[lit-ideas] Re: Don't Fear Love Spoons
- From: david ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 11:41:36 -0800
On Nov 6, 2005, at 9:23 AM, Eric Yost wrote:
This from the URL Judy posted on Callennig:
There is a curious Welsh custom of giving a wooden spoon - a so
called "love spoon" to one's fiance or sweetheart. The custom of
giving wooden gifts was indeed widespread in many countries of
Europe from the end of the 17th century (but it would be, wouldn't
it? it is not as of they had plastic!). The first Welsh love spoon
is attributed to a 16th Century young romantic who carved the
offering for his intended, and unwittingly began the tradition.
Judy responded doubtfully.
Eric's theory would disturb the attributions of the SOED and
Partridge, which place "spooning" firmly in the late eighteenth and
early nineteenth century. A spoon was a simpleton or fool, someone
shallow, "It is usual to call a very prating shallow fellow a rank
spoon."
A spooney was an effeminate youth or man.
The Century dictionary of 1900 adds that it is because spoons were
used to feed infants that they became associated with foolishness and
simpletons.
None of this completely rules out the possibility that everyone got
it wrong and the Welsh custom was the source.
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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