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19 de Septiembre, 2007

Hellcat Redux

Categorized under Palabras | Tags: My Life

IT'S FUNNY. Since I flew out for the Chicago Voices project, and realized I didn't have the stuffing to go out on the town each and every night, like I used to as a teenager (and into my 20s no doubt), I've been using the word "Hellcat." For myself. As in that post I wrote called "Hellcat Senior." Well, using the word (not a real common one where I live...or have ever lived, actually) I just sort of winged it, probably I was thinking "hellion," or something. I also grew up hearing the word "cat" used for "guy," or "man" a lot. I still use it that way in everyday speech.

Anyway, "Hellcat" stuck, the word came up in conversation when I flew to NYC and chilled with my blogmigo Kai last week. And we've been using it since. The last time he mentioned it in an email, I had to look it up suddenly. Because I had a strange feeling about it, as if I were using it somewhat wrong. Or maybe Kai just seemed too happy to use it for me. As in "I knew I wanted to party with that Hellcat!"

Well, after I looked it up, I was laughing out loud for a few hours. Well, I mean, not a few hours straight. That would make me insane. Just in little fits. It would bubble out of me when I wasn't expecting it.

Because when I did finally look it up (and I have a big old dictionary that sits on its own special table in the living room, so the definition might be different in a newer dictionary that, um, doesn't sit on a special table) I learned that a Hellcat is—according to the 1996 Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language—a bad-tempered, spiteful woman; shrew. Or (for definition #2), a woman with magic powers derived from evil sources.

Thinking back to using it with (at least) hundreds of people reading along, I just started laughing to myself. It still cracks me up.

 The Unapologetic Mexican has been known to scribble a few things besides meandering, verbose, self-congratulatory blog posts. However, they are rarely as fun. Finally, let it be known that Nezua first dared bust out this Habanero of Truth at exactly 3:21 PM.  | Top | View blog reactions

Comentarios (5)

Carmen D. dijo:

You have an OED? Man. I haven't seen one a those since bright college years...that would be twenty years ago!! :-)

Palabras por Carmen D. spat forth on el 19 de Septiembre, 2007 at 05:27 PM

M dijo:

Hehehe, you wear the word well.

Palabras por M spat forth on el 19 de Septiembre, 2007 at 05:30 PM

RC dijo:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050500/

Excuse me, but Hellcat has other meanings. I recall from the Film Archive this gem.

I've actually seen it on late night TV in the sixties probably.

A typical Ronnie vehicle. I remembered the title immediately and perfectly.

I do have a sick mind.

Palabras por RC spat forth on el 19 de Septiembre, 2007 at 05:46 PM

Kai dijo:

Haha I had no idea about the original definition when I was slingin the word! That's pretty funny...though I have a feeling that usage has moved on, because to me it just sounds like a hellacious cat, if ya know what I mean! ;-)

Palabras por Kai spat forth on el 19 de Septiembre, 2007 at 10:28 PM