One Flexible Word

There is one word in English that can have many different uses and meanings. Watch this streaming video to see which word I am referring to. Also notice all the misspelled words -- it's a good thing that this flexible word has only four letters, otherwise, it might also have been misspelled!

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Because, as it happens, I tend to notice patterns in student papers, then end up musing on them rather than, you know, buckling down and just working through the stack of papers that needs grading.
How many people do you know who have found a misspelled word in the New York Times -- that wasn't in a letter to the editor?? Well, now you can add me to that illustrious list!
. . 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.
Poor little Ray Comfort is out of sorts because I accused him of promoting a death cult.

Hmmm, should you take linguistic advice from someone who cannot spell "incompetence" or "dissatisfaction"?

By Mustafa Mond, FCD (not verified) on 13 Mar 2007 #permalink

The OED has this note at the start of the definition:

For centuries, and still by the great majority, regarded as a taboo-word; until recent times not often recorded in print but frequent in coarse speech.

Bless 'em.

They're also not enamoured of the suggestion of a connection with ficken, they reckon there's no evidence. Oh, and the first use they've found is this:

a1503 DUNBAR Poems lxxv. 13 Be his feiris he wald haue fukkit.

I wonder what it means.

Bob

Guess what a windfucker is :o) No, it isn't vulgar.

Does anyone know what a feiris is? It is one of the few words in Dunbar's poem that I can't find a meaning for.

By Chris' Wills (not verified) on 16 Mar 2007 #permalink