"Twig to"

by **Slava** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 1:03 am

Does anyone out there know how this came to mean "caught on"? Or "came to understand"? I like it so much I even use it.

Slava

by **gailr** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 1:45 pm

I knew this was from across the pond, but not that it was nicked from the Irish.
twig

ETYMOLOGY: Irish Gaelic tuigim, I understand, from Old Irish tuicim.

by **Slava** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 6:13 pm

Thanks gailr. Interesting coincidence that it is listed under twig2, also. Did you look at twig3? Another usage in Britain.

Slava

by **Stargzer** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:53 pm

Slava wrote:Thanks gailr. Interesting coincidence that it is listed under twig2, also. Did you look at twig3? Another usage in Britain.

Slava

Hmmm ...

twig[sup]3[/sup]

NOUN: Chiefly British The current style; the fashion.
ETYMOLOGY: Origin unknown.

It would be interesting to see how old the usage is. Does it occur before the appearance of British model Twiggy?

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