A Tawdry Queen
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 08:56AM 
I confess that I am a word geek - not a bad thing when you are a writer. I belong to the Webster word of the day (major geek alarm!). What most interests me is the etymology of the word - today's was fascinating.
Tawdry
Did you know?
In the 7th century, Etheldreda, the queen of Northumbria, renounced her husband and her royal position for the veil of a nun. She was renowned for her saintliness and is traditionally said to have died of a swelling in her throat, which she took as a judgment upon her fondness for wearing necklaces in her youth. Her shrine became a principal site of pilgrimage in England. An annual fair was held in her honor on October 17th, and her name became simplified to St. Audrey. At these fairs various kinds of cheap knickknacks were sold, along with a type of necklace called "St. Audrey's lace," which by the 17th century had become altered to "tawdry lace." Eventually, "tawdry" came to be used to describe anything cheap and gaudy that might be found at these fairs or anywhere else.
Reader Comments (3)
ok, i'm sorry if this offends, that's not my intent. i also am a bit of a word and grammar geek.
you use a word that gives me the willies every time you do. that word is "orientate". i shudder every time i hear it, not because it's not an accepted word in the vernacular but simply because the word shouldn't exist. one can orient himself, or he can get oriented but orientate would refer to orientation or orienteering (meaning map and compass stuff) and to use it to mean "to orient oneself" would mean the exact same thing as saying "orient".
i just had to get that off my chest. if you don't agree then you just don't have to approve this comment for your blog. or i suppose you could just end our friendship over this (chuckle).
yes, i know i'm a geek and a bit of a prick too ... but ... well, you're stuck with me.
chuckle
I've been skooled!
- and I like it. But I may send my dog after you, the cute one, the tricky one, the one that bites.
That'll orientate your ass!
craig
i was thinking last night that i may've been too offensive with this comment. thanks for taking it in a good light.
orientate (shakes his head and walks away)