I seem to be on to something here. I knew I wasn’t the only one curious about these kinds of words. At the prompting of a few readers, here’s some more discoveries I’ve made about the history of small units of measurement.
Dab
An interesting thing about “dab” you’ll notice is that it’s only used in reference to semi-solid materials. You’ll never hear someone ask for a dab of steak, but a dab of mashed potatoes is fine. I’ve used a dab of glue, but I’ve never put it on a dab of wood. This is because dab was not originally a form of measurement, but a syrupy medicine used in the late 1800’s. Dab was a famous cure-all sold in small towns by crafty salesmen from the larger cities. If you’re arm was sore, put Dab on it. If you had a toothache, put Dab on it. Although today we know it was clearly a sham, ”dabbing” something still made its way into common speech.
Dollop
The “Dollop” was created by the sour cream industry in conjunction with a major whipped cream brand based out of Glenview, Illinois. During a marketing meeting a young, spry associate was asked to describe the products when used. In a panic he looked up from his doodle and said “Uh, it goes Plop.” And the manager said, “No, that was taken by Alka-Seltzer.” Adding another ’o’ was out of the question, because then you were left with “polop”, which is a terribly unfortunate homonym. So they decided to change the first letter AND add another vowel. After a quick brainstorming session, the Dollop was born.
Measurements of Force
The evolution of most words describing force are based on reversed phonics. Instead of sounding out the words, you word out the sounds. Almost all sound words are onomatopoeia’s* (words that sound like what they are describing).
Because of this, words like pop, pow, crack and whack all originated in stories told from person to person and then had to be spelled once they were written down. And of course, these are also the sounds that Adam West makes when he punches someone.
It’s entirely possible I’m having too much fun with this…
- J
*fun fact: the word onomatopoeia IS in fact an onomatopoeia, describing the sounds made when trying to pronounce the word onomatopoeia.
Not too long ago I noticed an alarming amount of random words used for small measurements. I also realized that we use them all the time but nobody seems to know where they came from or how they ended up in our daily speech. So I did some reasearch and decided to share my findings with you.
Tad
First up is a “tad”. The tad measurement has perplexed many linguists. Most assume it’s a singular word when it is, in fact, a shortened form of the word “tadpole”. When American settlers first decided to build homes in Louisiana, they were forced to build on marshlands with crude tools. Lacking rulers they used many common items and animals around them to dictate length. It was not an exact measurement, but the average tadpole is approximately half an inch long. When using a “tad” to measure volume, it means something about the size and weight of a tadpole. Some other measurements from Louisiana they used that did not catch on include a gator tooth, an elm leaf and a bucket o’ swamp water.
Bit
When someone asks you for a “bit” of something, they probably don’t know exactly what they’re asking for. Unbeknownst by most (because it mostly isn’t true), the bit did not always reference a very small portion of something. The bit measurement comes from a horse bit which holds the reins in a horse’s mouth. Back then, the average horse bit was a cylinder about 5 or 6 inches long and half an inch in diameter. They have since been modernized and PETAfied to be thin pieces of metal with hinges on the edges to allow more comfort for the horse. But the next time someone asks you for a “bit of salt”, don’t let them get mad at you for dumping about 4 ounces of it on their green beans. They got what they asked for.
Oh, and the ”little bit” is, obviously, the bit used by a Shetland Pony.
Smidgen
Smidgen comes to us, like so many words, as a contraction gone awry. The correct spelling is Sm’idgeon. It’s a combination of the words Small and Pigeon. I know, I was surprised too. But this does explain why you mostly hear the word smidgen in reference to food. As with the bit measurement, a sm’idgeon was also originally a lot bigger before being adapted into modern dialects. I, however, still put a sm’idgeon of butter on my popcorn.
Yes, I know a few quick google searches would give me the true etymology of these words and phrases. But I am of the mind that it’s just way more fun to just make stuff up.
When I started my job I was so excited and anxious to do the very best I possibly could. This was my first office job. Even the fact I had a desk was exciting to me.
I’m approaching 3 years here and it’s amazing how much I’ve assimilated. I enjoy what I do and the people I work with are great, but there are days I really feel the pressure an office environment puts on a person. Sometimes it’s like the “system” can suck the life out of you. It can smother your personality and make you just another drone if you let it. Dress this way, talk this way, send this memo, update this spreadsheet…
I was thinking about this today and remembered this cartoon. It’s 10 minutes long, but has a good message. And it’s kind of how I’ve felt lately.
Also, take a minute to appreciate Chuck Jones and the era of cartoons this came from. They literally don’t make them like that anymore.
Well, at work we’ve entered a period in the legal billing profession our firm calls Countdown. Our fiscal year end is October 31st and the months leading up to it are full of deadlines, meetings, overtime and profanity the likes of which Joe Pesci might shout if he stubbed his toe. The goal of countdown is to get as many bills sent out and paid as possible before the year end. This will be my third countdown and the craziest yet. I’ve accumulated a lot more responsibility since last year, plus trying to squeeze money out of clients in the current economy is like trying to get a decent movie out of the Wayan’s Brothers. Hope all you want, it’s just not likely to happen.
Also, life groups will be starting up at church again soon. I’ve taken the summer off and it’s been wonderful having an open schedule, but I did find myself missing it. I’m going back to a group in Astoria I was part of a while back and looking forward to reconnecting with some friends and hopefully making a few more.
In the more immediate future, I’m going to see Inglorious Basterds tonight. If I enjoy it (or hate it) enough then I might subject y’all to a review. And this weekend there’s rumor of a poker game Friday night and Saturday I’m going to a BBQ out in Long Island. There will be grilled shrimp, at which point there will also be a happy J.
“So J, why are you sharing your schedule with us?”
About a year ago I experienced a weekend of debauchery and chaos known as Dragon*Con for the first time. Having finally recovered from the shock to the system, it’s time to go back again. I was going to pass on it this year, but I caved to peer pressure and threats of violence against my person.
Unfortunately, Abney Park will not be there this time. As sad as that is, it’s offset by the fact that both Patrick Stewart and William Shatner will be. In related news, my new goal in life is to give Shatner a hug.
Preparations include a trip to Ricky’s NYC, a covert trip to Hot Topic*, watching at least one Star Wars/Star Trek movie and catching up on current pop culture fads so I know who the heck I’m looking at when I see cosplayers.
More to come later. Y’all have a great day!
- J
* Fun Fact: Last year I learned that nobody is allowed to buy Con accessories at Hot Topic, yet everybody DOES buy Con accessories at Hot Topic. It’s just not talked about.
