HOGMANAY

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Slava
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HOGMANAY

Postby Slava » Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:33 pm

Herewith, the final word of the year 2012. May you have a good one of these and many more:
• Hogmanay •

Pronunciation: hahg-mê-nayHear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, proper

Meaning: Hogmanay is not a pig resort but a Scottish festivity celebrated on the last day of the year. Children traditionally stroll about the neighborhood on this day asking for presents. Today's Good Word also refers to the gifts given or received on Hogmanay. More recently it has become a raucous New Year's Eve party in many Scottish cities at which revelers sometimes do behave a bit swinishly.

Notes: The traditional Hogmanay includes "first footing," the welcoming of a tall, dark stranger at the stroke of midnight. First-footers bring good luck but should also bring a gift such as uisge beatha "water of life" (where Gaelic uisge is the source of English whiskey). If the uisge is all sold out, a lump of coal or an oat cake called a 'bannock' will suffice. This tradition reaches back to the Viking era, when the blond, blue-eyed Vikings brought only bad luck to whomever they visited. Whichever party you join this year, look out for the accent on the final syllable of today's Good Word.

In Play: If you would like to add a bit of innovation to your end-of-the-year greetings, try "Merry Christmas and a Happy Hogmanay!" for a change. If you go to the Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh or Glasgow, though, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to hear you.

Word History: The sense of Hogmanay corresponds to that of Old French aguillanneuf, from the phrase au gui l'an neuf! "under the New Year's mistletoe", which refers to the last day of the year or the gift given at that time. In modern French dialects it survives as aiguilan, guilané, and guilanneau, but in Normandy it is hoguinané, the most probable source of the Scottish English term. Others have speculated that hogmanay itself comes either from the Anglo-Saxon haleg monath "holy month" or Gaelic oge maidne "new morning". These sources seem highly unlikely, however.

LukeJavan8
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby LukeJavan8 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:24 pm

I'm open to receiving any gifts from anyone.

Happy New Year to Doc and all Agorans! ! !
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

MTC
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby MTC » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:58 pm

Only Scots could love a word with so few redeeming qualities.
Ugly, ugly, ugly.
Last edited by MTC on Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Slava
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby Slava » Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:53 pm

Onlt Scots could love a word with so few redeeming qualities.
Ugly, ugly, ugly.
I must admit, I am rather disappointed to see such an unpleasant remark here.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

MTC
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby MTC » Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:07 am

Yes, in the cold (38 degree) light of day, I now see the insensitive product of a mind if not reeling, at least listing from the effects of New Year revels, three Vodka Martinis in particular. And so my apologies to the noble Scots and to any of those whose delicate sensibilities may have been jolted by my chemically-induced candor including school children, their teachers, sundry adults, Goodwordians, and the entire global assemblage. Hogmanay! Hogmanay! Hogmanay! There, I've said it three times for penance, and may like haggis learn to love it yet.

LukeJavan8
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby LukeJavan8 » Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:27 pm

Thank you.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Perry Lassiter
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:03 pm

Let's leave crones out of this.
pl

Philip Hudson
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Re: HOGMANAY

Postby Philip Hudson » Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:22 pm

MTC: I don't see the need for your apology. Scotland is rather bleak and it does come up with some unusual words as well as customs. Hogmany is unfortunately named, but innocent, unless you drink too much uisge beatha.

Scots have some beautiful words for beautiful things. Re the Good Doctor’s mention of bannock. Haggis is an enigma. The Scots almost worship the dish, having written some moving poetry in its defense. I still never intend to try it, as I also shun English steak and kidney pie and deplore the Southern pretense that lights (lungs), sweetbread and tripe are edible. Robert Burns makes Scottish sound good. When we sing "Auld Lang Syne" at New Years Eve, it becomes a toast to the Scot in all of us. Sing it with a tear of nostalgia.

Not every language can be as beautiful as Spanish or as amazing as English. Someone has to speak German and Scottish.
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