Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
A risable question Login/Join
 
Member
posted
Is the expression, "to get a rise out of" related to the word, risable? Both could come from the Latin ridere, as does the French word, rire, but what about the expression?
Did it originally mean, "to make one laugh?"


It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
 
Posts: 6187 | Location: Muncie, IndianaReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
The expression "get a rise out of" is according to the OED a Scottish use of rise meaning "A joke; a trick played on someone." This is a use of the noun rise which has a lot of meanings to do with rising up or upward movement. It is Germanic in origin and related to raise and to German reisen "to travel". It's not related to Latin rīdeō as far as I can see.
 
Posts: 2428Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright © 2002-12