The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #59418 Message #1976689
Posted By: Amos
22-Feb-07 - 11:41 PM
Thread Name: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
LIfe with Rapaire certainly has its Upson Downs. He not only plagiarizes copyrighted language, he takes that which is public fare and butchers it.
Downs are rolling hills, as anyone with an etymological dictionary know. Now the odd thing is that the English, who coined the term, are more confused than the Australians about its meaning. Compare the following:
A downland is an area of open chalk upland. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downs
Extensive undulating and gently rolling plains.
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/bioregions_glossary
As for etymology:
down (n.2)
O.E. dun "hill," from Celtic word for "hill, citadel" (cf. O.Ir. dun "hill, hill fort," and second element in place names London, Verdun, etc.), from PIE base *dheue- "to close, finish, come full circle" (cf. O.E. dun "hill," M.Du. dune "sandy hill"). Meaning "elevated rolling grassland" is from 1297.
A.