Thursday, February 20, 2025

Is the word 'wan' archaic ?

 

Last week it was dark when we drove down into town. Now its definitely brighter. Before we know it the dawn will start at five and it won't start getting dark until well past nine. There's something wan about the colour of the sky this morning. 'The Font' observes that 'wan' is a word that's rarely used. Perhaps it's one of those old English words that's become archaic ?

Out on the part of the course known as the Himalayas three early rising golfers are deeply engrossed in their game. One of them has chipped his shot onto the footpath in front of us. We signal to him and he comes over to retrieve the ball. How he can have managed to get so far off the fairway is something best left unexplored. He thanks us and we smile and move quickly on.


On our return I'm guessing the gentlemen who are pretending to be nonchalant ( as if they play the Old Course every day ) are Wall Streeters. From a distance they all look  identical but one is treated with deference so must either be a boss or a client. He is clapped when he finally sinks a hole in seven. 


Are you keen on Venison ? The farm shop clearly is.


Have no idea who this man is ( and the layout of the text is difficult to follow ) but these 50 points are largely true and possibly reassuring ? I'd agree with almost all of them. 9,13,16.19,34 and 38 caught my eye.  Times they are a changing  :https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1891699446892634582.html

Seven ocean surprises :https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/the-7-biggest-ocean-mysteries-scientists-cant-explain

Sleep. Does everything sleep ? Section 0.0.1 informs us birds sleep but can't be sleep deprived  :https://nintil.com/everything-sleeps/




8 comments:

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Wan is a good word, keep using it. Less harsh than insipid... YAM xx

Coppa's girl said...

My mother frequently used the word wan, referring to anyone looking pale.
My first Labrador would have snaffled that golf ball before I could say "No, leave it" or the golfer could retrieve to it. We lived very near the local golf course and stray balls were a daily occurence on our daily walks on the public right of way - across the fairway!

Angus said...

This morning the farmers wife was taking a tray of millionaires shortbread down to the green keepers at the neighbouring 5 star hotels golf course. For the last 3 days in a row they've called to tell her that 'Puppy' has been retrieving golf balls from the long grass by the fairway. Some of the golfers have been unimpressed. Puppy has been imprisoned in the green keepers hut to keep her out of harms way.

Anonymous said...

The puppy story made me smile. The 50 comments by the economist were also very interesting. Here in the DC area, so many friends and neighbors are losing their jobs or losing funding for their research. Protests everywhere you look. It is just chaos, anger and fear. Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is getting raked over the coals by constituents because he is a milquetoast in standing up to Trump. Virginia has more than 140,000 federal employees and is the #1 state in the country for federal contracts. There is much anger. Republicans will likely fare poorly in this November’s Virginia statewide elections.

Lisa in France said...

I also like the word "wan". It comes up sometimes in the NYT crossword puzzle. We read through the 50 points at breakfast and agree with you that they are largely true and possibly reassuring. No. 10 made me laugh. The author seems to be an American teaching at the University of Toronto, so I imagine he must be having some interesting times these days.

Travel said...

A delightful way to start our day, thank you.

Diaday said...

Puppy and her puppy spirit always make me smile!

The Bougalou Bear said...

I agree wholeheartedly with # 17. But how can it be otherwise, when History and civic culture are not taught properly anymore-when they are taught at all- and even our Prime Minister spouts "Canada as 1rst post-state State" nonsense.