Fettle

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

Fettle

Postby Dr. Goodword » Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:43 pm

• fettle •

Pronunciation: fet-êl • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: 1. (Archaic even in Scotland, I hear) A belt or strap. 2. Condition, health, or state.

Notes: Today's Good Word is still used as a verb meaning 'to put things in order, tidy up, arrange, or prepare'. In Australia, a fettler is a railway maintenance worker. It also describes the final phase of manufacturing when the rough edges of products are smoothed off and the final product is "tightened up" (see Word History). The gist of all its meanings is to put something into excellent order.

In Play: In most English-speaking areas, today's Good Word is limited to the crystallized phrase in fine fettle: "I was surprised that Armand seemed to be in fine fettle this morning despite his hard partying last night." However, the word retains its sense of "condition" and may be used accordingly: "Mortimer has a toothache this morning that puts him in agonizing fettle, so don't annoy him."

Word History: The origins of today's Good Word are obscure. It seems to have come from the word for "belt", Old English fetel, related to German Fessel "chain, fetter". Indeed, fetter itself appears to be a relative. The verb was used in the sense of "tidy up" and also "prepare" as, 'to fettle oneself for battle or the road'. This sense seems to have come from "tightening up", which means "to put into (better) order" even today. Anything in fine fettle, therefore, is something tightened up and in good order. (Our vocabularies are now in better fettle because Stan Davis of Lakewood, Colorado, suggested this fine Good Word.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8039
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Re: Fettle

Postby Slava » Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:04 pm

As the operation went smoothly, the Doctor was in fine fettle in no time.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

User avatar
call_copse
Senior Lexiterian
Posts: 668
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:42 am
Location: Southampton

Re: Fettle

Postby call_copse » Tue Sep 26, 2017 6:37 am

This is a word we use as a verb in web development - a final fettling of a web page is to just tidy up any loose ends or visual jarring to make the page look how we want it too.
Iain

Perry Lassiter
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 3333
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:41 pm
Location: RUSTON, LA
Contact:

Re: Fettle

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:05 pm

Look xat the original date. This must be among the first words spoken by the Agora...
pl

LukeJavan8
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: Fettle

Postby LukeJavan8 » Fri Sep 29, 2017 12:07 pm

That's even before me.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Google [Bot] and 39 guests