I have missed the etymology of grocery. I thought it referred to a gross, 144 in the duodecimal system. When I was a lad and worked in a grocery, we bought groceries in the duodecimal system and sold them in the decimal system. Thus we bought a dozen cans of beans and sold ten of the cans for the price we paid for the dozen. The other two cans were sold for the same price and went for overhead and profit.

The Good Doctor has shown that grocery and gross, meaning 144, have the same root but one is not derived from the other. If one lives long enough and keeps alert, she/he man learn any number of interesting things. The Good Doctor provides a large amount of my current learning.

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:44 am
by MTC
Yes, Dr. Goodword's site is a learning trove.

About "gross," Etymoline says:

gross (n.)
"a dozen dozen," early 15c., from Old French grosse douzaine "large dozen;" see gross (adj.). Earlier as the name of a measure of weight equal to one-eighth of a dram (early 15c.). Sense of "total profit" (opposed to net) is from 1520s.

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 10:27 pm
by Perry Lassiter
Commented yesterday, but I guess I neglected to hit "post." Unless you are a New Orleans native or long time resident, you say, "I'm going to get some groceries," or perhaps buy them. If you are from NOLA, you may well say, "I'm going to make groceries today."

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:06 pm
by damoge
anyone know when "gross" meaning "disgusting" came into use?

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:17 pm
by Philip Hudson
From: dictionary.reference.com/browse/gross -
Gross, meaning "disgusting", is first recorded 1958 in U.S. student slang, from earlier use as an intensifier of unpleasant things (gross stupidity, etc.).

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:20 pm
by damoge
thanks so much! is the time frame I would have guessed. Nice to know I have not yet completely lost my mind...

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:52 pm
by LukeJavan8
From: dictionary.reference.com/browse/gross -
Gross, meaning "disgusting", is first recorded 1958 in U.S. student slang, from earlier use as an intensifier of unpleasant things (gross stupidity, etc.).

I remember hearing the term and from its use I figured
out it meant disgusting, but had to ask a good friend
(confidentially, of course, so as not to be 'square')
if I was correct. Ah, how time flies.

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:53 pm
by LukeJavan8
thanks so much! is the time frame I would have guessed. Nice to know I have not yet completely lost my mind...

I hope you are not planning on doing so. Is the
rainy weather getting to you? Too much mildew or something?
How's the house?

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:05 pm
by damoge
all continues to progress very slowly... Enjoying the overcast weather...
I've been away for 3 weeks, and am leaving again tomorrow for 2 1/2 weeks more, so progress is VERY slow. I'll be hoping for a rush of enthusiasm and energy when I get back, really really back half past February

and how is it at your end of the swamp? I take it you need ice skates to get to the wood shed?

Re: GROCERY

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:22 pm
by LukeJavan8
Woodshed?
You mean outhouse?
Yes it is cold and icy. Think I'll move to WA.
Enjoy your trip.