Green Swizzle

Well, well. DrollorD, in a concerted effort to ward off Michigan’s face numbing weather, has decided to grow a …um… beard. One time at an annual family get-together, I received two compliments (both from my in-law parents). Both of these were on their own accord, mind you. However, I am fearful that these were out of a pitying spirit (not to cast any accusations of ill-doing on my in-law’s part) in beholding the adventitious hairs upon my face.

Some have tried to assert/accent the ‘natural’ distinction between men and women by saying men are to grow beards. However, one would have to ask, “What then of women’s leg hair? Women surely have naturally growing leg hair, and some women actually have to deal with battles with facial hair.” Ummm …yuck. Do not think I have no pity on women who are in constant danger of hamstringing themselves when they shave their legs. Experientially speaking, I can say that I have shared in women’s pains to some degree. I used to be on swimming teams which would for the sake of ‘shaving’ off vital thousandths of a seconds in league race times would shave off most their body hair -save some choice, needless-to-be-named spots. Yes, those days indeed were cold…

Now, to the more important substance of the post. ‘Beard’ comes down to us from the Old English word of same spelling, affiliated with the German word ‘Bart’ and Dutch “baard”. “Barber” comes to us from the Latin word barba meaning ‘beard’. In an unconfirmed etymological note, I have heard that ‘barba’ also has something to do with the word ‘barbarian.’ But do not cite me as authoritative on that one, lest you and I be drummed up on etymological charges of “hair-acy”.