Monday, July 18, 2011

Wicket

A post or two ago I used the word wicket for a desk in a series of desks, like tellers in a bank, or immigration officers in a line of desks....

and it sparked comment.

I assumed it was a british word, but Kate a brit was surprised by it so I looked it up in Websters, and American dictionary, and my usage came up numbers 1 and 2  and they said, "Middle English wiket, from Anglo-French, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse vīk inlet, corner
First Known Use: 13th century"

While word reference (from the OED) had it second and claimed it is a N American usage.  

LOVE this language, I guess it came over with the immigrants from the UK and the older usage stuck as the cricket association didn't?

Cool, no?

5 comments:

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

Just don't get your wicket in a knot.

thecatalanway said...

I'm going to start using wicket and take it back to the UK, via Catalunya! K x

Anonymous said...

I definitely thought it was the thing you hit in cricket or the hoop you hit your ball through in that super charming game that I cannot remember the name of - lawn hoops? Lawn putting - what is it?
I got what you meant though - maybe it is a family word?
Nana

oreneta said...

Bodhi....give it a whirl!

Kate, I LOVE IT!!!!

Nana, I'm glad you got what I meant anyway.....wickets are cricket aren't they, not croquet....???? Maybe both???

oreneta said...

You can also have a wicket in a fence, where you can slide through it....no?