Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Furbelow, Flounce

Furbelow, Flounce: These two words share their obscure etymology with flaunt and both have the same dual meanings. As a verb, they mean to be showy, to draw attention. As a noun they mean a ruffle, such as the ruffles men wore at their necks or women wore at the hems of their skirts, or any extra decoration to draw attention.
The first bandwagon was in place, a real Gargantua, forty feet long, fifteen feet high, big as a semitrailer but with brilliant red and green curlicues and furbelows on the sides, a sixteen-horse hitch, two hairy-legged teamsters in the wagon box, and a six-piece band on top, warming up.

No comments: