Questions of Life

[MikeFleming]

- Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

- Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

- If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

- Why is bra singular and panties plural?

- How come "abbreviated" is such a long word?

[baltimucho]

You just blew my mind.

[Desert Patina]

- Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

Of course you don't want to be 'whack' (today's vernacular). But 'whack' back in the day was an attempt or bargain. So out of whack meant it didn't work as you expected, or it was trying and failing.http://ask.yahoo.com/20060112.html


- Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

Yes. But really its the ability to define something or not.Unexpected is a catchall of things you haven't defined. If you had something specific you could define, it would be expected.


If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

Love is, but no one said prurience was love or blind.


Why is bra singular and panties plural?

Brassier is something that holds up multiple objects, (e.g. also used to desribe candle sticks which hold up more than one candle)

Panties is just slang for pants (pantaloons) which meant instead of wraping your legs in one piece of cloth (like a skirt) you use two ... one for each leg. Panties was just a first attempt at saying "short pants", because they were short pants back when the diminutive of pants was coined.


How come "abbreviated" is such a long word?

Because it is a compound-conjugated word (root 'brief', acted on 'a', to make so 'iate', past tense 'ed'). Its not itself an abbreviation.By the way, if you love de-mistifying these gallager-isms as much as I, check out http://www.imponderables.com/index.php they go through many of these types of questions.I know, its not funny when you explain them ... but then it wouldn't be fun for me...

[MikeFleming]

We have FUN for everyone!

[Patrick]

Monosyllable.

Think 'bout it!

[beeker]

If an armless man owns a gun, is he armed ???

[MikeFleming]

^
Not just from owning it. He must carry it on his person.