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Classin' up the joint

Posted by Word Camel on September 15, 2004

In Reply to: "Let's smoke a joint" posted by Shae on September 15, 2004

: : Why is a cigarette made with pot called a joint? Why is it called pot? Why is a dive bar called a joint? Why is such a bar called a dive bar? Why is it called a bar in the first place?

: The online etymology dictionary has the following:

: joint (n.)
: c.1290, "a part of a body where two bones meet and move in contact with one another," from O.Fr. joint, from L. junctus, pp. of jungere "join" (see join). Slang meaning of "place, building, establishment" (esp. one where persons meet for shady activities) first recorded 1877, Amer.Eng., from an earlier Anglo-Irish sense , perhaps on the notion of a side-room, one "joined" to a main room. The original U.S. sense was especially of "an opium-smoking den." Meaning "marijuana cigarette" is perhaps from notion of something often smoked in common, but there are other possibilities; earlier joint in drug slang meant "hypodermic outfit" . Meaning "prison" is from 1953.

: pot
: "marijuana," 1938, probably a shortened form of Mexican Sp. potiguaya "marijuana leaves."

: dive
: emerged 13c. from O.E. dufan "to dive, duck, sink" (intransitive, class II strong verb; past tense deaf, pp. dofen) and dyfan "to dip, submerge" (weak, transitive), from P.Gmc. *dubijanan. Past tense dove is a later formation, perhaps on analogy of drive/drove. Sense of "disreputable bar" is first recorded Amer.Eng. 1871, perhaps because they were usually in basements, and going into one was both a literal and fig. "diving."

: bar
: c.1175, "stake or rod of iron used to fasten a door or gate," from O.Fr. barre, from V.L. *barra "bar, barrier," which some suggest is from Gaulish *barros "the bushy end," but O.E.D. regards this as "discredited" because it "in no way suits the sense." Bar code first recorded 1963. Behind bars "in prison" is from 1951. Meaning "bank of sand across a harbor or river mouth" is from 1586, so called because it was an obstruction to navigation.

: bar
: "tavern," 1592, from the bars of the barrier or counter over which drinks or food were served to customers (see bar ). Barmaid is from 1772; bar-tender is 1836, Amer.Eng.; barfly "habitual drunkard" is from 1910.

: www.etymonline.com

Good to see you Shae. You've been missed. :)

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