"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Friday 8 March 2013

Valentine

   Valentine - as a verb - means to greet with song at mating time and is usually applied to birds. 

I am currently reading Ammon Shea's "Reading the Oxford Englidh Dicitonary" and he comments upon Valentine as follows - "When birds open their mouths and let forth with song in the hope of attracting a mate it falls into the category of 'marvel of nature'.  When a man does this same activity it falls into the category of 'grounds for a restraining order'."

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