A small vocabulary question

[Calthrop]

My brother is a keen home aquarist; a couple of weeks ago, he purchased some fish -- which have given him much pleasure -- called "rummy-nose tetras"; so called, I learn, because of their having bright red (only) noses: suggestive of humans who over-indulge in alcohol, in this case specifically rum. When brother first spoke of these creatures, I misinterpreted what I heard, as "runny-nose"; which he found highly funny, and un-clued-up on my part. In our talking about this matter, it emerged that during a long life I had never -- until this recent business with the fish -- come across "rummy" as an adjective connected with the spirituous drink rum. I'd heard of it as a rather archaic adjective meaning odd or strange; and of course as a noun, the card game -- also, a colloquial expression for a rum addict -- but as an adjective re the drink, never. Brother expressed the opinion -- in a nice way -- that anyone who doesn't live under a rock, will be familiar with the expression "rummy nose", for the red nose characteristic of a heavy drinker. Well, it was a new one on me. ("Runny-nose" is of course, for physiological reasons, a strange thing to call a species of fish; but I would say in my defence, that people call things, standard-ly and by tradition, all kinds of things which often don't really make sense.)

Am I truly in fact an oddity for never until just now, having encountered the expression "rummy nose", or indeed "rummy" as an adjective in a "rum, the drink" context; or has anyone else lived a goodly number of years without either or both coming their way?

 

[Bayum]

But did you know you can talk about a group of fishes if there are different species together? Otherwise, it’s just ‘fish’.

 

[hexagon789]

My brother is a keen home aquarist; a couple of weeks ago, he purchased some fish -- which have given him much pleasure -- called "rummy-nose tetras"; so called, I learn, because of their having bright red (only) noses: suggestive of humans who over-indulge in alcohol, in this case specifically rum. When brother first spoke of these creatures, I misinterpreted what I heard, as "runny-nose"; which he found highly funny, and un-clued-up on my part. In our talking about this matter, it emerged that during a long life I had never -- until this recent business with the fish -- come across "rummy" as an adjective connected with the spirituous drink rum. I'd heard of it as a rather archaic adjective meaning odd or strange; and of course as a noun, the card game -- also, a colloquial expression for a rum addict -- but as an adjective re the drink, never. Brother expressed the opinion -- in a nice way -- that anyone who doesn't live under a rock, will be familiar with the expression "rummy nose", for the red nose characteristic of a heavy drinker. Well, it was a new one on me. ("Runny-nose" is of course, for physiological reasons, a strange thing to call a species of fish; but I would say in my defence, that people call things, standard-ly and by tradition, all kinds of things which often don't really make sense.)

Am I truly in fact an oddity for never until just now, having encountered the expression "rummy nose", or indeed "rummy" as an adjective in a "rum, the drink" context; or has anyone else lived a goodly number of years without either or both coming their way?

No, never and it only appears in the dictionary as a reference to the fish funnily enough!

Rummy on its own, I would first thing of the now perhaps slightly old-fashioned/archaic meaning of peculiar or odd - as in 'it was a rum thing'.

With a bit of thought, yes, I can see 'rummy' as meaning of or relating to rum.

'Rummy nose'? I'll be honest, if you hadn't mentioned the fish, I'd have thought it was one of those phrases people just make up on the fly.

 

[Ediswan]

Rummy on its own, I would first thing of the now perhaps slightly old-fashioned/archaic meaning of peculiar or odd - as in 'it was a rum thing'.

I thought of the card game, which appears to have got its name via the meaning you mention, rather than the drink.

I do wonder if the name of the fish is a bowdlerised verision of "ruddy-nose".

 

[hexagon789]

I thought of the card game, which appears to have got its name via the meaning you mention, rather than the drink.

I do wonder if the name of the fish is a bowdlerised verision of "ruddy-nose".

Good point, I forgot about gin rummy etc

Possibly. My thoughts -

Simply rummy referring to rum-coloured rather than the effects of too much rum.

