Post by t-bob on Apr 24, 2019 10:12:01 GMT -5
RHUBARB
noun
1. a quarrel or squabble.
Quotes
Power, newly acquired from the Minnesota Twins, was accused of the action during a rhubarb with the umpire on a play at third base. -- Jet, "'Spitting' Accusation May Cost Vic Power $1,750," July 30, 1964 ... Tom Meany stopped in a tavern the day after this thing happened ... and the bartender said, "We had quite the rhubarb last night, Mr. Meany." -- Red Barber and Robert Creamer, Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat, 1968
Origin
Rhubarb has a complicated origin. There are several odd Middle English spellings (as one would expect), e.g., reubarb, reubard, reubarbe, etc., from Anglo-French or Middle French reubarbe, rubarbe, reu barbare, all from Late Latin reubarbarum, rheubarbarum. The Latin forms are probably from Greek rhêon bárbaron “foreign rhubarb.” Rhêon is a variant of rhâ “the dried root of rhubarb used as a medicine,” perhaps ultimately related to Persian (an Iranian language) rewend “rhubarb.” Ancient Greek authors also associated rhâ (or Rhâ) with the Scythian (another Iranian language) name for the Volga River. The baseball slang meaning of rhubarb “a loud quarrel on the field, especially between a player and an umpire,” dates from about 1938. Rhubarb entered English in the late 14th century.
noun
1. a quarrel or squabble.
Quotes
Power, newly acquired from the Minnesota Twins, was accused of the action during a rhubarb with the umpire on a play at third base. -- Jet, "'Spitting' Accusation May Cost Vic Power $1,750," July 30, 1964 ... Tom Meany stopped in a tavern the day after this thing happened ... and the bartender said, "We had quite the rhubarb last night, Mr. Meany." -- Red Barber and Robert Creamer, Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat, 1968
Origin
Rhubarb has a complicated origin. There are several odd Middle English spellings (as one would expect), e.g., reubarb, reubard, reubarbe, etc., from Anglo-French or Middle French reubarbe, rubarbe, reu barbare, all from Late Latin reubarbarum, rheubarbarum. The Latin forms are probably from Greek rhêon bárbaron “foreign rhubarb.” Rhêon is a variant of rhâ “the dried root of rhubarb used as a medicine,” perhaps ultimately related to Persian (an Iranian language) rewend “rhubarb.” Ancient Greek authors also associated rhâ (or Rhâ) with the Scythian (another Iranian language) name for the Volga River. The baseball slang meaning of rhubarb “a loud quarrel on the field, especially between a player and an umpire,” dates from about 1938. Rhubarb entered English in the late 14th century.
