From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!cw Newsgroups: net.nlang Title: Does "livid" mean anything other than white? Article-I.D.: eagle.762 Posted: Sun Feb 6 19:02:31 1983 Received: Mon Feb 7 05:52:15 1983 References: pyuxqq.121 A recent article suggests that "livid" means something other than white or pale. Let me submit that in its most common usage, George was livid with rage. it means only that George's face was, to quote my dictionary, "ashy pale". It is a common misconception to believe that in this usage, "livid" means that George's face was suffused with blood or reddish. It is true that the original root suggests a bluish color or the color of lead; hence, "livid" could be used to describe a bruise or contusion that had turned blue or blue/black. However, I have never heard it used this way. The suggestion of a leaden hue is consistent with the pallor one sometimes sees in an enraged person. Charles