You said you loved me, or were you just being kind?

[venta]

On my desk at work, I have a calendar of Lost Language. Technically, for long and boring reasons, it's a 2011 calendar, which means I'm in danger of thinking today is Tuesday.

Every so often, the word of the day turns out to be a word I use all the time. Well, fair enough, I have a somewhat rapacious and eclectic approach to words. Gems from this week include "ruriculous", "gloppened" and "sevous" (none of which I knew).

Today's word (which is actually a phrase):

To be in a huff: to have a fit of petulance or offended dignity.

Is there any meaningful sense in which that particular bit of language is lost?

Comments

[lnr]

Definitely not lost to me: one tends to go off in a huff even more than just being in one, but still. Now I am imagining a huff as some old-fashioned sort of one-person taxi carriage, only ever called when you were in too much of a sulk to share one :)

Tell me that our true love hasn't died?

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

If it is lost, I'll leave in a huff. If that's too soon, I can leave in a minute and a huff.

(© Groucho)

Is it an American calendar?

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

(or) Are you losing your mind?

That phrase is definitely not lost, and I'm not sure it's lost to Americans either. If you can't get a taxi, you can leave in a huff. Groucho Marx, still quoted. (Often as an example of a zeugma, which strictly speaking it isn't, but never mind.)