Holiday Word (War) Games?

Frostina the snowgirl

heir·loom 

1.

a family possession handed down from generation to generation.

2.

Law. property neither personal nor real that descends to the heir of an estate as part of the real property.

Why the dictionary introduction?  Well, let me explain. At a party the other night, just for fun, we were asked to unscramble a group of words relating to Christmas.  One of the words was heirloom.  A discussion ensued on whether heirloom actually had any relevance to Christmas.  On researching this debate, I discovered that….

To some people (although not those in tropical climates) snow would be a Christmas word—sleet although technically similar, not so much.

To some, hot cocoa could be Christmassy although probably not to Starbucks.

Carol the song…yup that screams Christmas.  Carol Burnette—nope, not unless she’s wearing a red hat with a white pom pom and yelling “Ho, Ho, Ho.

Before 1949 Rudolph was just a Latin lover in the movies named Valentino.  Nowadays ask anyone, and they will tell you he is a reindeer.  And by the way what do reindeer have to do with Christmas? Until the 1823 poem “A visit from St. Nicholas.” No one ever heard of a reindeer at Christmas.

Just try and list cow or sheep as a Christmas word and most people will be scratching their heads.  Try setting up a nativity with a reindeer instead of the above-mentioned livestock; however, and…well you get the picture.

So what have I discovered about Christmas words?  Just like art (you knew I would somehow fit that in didn’t you?) Some like Picasso…whereas others like Da Vinci. So it’s all pretty much relative.

Going back to the word--heirloom.  There are heirloom ornaments and there are heirloom tomatoes. Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable?  Scientifically speaking tomatoes are a fruit, where cooking is concerned they are a vegetable...

Hmmmmm….I think we have reached an

m·passe [im-pas, im-pas]

noun

1.

A position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.

2.

A road or way that has no outlet; cul-de-sac.