Subject: Re: grig vote tallies

From: Jean-Joseph Cote <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 21:55:32 -0500

>Jean-Joseph adds:
>Hmm... checking the dictionary now, I guess it's the "lively person", as
one 
>usage example listed is  "merry as a grig", meaning "lively", although
the 
>actual definitions were 1) a small eel, and 2) a grasshopper or cricket,

>suggesting that the immature newt wasn't too far off. ("Merry as a small

>eel"?!?)
>
>Interesting.  My dictionary says nothing about eels, but does classify
the 
>word as “archaic.”  I wonder if my dictionary has been sloppy about the 
>origin of this...Similarly, several people pointed out that my first
word 
>choice, guerdon, referred to a coin, whereas my dictionary specified 
>non-monetary reward...perhaps another case of slacking on the etymology.
>-Fran

I guess I should note that the dictionary I used was the Concise Oxford
(a normal sort of book, not to be confused with the Compact Oxford),
which is a decidedly British book.  (I have no idea why the guy I work
for has it on his bookshelf, but it's the only dictionary we have here at
the office.)

Jean-Joseph