Another name for the fish is fire-headed tetra it seems...

 

[Gloster]

A vague suggestion: could it be a variation of rheumy, full of rheum. If you are full of rheum you are likely to be discharging fluids from your nose, something that may happen when you have a head cold. Another sign of a head cold is a red nose, which you might also have if you enjoy rum too much. The two words, rum and rheumy, have become mixed up in peoples’ minds.

I have heard and, probably, read the word, but only occasionally. It is not part of my active vocabulary.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Do fish even have ‘noses’ in an anatomical sense? I thought that they ‘breathed’ with gills on the side. (Not really into aquatic life.)

 

[Calthrop]

Thanks, everyone.

But did you know you can talk about a group of fishes if there are different species together? Otherwise, it’s just ‘fish’.

To be honest: I'm not an aquarist, and have no wish to become one; don't feel inclined to trouble my head with these subtleties. I don't think brother makes such distinctions when talking about his finny pals; whom I do think rather sweet -- but essentially I have next to no interest in this scene.

No, never and it only appears in the dictionary as a reference to the fish funnily enough!

Rummy on its own, I would first thing of the now perhaps slightly old-fashioned/archaic meaning of peculiar or odd - as in 'it was a rum thing'.

Archaic indeed, as per my perception: has a sort of "Edwardian" feel to it. I'd reckon that nobody anywhere, nowadays, uses this thing in conversation -- folk from the Indian sub-continent, perhaps? -- I find that their use of English quite often has charmingly old-fashioned touches.

With a bit of thought, yes, I can see 'rummy' as meaning of or relating to rum.

'Rummy nose'? I'll be honest, if you hadn't mentioned the fish, I'd have thought it was one of those phrases people just make up on the fly.

I thought of the card game, which appears to have got its name via the meaning you mention, rather than the drink.

Wiki postulates: card game's name maybe from the "odd / peculiar" sense; or maybe "from the game Rum Poker, or in the popular liquor of the same name".

I do wonder if the name of the fish is a bowdlerised verision of "ruddy-nose".

I'd rather doubt this -- would see "ruddy" as having long been extremely mild, "only-just-profanity". The Victorians had problems with it; but they were hypersensitive about a lot of stuff which bothers pretty well no-one nowadays.

Good point, I forgot about gin rummy etc

Possibly. My thoughts -

Simply rummy referring to rum-coloured rather than the effects of too much rum.

I'd always thought of rum as being brown rather than red (these guys' extremities-at-front are truly scarlet / vermilion). Or is there an actually-red variety of rum (the horse's name comes to mind !)?

Another name for the fish is fire-headed tetra it seems...

These folk who are into fish, have for sure, some quite wondrous names for their creatures !

A vague suggestion: could it be a variation of rheumy, full of rheum. If you are full of rheum you are likely to be discharging fluids from your nose, something that may happen when you have a head cold. Another sign of a head cold is a red nose, which you might also have if you enjoy rum too much. The two words, rum and rheumy, have become mixed up in peoples’ minds.

I like this theory. It's the kind of thing, isn't it, which often happens in the process of words getting into general usage?

Do fish even have ‘noses’ in an anatomical sense? I thought that they ‘breathed’ with gills on the side. (Not really into aquatic life.)

One would reckon that a fish's "nose" is indeed not a breathing-functional organ. I'll ask my brother about this, sometime.


"In sum" -- reassuring to learn that should I land up at my brother's behest, in a "Colloquial English 101" class; several posters here, will be there with me !

 

[Lucan]

The Victorians had problems with it; but they were hypersensitive about a lot of stuff which bothers pretty well no-one nowadays.

And the reverse of course. I would not even dare to give an example here as I'd probably be banned. Even some of Enid Blyton's books are getting banned these days.

 

[Calthrop]

And the reverse of course. I would not even dare to give an example here as I'd probably be banned. Even some of Enid Blyton's books are getting banned these days.

Five Go Mad On Mescalin? -- oh, no, that's a latter-day mickey-take.