Show ALTERED IN THEIR MEANING phrases passing through generations become distorted before generally acknowledged word building is as much a piece ot of carpentry as la Is house building only it takes longer sometimes a century more and by that time the words first meaning is usually changed for example the old word for n neighbor elgh bor was sib ones good neighbor was known as ones good sib this became shortened to gods lb and later to gossip then the words whole hole meaning changed and gossip no longer meant good neighbor but applied to the sort of 0 talk exchanged between good neighbors take the word vord tanner farmer too the old word for farmer was boor and boor later was waa used tor for describing farmer like or rough per sons sells the farmer living nearest to one was known as the 11 nigh boor and this phrase in course of time was twisted to neighbor youve hoard heard the proverb little pitchers have big ears cars well it refer to the utensil that holds water or goes to the corner side door pitcher waa ft a slang term with some such meaning as our word chap or fellow thus little fellows have big ears Is a more sensible rendering of the proverb chicago journal |