Saturday, December 10, 2011

Gander

Detail of Painted Cart, Old Depot, Lewisburg, Ohio  © Doug Hickok


Today's post is brought to you by the word gander. It is a noun that means a male goose (derived from the Old English which dates before the year 1000). Used informally it means a quick look (of more modern origin). For example, "Take a gander at this painted wagon... it reminds me of the colors on Christmas wrapping paper".

Interestingly, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable the word gander-mooning describes the "aimless meanderings of the gander when the goose is sitting".

As you might expect, I have derived a few new words and phrases of my own... 


Get your gander on - to strut your stuff in front of the hens in the goose pen.

You've been ganderized - somebody has been looking at you rather intently.

gandermonium - when the goose pen gate is left open and hundreds of ganders are running amok in the farmyard.

Carpe Ganderum - seize the gander... and maybe have him for dinner.  Bon Gander!

 

19 comments:

  1. Lol, your imagination has no boundaries! These colours don't remind me of Christmas though. The added yellow makes me think of reggae!!

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  2. Good shot and nice colors....well done Doug.

    Greetings, Joop

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  3. The easiest association is with summer (I mean the colors). Very informative your post, Doug! Have a nice weekend!

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  4. salaganger-when ganders act like lizards in an attempt to pick up a goose.

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  5. Great composition with the complementary colors :)
    Your "gandering" made me smile.

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  6. Only you can do this Doug :)
    Love it!

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  7. My mother-in-law gave me another one, Ganderlust... looking around for a Loosey Goosey... priceless :^)

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  8. Gandastic!
    I love portmanteau.
    So are "glander" and "glimder" also derived from "gander"?

    My two colourful ladies are wearing your Christmas wrapping paper!

    >which scientific name do you recommend?

    It's Amorphophallus titanum.
    Amorpho (misshaped) + phallus (phallus) + titanum (giant).
    Isn't Latin fun?!

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  9. he, he ... how about gander-stepping instead of goose-stepping ?!? (just kidding ... ;-))
    love your post today, doug, with its strong and vivid primal colors! it pays to take a gander at the things around us !!
    (glad you like the conflux sculptures! one more to come ...)

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  10. fine juxtaposition of colors and lines. simple beauty is wonderful

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  11. Such great vision to pick up this image Doug--your writing as always makes me smile

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  12. Such glorious minimalist colour, I love it.

    ...and there's another meaning for "gander". On noticing a nice young lady perambulating along a Liverpool street the usual response of the young guys was "take a gander at that!

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  13. I always admire how you find so much colors around you!

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  14. Great combination of colours!
    Have a nice day.

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  15. lol! you sure have a way with words.. i like the sound of 'gandermonium'.. :D

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