1:26am June 7, 2014

Eccentric

karalianne:

The other day, I forget exactly how it happened, but my husband told me that the word “eccentric” began as a descriptor for an oval. (I think we were talking about ovals. I don’t remember why. Just accept that it came up as a normal part of our regular conversation.)

So I just looked it up because I remembered that he said that, and

not having the same center; not concentric: used especially of two circles or spheres at least one of which contains the centers of both. (Source)

That describes an oval, does it not? :)

But even better, at the same source as the above:

Origin:
1350–1400; < Medieval Latin eccentricus < Greek ékkentr ( os ) out of center (see ec-, center) + Latin -icus -ic

Fully explains why we use it as a word to describe people who are slightly “odd” don’t you agree?

My dad’s favorite word for me was “half a bubble off plumb”.  Same idea.

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