Wind me up

Not enough sleep last night and very little rest today—especially way too much time on the phone (I’ve discovered I really don’t like talking on the phone anymore)—but it was a day of new possibilities, so that’s good. Talked with a potential new client, arranged two interviews for the radio show, got some financial aid info in, did news research, and recorded news at the station.

Now I’m beat and trying to wind down “early.”

wind (v.1) “move by turning and twisting,” O.E. windan “to turn, twist, wind” (class III strong verb; past tense wand, pp. wunden), from P.Gmc. *wendanan (cf. O.S. windan, O.N. vinda, O.Fris.winda, Du. winden, O.H.G. wintan, Ger. winden, Goth. windan “to wind”), from PIE *wendh- “to turn, wind, weave” (cf. L. viere “twist, plait, weave,” vincire “bind,” Lith. vyti “twist, wind”). Related to wend, which is its causative form, and to wander. Wind down “come to a conclusion” is recorded from 1952; wind up “come to a conclusion” is from 1825. Winding sheet “shroud of a corpse” is attested from early 15c. ~ Online Etymology Dictionary

How is it that both wind down and wind up mean “come to a conclusion?”

Dictionary.com Verb phrases

wind down

a. to lessen in intensity so as to bring or come to a gradual end: The war is winding down.

b. to calm down; relax: He’s too excited tonight to wind down and sleep.

wind up

a. to bring to a state of great tension; excite (usually used in the past participle):

     He was all wound up before the game.

b. to bring or come to an end; conclude: to wind up a sales campaign.

c. to settle or arrange in order to conclude: to wind up one’s affairs.

d. to become ultimately: to wind up as a country school teacher.

e. Baseball . (of a pitcher) to execute a windup.

Tomorrow’s our monthly VegNet potluck. It’s a bummer that once in a while my WordPress/Web Design & Dev group, which meets every other Wednesday, falls on the potluck night. I really wanted to go tomorrow too, as somebody is presenting on the dos and don’ts of video hosting and blogging. But since I help organize the potluck and need to help set up, it’s hard for me to not be there. We just don’t have enough volunteers.

Lacks Con • fi • dence

Con • fi • dence

confidence early 15c., from M.Fr. confidence or directly from L. confidentia, from confidentem (nom. confidens) “firmly trusting, bold,” prp. of confidere “to have full trust or reliance,” from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere “to trust” (see faith). For sense of “swindle” see con (3).

1. full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing: We have every confidence in their ability to succeed.
2. belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance: His lack of confidence defeated him.
3. certitude; assurance: He described the situation with such confidence that the audience believed him completely.
4. a confidential communication: to exchange confidences.

con (3) “swindling” (adj.), 1889, Amer.Eng., from confidence man (1849), from the many scams in which the victim is induced to hand over money as a token of confidence. Confidence with a sense of “assurance based on insufficient grounds” dates from 1590s. As a verb, “to swindle,” from 1896. Con also can be a slang or colloquial shortening of some nouns beginning in con-, e.g., from the 19th century, confidant, conundrum, conformist, convict, contract, and from the 20th century, conductor, conservative.

For more fun with words, see the Online Etymology Dictionary.

May the gods smite the smug

May the gods smite the smug
smug (adj.) 1550s, “trim, neat, spruce, smart,” possibly an alteration of Low Ger. smuk “trim, neat,” from M.L.G. smücken “to adorn,” and smiegen “to press close” (see smock). The meaning “having a self-satisfied air” is from 1701, an extension of the sense of “smooth, sleek” (1580s), which was commonly used of attractive women and girls. Related: Smugly; smugness.

1. contentedly confident of one’s ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent.
2. trim; spruce; smooth; sleek.

smite (v.) O.E. smitan “to hit, strike, beat” (strong verb, pt. smat, pp. smiten), from P.Gmc. *smitanan (cf. Swed. smita, Dan. smide “to smear, fling,” O.Fris. smita, M.L.G., M.Du. smiten “to cast, fling,” Du. smijten “to throw,” O.H.G. smizan “to rub, strike,” Ger. schmeißen “to cast, fling,” Goth. bismeitan “to spread, smear”), perhaps from PIE root *(s)mei- “to smear, to rub,” but original sense in Germanic seems to be of throwing. Sense of “slay in combat” (c.1300) is originally Biblical, smite to death, first attested c.1200.

Funk • y

Funk • y [fuhng-kee]

funk (1) “depression, ill-humor,” 1743, probably originally Scottish and northern English; earlier as a verb, “panic, fail through panic,” (1737), said to be 17c. Oxford University slang, perhaps from Flem. fonck “perturbation, agitation, distress,” possibly related to O.Fr. funicle “wild, mad.”

noun

1. cowering fear; state of great fright or terror.
2. a dejected mood: He’s been in a funk ever since she walked out on him.

verb (used with object)

1. to be afraid of.
2. to frighten.
3. to shrink from; try to shirk.
   

funk (2) “bad smell,” 1620s, from dialectal Fr. funkière “smoke,” from O.Fr. fungier “give off smoke; fill with smoke,” from L. fumigare “to smoke” (see fume). In reference to a style of music, it is first attested 1959, a back formation from funky.

funky 1784, “old, musty,” in reference to cheeses, then “repulsive,” from funk (2) + -y (2). It began to develop an approving sense in jazz slang c.1900, probably on the notion of “earthy, strong, deeply felt.” … The word reached wider popularity c.1954 (e.g. definition in “Time” magazine, Nov. 8, 1954) and in the 1960s acquired a broad slang sense of “fine, stylish, excellent.”

For more fun with words, see the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Dis • cour • aged

Dis • cour • aged

discourage  mid-15c., discoragen, from M.Fr. descourager, from O.Fr. descoragier, from des- “away” (see dis-) + corage (see courage). Related: Discouraged; discouragement; discouraging.

1. to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.
2. to dissuade (usually followed by from ).
3. to obstruct by opposition or difficulty; hinder: Low prices discourage industry.
4. to express or make clear disapproval of; frown upon: to discourage the expression of enthusiasm.

courage  c.1300, from O.Fr. corage (12c., Mod.Fr. courage) “heart, innermost feelings; temper,” from V.L. *coraticum (cf. It. coraggio, Sp. coraje), from L. cor “heart,” which remains a common metaphor for inner strength. In M.E., used broadly for “what is in one’s mind or thoughts,” hence “bravery,” but also “wrath, pride, confidence, lustiness,” or any sort of inclination. Replaced O.E. ellen, which also meant “zeal, strength.”