[lit-ideas] Re: The English Season
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:00:04 EDT
Spirits to old world heroes wake
by river and cove and hoe.
Grenville, Hawkins, Raleigh, Drake
and a thousand more we know.
Dorset, Somerset, Corn'all, Wales
may envy the likes of we.
For the flower of the West,
the first, the best,
the pick o' the bunch us be.
-- great melody!
In a message dated 6/22/2009 10:05:53 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
sedward@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
how can Cricket and Lord's be in the same
sentence as silly.
----
"Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is the world's oldest and most famous
cricket club.[1] Founded in 1787, it is a private members' club. It owns, and is
based at, Lord's Cricket Ground near St John's Wood in north London. MCC
was formerly the governing body of cricket in England and across the world.
Most of its global functions were passed on to the International Cricket
Council (ICC) in 1993 and its English governance was passed to the England and
Wales Cricket Board at the same time.
The MCC laid down the laws of the game in 1788[2], and remains the
copyright holder of the Laws of Cricket[3]. It is well known throughout the
cricketing world as an active club that is influential to cricket in
general[citation needed]."
----
Well, 'silly' is blessed.
Oddly, after 'the silly season', the OED has quotes for 'silly' as used for
cricket:
1888 R. H. LYTTELTON in Steel & Lyttelton Cricket vi. 287
The English captain acceded to W. G. Grace's wish and allowed him to go
forward point, or, as it is familiarly called, ‘silly’ point.
1897 Encycl. Sport I. 246
Silly -- Applied to point, mid-on and mid-off, when they stand dangerously
near the striker.
1904 Westm. Gaz. 11 June 3/1
Strudwick..jumped from silly-point and caught it almost on the leg side of
the wicket.
----
etym. of 'silly', below.
Review of "The English Season" by Godfrey Smith:
"Godfrey Smith takes us on an expert guided tour through the grand old
perennials of the traditional season - the restrained excitement of Wimbledon;
picturesque Henley; people-watching at Ascot; and the long summer days at
Lord's."
"We also visit the more cerebral circuit, encompassing More... Glyndebourne
with its unique combination of music and outdoor scenery; the Royal
Academy Summer Exhibition; the Proms, and the breathtaking array of the finest
horticulture at the Chelsea Flower Show."
"We experience the magical atmosphere of an Oxford Common Ball, mixing
youth, moonlight, music and champagne."
"The more sedate Buckingham Palace Garden Party is an essential inclusion
as are hunting, shooting and fishing."
"Each event has a short appendix explaining how to get there are how to get
in; and explores some of the threads that run right through this
quintessentially English form of inspired FOLLY; champagne, money and the
season,
and finally a short meditation on just how cheaply you can do it if you know
how."
"Contrary to popular opinion, most events in it are quite inexpensive while
some of them are free."
"This book, sponsored by Veuve Clicquot champagne, is a companion through
the year and an insider's guide."
"Above all it is a celebration of English traditions and our ability to
have fun."
Cheers for Wembury.
J. L. Speranza
Bordighera
silly:
[Com. WGer.: OE. *seli (implied in the synonymous esli I-SELI a., and in
the adv. sélilíce SEELILY) = OFris. sêlich (mod.NFris. salig, WFris.
sillich), OS. sâlig, MDu. sâlech (Du. zalig), OHG. sâlig (MHG. sælic, mod.G.
selig):OTeut. type *sligo- f. *sli-z luck, happiness (Goth. sêls, OE. sl: see
SELE). In ordinary mod. English the word is represented by SILLY, a form which
arose in the 15th c. from a shortening of the vowel, the pronunciation of
which had changed from (e) to something approaching (i).]
1. (Cf. SELE n. 2). ? Observant of due season, punctual.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 13 e ridde [werke of brihtnesse] is at man be waker
and liht and snel and seli and erliche rise and ernliche sech chireche.
