First time ever... Although I have read it on signs, mostly from the past, several times, I have never put it on a sign before...
I looked it up in the dictionary to see what Sundries really are...
Merriam-Webster :miscellaneous small articles, details, or items
Cambridge :various different small items which are considered together, usually because they are not important enough to be considered separately
Dictionary.com :Articles too small or numerous to be specified; miscellaneous items
I know this is a boring post, but I took an interest......
Posted by William Bass (Member # 4929) on :
English nuts like me find it interesting...I didn't know it was even a word. I've used "sundry" which is the adjectival form. My compact dictionary doesn't even list "sundries," but my desk dictionary does.
What I found most interesting, tho, is that the both of those words are related to "sunder" that can be a verb, which means TO break apart or sever, or that can be a noun. The phrase "in sunder" means "apart."
I didn't know one could use "sunder" as a verb. I sundered the roast into bite-sized pieces.
And I didn't know that "sundry" and "sundries" were both related to "sunder."
Cool...sometimes I forget which word I started out to look up because I get distracted by all the interesting definitions along the way...bet very few other people have that particular problem.
[ October 08, 2004, 02:03 PM: Message edited by: William Bass ]
Posted by Roy Frisby (Member # 736) on :
I falls into the creek, but then I crawl out and sundries myself real good on the bank... Posted by William Bass (Member # 4929) on :
Duz ya "sundries" yore raisins?
Posted by William Bass (Member # 4929) on :
This might turn into a very interesting post...at any rate...my daily posting average is getting better and better.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
LOL Roy!!
Leonard, we have Civil War re-enactments here and every camp, every article of clothing on every re-enactor is VERY authentic . . .they even have people called "suttlers" who set up "stores" near the "war" zone, as this was done during that era.
They sell all manner of authentic, hand-made, hand-tooled items . . .ANYWAY, I just wondered if there was a connection to that word "suttlers/sundries"??
( I did'nt think this was boring - I love historical signage and have used the word "Mercantile" on a coupl'a signs in the historic district )
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
Sundries, this just HAS TO BE HANDLETTERED!! cause it's from those days of yore... beware, use vinyl, any kind, and it will peel in hours, honest!
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
"... as well as the choice of the sundry materials of which an edifice is composed..."
Makes perfect sense to me...
When I was a kid, I thought that sundries was some sort of fancy sundae. What the heck did I know? Hahahahahahahaha!
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
...me too Brooce. But it IS a cool word, as is mercantile and suttler, and all 3 should only be rendered by hand (IMHO) Love.....Jill PS What about odd old ways of writing "etc." ? C'mon, Arthur, where are you when I need you?
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Hi Jill, sleeping I'm afraid! I believe &c. for etc. has fallen out of common use lately (about 1850)
Another word I love which survived a little longer is 'tranter'; a small-time haulier. And, some other more recent beauties hidden beneath layers of paint on old wooden fascias: haberdashery, millinery, emporium, victualler, provender, dry goods, purveyors of ...
[ October 09, 2004, 04:32 AM: Message edited by: Arthur Vanson ]
Posted by William Bass (Member # 4929) on :
The "&" is a combination of the letters "E" and "t", "Et" is latin for "and." I didn't know about "&c" as an old-fashioned way of writing "etcetera," but it makes sense as "etcetera" is a combination of "et" and "cetera", which means "and others" (I think).
You'll be pleased to know that my knowledge of "&" came from a comic strip called "Beakman & Jax", which is a science-question comic strip for kids 12 and under (but which I read a fairly frequently.)
Amazingly, with the exception of "tranter" and "victualler"...all those old words are still in my (fairly) modern dictionary.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
quote: This might turn into a very interesting post...at any rate...my daily posting average is getting better and better.
Better in what sense? I truly wasn't aware after 6 years of posting here that there is a prize for most posts. I've always valued this bullboard for the quality of the posts and not the quantity.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Arthur!!! . . all them COOL ol' sign words . . . .I LOVE it when you talk like that . . . . .LOL
Yes indeed, all such words MUST be hand-lettered!!
When I was fortunate enough to land the contract for all the signage in the restored historic, St. James Hotel . . .it was REQUIRED that all work be hand-lettered and era-correct type styles as well.
We did have one serious "head-butt" tho' . . . .
they would NOT allow me to "connect" any of the script lettering!!!!!! ACK!! All because they had no period books or photos of lettering in Selma that showed "connected" script lettering!!!
The historic dames kept showin' me "PRINTER" type styles with italic LC's I kept sayin', "LOOK, just because you don't have a photo of it does'nt mean that people did'nt write in script!! Look at mail!!" They go yeh but that's not a "sign" . . . . so I HAD to compromise and letter a different contributer's on each and every hotel room door with 1 1/2" gold "disconnected" script, Dont' tell me I can't get along with people, lol
another 100 years from now will have people anilyzing why the script was "disconnected" . . .it will go down in history that whoever the sign-painter was did'nt realize script could be fluid . . .
. . .They also got pretty picky about every little scroll or design 'til the architech said, "leave her alone and let her do her thing."
It's amazing but I can look at the various signs and tell where they held the reign & when they let me go . . .
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I did'nt think this was boring - I love historical signage and have used the word "Mercantile" on a coupl'a signs in the historic district ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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I kept sayin', "LOOK, just because you don't have a photo of it does'nt mean that people did'nt write in script!! Look at mail!!" They go yeh but that's not a "sign" . . . . so I HAD to compromise and letter a different contributer's on each and every hotel room door with 1 1/2" gold "disconnected" script, ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)