Excelsior - Do you know what it means? My logophile friend pointed out to me that it means wood shavings used for packing. While one of the definitions in dictionary.com was "more lofty; still higher; ever upward," 3 of the 4 referred to the packing material.

I wonder if Excelsior College in NY knows that!

Now, how in the world was that packing definition derived from the Latin word meaning "elevated" or "lofty"?

There's a florid poem by Longfellow that uses "Excelsior!" as a refrain, much like the "nevermore" in Poe's Raven. There is also a take-off of that poem, but I can't bring any details of it to mind. Help, please.

This is the second time in my life I have heard that definition of excelsior. I had the same question.

In the movie The Bad Seed the evil little girl starts a fire that kills the handyman by setting excelsior alight in his room. The word must be used a dozen times in the movie.

The Dictionary.com definition of "Slender, curved wood shavings used especially for packing" includes underneath "[Originally a trademark.]" During the 19th century lots of pretty mundane products had rather florid trade names; presumably Excelsior was one.

I would add that I've never heard of "excelsior" used as a generic name for wood shavings; is it perhaps American-only? However, I can't say that I've had much to do with wood shavings, so it may well have passed me by.

Excelsior!

Stan Lee used to sign off his author's notes this way.

I've always found it amusing that it has 2 such vastly different meanings. Makes me think of those packing peanuts, . . . maybe we should create a new exclamatory phrase PEANUTS!!!!!!!!

I remember packages coming wrapped in excelsior. Not sure if it was a trademark at the time, but it's still available. Search on excelsior packing material. I wasn't really aware, as a child, that it was wood shavings.

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maybe we should create a new exclamatory phrase PEANUTS!!!!!!!!

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Good grief, Charlie Brown would be upset!

Have you seen those packing peanuts that look like un-cheesy cheesy poofs? If you dip them in a little bit of water, they'll stick together! They're great for crafts with kids. Cheap way to get sculpture material!

I hadn't heard of this use of "excelsior," and I don't know, arnie, if it is more an American use.

However, as I was reading my book today, guess what word came up? Excelsior! Here is the sentence: "Tumbleweeds of excelsior roved the grounds." They had been unpacking crates, and then there was a big storm. Talk about timing!

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
I hadn't heard of this use of "excelsior," and I don't know, arnie, if it is more an American use.

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I was probably five years old when I first heard it. Before petroleum-based plastics, shredded wood was THE high-tech packing material. Why, I sitll have a good deal of it between my ears!

I had no idea what the stuff was called until my late 20s when I had to pack something and wanted it to look classier than packing peanuts. :-)

But then, I'm younger than some of you . . . .