Jinx

Use this forum to suggest Good Words for Professor Beard.
Perry
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Jinx

Postby Perry » Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:28 pm

jinx (n.)
1911, Amer.Eng., from 17c. jyng "a charm, a spell," originally "wryneck," a bird used in witchcraft and divination, from L. iynx "wryneck," from Gk. iynx. The verb is 1917 in Amer.Eng., from the noun.
OED

Have we ever explored this word? I cannot recall.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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Slava
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Postby Slava » Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:20 am

It has been now, just short of 3 months from the suggestion.

However, and this is perhaps beyond the discussion of the origins, I'd like to know how spells and charms came to be seen as evil. The origins as Perry posted don't really indicate bad intention.

Is witchcraft inherently bad? And, of course, to bring in the gender question, what does that mean for wizardry? Or aren't they different?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

LukeJavan8
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Postby LukeJavan8 » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:09 pm

Considering the "fascination" with witches and witchcraft
in both the movies and on TV, not a bad word to
explore. "Knock on wood" so as to not jinx something is also a sidekick.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----


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