Today's Globe and Mail, as every day's Globe and Mail, contains a delight and surprise of language. Mostly, the turns of phrase come from Cathal Kelly in the sports section. He has won the Stephen Peacock Memorial Medial for Humour and applies his wit every time he writes something.
Today's delight doesn't come from Cathal. It shows up in the Editorial Section. It is the word "nary".
We've likely heard the word "nary" but what about it? Where is this coming from and isn't it quite flowery and old-fashioned. Here are two definitions:
not one or none at all; used for emphasis not any; no; never a
First recorded in 1740–50; variant of ne'er a never a
There is lots of "nary" around. Lots of words end in "nary". Some of the most used positive & impactful words ending in -nary include extraordinary, visionary, culinary, revolutionary, imaginary, discretionary, luminary, stationary, and evolutionary.
Most surprisingly there are "Nary Jokes":
The cowboy was trying to buy a health insurance policy. The insurance agent was going down the list of standard questions.
"Ever have an accident?" "Nope, nary a one." "None? You've never had any accidents." "Nope. Ain't had one. Never." "Well, you said in this form you were bitten by a snake once. Wouldn't you consider that an accident?" "Heck, no. That dang varmint bit me on purpose."
What is the difference between a prince, a bald headed man, a monkey and an orphan?
The first is an heir apparent, the second has no apparent hair, the third has hairy parent and the last has nary a parent.
How do robots say goodbye? They use bye-nary.
the primulas are up in the garden, and the bunnies are having wonderful floral salads of them.
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