# Ravel means unravel **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675 "2009-09-19T01:56:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/1 "2009-09-19T01:56:06Z")
I just wanted to point out that ravel means unravel. > [@](#): > > [rav⋅el](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ravel) >   /ˈrævəl/ [rav-uhl] > > 1. to disentangle or unravel And irregardless a that fact, I will discontinue hewing disinterested! ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/2 "2009-09-19T02:01:33Z")
I was wondering about this and almost started a thread about it. I know some people think my references to _Hogg_ are getting out of hand, but in this case it’s actually warranted. In that novel, the narrator describes the “gray and raveled” cuff of somebody’s pant leg. And I really wondered about what the hell he meant. I wanted to start a thread about it here, but figured if I talked about _Hogg_ one more time, people would start getting out the pitchforks and torches. Similarly, Charles Gaines in _Stay Hungry_ describes the main character watching a bodybuilder on stage as “having the most whelming feeling he had ever felt.” I have never, ever seen the word “whelming” used, without the word “over” as part of it. And furthermore I’ve seen a lot of refurbished items for sale, but I’ve never heard of anyone just furbishing something. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/3 "2009-09-19T02:05:16Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Similarly, Charles Gaines in _Stay Hungry_ describes the main character watching a bodybuilder on stage as “having the most whelming feeling he had ever felt.” I have never, ever seen the word “whelming” used, without the word “over” as part of it. And furthermore I’ve seen a lot of refurbished items for sale, but I’ve never heard of anyone just furbishing something. Well this leaves me nonplussed, hopefully another poster can make me plussed. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/4 "2009-09-19T02:08:08Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > …I’ve never heard of anyone just furbishing something. My mother’s told me to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/5 "2009-09-19T02:39:17Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Similarly, Charles Gaines in _Stay Hungry_ describes the main character watching a bodybuilder on stage as “having the most whelming feeling he had ever felt.” I have never, ever seen the word “whelming” used, without the word “over” as part of it. And furthermore I’ve seen a lot of refurbished items for sale, but I’ve never heard of anyone just furbishing something. :claps: Nice one. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/6 "2009-09-20T11:00:30Z")
Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’, the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast. The verbs “loose,” loosen," “unloose” and “unloosen” all mean the same. > [@pedescribe](#): > > :claps: > > Nice one. Is it? If it’s a joke or a reference, I don’t get it. If it’s serious, “whelming” (literally, engulfing; figuratively, overcoming with feeling) and “furbishing” (polishing or renovating) are legitimate words. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/7 "2009-09-20T12:03:09Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > “whelming” (literally, engulfing; figuratively, overcoming with feeling) and “furbishing” (polishing or renovating) are legitimate words. I’ll probably fetch a beating for this, but while irregardless is considered nonstandard, it follows the same reduplicating pattern: Overwhelm (Over- overcome), Refurbish (re-renovate). Hopefully, we can put all of this nonsense behind us and undisgruntle ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/8 "2009-09-20T13:38:23Z")
I was disgruntled, but I have regruntled myself with _Gruntle Helper_. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/9 "2009-09-20T13:40:39Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Hopefully, we can put all of this nonsense behind us and undisgruntle ourselves. You mean “gruntling ourselves back”? ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/10 "2009-09-20T13:49:49Z")
double post ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/11 "2009-09-20T13:53:35Z")
combobulated chalant gruntled ept ert sheveled list of these kinds of words: [Fun With Words: Negatives Without Positives](http://www.rinkworks.com/words/negatives.shtml) a few explaianed: [http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/why-isnt-gruntled-a-word.aspx](http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/why-isnt-gruntled-a-word.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/12 "2009-09-20T14:37:50Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > You mean “gruntling ourselves back”? I was starting to get over it, but all this nitpicking has redisgruntled me. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/13 "2009-09-20T14:43:28Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > I just wanted to point out that ravel means unravel. > > And irregardless a that fact, I will discontinue hewing disinterested! Ravel means to unravel…? I mean _outside_ of stupid [Blake Edwards](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078721/) movies…!? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/14 "2009-09-20T16:34:38Z")
Furbish = fabricate? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/15 "2009-09-20T17:32:43Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Furbish = fabricate? to restore to freshness of appearance or good condition ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/16 "2009-09-20T19:21:49Z")
Cleave: 1. to adhere closely; stick; cling (usually fol. by to). 2. to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, esp. along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood. “Inflammable Means Flammable? What A Country!” - Dr. Nick ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/17 "2009-09-20T19:41:48Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > list of these kinds of words: [Fun With Words: Negatives Without Positives](http://www.rinkworks.com/words/negatives.shtml) Some of the entries on that list are wrong. “Domitable” and “effable,” for two, may not be common in contemporary usage, but they can be found in literature and their meanings should be clear to anyone who understands “indomitable” and “ineffable.” ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/18 "2009-09-20T21:23:35Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > Some of the entries on that list are wrong. “Domitable” and “effable,” for two, may not be common in contemporary usage, but they can be found in literature and their meanings should be clear to anyone who understands “indomitable” and “ineffable.” It’s not completely clear, but from reading the etymology of [infernal](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/infernal), it appears that the _in_ isn’t a negative prefix in that context. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/19 "2009-09-21T14:24:10Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > It’s not completely clear, but from reading the etymology of [infernal](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/infernal), it appears that the _in_ isn’t a negative prefix in that context. Then it’s not related to the fernal equinox? ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ravel-means-unravel/510675/20 "2009-09-21T14:49:46Z")
[A Paralleled Tale of Bridled Passion.](http://www.writer-on-line.com/content/view/412/89/~Terms-of-Use/Humor-Writing/A-Paralleled-Tale-of-Bridled-Passion.html)