What’s the Word: Dogs, pokes and obscure orchids
What’s the Word was asked recently to come up with the origins of a couple of terms that will be familiar to old-timers, and even the name of an obscure wildflower, which may turn out be quite a challenge for the wordman. In other words, dear readers, I may need your help before this is over. But then, I’m certainly not ashamed to ask for it.
The aforementioned terms came as the result of a conversation with Main Street Bakery’s Linda Holland last week. “Why do they call a bag a ‘poke,’ Holland asked, “and why do they call feet ‘dogs,’ like when people say, ‘my dogs are tired.'”
Meanwhile, wildflower enthusiast Ruth Ann Henry has come up with a formidable task for the wordman. Seems there is an orchid that has been given the common name “Shadow Witch,” and Ruth Ann wonders if What’s the Word might be able to find out just how it came to be called by this intriguing and unusual appellation.
“Wildflowers are a hobby of mine,” says Ruth Ann, “and I’ve got a friend that’s an orchid person and this just really bothered him.”
The only thing I have been able to dig up so far are a few references to an ancient pagan religion called Wiccan, which is still practiced. Several Wiccan spells are called by the name “Shadow-witch.” One is used to obtain wealth, another to summon a spirit. Whether this is the actual origin of the common name of this orchid is, of course, questionable, but I would think it could well be, considering the Wiccan association with druids and plant magic. Hope this helps you out Ruth Ann.
Also, Ruth Ann was able to supply the wordman with the scientific name of the orchid, ponthieva racemosa. If any plant experts out there have any other information on the Shadow-witch orchid, please drop me a line.
Now, on to the term “poke” that piqued Mrs. Holland’s curiosity. According to my research, it turns out this word comes from the Old English word “pocca,” which meant “bag” and gave us the words “pocket,” “pock” (plural “pox” as in chickenpox), “pucker,” and, yes indeed, “poke.” Oddly enough, you can actually find this usage for “poke” in most dictionaries defined as “a sack,” though most point out it is a regional term, meaning one us country folk use I guess.
As for why people refer to feet as “dogs,” when they are obviously totally unrelated words, the only reference I could find was to a book by Tom Dalzell called, “Flappers 2 Rappers: American Youth Slang,” (Merriam Webster, Oct. 1996). According to Dalzell it was during the Jazz Age of the 1920s that “dogs” became commonly used as a noun to indicate feet, as in “my dogs are barking,” meaning “my feet are hurting.”
It’s funny how these terms hang around and remain a part of the language. I’ve heard these two all my life since my dad used them quite a bit. Now “poke” I understand, but my dad was definitely bluegrass and country in his music leanings, hardly a jazz guy by any stretch of the imagination, but still that term crept into his vocabulary, and thus into mine.
What’s even funnier is that now, apparently, the slang meaning for “dog” has changed, with some spelling variations as well. It’s still a noun, but according to The College Slang Page’s top 20 list, now it is used to refer to a friend, usually male, as in, “These guys were my dawgs since grade school,” or “Hey, how have you been, dog?”
Guess the phrase, “my dogs are tired” takes on a whole new meaning these days. I’m going to have to be careful how I use that one from now on.
Don’t want the hip teenagers thinking all us old guys are worn out now do we?
Charlie Johnson is news editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at newseditor@southernstandard.com.