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OP A word I haven't seen for quite a while. O.Henry puts it into the mouth of a cowboy in New York for the first time,
when he meets a former cowboy buddy, who has been living
in New York for seven years, and has become citified.
Not a word I would expect an ex-Rough Rider to know.
I had forgotten the etymology, so I looked it up:
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
Definition: \Ef*fete"\, a. [L. effetus that has brought forth,
exhausted; ex + fetus that has brought forth. See {Fetus}.]
No longer capable of producing young, as an animal, or fruit,
as the earth; hence, worn out with age; exhausted of energy;
incapable of efficient action; no longer productive; barren;
sterile.
Effete results from virile efforts. --Mrs.
Browning
If they find the old governments effete, worn out, . .
. they may seek new ones. --Burke.
Would you say the quote from Mrs. Browning was a double
entendre?
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted effete wwh 01/31/04 02:22 AM Re: effete Buffalo Shrdlu 10/17/05 10:29 PM Re: effete tsuwm 10/17/05 10:47 PM Re: effete Buffalo Shrdlu 10/17/05 11:03 PM Re: effete belMarduk 10/18/05 12:25 PM Re: effete Buffalo Shrdlu 10/18/05 12:28 PM Re: effete belMarduk 10/18/05 05:09 PM Re: effete tsuwm 10/18/05 05:33 PM Re: effete tsuwm 10/18/05 05:43 PM Re: effete Buffalo Shrdlu 10/18/05 07:54 PM Re: effete Shawn F. 07/31/09 02:36 AM Re: effete zmjezhd 07/31/09 02:04 PM Re: effete klingsor 03/12/07 05:30 PM Re: effete Zed 03/13/07 07:55 PM Re: effete seapea 08/01/09 06:28 AM
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