Feeling Punky

AC is feeling punky today and has for the past several, as a matter of fact. No, I'm not going to paint my scalp orange and try to spike my side tresses as the modern usage of the word might imply. Rather, as I use punky in this context, I am referring to the way my father used to employ the word. I had forgotten about it until it edged its way into my consciousness this morning.

You see, Dad would say he was feeling punky when he wasn't feeling up to par. He didn't feel very good: maybe not sick, but not great either. Webster's Online defines punky as being an adjective deriving from the word punk or punkie which in 1872, apparently referred to the state of being soft or rotten. I don't know if that relates to Dad's use of the word, but I would think that it could.

I have never heard this usage from any source other than Dad, something like his Dan to Beersheba saying which I blogged about almost five years ago. I had come across that saying in Bill Bryson's history of the English language, Mother Tongue and had also encountered what, for me, was a strange use of the word, toboggan. Rather than repeat that post, I'll leave it to you to click through if you are so inclined.

This entry was going to take a different direction: more in line with thankfulness, which I should have posted about a week ago, at Thanksgiving if you please. I was going to say something like, "Despite feeling punky today, I am thankful for ..." Perhaps I'll get around to the thankful aspect in another post, but since this entry took a different direction that intended, I think I'll leave it here.

In the meantime, I am appreciative of recalling this fairly unique saying from Dad. It kind of gives me a warm feeling for some reason, and I would like to try to keep the word alive in my own lexicon if I can.

I know; I'm strange.

Put it down to the fact that I'm feeling a little punky today.