27.6.06

whats with the dandelion?


I have changed my profile pic for three primary reasons:
1- A dandelion is a good rep. for abandoment as it is utterley surrendered to the wind.
2- It is a weed. But it is beautiful.
3- It's very name evokes questions: Is it a crossbreed like a liger? Or does it stem from the Latin Dandelionia meaning cool big cat?

7 comments:

Stevo said...

I like the analogy. I think they're called dandelions, cos they look dandy (as fine and dandy sandy yeehaa) and they look like lions manes (the yellow dandelions that is)

Glyn Harries said...

I think the name comes from "dent de lion" (I don't know how to spell it but I can say it using my very best in Frenchy accents) meaning "teeth of a lion". I know I have a habit of pretending to know more about foreign languages than I actually do but I promise I'm not making this up. I could be wrong but I'm fairly sure that's where the name Dandelion comes from.

Heh - how about that? Pretty impressive hey? Not just a pretty face who got lucky with a piece of trivia. I know stuff.

Stevo said...

lions teeth! Whatever

Glyn Harries said...

Lesson learning? Pah!

Look it's quite simple:

I'm a black middle aged African woman = LIE

I believe that Dandelion comes from the French for teeth of a lion = TRUTH

See?

lucy ar said...

I'm with you Glyn- think about it Jo and Steve- Lions Teeth? A calcium deficient lion maybe. Far too far fetched for Glyn to risk sticking to it unless, just maybe, it is truly a true thing.

Timmy Magic said...

As much as I don't like to prove compulsive fake letter writer Glyn right, I found this on Wikipedia

"The name dandelion is a derivation of the Old French, dent-de-lion, literally "lion's tooth" on account of the sharply lobed leaves of the plant. In modern French the plant is called pissenlit, "urinate in bed", referring to its diuretic properties. Likewise, "pissabeds" is an English folkname for this plant, "piscialletto" in Italian and "meacamas" In Spanish (otherwise known as "diente de león", lion's tooth)"

So Glyn is right!

Nat-a-tat-tat said...

Whilst we're on the subject of Dandelions, here's a cool song...

Five Iron Frenzy - Dandelions

In a field of yellow flowers,
underneath the sun,
bluest eyes that spark with lightning,
boy with shoes undone.
He is young, so full of hope,
reveling in tiny dreams,
filling up, his arms with flowers,
right for giving any queen.

Running to her beaming bright,
while cradling his prize.
A flickering of yellow light,
within his mother's eyes.
She holds them to her heart,
keeping them where they'll be safe,
clasped within her very marrow,
dandelions in a vase.

She sees love, where anyone else would see weeds.
all hope is found.
Here is everything he needs.

Fathomless your endless mercy,
weight I could not lift.
Where do I fit in this puzzle,
what good are these gifts?
Not a martyr, or a saint,
scarcely can I struggle through.
All that I have ever wanted,
was to give my best to you.

Lord, search my heart,
create in me something clean.
Dandelions
you see flowers in these weeds.


Gently lifting hands to heaven,
softened by the sweetest hush,
a Father sings over his children,
loving them so very much.
More than words could warrant,
deeper than the darkest blue,
more than sacrifice could merit,
Lord, I give my heart to you