Cave Kiss; Cave Bacon; Stalactites hold tight to the ceiling, stalagmites might

Bapopik at AOL.COM Bapopik at AOL.COM
Tue Jul 31 06:07:19 UTC 2007


I recently took some guests to the Inner Space Caverns in Georgetown,  Texas, 
discovered during the construction of I-35.
...
The cavern tour guide explained "cave kiss"--a drop of water that falls  from 
the ceiling. If it hits you, it's good luck. "Cave kiss" is not in OED or  
HDAS?
...
"Cave bacon" seems standard.
...
The old "stalactite=hold tight to ceiling" and "stalagmite=might rise up  
from the floor" was implied to have been made up by this tour guide, but in fact  
goes back to at least the 1800s! None of us has researched this saying?
...
...
...
_keyetv.com - Central Texas Cavern Is A Cool Getaway_ 
(http://keyetv.com/summerfun/local_story_238134131.html)      Stalactites formed over time by water.  
"If you get dripped on, that's called a cave kiss, suppose to bring  you good 
luck," Gerow said. ...
keyetv.com/summerfun/local_story_238134131.html -  22k
...
...
_Cascade  Caverns See Texas Downunder Minutes from San Antonio Texas ..._ 
(http://www.cascadecaverns.com/history.htm)       Millions of glistening drops of 
water  decorate the ceiling, waiting for an unwitting guest to walk 
underneath  and be surprised by a "cave kiss". ...
www.cascadecaverns.com/history.htm - 9k  
...
...
_Urban Dictionary: Cave Bacon_ 
(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cave+Bacon)      In Geology; Cave bacon ~ thin calcite  formation with 
alternating brownish and whitish colors resembling strips  of bacon found inside of 
a cavern. ...
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cave+Bacon -  14k
...
...
_http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1307042_ 
(http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1307042) 
 
Stalagmites
Formations that rise from the cave floor and are often, but not always,  
formed by dripping water from stalactites above. _Stalagmite_ 
(http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Stalagmite) s are  usually larger in diameter than 
stalactites, and more rounded on top. As a  child, I learned the following _mnemonic_ 
(http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=mnemonic)  to keep the  two straight: 
stalactites hold tight to the  ceiling; stalagmites might eventually make it  up 
from the floor. 
... 
... 
_stalactites. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third  ..._ 
(http://www.bartleby.com/59/20/stalactites.html)  - 10:03pm     One easy way to 
distinguish stalactites  from stalagmites is to recall that stalactites “hold tight”  
to the ceiling of a cave. Stalagmites “might reach the ...
www.bartleby.com/59/20/stalactites.html 
... 
... 
(GOOGLE BOOKS) 
_Notes and Queries - Page 345_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=9HYCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA345-IA8&dq=stalactites+tight+date:1850-1902&num=100&ie=ISO-8859-1) 
by William John Thomas, Doran (John), Henry Frederick Turle, Joseph  Knight, 
Vernon Horace Rendall, Florence Hayllar -  1868
1868 ... and who gave my friend the  following etymological distinction 
between 
stalactites and  stalagmites. ... 'cos if dey was not tight dey'd be berry  
... 

...
...
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
_Edwin Booth: recollections by his daughter, Edwina Booth Grossmann  and 
letters to her and to his ... - Page 47_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=MQ9RNIeFWPgC&pg=PA47&dq=stalactites+tight+date:1900-1978&num=100&ie=ISO-8859-1) 
by Edwin Booth, Edwina (Booth) Grossman - 1902 - 292  pages
... rocky ceilings called " stalactites,"  and others rising from the ground 
directly 
beneath them, ... 'cause  dey stuck tight to de roof, and de odder ones  ...



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