| Author | Message |
|---|
| tv tom | Post subject: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 1139 |
|
 | Just thought Id send out a congratulations to Pete and Jenna for getting married this weekend, hope the honeymoon (why is it called that?) goes well! |
Posted:
Sat 28th Apr, 2007
10:36pm |
| Signe | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 432 |
|
 | Congratulations and massive thanks as well! It must have cost you a fortune but truly a BIG day that was! You're stars! |
Posted:
Sun 29th Apr, 2007
9:53am |
| Signe | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 432 |
|
| p.s. I want to get married |
Posted:
Sun 29th Apr, 2007
9:53am |
| Samantha | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 122 |
|
 | The origin of the word 'Honeymoon':
The Oxford English Dictionary offers no etymology at all, but dates the word back to the 16th century:
"The first month after marriage, when there is nothing but tenderness and pleasure" (Samuel Johnson); originally having no reference to the period of a month, but comparing the mutual affection of newly-married persons to the changing moon which is no sooner full than it begins to wane; now, usually, the holiday spent together by a newly-married couple, before settling down at home.
One of the oldest citations in the Oxford English Dictionary indicates that, while today honeymoon has a positive meaning, the word was actually a sardonic reference to the inevitable waning of love like a phase of the moon. This, the first literary reference to the honeymoon was penned in 1552, in Richard Huloet's Abecedarium Anglico Latinum. Huleot writes:
Hony mone, a term proverbially applied to such as be newly married, which will not fall out at the first, but thone loveth the other at the beginning excedingly, the likelyhood of their exceadinge love appearing to aswage, ye which time the vulgar people call the hony mone.
It has also been said that the origins of this word date back to the times of Babylon. In order to increase the virility and fertility of the newly-weds, the father of the bride would provide his son in law with all the mead (a honey-based drink) he could drink during the first month of the marriage (and therefore "moon"). Given that the English word is only four hundred years old, direct attribution to Babylon is questionable, though often repeated. The custom of drinking mead after a wedding for a month was also a medieval custom, however, and in practice at the time the word first appeared.
Other possible explanations of the word honeymoon have to do with the date that weddings traditionally took place. Weddings once commonly took place upon the Summer solstice both for religious reasons earlier on and also for the practical reason that it was the time between the main planting and harvesting of crops. As it was at this time of year that honey was first harvested, it is possible that this is the source.
Another alternative is that "Honey Moon" is a name given to the moon when its path is close to the southern horizon. Its light shines though the haze and dust of our atmosphere giving its light a honey colour for the whole month.
Satirists have said that a "Honeymoon salad" is "lettuce alone".
The Welsh word for honeymoon is mis mêl (honey month).
Hope that helps, and congratulations to Jenna and Pete! |
Posted:
Sun 29th Apr, 2007
9:03pm |
|
| Matt | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 282 |
|
| Bollocks. All wrong. Everyone who's anyone knows that the word 'honeymoon' does in fact come from Greek mythology.
In ancient Greek history, the King Βαρίδι (one of the first astronomers) discovered what was, in fact, a moon made entirely of honey. According to ancient Greek tradition, it is a travesty to leave any natural goods on the table at "πρόγευμα", or the breaking of the fast. Pertetrators of this ancient and henious crime could be punished by the gods, most importantly, "Μέλι-Θεός-σκάσιμο", or the honey god, who would rip the toenails from honey-leavers (as they were known), using nothing but a small fishhook.
When Βαρίδι discovered the moon of honey, he became convinced that to leave the moon untouched was an affront to the gods, and that action needed to be taken. He ordered the building of a large "κουτάλι", or honey-removal-and-consuming-device, in order that he could eat all the honey on the moon, and so avoid the wrath of Μέλι-Θεός-σκάσιμο. Slaves laboured for 30 days and 30 nights to construct the largest "κεντρικός υπολογιστής μελιού" ever made, in order that Βαρίδι could taste the honey on the moon. The anticipation was such that Βαρίδι became very excited, and went round in a happy haze.
Which is where the phrase honeymoon comes from - the period of deep anticipation and excitement before the tasting of the honey.
(Incidentally, it turned out that King Βαρίδι was wrong, and that he had simply had his star map upside down. For this, he was lynched, and beaten to death with the Μέλι-Θεός-σκάσιμο that he had ordered constructed).
Or perhaps I have misread the tone of this extraordinarily serious forum debating the etymology of the word honeymoon.
(See here for translations from Greek)
|
Posted:
Tue 1st May, 2007
9:08am |
|
| Stuart | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 14 |
|
| Matt... you need help.... NOW....... |
Posted:
Tue 1st May, 2007
5:05pm |
| Matt | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 282 |
|
| Ah, the joys of early morning post coffee procrastination!
And yes, I am, at this very moment, in therapy. The results remain to be seen.
|
Posted:
Tue 1st May, 2007
5:23pm |
|
| Art | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 320 |
|
 | Matt, you're a legend. This is the best encyclopedia entry I have ever seen in my life!!!
PS Indeed congratulations to Pete and Jenna, good luck to you guys!
PPS I don't want to get married. |
Posted:
Thu 3rd May, 2007
10:39am |
| tom | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 190 |
|
 | To be honest Art, I dont think thats something you'll ever have to worry about... |
Posted:
Thu 3rd May, 2007
1:39pm |
| Pete | Post subject: Re: Congratulations | |
| Posts: 175 |
|
 | Many thanks guys, we had a fantastic wedding day and the honeymoon was pretty spectacular too. We hope that all of you who made it to the wedding enjoyed it just as much as we did.
I'll post some photos later on in the week. |
Posted:
Mon 14th May, 2007
12:46pm |
and
