While I was listening to The Plays The Thing broadcast of 'Stick Fly', I heard the rare use of the word 'sychophantic'. The meaning never sticks with me because I never use the word, nor do I hear it used much. In fact, in this case, it was used as a tool to help portray the intellectual air of this privileged family—they argue whether the right word to use is implicit, intrinsic, or inherent. One character described her father as having a 'sycophantic' relationship with the subjects her wrote about.
Looked up the word again and this time found more interest in the etymology. Its origins come
'from Ancient Greek συκοφάντης (sukophantēs) from σῦκον (sukon), “‘fig’”) + φαίνω (phainō), “‘I show, demonstrate’”).'
- wiki
It goes further to say:
'The gesture of "showing the fig" was a vulgar one, whom was made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, which is itself symbolic of a cunt (sykon also meant "vulva"). The story behind this etymology is that that politicians in ancient Greece steered clear of displaying that vulgar gesture, but urged their followers sub rosa to taunt their opponents by using it.'
When I looked at images of figs, that said it all. This supports my thoughts about the apple. And I heard a while back that the more accurate translation
is that it was a fig.
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