This is topic The more you say the word, the dumber it sounds in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
"clocks"

The clock in my bathroom died, and I need a new one. I don't wear a watch, so I compensate by having a clock in every room of the house. I didn't like the Selection by Target, so I went to the internet.

I've typed "clocks" so many times now that it is losing all meaning. The more I think about it, the weirder the word is. Where did it come from? Why doesn't it sound like the word "time." Why is it a verb? Did someone hit someone with a clock and it came from there, or was the verb an onamonapeia and the object was named after the sound it made upon contact?

[ April 26, 2005, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: katharina ]
 

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 
EDIT: I copied this from the Oxford English Dictionary, so it was probably copyright.

It was basically the OED saying that it really had no idea where the word "clock" had come from, either.

[ April 26, 2005, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Teshi ]
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
Hmm...I'm almost comforted by the general ignorance. At least the reason I don't know is because no one really knows!

I'm thinking about a weather clock. That should be funny for the bathroom. I kind of like the solar system clock, but it's in the wrong colors. There is also one with Elvis on it. I'm wondering how long I will think that is funny.

I love this one, but I don't think it's going to happen.

There was a bright smiley face one. That should keep me awake in the morning.
 

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Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
 
ohh, I like that solar system clock. It doesn't go with anything in my house, but I still like it.
 

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Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
 
This is the clock I have hanging in my family room. Fortunately, my son is good natured.
 

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Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 
The word "the" has lost all meaning for me.

Edit: I don't know where the word clock came from. Now its bugging me too! Aarrrggghhhh!

[ April 26, 2005, 04:37 PM: Message edited by: SteveRogers ]
 

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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
Say "clock clock clock clock" at the same pace that a clock "tik tik tik tik"s
 

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Posted by Vána (Member # 6593) on :
 
I love clocks.

I have this one in my music room.
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
I love clocks too! There are two clocks in every room in my house (and I wonder at times if I have some form of OCD, because I have to always be able to see one of them).

Vana, I thought you might have been talking about this clock until I saw your link.
 

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Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
 
But if clock is linked to the "tick tick" sound, how did it get associated with bells, as in "cloche"?
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
Perhaps the bell association came first? As in, clock is derived from cloche?

Ah, here we go:

quote:

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clock Look up clock at Dictionary.com
1371, clokke, orig. "clock with bells," probably from M.Du. klocke, from M.L. (7c.) clocca "bell," from Celt., probably spread by Irish missionaries, ultimately of imitative origin. Replaced O.E. dægmæl, from dæg "day" + mæl "measure, mark." The slang verb sense of "hit, sock" is 1941, originally Australian, probably from earlier slang clock (n.) "face" (1923). O'clock for of the clock is c.1720.

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