VALENTINE

[Dr. Goodword]

• valentine •

Pronunciation: væ-lên-tayn • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A loved one to whom a special card of love is sent on St. Valentine's Day, February 14. 2. The card itself or some other gift given on St. Valentine's Day to someone beloved.

Notes: The day celebrating love remains a proper noun, St. Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day. The noun, valentine, as defined above, has long since become a common noun. The verb, valentine, once used to describe birds serenading a prospective mate, has fallen by the wayside. The same is true, alas, of the blend Valentide, made from valentine and tide in the spirit of Christmastide. So we are left to send valentines to our valentines on St. Valentine's Day.

In Play: Valentine's Day is generally shortened to just Valentine's these days: "That thoughtful guy, Amos, gave his wife a red lawnmower as a valentine." Since this word is so closely associated with St. Valentine's Day, the range of its possible uses is limited. Its association with the courtship of birds (See History), though, suggests we might revive the verb in figurative expressions like this one: "Fenwick seems to have valentined Maudy into marrying him."

Word History: February 14 was originally a Roman feast day celebrating the beginning of the mating season of birds (hence the association with love). Chaucer was still aware of this for, in Parliament of Foules (1381), he wrote: "For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make" (For this was on Saint Valentine's day when every bird comes there to choose his mate). The celebratory day somehow became associated with a saint named Valentine in the 3rd century, a priest and physician killed during the persecution of Christians by Claudius II. We are still working on the connection. (May everyone reading this be loved by someone special today.)

[Brazilian dude]

May St. Valentine's Day be an augurous day for a momentous decision that will possibly be revealed me today at 7 p.m. Brasília time.

Brazilian dude

[KatyBr]

three times today I heard it pronounced Valentimes day, is it that hard to say?

Kt

[Brazilian dude]

Maybe they meant these are valient times we live in.

Brazilian dude

[gailr]

Nope, dude, I've heard "valentimes day" as well. Usually coming from people who would toast their love with "brandy sniffers".

I just googled "brandy sniffers" for chuckles and was appalled to find there are 20,900 hits for them.

Aaaaargh! Maybe the end is near...

-gailr

[KatyBr]

"brandy sniffers"

Aaaaargh! Maybe the end is near...

-gailr

I think so too, for the same reason, and here's one that drives me wild, ".... 3am in the morning." lol Of course it was.

Kt
do they hire beagles(airport dogs) to sniff out brandy these days? or maybe it's still Saint Bernards?

[Stargzer]

. . . do they hire beagles(airport dogs) to sniff out brandy these days? or maybe it's still Saint Bernards?

I always thought St. Bernards delivered brandy, except for Neil in the TV series Topper, who was always lapping martinis.

For the younger set, here's a link to the first TV episode.

[Brazilian dude]

I should have put a smiley in my post.

Brazilian dude

[tcward]

I beg to differ, Katy. 3:00am is dead of night. Morning shouldn't start until 6:00am for civilized society.

-Tim

[Stargzer]

I beg to differ, Katy. 3:00am is dead of night. Morning shouldn't start until 6:00am for civilized society.

-Tim

Right on the 3:00 am, wrong on the 6:00 am, Tim. No one should have to arise while his shadow is longer than he is tall.

[KatyBr]

I usually go to bed at 3am. I get up much later than 6am however.

Kt