According to my well thumbed dictionary, a halberd is a spear with an axe blade. I found the invented meanings far more enlightening and was incredibly impressed with the depth of meaning that each word imp managed to uncover. Fabulous! All were worthy of honour, but I have to give the accolades today to the lovely Sara! Welcome back, Sara and thanks for your "fetching" contribution. Here it is:
A Halberd is a rather fetching ginger beard, as sported by Henry VIII. It became all the rage during his reign, with young men visiting the barbers and asking for a halberd and a short back and sides. Turmeric was used to get just the right shade of red. The reason they called it a halberd rather than making direct reference to Henry VIII is because there was a danger that the jealous king may have their heads chopped off if they were seen to be overtly imitating him. On one occasion he became so suspicious about the sudden influx of red bearded young men that he sent his soldiers out to wash the beard of every red haired man in the country. Soon after this halberds became less popular.
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2. You invent a wacky meaning and add it as a comment.
3. After a certain time I list the true meaning and choose a winner for the invented meaning.
There are no prizes, just lots of fun!
Remember, children use this site too.
About Me
- Word Imp
- I am a children's author who has had a handful of books published by trade publishers. They're in book shops and libraries. I've also had a sackful of books published by educational publishers. These are mainly found in schools. I love words and that's why I invented this blog site.
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5 comments:
I'm sorry; I know what this word means. But here's my made up definition: A halberd is a name for a specialized hardhat that covers your face so it looks a bit like a plastic helmet.
A Halberd is a rather fetching ginger beard, as sported by Henry VIII. It became all the rage during his reign, with young men visiting the barbers and asking for a halberd and a short back and sides. Turmeric was used to get just the right shade of red. The reason they called it a halberd rather than making direct reference to Henry VIII is because there was a danger that the jealous king may have their heads chopped off if they were seen to be overtly imitating him. On one occasion he became so suspicious about the sudden influx of red bearded young men that he sent his soldiers out to wash the beard of every red haired man in the country. Soon after this halberds became less popular.
Halberd is the technical term for the long, clear plastic tapes, attached to womens clothing, to asist in keeping them on a clothes hanger. I tend to keep my halberds intact, however am often guilty of my halberds slipping from the inside of the garment to the outside, and exposing themsleves. One of my sisters says one should always remove the halberds from clothing, as having one's halberds showing is not considered a good look. But I think they are there for a reason, so try and make a consciuos effort to be aware of where my halberds are at all times.
Halberd is the nautical equivalent of jetlag. It is more insidious than jetlag, and tends to sneak up on seafarer's and catch them unawares. More noticeable when crossing the international dateline in an east-west direction.
Halberd describes the feeling you have when you lift the lid of your washing machine and see all the little white bits of paper stuck to your laundry, and realise you left a tissue in the pocket of something you have just washed.
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