Earwig

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Dr. Goodword
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Earwig

Postby Dr. Goodword » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:19 pm

• earwig •

Pronunciation: eer-wig • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. [Noun] If this seems like a silly place to put a wig, you're right: an earwig is an elongated insect with pincerlike appendages on its rear (see picture). 2. [Verb] To catch someone's ear, to capture their attention and attempt to influence them.
Image
Notes: In a 2007 blog posting I discussed words that bear no resemblance to their meaning; today's Good Word is rather obviously one of them. Earwigs got their name from an old assumption that they crawled into the brain through the ear and caused insanity. Don't laugh: 200 years ago it was as good an explanation of mental disease as any.

In Play: Earwigs are just small household pests: "I've been told I have earwigs in the house: should I call an exterminator or a wig-maker?" The phrases "put a bug in your ear" and "put a bee in your bonnet" are extensions of the verbal use of today's Good Word: "Rumor has it that President Bush still earwigs Carl Rove on election matters."

Word History: Today's Good Word has never been related to the noun wig as we use it today. Rather, the wig in earwig is the same as that in wiggle, for in Old English today's word was earwicga, based on eare "ear" + wicga "insect". Wicga originally meant "wiggler". When English lost this word in the grinding gears of history, speakers realigned today's word with a familiar one by folk etymology. It is based on a Proto-Indo-European root that referred to travel by vehicle, as we see in words like wagon and way, which also come from it. The W became a V in Latin, leading to Latin vehere "to carry", forefather of our vehicle, and via "road", which we use today as a preposition, as 'to travel to New York via (by way of) Philadelphia'.
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call_copse
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Re: Earwig

Postby call_copse » Wed Apr 01, 2015 7:01 am

Strange, I've never noticed meaning 2, in the UK it is more normal to mean eavesdrop when used as a verb.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/earwig
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Re: Earwig

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:57 am

Back in the day we noticed a nun suddenly
whacking with her hands around her head and
jumping somewhat un-nun-like. Noticing us
watching her, she said she had a bee in her bonnet.
I've never forgotten that.
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Re: Earwig

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Apr 01, 2015 1:49 pm

I have the impression that sometimes plugs that go in announcers ears, usually unseen, are sometimes labeled earwigs. Anyone else?
pl

damoge
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Re: Earwig

Postby damoge » Thu Apr 02, 2015 12:37 pm

is "wicga" related in any way to "wicca"?
(Luke, that's funny!!)
Perry, never heard that use, but I don't have TV and that could be the reason. Don't remember hearing earwig as eavesdrop either, but will ask friends. Where are you?
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Re: Earwig

Postby LukeJavan8 » Thu Apr 02, 2015 12:55 pm

Never heard that either, Perry, but different companies
and different parts of the country account for lots of
differences.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

damoge
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Re: Earwig

Postby damoge » Thu Apr 02, 2015 1:52 pm

Is "earwig" also used for a song that gets stuck in your head? I know there is something for that use, but can't tell if I'm making this up...
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Re: Earwig

Postby Philip Hudson » Sun Apr 05, 2015 10:22 pm

Nor have I previously known the Good Doctor's definition 2.

Having gone through my share of dusty and musty tomes stored in courthouse basements, I have seen a mort of earwigs in my life.
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Slava
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Re: Earwig

Postby Slava » Mon Apr 06, 2015 8:23 am

A mort? Wazzat?
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Re: Earwig

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Apr 06, 2015 9:50 am

Mort n - a great many
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

I admit it is a seldom used word. I have only read it in Mary Webb's novel "Precious Bane". It made an impression on me and so I use it on occasion. I recommend the novel to you. Webb is not often read and deserves to be. Unfortunately she didn't write much, mostly poetry. She never made a living out of her writing. She and her husband were English farmers ca. 1900.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

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Re: Earwig

Postby damoge » Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:22 am

Never ran across "mort" either, but like it very much! such a picture it paints!!!
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Slava
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Re: Earwig

Postby Slava » Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:21 pm

Interesting word, our new mort is. Check out the panoply of meanings on dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mort
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Re: Earwig

Postby LukeJavan8 » Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:00 pm

I have the impression that sometimes plugs that go in announcers ears, usually unseen, are sometimes labeled earwigs. Anyone else?


The communication device in the ear you speak of was used
on NCIS LA which I had on DVR this week, Just watched it
and one agent was captured, and they mentioned losing
their 'earwig' when they were captured. So you have been
verified, Perry.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Re: Earwig

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:39 pm

Thanks Luke. I shall sleep well tonight...
pl


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