Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Word of the Day


bonnet
1.
a. A hat of cloth or straw, held in place by ribbons tied under the chin, that is worn by women and children.
b. Scots A brimless cap worn by men or boys.
2. A removable metal plate over a machine part, such as a valve.
3. Chiefly British The hood of an automobile.

Imagine yourself, a young lass of 7, running home at the end of a long day of school. You pop two pieces of bread in the toaster for your afternoon snack, flip on the telly and bounce in your chair as the end credits of General Hospital begin to roll. After a brief commercial interruption, the music begins. Ma and Pa Ingalls drive their team of horses into the frame as Ma pulls her bonnet forward over her face. Three little girls scamper down a hill along with their dog. Little House on the Prairie has begun. God's in his heaven, all's right with the world.

Dear British-English speakers,
Bonnets are what Caroline Ingalls wears when she goes egg selling in Walnut Grove. They belong to prairies and plains and pioneers--evoking the dusty, searing heat of the westward migration. They hang in a tangle down Laura Ingall's back when she pops Nellie Olsen (a villainess who, quite noticeably, doesn't wear many bonnets) in the nose. These have nothing to do with so unromantic a piece of metal as a car hood.
Respectfully, I think we win this one.
Hearts,
Betty Keira

1 comment:

  1. Nice try using telly to soften the blow. Bonnets are meant to be worn, not driven.

    http://wouldyoucouldyou.blogspot.com/2009/10/no-fear.html

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