Sinister: Definitions of Twee and Fey

[Knightowl]

Well there you go. Thank you. I found this quite interesting. I was a bit
off in my understanding of it too. I had assumed there was more of a lack of
masculinity quality attached to it. The opposite of latin machismo perhaps.
Probably brought in by that "elfin" bit you mentioned.

Then again, maybe I just mentally made twee into wee and went from there.

Interesting.

Ed

> Fey is another spelling of Fay, which is an ebonic slang term for "white
> man".  It's generally derogative, but in some contexts is merely familiar.
>
> Fey/Fay is also Scots slang, relating to one fated to die, doomed,
> especially as portended by peculiar, usually elated behaviour.
>
> It also can be traced back to a Gallic word meaning to clean out, or
scour.
>
> Fey was also once Scots spelling for the word "fee"
>
> It can also mean eccentric, slightly mad, whimsical, supernatural
fairy-like
> and elfin.
>
> It is generally these last few meanings for which the word is used
nowadays.
>
> Twee is a colloquial adjective meaning small and sweet, sentimentally
> pretty.
>
> There are two theories for its etymology, whether 'tweet' being used as a
> term meaning 'extra sweet' got contracted, or whether it's more Gallic,
and
> thus a combination of
> T-iny and WEE.
>
> Conjugations accepted by Chambers are the adverb "Tweely" and the noun
> "Tweeness"
>
> Twee is/was also a Scots interjectory term, used as a call to calves at
> feeding time.
>
> The OED says that twee means dainty, chic, over-nice, over-refined,
> precious, mawkish.
>
> The OED puts the etymology down to a juvenile pronunciation of the word
> "sweet".
>
> Hope this helped in some small way.  I'm trying to distract myself with
> reference books because I have an interview in a minute.
>
> Love
> Harry
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 +-+  "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students"  +-+
 +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"  +-+
 +-+       "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper        +-+
 +-+   "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000   +-+
 +-+       "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named       +-+
 +-+           Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000           +-+
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