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crotchet
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:55 pm
by eberntson
highly individual and eccentric (perverse) opinion or preference; a peculiar trick or device
Based on Mariam-Webster n OED
Found this in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold Bug"
Re: crotchet
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 4:57 pm
by Perry Lassiter
Thus we have crotchety people! I wonder if this relates to people, most often women, who crochet? (Croshay)
Re: crotchet
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 6:51 pm
by Slava
Thus we have crotchety people! I wonder if this relates to people, most often women, who crochet? (Croshay)
Yes.
Re: crotchet
Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:32 am
by call_copse
I'd never heard this used in any context except a musical note - this is what the rest of the English speaking world (to the best of my knowledge) would call what the US knows as a 'quarter note'. I believe this is due to the 'hook' aspect of the rendering of the note.
We do have crotchety as an adjective of course.
Re: crotchet
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 3:13 am
by Philip Hudson
This word has never come to my attention before - similar words, but not this one. Once in a great while I learn something. Eight notes have hooks on their tops, not quarter notes. This is like a hemidemisemiquaver, but with fewer hooks.
Re: crotchet
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 8:35 pm
by Audiendus
Eighth notes have hooks on their tops, not quarter notes.
The quarter note (crotchet) developed from the medieval
semiminima, which in its original (14th century) version had a hook:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation
The French word
croche means an eighth note (quaver).
Re: crotchet
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:37 am
by Philip Hudson
Audiendus:
Thanks for the reference. Learning contemporary music theory was a challenge for me. I haven't gotten to much of the history. Some of this reference makes a good start.