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From: scw@cepu.UUCP (Stephen C. Woods)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Who/What is a NIMROD?
Message-ID: <423@cepu.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 10-Jan-85 14:38:14 EST
Article-I.D.: cepu.423
Posted: Thu Jan 10 14:38:14 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 14-Jan-85 03:27:43 EST
References: <191@topaz.ARPA>
Reply-To: scw@cepu.UUCP (Stephen C. Woods)
Organization: VA Wadsworth Med. Center; LA CA
Lines: 20
Summary: 

In article <191@topaz.ARPA> @RUTGERS.ARPA:vickrey%lite.DEC@decwrl.ARPA writes:
>Today the term "Nimrod" came up in conversation, and somebody
>had to ask "What does it *MEAN*?"
>
Nimrod was a famous (mythical/fictional) hunter.

>Well, we all agreed that it means ding-dong, but now we don't
>know where it comes from.  I seem to remember Nimrod as a
>character in a book or short story; can anybody supply pointers?

Over time (early(?) 20th C) it was used sarcasticly to refer to a clumsy/oafish
hunter ('He's a real Nimrod'), hence a clod or oaf.

By the way the current RAF ASW aircraft (quite a good one too) is called the
Nimrod.

-- 
Stephen C. Woods (VA Wadsworth Med Ctr./UCLA Dept. of Neurology)
uucp:	{ {ihnp4, uiucdcs}!bradley, hao, trwrb}!cepu!scw
ARPA: cepu!scw@ucla-cs location: N 34 3' 9.1" W 118 27' 4.3"