I wonder, etymologically speaking, why Americans tend to refer to "trimming" a Christmas tree, rather than "decorating" it. And likewise, serving a Christmas dinner of turkey, with all the "trimmings". Yet the "trimmings served with a turkey bear very little resemblance to the bits trimmed off the turkey (nor indeed to the bits trimmed off the tree!)
LOML and I trimmed the tree on Friday night, taking a good inch or so off the end of the trunk, and a few branches as well, so that the tree will sit nicely in the stand. We decorated it this morning and this afternoon. Pictures may follow at some time.
I'm particularly proud of the origami angel (strictly speaking, not really origami, since it is folded from three squares of paper and is assisted in its structural integrity by the judicious placement of some sticky tape!) which is placed at the top of the tree --- it is my own design, from when I was about 10, and I still think that it holds up well. This particular one I made perhaps 15 or so years ago.
Yours, in-creasingly proud,
N.
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4 comments:
Oh, I had some awful mental images of trimmed turkey bits then. I'm sure that the tree looks much better though (can't wait for some photographs...hint hint ;@) ).
I haven't even thought about the Christmas decorations (trimmings?) yet...and buying presents? Well, I guess that won't happen by itself.
RT
I wonder if it came from a German word because it is likely that the Christmas tree custom went straight to America with German migrants. Prince Albert introduced the custom to the U.K. but the root word would be in Germany.
p.s there should have been a warning for people of a sensitive disposition (like me) before they got to the end of that post.
Alice: I am perplexed by what perturbed you at the end of the post --- I would have thought the beginning to be far more disturbing than the end!
And it turns out the use is from old english, long predating the use with christmas trees. See my later post for a link.....
N.
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