The Word of the Day "Flibbertigibbet"

"Flibbertigibbet"

We were watching "Joe Versus the Volcano"
Meg Ryan as a Flibbertigibbet.

is a Middle English word referring to a flighty or whimsical person, usually a young woman. In modern use, it is used as a slang term, especially in Yorkshire, for a gossipy or overly talkative person. Its origin is in a meaningless representation of chattering. ^[1]

This word also has a historical use as a name for a fiend, devil or sprite. In Shakespeare's King Lear (IV, i (1605)), he is one of the five fiends Edgar (in the posture of a beggar, Tom o' Bedlam) claimed was possessing him. Shakespeare got the name from Samuel Harsnett's Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures (1603),^{[citation needed]} where one reads of 40 fiends, which Jesuits cast out and among which was Fliberdigibbet, described as one of "foure deuils of the round, or Morrice, whom Sara in her fits, tuned together, in measure and sweet cadence."

By extension it has also been used as a synonym for Puck. Through its use as a nickname for a character in Sir Walter Scott's Kenilworth, it has gained the meaning of an impish child.^[2]

Flibbertigibbet similarly features as a name in a local legend around Wayland's Smithy. According to the tale, Flibbertigibbet was apprentice to Wayland the Smith, and greatly exasperated his master.^[3] Eventually Wayland threw Flibbertigibbet down the hill and into a valley, where he transformed into a stone. Scott associates his Flibbertigibbet character in Kenilworth with Wayland Smith.^{[citation needed]}

Another historical connection and likely origin of the word comes from "fly by the gibbet". A gibbet can refer to a platform or cage used to execute criminals and display their remains outside a town to warn other would-be criminals. The remains over time would be picked apart by small creatures and birds and thus 'fly away'. "Fly by the Gibbet" may also have been used as a sailing expression to refer to hoisting the gibbet sail. This is a large sail that can be used when sailing with the direction of the wind to capture as much wind as possible. A sail that has not been pulled tight will flap in the wind, which may have also contributed to the association.

Buses

Not a very good picture, but that's me in front of whats left of a bus.
I'm pointing at the bus number 265, I believe I had a bus in Grants Pass with that number about 20 years ago.
This was taken in Maui, two week ago, on the road to Hana, a long driver to no were.
There is about 75 one lane bridges and lots turns getting to Hana.
Way cool rain forest area, with bamboo forest covering hole hill sides.
Most of the water fall had dried up, but still pretty cool to see.
More pictures and info to follow about Maui.

Book Report " The Spy"

Title: The Spy (An Isaac Bell Adventure)
Aurthur: Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
Clive as been adding his name to these books, but not writing at any part of it.
This is not a Dirk Pitt book, but Isaac Bell is the hero in this story.
The story is about US building up sea power, for World War 1.
What nation has the greatest sea power at this time?
The Great White Fleet sailed around to world, to show the sea power of the American had at that time.
The fleet was an aging fleet at the time, but in the other hand, no nation had sent there war fleet, around the world in friend meeting of other nation, so the US was the first.
On the other hand all nation were building a ship called the dreadnought.
You can see more about the dreadnought ship in Wikipedia.
These ship had 12 inch guns that could shoot a 805 pound round, a distance of 6,000 yards to 20,000 yards.

Back to the story, some one killed the head designer, and then another one was killed, and before long, most of the head designers were killed and the US ship building program was in trouble, of not have any ships that could defend the US in time of war, if the need should arise.
I would give the book and 5 out of 5.