Word-Lovin’ Gal
March 23rd, 2012

Does everybody know about  Wordsmith.org? The word today is

“pug

PRONUNCIATION:

(puhg) 
MEANING:
verb tr.: 1. To knead clay with water.
2. To fill with clay or mortar.
3. To make soundproof by packing with clay, sawdust, or mortar.
4. To track by following footprints.
noun: 5. A footprint, especially of a wild animal; a pugmark.
6. A boxer.
7. A dog of a breed having a snub nose, short hair, wrinkled face, and curled tail.

ETYMOLOGY:

For 1-3: Origin unknown. Earliest documented use: early 1800s.
For 4-5: From Hindi pag (foot, step), from Sanskrit pad (foot). Earliest documented use: 1851.
For 6: Short for pugilist (boxer), from pugnus (fist). Earliest documented use: 1858.
For 7: Of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1702.
USAGE:
“For wheel-throwing, once the clay is pugged and wedged, it can be centred on the wheel.”
Edwin Wong; Going Potty Over Handmade Dinnerware; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Sep 25, 2010.”There is the oddly delicate track of a leopard and the just-plain-scary pugs of a male lion.”
Mike Leggett; Tales of Life in the Wild; Austin American-Statesman (Texas); Aug 12, 2010.

“Sporting comebacks used to be associated with desperate pugs risking their final brain cells for a cheque desperately needed to pay off a bookie or a bar tab.”
Richard Hinds; Thorpe Brave to Meddle With Golden Legacy; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Feb 5, 2011.”

Who knew?

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 23rd, 2012 at 10:51 pm and is filed under Barbara Mayfield, Miscellaneous Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.