A poll of a different kind

[Labarum]

Rich got us all going about the colour of our tops, but here is a poll of a different kind. Where do these words come from and what do they mean?


"And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it): he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight."

[Mandilee]

Re: A poll of a different kind

2Samuel 14:26

[Labarum]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Oh! That was fast, but you have only answered half the question!

[rox4jc]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Do you think that everybody's hair grew at that rate back then, or was Absalom a special case. I mean, my hair grows pretty fast but I don't think that I could manage 5 lbs of it!

[Mandilee]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Oh, my gosh! In my need to beat everyone out and prove to be better, I neglected to read the entire challenge! I can't take it... so here's my response to the second part ----

Okay... I think it has to do with pride. (Get the above reasoning that I used?)
He loved his hair and held onto it as long as he could stand it. He wanted to be better than others, but the weight of that got to be too much. He crumbled and couldn't take the burden of being better. No one can stand up to that pressure forever. He caved and cut it. Literally, he couldn't carry the actual weight of it. Figuratively... heavy burdens can't be carried forever.

How's that?

Are you a minister, and am I totally off base here?

I love BIBLE studies, but I'm no expert.

[Labarum]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Well Mandi, now I am having a little giggle to myself. I was not expecting any exegesis, just an explanation of the strange use of the word "poll".

We still used the word "poll" for pruning the heart out of trees, but (at least in British English) it is no longer used for a haircut.

[Laurenfra]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Great question. Would have been fun if I got here on time!

[Mandilee]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Woops...

Okay.... here's the derivation... but, this part of the response is not mine. I looked it up.

Chuckle away... but... you may need to get a haircut soon


I had fun with this and giving you your daily chuckle!

poll c.1290, polle "hair of the head," from M.L.G. or M.Du. pol "head, top." Meaning "collection of votes" is first recorded 1625, from notion of "counting heads;" meaning "survey of public opinion" is first recorded 1902. The verb meaning "to take the votes of" also is first recorded 1625.

[Labarum]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Great question. Would have been fun if I got here on time!

So what would you have thought?

[Richt]

Re: A poll of a different kind

I didnt see a poll to vote in!!!!!

[Labarum]

Re: A poll of a different kind

No Rich, let me take this v e r y slowly for a W i l t s h i r e L a d .

This is a poll of a different kind. This poll is not about counting but about cutting. In old English (like the time of Shakespere and the King James Bible) heads could be polled whereas we only do it to trees today.

The old word is pronounced a little differently, the "o" is shorter - as it is in pot.

So my poll of a different kind was not about voting but cutting hair.

oo ah, my lover*.



(And I am sorry for the lack of audio, or I would have done the whole post in West Country Dialect, which would have made it even more unintelligible for them Yanks (Let them think Deep South rather than West))

* In the English West Country "my lover" can be a form of address used between men - even if the do not know each other well. The words on the lips of a burly farm worker or motor mechanic can be a little disconcerting to those from outside the region.

[Richt]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Brian, A slight problem with your take on a west country accent!

I dont have one! But I think you may have noticed that when we spoke on the phone!!!!! lol

However, my dad is a culprit of the other west country problem! If asking where something is, he does have the embarassing tendancy of saying. "Where is it to"? instead of the proper "where is it"?

R

[Labarum]

Re: A poll of a different kind

Accents and dialects are funny things.

Three years ago I asked the Practice Manager in our Medical Centre what part of the West Country she was from. I was firmly put in my place and told she had an authentic Berkshire accent. As might be expected it's a soft Wiltshire accent; but it is now very rare, and has largely been replaced by the London accent, which is rather less attractive.

That's sad.

[Richt]

Re: A poll of a different kind

IMO Brian, the Bristol accent is the worst. Very very broad west country.

They also put the letter L on the end of most words that end in a vowel. I worked with a girl who would always say, "thats a good ideal", instead of "thats a good idea". So funny, but also so wrong.

[Laurenfra]

Re: A poll of a different kind

IMO Brian, the Bristol accent is the worst. Very very broad west country.

They also put the letter L on the end of most words that end in a vowel. I worked with a girl who would always say, "thats a good ideal", instead of "thats a good idea". So funny, but also so wrong.

That is too funny there a are places here with less then desirable accents. The common thing is too add an "R" on the end of vowel ending words so often you hear idear.

We also have the issue of living in Texas with English, Spanish and Spanlish all being spoken. We also have an issue with letters being pronounced differntly in the 2 languages. I have a friend whos last name is Jaquez. If is pronounced
'ha' kez' He gets called Jack @ss

Brian I am sorry we seem to have stollen your thread. I will post later and I needed to dig out my concordance and do a word study on "poll"