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baggage

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 4:41 pm
by bbeeton
Usually luggage for traveling, or possessions. Also intangibles attached to a person that get in the way, e.g. reputation.

But also a meaning marked by Merriam-Webster as "dated", namely "a young woman", so memorably noted by Flanders & Swann in a remark about too much excess baggage, "I finally had to leave her behind."

Re: baggage

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 6:06 pm
by Slava
Isn't it part of one of the songs in My Fair Lady? Something along the lines of, "Throw the baggage out!"?

Re: baggage

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 9:59 pm
by bbeeton
Slava, I do believe it is. Of course, Merriam-Webster is U.S.-centric, whereas both Flanders & Swann and "My Fair Lady" are distinctly British in character. (Actually, I believe Donald Swann was Welsh, but I'm willing to forgive him for that.)