WillyBWright
Fleet Admiral
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2003
- Messages
- 8,200
Sorry if this sounds like a disgusting topic, but it's really about semantics. Not, well ... snot.
I was just listening to the news from Lake Wobegon and I clearly heard the word "snot" come out from the mouth of Garrison Keillor. Now while neither of us are no Spring Chickens, I consider him to be of a generation older than I. I thought that "snot" had it's origins in my generation, but maybe I was wrong. Now I know he's a wordsmith and uses language like I twist wrenches, only a whole lot better. But it made me ponder if this was also a word he might have commonly used as a boy.
So here's my question. Two, actually. Just how old is the word "snot"?
I was born in the late fifties, but my earliest memories are of the sixties and we used that word a lot. But I never heard an adult use it, so I figure it must've started with us. Or does it date back further than that? Say, back to the olden days (when our revered Ancient Mariner was but a lad
).
Which brings me to the second question, which is really the same as the first question, except ... "Booger"? Is it older, newer, or about as old? Is booger solid and snot slime? Is there even a difference? How many boogers does it take to equal snot?
I'm sure to lose sleep over this tonight, I just know it.
I was just listening to the news from Lake Wobegon and I clearly heard the word "snot" come out from the mouth of Garrison Keillor. Now while neither of us are no Spring Chickens, I consider him to be of a generation older than I. I thought that "snot" had it's origins in my generation, but maybe I was wrong. Now I know he's a wordsmith and uses language like I twist wrenches, only a whole lot better. But it made me ponder if this was also a word he might have commonly used as a boy.
So here's my question. Two, actually. Just how old is the word "snot"?
I was born in the late fifties, but my earliest memories are of the sixties and we used that word a lot. But I never heard an adult use it, so I figure it must've started with us. Or does it date back further than that? Say, back to the olden days (when our revered Ancient Mariner was but a lad
).Which brings me to the second question, which is really the same as the first question, except ... "Booger"? Is it older, newer, or about as old? Is booger solid and snot slime? Is there even a difference? How many boogers does it take to equal snot?
I'm sure to lose sleep over this tonight, I just know it.
