A Rose in my Arsenal
Watching the football, Arsenal Vs. Reading… I say watching but that’s hardly what I’m doing, others are watching, I’m – if you’re optimistic – essaying.
It strikes me, nonetheless, just how much words can develop new meanings, so much so that the original is obscured. Often this is because they are adopted as proper nouns – names for things which become so prolific that usage in the traditional context is next to nothing by comparison.
Take Arsenal, for example, how many little kids running around in their Arsenal kit and scarves and whatever other paraphernalia, must take ‘arsenal’ simply as the name of their favourite football team, rather than a word meaning a supply of weapons or munitions.
In fact, how many of us Britons hear the word “arsenal” and think football before we think of weapon stock, not for lack of an extensive vocabulary.
We’ve probably all noticed this and I’m not really saying anything particularly new but it’s still sortof interesting…no?
And if not, apparently Arsenal are my team?! so at least I’m winning… Go gunners! x
Good choice of team there fellow Gunner. Finger’s are already crossed for next season (and for your essay, and, come to think of it, mine!).
oh dear… i’m ashamed to admit this but extreme essaying and scraping of the creative recesses has left my brain hollow, rambling and honest in a sad, desperate way. When i hear the word ‘arsenal’ a small, vague part of me connects it with football, an even smaller and vaguer voice whispers something about weaponry but is soon stifled beyond all retrieval by the big, loud idiot going ‘HA HA HA, sounds like arse!’
no one is sorrier than i. well, apart from maybe the poor sods who get to mark MY essays… xxx
hahah, jenni, that’s brilliant! a very nelson [from the simpsons rather than bonaparte] -esque quote . best of luck with the work, i think many of us are still drowning it in…well, i am anywayz! x
I don’t really think this is the same thing, but a friend and I are currently trying to stretch the contexts in which the word ’sex’ can be used. For example:
Reda: I got my 20,000 words all done and beautifully dusted!
Dave: That’s pretty sex!
I mean, I know ’sexual’ is now used in a much wider variety of contexts, but I think there’s plenty of room for sex in the vernacular too.