Pomander

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Dr. Goodword
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Pomander

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:38 pm

• pomander •

Pronunciation: po-mæn-dêr • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A hollow, perforated ball containing pot-pourri or other aromatic substances, hung in a closet, wardrobe, or placed in a drawer. 2. The contents of such a ball.

Notes: Historically pomanders were hung from a chain around the neck as deodorants or for protection against disease. Modern deodorants made the first use obsolete and modern medicine made the second application unnecessary.

In Play: Anyone wearing pomanders today would be out of step with time: "Maude Lynn Dresser doesn't trust modern deodorants; she always wears a small pomander around her neck." However, pomanders are still placed in chests of drawers, wardrobes, and closets: "Have you ever noticed the fruity smell of Agnes' clothes? I think she puts pomanders in her wardrobes."

Word History: Today's Good Word is one that reflects how far the English-speaking world has come in its spelling and usage. Middle English pomendambre was an alteration of Old French pome d'embre "apple of amber" from Medieval Latin pomum de ambra. This phrase comprises pomum "apple, (eye)ball" (from Latin pomum "fruit of any kind) + de "of" + ambra "amber". The phrase "apple of the eye" goes back to the time when the pupil was colloquially called the apple. German Augapfel "eyeball" is literally "eye-apple". (Pupil comes from Latin pupilla "girl, doll", referring to the reflection of oneself visible in the pupils of others.) Pome turns up again in pomegranate from Old French pome "apple" + granate "seedy, full of seeds" and, of course, French pomme de terre "potato", literally "apple of the earth". (Let's all thank William Hupy for recommending today's aromatic Good Word.)
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Eileen Opiolka
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Re: Pomander

Postby Eileen Opiolka » Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:42 am

Apple of my eye is a lovely phrase which goes right back to Old Testament times, e.g. Deuteronomy 32:10, "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye."
May we all have someone to keep as the apple of our eye!

Best wishes,
Eileen

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Slava
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Re: Pomander

Postby Slava » Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:04 am

I have several balsa fir bags from New Hampshire I use as pomanders. Plus a huge one on my sofa.
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Re: Pomander

Postby Perry Lassiter » Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:42 pm

I'm not at all sure why, but pomander jumps my mind to that "greasy kid stuff" we men used to get our hair to lie down. What similar word could that be coming from?
pl

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Slava
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Re: Pomander

Postby Slava » Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:39 am

Pomade.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Re: Pomander

Postby LukeJavan8 » Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:39 pm

Brylcreem, a little dab will do ya!
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Re: Pomander

Postby bnjtokyo » Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:18 pm

Mr. Lassiter, it is entirely appropriate for "Pomander" to remind you of the "greasy kid stuff." According to the etymonline etymology dictionary, "pomade" and "pomander" have the same root: "pomade (n.) 1560s, from Middle French pommade 'an ointment' (16c.), from Italian pomata, from pomo 'apple,' from Latin pomum 'fruit; apple' (see Pomona). So called because the original ointment recipe contained mashed apples."

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Re: Pomander

Postby Perry Lassiter » Sun Feb 22, 2015 4:20 pm

So with a modern blender I could squush apples into a pulp and apply to my scalp? Unfortunately, I haven't enough hair left totry it, but if someone does try it, let me know how it turns out.
pl

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Re: Pomander

Postby Philip Hudson » Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:13 am

Luke: In the hinterlands we were not even advanced enough to use Brylcreem. We used a vile tonic called Brilliantine and really soused our hair with it. If you got up a thirst for some booze, it doubled as a drink, or so I was told. When I discovered Top Brass, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. That was great stuff. It still is. On what little hair I have left, I still use it, although I have to buy it from Amazon at an outrageous price.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

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Re: Pomander

Postby misterdoe » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:08 am

I'm not at all sure why, but pomander jumps my mind to that "greasy kid stuff" we men used to get our hair to lie down. What similar word could that be coming from?
That was the first thing to come to my mind, too. :)

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Re: Pomander

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:38 pm

Luke: In the hinterlands we were not even advanced enough to use Brylcreem. We used a vile tonic called Brilliantine and really soused our hair with it. If you got up a thirst for some booze, it doubled as a drink, or so I was told. When I discovered Top Brass, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. That was great stuff. It still is. On what little hair I have left, I still use it, although I have to buy it from Amazon at an outrageous price.


I have heard of it. And I checked with Amazon. That is
pretty pricey, but hey, your head is worth it.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----


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