The Sanas and Teas (heat) of Fizz, Fizzle, and Sizzle

[Daniel Cassidy]

More notes on the Irish and Gaelic word Teas (pron. jass or chass) meaning
Heat. .

The Sanas of Fizz, Fizzle, and Sizzle.

When something  fizzes or fizzles it loses its Teas (pron. jass or chass) or
Heat, Highest  Temperature, Excitement, and High Spirit.  The Oxford Dictionary
’s Fizz is  imitative and its fizzle is literally a silent fart.

Fizz, fiz, make a  hissing sound, as of effervescence; 17th century;
imitative, compare  fizzle. Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, p. 359.

Fizzle, break  wind silently 16th C.; (orig. from US) come to a lame
conclusion, 18th C.; from  fizz (but this is recorded later) + LE, cf. fist. (ODEE, p.
359)

The  Barnhart Etymological Dictionary also opts for the fizz of the silent
fart, but  with a little Middle English imitation.

Fizz v. 1655, move with a hiss  or a sputter; imitative of the sound, and
perhaps related to fizzle.  –n.  1812, a hissing or sputtering sound, from the
verb.  Barnhart, p. 386.

Barnhart's fizzle is an old fart and an ancient fist.

Fizzle v.  About 1532, to break wind without noise, probably an alteration of
obsolete fist  (Middle Eng., break wind, 1440) + le, frequentative suffix.
The meaning of make  a hissing sound or sputtering is first recorded in
1859...in American  English....  Barnhart, p. 386.



The Irish and  Gaelic  Sanas of Fizz, Fizzle and Sizzle

Like a verbal star, fizz and fizzle  are perpetually losing their Teas (pron.
chass or jass), or  heat,  excitement, ardor, and high spirit.

Fizz
Fé  theas, fa theas    ( pron. fay has; the aspirated T is  silent)
Less than highest heat, warmth, passion, ardor,  and excitement

Fé, Fá, faoi : less than, under (in all senses), low.

Teas  (aspirated to Theas, pron. has). heat, hotness, warmth, degree of
hotness, high  temperature, passion, excitement, ardor, fever. Hottest, highest
stage.


The Gaelic Phrase Fizzle Fizzes  Forever..

Fizzle
Fé theas uile (fay has ila)
Less than all heat,  vigor, passion, ardor, or excitement.

Fé, Fá, faoi : less  than, under (in all senses), low

Teas, aspirated to Theas, still means  heat, hotness, warmth, degree of
hotness, high temperature, passion, excitement,  ardor, high spirits. Hottest,
highest stage.

Uile: all, wholly.


Fizzles’s hot jazzy cousin is Sizzle.

With sizzle the  Barnhart again opts for "imitative."  But of course it is a
pure  English imitation.

Sizzle...to make a hissing sound as fat does when  frying. 1603, to burn or
scorch so as to produce a hissing sound; perhaps a  frequentative verb form of
Middle English sissen make a hissing sound, buzz  (before 1300), of imitative
origin. The sense of making a hissing sound when  frying is first recorded. in
English before 1825.  –n. 1823, in Edward  Moor’s Suffolk Words and Phrases;
from the verb.      Barnhart p. 1913


The Irish and Gaelic Sizzle holds at its core the  perpetual heat, passion,
excitement, and ardor of Teas (jazz or chass.)

Sizzle
Sa theas uile (pron. sa has ila ; T is aspirated)
In a state  of all heat, highest temperature, excitement, passion, ardor.

Sa: In ( a  state or condition of)
Theas (pron. has): heat, vigor, passion, ardor, or  excitement.   .
Uile: all, whole.


The Sizzle of Teas  (pron. chass, jass) holds the spirit of jazz (teas, heat)
and gives off heat  even when it fizzles.  On the other hand when you easy
fry chicken in New  Orleans you don't sizzle it, you fricasee (friocadh samh)
the boid  (bird.)

Friocadh (pron fricah): frying
Sa/mh (pron saah),  easy.

Friocadh sa/mh   (pron. Fricah saah)
Easy frying. .


Daniel Cassidy
The Irish Studies Program
New  College of California
San Francisco
1.28.05