Random notes on "The Bizarre notes and queries" 1890 - Google Books

[Jonathan Lighter]

In HDAS too.

JL

On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 8:17 PM, Douglas G. Wilson <douglas at nb.net> wrote:

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> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Random notes on "The Bizarre notes and queries" 1890 -
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> Victor Steinbok wrote:
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> > Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Random notes on "The Bizarre notes and queries" 1890 -
> Google
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> > Three random observations on a fairly non-distinguished publication...
> >
> > 1. Got the mitten; give hern
> >
> > I discovered an odd (to me) expression (from 1890) on p. 4 at
> >
> > http://bit.ly/dBWXGa
> >
> > The Bizarre Notes and Queries: A Monthly Magazine of History, Folk-lore,
> > Mathematics, Mysticism, Art, Science, Etc., Volume VII, Manchester, N.
> > H., 1890
> >
> >> "Got the mitten" Where did this saying originate? (N. and Q., F. J. P.
> >> Vol. VI, p. 348)
> >> This is an American phrase used when a young man is discarded by a
> >> lady to whom he has been paying his addresses. Sam Slick, in "Human
> >> Nature," p. 90, says, "there is a young lady I have set my heart on ;
> >> though whether she is a-goin' to give hern, or /give the miten/, I
> >> ain't satisfied." This seems to be the only remaining use of the Old
> >> English werd [sic] /mittent/ (Latin, /mittins/, to send) which Johnson
> >> defines as "sending forth, emitting." /Mittent/ itself is obsolete,
> >> but it survives inthe word "intermittent".
> >>             Mrs. L. T. George
> >>
> >
> > It is interesting that Mrs. George failed to notice the connection with
> > the very word Johnson uses for definition here--emitting. MW-OL has it
> > going back to 1598, others (online) to 1623 (all without citations), and
> > all have its origins in /mittere/. The given etymology may also be
> > slightly off--WRD1913 gives /mittens/ as p.pr. of /mittere/.
> --
>
> This "mitten" is in DARE, said to originate probably as a jocular
> variant of "mittimus" (itself in MW3 etc.) = "dismissal".
>
> -- Doug Wilson
>
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