Le Word de jour of of the day. 


It's like déjà vu all over again! 

I read this word in Peter Tudebode's contemporary account of the crusaders' siege of Jerusalem in 1099:

derring-do |ˈderi ng ˈdoō| |ˌˈdɛrɪŋ ˌˈdu| |ˈdɛrɪŋˌduː|
noun dated, humorous
action displaying heroic courage : tales of derring-do.
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from late Middle English dorryng do [daring to do,] used by Chaucer, and, in a passage by Lydgate based on Chaucer's work, misprinted in 16th-cent. editions as derrynge do; this was misinterpreted by Spenser to mean [manhood, chivalry,] and subsequently taken up and popularized by Sir Walter Scott.

Also, this account from Raymond d'Aguilers's account of the siege mustn't be omitted:

"Two women tried to bewitch one of the hurling machines, but a stone struck and crushed them...so that their lives were extinguished and their evil incantations averted."

And all for the name of God. How special. 

Posted: Tue - November 1, 2005 at 11:32 AM          

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