Thursday, March 20, 2008
.....Go Away, Come Again Another Day!
It snowed today.
The great (departed) Canadian writer Mordecai Richler once said March is the worst month to be Canadian, because that is the month when we realize that winter has gone on way too long.
I am, indeed, very very tired of snow.
It is said that the Inuit have over 100 names for snow. But this, as it turns out, is a myth.
In 1911, anthropologist Frank Boas observed that the Inuit have four words for snow. Over the course of the intervening century, the number simply became exaggerated until, in 1984, a New York Times editorial asserted that the number was 100, thereby making it a "fact".
Four words! Cripes, English has way more words for snow than that.
But not enough, for my liking. I wish the myth about Inuit words was true, because there just aren't enough English terms to fully capture the experiences of those of us who live in cold climates.
Of course, there is "powder", the term for the particular type of soft, fluffy, not-too-sticky snow that is perfect for skiing.
But there are no words for soft, wet, stickly snow that comes in big flakes or sharp, hard, very cold snow that comes in small flakes with razor-like edges or the very small, knife-like snow that comes down during blizzards.
There are no words for that quality of snow on the ground when it's very hard, crunchy and unfriendly or, conversely, for that softer consistency of snow on the ground that's perfect for snowballs and snow forts.
There is a colloquial word for the combination of snow, ice and dirt that builds up under the tire wells of your car. That's called "snard". But there are no equivalent words for very hard, compressed snow that builds up on driveways and sidewalks and that comes off in big chunks when you shovel it.
There really should be words for these. We should hold a national contest to come up with them and then announce the winners in March. It would give us something to look forward to.
posted by Mentok @ 12:39 p.m.,
3 Comments:
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At 1:40 p.m.,
cchang said...
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Snow?
Here down in TEX-ASS there ain't no snow. -
At 10:42 p.m.,
said...
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there is a word for the kind you can make snowballs and snowmen out of--"good-packing" : )
rumor has it snow is gonna fall down south here in pennsylvania, and i really don't want it to. i'm ready for a little warmth already, only not nearly as ready for it as you must be! -
At 1:38 p.m.,
Rachel said...
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DUDE give me some snow!!!! For the love of SNOW!!!!
