Following up on our conversation about the many meanings of the word proud, Connie from Santee, California, writes to say that architects use proud to describe something that’s sticking out past something else — not flush, in other words. Something that’s neither proud nor flush but instead inset can be described as shy. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Sticking Out Proudly”
Grant remember we had that call from the woman who had moved to Arkansas and she was really struck by the use of her friend’s word proud as in I’m proud to see you. It didn’t mean that they were full of pride, it meant that they were really glad to see her.
Yes, and we talked about how the word proud has lots of different meanings in it and it often has to do with something that that’s outstanding. Like proud flesh is like a bump on your skin or something like that. Or being journey proud means you’re really excited about an upcoming journey. It has to do with something being outstanding rather than prideful.
That prompted an email from Connie Charles in Santee, California, who says, my architect friend who’s been helping me with my home rehab uses that word to describe a surface or feature that is protruding slightly beyond its counterpart so that a board that’s sticking out beyond the one next to it is proud.
Isn’t that a great description?
Oh, yeah.
I’ve heard that mentioned as well.
Oh, have you?
Yeah, I think there was some English writing that I read. I think it was some fiction set in the country, and they were talking about, oh, what was it? Like a proud rock in the road or something that caused a wagon to lose a wheel, something like that.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Yeah, I did some digging on that, and indeed, often carpenters use the term proud to describe something that’s sticking out. And if they’re even, then they’re flush. And if the thing is inset, it’s a little short of being flush, they call that being shy.
Yeah.
Proud and shy.
