Me-Yow, Baby!

[the_gneech]

Today's Forgotten English...

lionize
To treat and exhibit as an object of interest. Originally to take visitors to see the lions formerly kept at the Tower of London. [Hence] lion-hunter, one given to lionizing people, popularized by Dickens in Mr. Leo Hunter [in] Pickwick Papers (1836).

--Albert Hyamson's Dictionary of English Phrases, 1922

On the third of June, 1605, King James and his family went to the Tower of London to see the lions. From the time of Henry III, who placed in the Tower three leopards which had been sent him from Emperor Frederick in allusion to the three leopards on the royal shield, there had always been some examples of larger carnivora kept in this grim old seat of English royalty. In the fourteenth century, to maintain a lion in the Tower cost sixpence a day, while human prisoners were supported for one penny ... To go and see these Tower lions became an indispensible duty of all country visitors of London, insomuch as to give rise to a proverbial expression, "the lions," passing as equivalent to all kinds of city wonders.

--W. & R. Chambers's Book of Days, 1864

On an unrelated note, Kung Fu last night demonstrated to me that my stances have gotten a bit sloppy; I'm going to have to put in some extra practice on those.

On another unrelated note, the cicadas seem to be moving into the "lay eggs and die" phase ... there are fewer active ones, and the ones there are seem to be sluggish ... and there are lots of dried up dead ones lying on their back all over the sidewalk. Alas, poor little idiots. It's a bit sad.

-The Gneech

Comments

[wbwolf.livejournal.com]

I have to question "lionize" as being 'forgotten'. While the origin is very interesting, I've heard lionize used in many modern contexts (such as "he was lionized in the press").

...

Now, if I could just work out a parody of the Eagles song "Lion Eyes"...

[bauske.livejournal.com]

Woot! Lionize!

But.. poor cicadas. I'll miss their funny, stupid humor. *sniffle*

[satyrblade.livejournal.com]

Did you know that Simon Hawke ("The Wizard of 4th Street") has a new Mystery series set in Elizabethan London and featuring William Shakespeare as one of the sleuths? It's quite entertaining, and loaded with period detail. As far as I know, there are four books in the series as of now. Check 'em out - they're fun!

[kamau-d-lyon.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I'll have to run that by the people out here at Plimoth Plantation (where I'm at for today and tomorrow) and see if that a term we can use in the village. We're always looking for such things.