Pluckiness??? Any list of synonyms for bravery ranks pluckiness way down toward the bottom. A large part of the problems with our society today is due to our education system not teaching American history any more. Thanks for your BARFY article, Michael - bite me.
From the Online Etymology Dictionary:
pluck (n.) c.1400, "act of plucking," from
pluck (v.). Meaning "courage, boldness" (1785), originally in pugilism slang, is a figurative use from earlier meaning "heart, viscera" (1610s)
as that which is "plucked" from slaughtered livestock. Perhaps influenced by figurative use of the verb in pluck up (one's courage, etc.), attested from c.1300.
Language evolves. It meant something more in the early 1800's than today. Just FYI.
9 posted on
09/14/2014 5:27:36 PM PDT by
COBOL2Java
(I'm a Christian, pro-life, pro-gun, Reaganite. The GOP hates me. Why should I vote for them?)