2. Happy, blissful; fortunate, lucky, well-omened, auspicious.
c1250 Gen. & Ex. 31 Almitin louerd,..u giue me seli timinge To thaunen is
werdes biginninge. Ibid. 2546 And egipte folc adden ni, for ebris adden seli
si. a1272 Luue Ron 143 in O.E. Misc. 97 Nere he mayde ful seoly at myhte
wunye myd such a knyhte. a1300 Cursor M. 3362 Til his behoue haue i e soght,
In seli time. c1374 CHAUCER Troylus IV. 503 For sely is that deeth,..That,
ofte y-cleped, cometh and endeth peyne. 1387-8 T. USK Test. Love II. x.
108 Than, say I, thou art blisful and fortunat sely, if thou knowe thy goodes
that thou hast yet beleved. c1400 Melayne 392 The by-tide a cely chaunce,
thi lyfe was savede this daye. 1423 JAS. I Kingis Q. 185 In gude tyme and
sely to begynne Thair prentissehed. c1440 Promp. Parv. 452/1 Sely, or happy,
felix, fortunatus. 1468 Medulla in Cath. Angl. 56 Felicio, to make sely.
1483 Cath. Angl. 56/1 Cele, vbi happy.
3. Spiritually blessed, enjoying the blessing of God. Said of persons,
their condition or experiences.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 1421 urh seli martirdom. a1225 Ancr. R. 108, & tu seli
ancre, et ert his seli spuse, leorne hit eorne of him et [etc.]. a1240 Lofsong
in O.E. Hom. 205 Bisech for me ine seli sune Milce and merci and ore.
c1340 Abbey of Holy Ghost in Hampole's Wks. (1895) I. 326 A Jhesu, blyssede
[es] at abbaye and cely es at religione. c1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxiv. (Alexis)
74 In pathmos als e angel brycht Schawyt hyme ful sely sycht. c1400 Primer
in Maskell Mon. Rit. (1846) II. 11 Resp: Cely [orig. felix] art thou, hooli
virgyne marie, and worthiest al maner preisyng.
4. Pious, holy, good.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 1453 Tac read, seli meiden, to e seoluen. c1250 Gen. &
Ex. 1986 or was in helle a sundri stede, wor e seli folc reste dede;..Til
ihesu crist fro eden he nam. c1275 On Serving Christ 53 in O.E. Misc. 92 ureh
his [John the Baptist's] sely sermun serewe him wes by~ouht. c1450 Mankind
426 in Macro Plays 16 Lady, helpe! sely darlynge, vene, vene!
absol. a1225 Ancr. R. 64 is is nu inouh of isse witte iseid et tisse
cherre, to warnie eo selie.
Proverb. c1290 Beket 216 in S. Eng. Leg. 112 Seli child is sone i-lered.
c1386 CHAUCER Prioress' T. 60 For sely [v.r. cely] child wold alday soone
lere. a1450 Ratis Raving III. 3265 For sely barnis are eith to leire.
5. Innocent, harmless. Often as an expression of compassion for persons or
animals suffering undeservedly.
c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 453/138 ‘Alas’, he seide, ‘is seli best: at no-ing ne
doth a-mis!’ 1297 R. GLOUC. (Rolls) 6453 To e king of hongri is seli
children twie He sende uor to norisi at he wardede hom wel beye. a1300 Havelok
499
With~drow e knif, at was lewe Of e seli children blod. c1386 CHAUCER Man
of Law's T. 584 Gret was..the repentance Of hem that hadden wronge
suspecioun Vpon this sely Innocent Custance. c1475 HENRYSON Orpheus & Eurydice
336
Acab and quene iesabell, Quhilk sely nabot..For his wyne yarde wyth outyn
pitee sleue. a1529 SKELTON Col. Cloute 578 And thus the loselles stryues, And
lewdely sayes by Christ Agaynst the sely preest. 1545 JOYE Exp. Dan. vi.
Mv, Sely innocent Daniell was caste into the lyons. 1551 ROBINSON tr. More's
Utopia II. vi. (1895) 200 To see a seely innocent hare murdered of a
dogge. a1604 HANMER Chron. Irel. (1633) 114 And murther the poore and seely
people, which God wot, meant no harme. [1884 SYMONDS Shaks. Predec. iii. 135 A
racy sense of what such seely shepherds may have gathered from an angel's
song.]
**************Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the
grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000004)
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