[PW] Re: Merry Christmas

[Bye, Dan J]

 I'd just add that it is possible to describe someone as "merry" in British English - meaning "drunk".

Dan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org 
> [mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On 
> Behalf Of Sylvia Milne
> Sent: 13 November 2006 14:52
> To: list at project-wombat.org
> Cc: jweiss at dallasnews.com
> Subject: [PW] Re: Merry Christmas
> 
> Well,  the OED's earliest citation is  1565  Of a season or festival: 
> characterized by celebration and rejoicing. Freq. in Merry 
> Christmas! and other seasonal greetings.
> " 1565 Hereford Munic. MSS (transcript) 209 And thus I comytt 
> you to god, who send you a mery Christmas & many"
> 
> I don't really know, but perhaps, to be merry,  a festival 
> has to last for several days as in 12 days for Christmas,.
> 
> Sylvia Milne
> 
> Please visit me at
> http://www.sylviamilne.co.uk
> And for you word experts on this list, here's another, 
> seasonal, question I've never been able to find an answer for:
> 
> Why, for standard American English, is Christmas merry  -- 
> and nothing else?
> You'd never wish someone a "merry birthday" or describe 
> someone as merry.
> 
> How did *that* happen?
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Project Wombat
> list at project-wombat.org
> http://www.project-wombat.org/
>