"In the 17th century, when this phrase is supposed to have originated, Coventry was a small town. It is suggested that the phrase, although we now use it in an allusory sense, originated from people being actually sent there.
The story - and it is no more than that - is that Cromwell sent a group of Royalist soldiers to be imprisoned in Coventry, around 1648. The locals, who were parliamentary supporters, shunned them and refused to consort with them.
The first known citation of the allusory meaning is from the Club book of the Tarporley Hunt, 1765:
"Mr. John Barry having sent the Fox Hounds to a different place to what was ordered was sent to Coventry, but return'd upon giving six bottles of Claret to the Hunt."
By 1811, the then understood meaning of the term was defined in Grose's The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:
To send one to Coventry; a punishment inflicted by officers of the army on such of their brethren as are testy, or have been guilty of improper behaviour, not worthy the cognizance of a court martial. The person sent to Coventry is considered as absent; no one must speak to or answer any question he asks, except relative to duty, under penalty of being also sent to the same place. On a proper submission, the penitent is recalled, and welcomed by the mess, as just returned from a journey to Coventry."And now it appears that I have been sent to Coventry here at DU.
I believe the demographics have changed and that may be the reason.
Most of the elders, like 180, are gone.
And some of the fun people, like matcom, just don't come here any more, or rarely.
Youth prevails?
So the things I have to say, which used to elicit many replies (at least once in a while) are ignored (no, not
"ignored", at least I don't think so) and receive no comments and...sink.
No, this is not a 'pity party', nor another 'I'm leaving DU' drama queen/king swan song.
Although a modicum of ego may be involved.
;-)
It's just the realization that my posts no longer make for interesting conversation here.
Not just in The Lounge, but, for me, The Lounge isn't much fun any more.
I get no more 'give and take'.
I guess that's my problem, and not yours.
:shrug:
Well, things change.
And DU certainly has.
Will Pitt used to be a staple here.
I liked to read what he had to say.
I haven't seen a post from him in quite a while.
I guess he's moved on too.
To the few of us who still remember the good ol' days, here's a
:grouphug:
Right now I'm involved in a city council campaign.
My candidate, if elected, would be the very first black woman on the city council of this rural coastal Alabama town ever.
God, I'd like to see the good ol' boys on the council have to deal with this woman.
:evilgrin:
Anyway...I've enjoyed the ride.
I'm not leaving, but I won't be around on a regular basis for a while.
Not until the election.
And who cares, anyway?
:-)
Throwing out the
glub...glub...glub...glub...glub...glub...