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• mettlesome •

Pronunciation: med-êl-sêm • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. Of strong mettle, having unbreakable spirit, strong of mind and spirit. 2. Brave, courageous.

Notes: I know what you are thinking: this word should mean "nosey, interfering." No, whatever you do, do not confuse this word with meddlesome (or nettlesome "irritating" for that matter). Today's Good Word has to do with our mettle, the stuff our character is made of. It is the adjective of the noun mettle—not to be confused with metal, even though it is little more than a variant spelling of that word (see Word History). Of course, we must also dodge medal and meddle when using this word. (Whew! Is speaking English worth it?)

In Play: Keeping all these words separate poses quite a problem even for native speakers: "Riley received a medal for showing his mettle on the battlefield." He probably spent his time dodging metal shrapnel rather than meddling in other people's business. Mettle is required at all levels of human endeavor: "Now that Farnsworth has two children, we will see how mettlesome he really is."

Word History: It is no coincidence that mettle and metal look similar and sound the same; in fact, they were originally the same word. Metal was borrowed from Old French in the 14th century. The French inherited it from Latin, which borrowed it from Greek metallon, which originally meant "mine, quarry" but meant "ore, metal" by the time Latin borrowed it. In the 16th century metal took on a second meaning in England, "the stuff one is made of, one's character". The spelling always varied but it was only in the 18th century that the new meaning attached itself to an alternate spelling mettle. Here we see a hidden advantage in the inconsistencies of English spelling.

A very good Good Word. I think I can introduce it to the folks in the hinterland. Many of my neighbors have a strong mettle.

Just be sure to be tactful in your introduction, lest you come across as meddlesome.

Meddlesome is my middle name.

Well, then, put your meddle mettle pedal to the metal and keep on truckin'!

PS: does anyone know just who that Mr. Green smiley thing is?

Yes, an excellent example of why "simplification" of English spelling should be resisted! Too bad old Noah Webster isn't around to be accosted with this word.

(Just catching up after a week of electronic deprivation; I managed to fry the fan in my laptop. How nice to come back to such a fine selection.)

I suspect, bbeeton, that you take upon yourself too much blame. You were surely not responsible for frying your fan? It fell, rather than that "I dropped it", if you get my point.

Actually, David, the fan *did* "fry" -- I failed to keep the beast in a position where it got enough air circulation, and it overheated. It let me know quite loudly, with squeaks and rattles, before setting off a quite piercing alarm.

As for dropping it, that happened to an earlier laptop, with no ill effects to the laptop, but the loss of a toenail (though fortunately the toe was not broken) that hasn't fully recovered after more than two years.

I should have pursued a career as a destructive tester. I live by Murphy's Law, and Murphy was an optimist. At least I'm usually able to explain the circumstances cogently, which is appreciated by the fixit persons.

Great commentaries with many a repartee.

Can you have 'a repartee', Philip? Isn't it that you engage in repartee? I'm not sure, but I don't think I have come across a repartee before.

David. I don't think I said I had a repartee. One does not HAVE one or TAKE one in any literal sense. One does create a repartee and engage in repartees. An exchange of witty remarks is usually a pleasant occupation.