Dudgeon

[Slava]

I recently saw this used to mean hilt, as in the blade had been shoved in up to the dudgeon. My dictionary says it is of unknown origin, and I'd never seen it used this way. What do you all think? Have you come across this usage? Or is your experience only with "in high dudgeon?"

Nice word, though, so if it hasn't been used before, perhaps I should suggest it as a Good Word.

Slava

[Perry]

Two seperate words apparently.

dudgeon
1573, duggin, of unknown origin. One suggestion is It. aduggiare "to overshadow," giving it the same sense development as umbrage. No clear connection to earlier dudgeon (1380), a kind of wood used for knife handles, which is perhaps from a Fr. word.

I hope that you won't take dudgeon (high or low) at this missive.

[bnjtokyo]

Slava, I take it you have never seen or read Shakespeare's Macbeth. Please refer to Act II Scene 1, lns 55-57:

"........I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before."

At your kindest leisure,

BNJTOKYO

[Slava]

Thanks for the responses. While I may have read Macbeth, it would have been many years ago, and I didn't memorize it. It seems Shakespeare did pretty much everything first, eh?

I should have used one of my larger dictionaries, too. Then I would have seen that it is actually two words.

Regards,

Slava

[Perry]

Or just turn to the Online Etymology Dictionary. It's informative and fun.