DROOL

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

DROOL

Postby Dr. Goodword » Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:08 am

• drool •

Pronunciation: drul • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: 1. Slobber, drivel, salivate excessively until the saliva runs out of the mouth. 2. Exhibit excessive envy or desire. 3. (British) Talk drivel, nonsense.

Notes: Today's word, as the Word History will show, is a dialectal variant of drivel, so these two words share several meanings. In the US drivel has remained, by and large, a noun meaning "nonsense". Drool, on the other hand, is used mostly in the sense of actually drooling, or figuratively drooling with excessive envy or desire. Drool comes with a personal noun, drooler, and an action noun, drooling. It is a regular verb.

In Play: Whenever I hear this word I am reminded of the drool-bucket episode with Michael Palin on Saturday Night Live: a senile man who constantly drools has a small detachable pail on his head positioned to catch his drool and a lackey who periodically empties it. Of course, today this word is used more in the metaphorical sense; "Stop drooling over Cally Pidgian, Phil: she is out of your class."

Word History: Today's Good Word is an intriguing oddity: it is a dialectal contraction of the noun drivel that took on a life of its own. Drivel comes from Old English dreflian "to dribble, run at the nose, or slobber", but the trail ends there. This word is rather obviously related to drip, dribble, and drop (liquid), though no relationship has been firmly established. (Today we thank Kathleen McCune of Norway, who just drools over delicious words like today's Good One.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

MTC
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1104
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:40 am
Location: Pasadena

Re: TO DROOL IS UNCOOL

Postby MTC » Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:51 am

Who would drool into a pot?
Though some may like it
I do not.

Or do they play us for a fool
When they say to drool is cool?

For when the drips begin to drop
Would any say, "Don't let them stop!"

But when the bell rings, salivate
Or you'll be fined for being late.

MTC
Last edited by MTC on Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:55 am, edited 2 times in total.

Philip Hudson
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2784
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 am
Location: Texas

Re: DROOL

Postby Philip Hudson » Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:10 am

Dr. Seuss still lives.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

LukeJavan8
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: DROOL

Postby LukeJavan8 » Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:20 pm

Love it!
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

User avatar
bamaboy56
Lexiterian
Posts: 363
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:20 pm
Location: The Deep South

Re: DROOL

Postby bamaboy56 » Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:24 pm

Well done, MTC. Impressive!
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I'm going to change myself. -- Rumi

misterdoe
Senior Lexiterian
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:21 am
Location: New York City area
Contact:

Re: DROOL

Postby misterdoe » Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:12 pm

Cally Pidgian seems like someone worth drooling over. :)

User avatar
gailr
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1945
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:40 am
Contact:

Re: DROOL

Postby gailr » Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:31 pm

Had Dr. Beard spelled her name Cally Pigeon, we'd have known she was a really cute bird, in addition to being out of his class.

Philip Hudson
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2784
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 am
Location: Texas

Re: DROOL

Postby Philip Hudson » Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:04 pm

Perhaps Cally is a pigeon who speaks pidgin. I will talk to her. Love in any language....
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Google [Bot] and 52 guests