Live and learn
The spike fiddle rested on the knee to be played.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
More words gleaned along the way – some will be instantly forgotten, I’m sure.
Erhu: the erhu is a two-stringed musical instrument from China, known as a spike or Chinese fiddle. There is more information here.
'Not very long ago,When we started for a show,We jumped aboard a street car,My! but it was slow.'
Jitney: Jitney is slang for a nickel, a five cent coin. A jitney is a low fare bus or car service, originating in the early twentieth century in the USA.
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Mahwa leaves and fruit
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Mahwa: Mahwa or Madhuca longifolia is a fast-growing tropical tree found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
The leaves are eaten by a moth which produces wild silk, its flowers are used to make alcoholic drinks, and the bark has medicinal qualities.
The seeds which follow the flowers provide oil which is used for skin care, detergent, soap, and vegetable butter.
One of its popular names is Butter Tree.
It is a valuable, all-purpose tree.
Now, that is a very useful tree!
ReplyDeleteAll purpose, you might say!
DeleteTemporarily my brain learns something new from you. Ask me tomorrow what I remember, and I'll try to tell no lie, lol.
ReplyDeleteThat's me - in one ear and out the other. 😧
DeleteInteresting items you found
ReplyDelete. . . but will I remember them?
DeleteI wonder: if the flowers are used to make alcoholic drinks, are the seeds prevented from forming (and thus the oil they produce)? Seriously, that is one productive tree!
ReplyDeleteHow goes the furry patient?
That's a very interesting point, Jenny. Maybe it produces so many flowers that some can be used without detriment to the seed production.
DeleteJellicoe is looking and feeling much better now, thank you. He almost looks normal and is eating properly, via his mouth.
That would make sense (about the tree flowers). And I'm really happy to hear that Jellicoe is doing well. It must be a wonderful relief to see him eating and feeling better.
DeleteThis is so interesting. Gosh... I haven't heard of any of these things.
ReplyDeleteNor me!
DeleteSad how brains don't remember all the facts we feed it. ;)
ReplyDeleteOnly too true of yours truly . . . 😧
DeleteI'm living and learning by coming here.
ReplyDeleteI learn from others' blogs . . .
DeleteI learned something new today.
ReplyDelete. . . but will you retain it? (Not sure I will.)
DeleteI knew about jitneys. The rest was news to me. That tree would be so great to have here but I doubt it's hardy. That's how it always seems to go.
ReplyDeleteJitney is such a friendly name.
DeleteLearn something new every day. I new Jitney as a trolley, but didn't know the name originated for a nickel.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely, chirpy name.
DeleteThose all sound like crossword puzzle words to me.
ReplyDelete. . . or Scrabble!
DeleteI knew none of these words ... the question is will I now remember them???
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
That is unanswerable . . . 🤣😂
DeleteI had heard of a jitney before.. some of our local beach towns have one.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds so jolly.
DeleteI'd always thought jitney was a Middle Eastern word!
ReplyDeleteI learned something new today!!
I looked it up and found this: "Etymology: The exact origin is uncertain, but it is believed to come from the Louisiana Creole French word jetnée or jeton, referring to a coin-sized metal disc or token."
DeleteI have never heard of Jitney. Nor the Mahwa tree which seems to be so very useful. I have seen a spike fiddle/Erhu being played in our Rundle Mall, but never knew what it was called and I didn't much like the sound either, echoing and eerie to my ears.
ReplyDeleteWell, you're one up on me. Elsie. 😀
DeleteWell, who knew? (Not me.)
ReplyDeleteNor me.
DeleteAll knew to me.
ReplyDeleteMe, too.
DeleteThis is a very nice post with some information I didn't know about. Thank you, it's always nice to learn something new
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicole.
DeleteFrom the plaintive voice of the Erhu to the nickel fare of a Jitney and the many gifts of the Madhuca longifolia, language gathers small curiosities that linger in the mind.
ReplyDelete. . . but will they linger long?
DeleteJitney I knew, but that’s all!
ReplyDeleteThat's more than I did.
DeleteBeing on this side of the pond, I am familiar with jitney... The other two, hmmm...can't really blame it one where I live, now can I?
ReplyDeleteWe all have different experiences of life.
DeleteVery interesting. I've not heard of any of them!
ReplyDeleteNeither had I.
DeleteI love the sound of the 'Jitney Bus'.
ReplyDeleteI do, too. It sounds as though it belongs in a cartoon.
DeleteI could use a money tree, and I do know hey exist, but I want one that grows Money... Jitney is cool word
ReplyDeleteWe all could take advantage of a money tree.
DeleteI thoroughly enjoy these, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI try hard to extend my vocabulary, not very successfully, I'm afraid. 😧
DeleteI had heard of a jitney, but the rest of the words were knew. I wonder how hard it is to learn to play the erhu. I wonder how many of the words today will be almost forgotten a decade or two in the future. Tape recorder? cassette? Etc.
ReplyDeletePlaying the erhu seems to require a different technique to western stringed instruments. 😧
ReplyDelete