#1 September 23rd, 2005 07:41 AM

SCSIgirl

Member

Listless

And since I have accomplished exactly 0 today,  and my motovation is so low I actually sat through my son's cartoons,  I have a non-sexual question for our etymologists out there  (I know we have a few):

Where did the word "listless" come from?  Is is British, Aussie?  Does it mean that I have no list to accomplish?  Or is it to do with listing ships?

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

centrevom

Member

Re: Listless

Where did the word "listless" come from?  Is is British, Aussie?  Does it mean that I have no list to accomplish?  Or is it to do with listing ships?

It comes from an obsolete verb: "to list", meaning to desire or to please.  So listess = having no desire or wish.  The root is the same as "lust".  So the word could have been lustless.

SCSIgirl

Member

Re: Listless

It comes from an obsolete verb: "to list", meaning to desire or to please.  So listess = having no desire or wish.  The root is the same as "lust".  So the word could have been lustless.

Actually, I'm kinda lustless at the moment, too.  THX for the info.

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"Apple of my Eye", "bated breath", "brave new world", "caught red-handed" - all coined by Shakespeare.

wantingscott

Member

Re: Listless

oh, i always thought it was from a sailing term. when there is no wind, the boat is listless. in a wind (you're moving, this is good...) the boat lists to port of starboard.

the doldrums are belt around the equator notorious for days with out wind, thus "stuck in the doldrums, listless".

right now, i'm jobless... i was looking in a costume catalogue. instead of "bum" mask, they now use the PC euphamism "in-between-jobs" mask. grrrrrrrr...

scott

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