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Show H ALTERED IN THEIR MEANING H Phraaes, Petting Through Genera- H tlont, Become Distorted Before H Qene rally Acknowledged. H Word building la as much a piece H of carpentry as is houso building. H Dnly It takes longer. Sometimes a H tontury more. And by that tlmo the B word's first meaning Is usually chang- H For examplo, tho old word for H "neighbor" was "sib." Ono's good B neighbor was known as one's "good H lb." This became shortened to BK 'godslb,' and Iator to "gossip." Then BH tho word's whole moaning changed PB and gossip no longer meant good ftVJ neighbor, but applied to the sort of RVH talk exchanged between good neigh-ftVJ neigh-ftVJ pAVJ Take the word "fnrmor," too. The BAWJ old word for "farmer" was "boor." pBfta (And "boor" later was UBed for do- BH scribing farmer-like or rough per- B tons.) The farmer living nearest to H ono was known as tho "nlghboor," pftVJ and this phrase, In course of time, was twisted to "neighbor." AV You've heard the proverb, "Mttlo pBVJ pitchers havo big cars." Well, It doesn't refer to tho utensil that holds water or goes to the corner side door. "Pitcher" was a slang term with pHH tome such meaning as our word "chap" or "follow." ThuB, "Llttlo fellows PPj havo "big ears" Is a moro sensible PPJ rendering of the. proverb. Chicago pfepj Journal. |