Spot the Frippet: something oozy.

You know how medium-sized grass-eating animals, like deer and kangaroos for instance, can be quite similar even though they're not closely related?

Well, oozy is a bit like that, because oozy is in fact two different words, and the important thing isn't so much where they've come from as what they do.

First of all there's the word that describes stuff that's oozing something (easily spotted: just try squeezing some soft soap or a banana between the fingers), or oozing away (like a splodge of jelly on a sponge).

And then there's the other oozy, which doesn't actually ooze anywhere, but just lays about being...oozy. This is the stuff you'll stir up if you go paddling in a muddy pond or bog.

Two different words, both describing very much the same thing.

And you can see why they've both ended up being called oozy, can't you?


photo by 0x0077BE

Lovely.

Spot the Frippet: oozy. The oozing-out type of oozy comes from the Old English wōs, juice. The laying-around type of oozy comes from the Old English wāse, mud.