Monday, March 27, 2006

word of the day anyone?

So I'm reading at Daily Kos about some political shit. I'm not going into it anymore than I have to because I don't want to plagerise them. The link will take you directly to the article, though it actually has nothing to do with my own blog. I include it as a reference just in case anyone wonders where I got this idea. I'm just covering my bases with thos Kos people. Don't hate me. I lean left. I'm cool.

The article was about privacy rights and mentioned an inability in some on the right to not be very tech savvy. A mention was made to a pair of lobbyists/criminals referring to clients as "troglodytes."

I've heard/read the word before and know that it's meant as an insult. I hear the word and think of some sort of mythical stone being, something like an ancient Thing from The Fantastic Four, but not so bright perhaps. I imagine something hulking and ancient, weathered by time.

Regardless of what I thought I knew, I knew I didn't know.

The following is from answers.com or go directly to the troglodyte page.

Troglodytes is a genus of small passerine birds in the wren family. The genus name (Greek troglodytai, from trogle, "a hole" and dyein, "to enter") refers to the tendency of these wrens to enter small crevices and similar as they forage for food.

These wrens are around 11-12 cm long. They are typically streaked brown above and somewhat paler below, with short rounded wings, strong legs and a cocked tail. The flight is direct and buzzing.

Ssssssssssssoooooooooo . . .yeah . . .ya buncha dumbass wrens! HaHa, you forage for food and tend to make a buzzing noise in flight! Wrens SUCK! But seriously, I'm not Googling this one no matter how easy it is, but who the hell first used troglodyte as an insult? I'd love to know the context of this one.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

??? I though troglodyte referred to people who lived the life of a hermit?

Anonymous said...

I've never heard it before, but it has a good "sound" to it. lol

From dictionary.com
1. 1. A member of a fabulous or prehistoric race of people that lived in caves, dens, or holes.
2. A person considered to be reclusive, reactionary, out of date, or brutish.
2.
1. An anthropoid ape, such as a gorilla or chimpanzee.
2. An animal that lives underground, as an ant or a worm.

Thanks for posting...now I can say I learned a new word today!!! Now, to go use it.

samuel said...

Indeed, I too read farther down the page to further non-bird references, but I enjoyed my own take. It's a lot funnier to think of the insult in terms of being called a wren.

Anonymous said...

True. It'll be fun to befuzzle people with the other definition of birds, too!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I always pictured something like a gargoyle. Damn the internet for ruining our delusions of vocab knowledge again!

Anonymous said...

I think "Word of the Day" should be a regular feature on your blog.