Words are like people–they have interesting backgrounds. One such word is gardyloo. It originated in France, but was used in other countries too, as a warning that something unsavory was about to happen. What, you may ask? Suppose that you were walking along the street of a European town in the year 1650. Suddenly, from an upstairs window of a house you were passing, you heard someone shout, “Gardyloo.” The smart thing to do then would be to quickly move out of the way, because the shouter would be warning you that he or she is about to throw a pail of something distinctly unpleasant and smelly onto the street below. Gardyloo! Watch out for what’s coming.
Wouldn’t it be nice if some speakers or writers of newspaper accounts would give us that warning today? Before they said or wrote anything, they’d say, “Gardyloo!” Watch out. What’s coming is really just a bunch of smelly garbage.
Words. Interesting things. Origins are interesting and so are the meanings they convey. It’s wise to use them judiciously.
A word for our times, for sure!
Yes, it is. Thanks for writing, Kimberly.