April foolery

[Anthony Appleyard]

[ Moderator's note:
  The following was submitted early for posting in the spirit of the season.
  Enjoy!
  --rma ]

  (1) New evidence has come in about the etymology of the English word
"morning": it seems to come from the same root as the Anglo-Saxon verb
{ginnian} = "yawn", i.e. "m-yawn-ing", a point likely appreciated by many down
the ages.  Another theory is that "morning" is a haplologized form of
"manure-ning", as (in the time before motor vehicles) the first thing to do in
the morning, whatever the weather and how grotty you feel that early, was to go
down and across the stable yard and muck the horse out.

  (2) The usual purpose for keeping cats in the old days being what it was, a
connection between "miaow" and "mouse" and "mouth" is obvious.

  Anthony Appleyard, UMIST, Manchester, UK :: http://www.buckrogers.demon.co.uk