# Archaic words perserved in stock phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125 "2013-04-08T01:53:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/81 "2013-04-14T22:48:53Z")
Mortar and pestle. The bowl is supposed to be the mortar but the word is generally used in two different ways (in construction and in the military.) Pestle is still an existing tool but it’s so limited in use to the lab M&P that people hardly remember it. Grain being pounded rarely uses the word ‘pestle’ for the stone or wooden implement. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/82 "2013-04-15T01:00:24Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Mortar and pestle. The bowl is supposed to be the mortar but the word is generally used in two different ways (in construction and in the military.) Pestle is still an existing tool but it’s so limited in use to the lab M&P that people hardly remember it. Grain being pounded rarely uses the word ‘pestle’ for the stone or wooden implement. Mortars and pestles are used quite frequently in cooking. They are standard equipment for anyone serious about Mexican food, and are used widely in Indian food. But even cooks who don’t specialize in these things will often keep them around for quickly grinding up spices or preparing certain sauces. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/83 "2013-04-15T03:35:48Z")
We have two, one from sandstone the other of wood. But we call it using the local language. English-speaking households also have them but still i find the naming quaint; unlike simple nouns like hammer and chisel. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/84 "2013-04-15T13:18:38Z")
To moulder is to become rotten, but only if you’re John Brown’s body in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/85 "2013-04-16T03:29:21Z")
Anent, as in “regarding” Boon, as in “favor” Anon, as in “later” ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/86 "2013-04-16T10:57:55Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Mortar and pestle. The bowl is supposed to be the mortar but the word is generally used in two different ways (in construction and in the military.) Pestle is still an existing tool but it’s so limited in use to the lab M&P that people hardly remember it. Grain being pounded rarely uses the word ‘pestle’ for the stone or wooden implement. > [@even\_sven](#): > > Mortars and pestles are used quite frequently in cooking. They are standard equipment for anyone serious about Mexican food, and are used widely in Indian food. > > But even cooks who don’t specialize in these things will often keep them around for quickly grinding up spices or preparing certain sauces. They find some use in the chemistry lab, although I much prefer a ball mill. A student at the last place kept calling them “mortal and pestle” :smack:. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/87 "2013-04-16T21:40:50Z")
Blown to smithereens. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/88 "2013-04-16T22:37:14Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Hoisted by your own petard. But I like to use the olde version of “hoist” as in, “hoist with his own petar’.” > [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > How about “boot” as in “boot the computer” to start it? It’s only a few decades old, but everyone younger than me looks at me like I’m a quaint old geezer when I say (and any other computerisms circa 1990). Well that’s kind of funny since the current usage of “reboot” regarding films and TV series is fairly common. The term, of course, comes from “pulling oneself up by ones own bootstraps.” I once tried unsuccessfully to explain to a friend that this did not merely mean putting ones boots on. Oh, well. > [@jayrey](#): > > … > Anon, as in “later” I always thought that meant “soon.” Hmm. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125/89 "2013-04-18T19:56:05Z")
“easy” in the sense of ‘slow’. Only seen now in the context of ‘take it easy’ or ‘easy does it’. > [@](#): > > _It struck me very deep this afternoon going with a hackney coach from my Lord Treasurer’s down Holborne, the coachman I found to drive easily and easily, at last stood still, and come down hardly able to stand, and told me that he was suddenly struck very sicke, and almost blind, he could not see; so I 'light and went into another coach, with a sad heart for the poor man and trouble for myself, lest he should have been struck with the plague, being at the end of the towne that I took him up._ Pepys, **Diary** , 17th June 1665 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-words-perserved-in-stock-phrases/655125.md?page=4)