sarcasm, facetiousness, and etymology (STILL OT)

["Jennifer Rondeau" <jrondeau -at- fabtrol -dot- com>]

With all due respect for the comments of Michael West and Geoff Hart,
whose wisdom I've come to rely on for many things, there is a historical
relationship in meaning between sarcasm and facetiousness.

The clumsiness or inappropriateness implied in contemporary usage of
"facetious" was not always there (which doesn't invalidate it, but does
help make the connection between the two words).  I quote extensively
although not completely from Lewis and Short below in case anyone's
interested in the Latin context (!), which makes it clear that jest and
light-heartedness, as well as wit, were involved in classical notions of
the word.

Not so sarcasm, evidently, but the wit, this time at the expense of
another ('s flesh) is still there.  To wit:

(Merriam-Webster online) 
Main Entry: fa·ce·tious 
Pronunciation: f&-'sE-sh&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French facetieux, from facetie jest, from Latin facetia
Date: 1599
1 : joking or jesting often inappropriately : WAGGISH <just being facetious>
2 : meant to be humorous or funny : not serious <a facetious remark>
synonym see WITTY
- fa·ce·tious·ly adverb
- fa·ce·tious·ness noun

(Lewis and Short Latin dictionary online)
f&#259;c&#275;t&#301;a , ae, f. [facetus; cf.: argutiae, deliciae] , a jest, witticism;
drollery, piece of humor.
I. Sing. (ante- and post-class.): haec facetiast, amare inter se rivalis
duos, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 47: jocularis, Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1, 21 :
facetia sermonis Plauto congruentis, Gell. 3, 3, 3 : facetiae habere, res
divinas deridere, App. Mag. 56, p. 310, 27 . --
II. Plur.: f&#259;c&#275;t&#301;ae , &#257;rum. 
A. A witty or clever thing in action or behavior (Plautin.): mulier, quoi
facetiarum cor corpusque sit plenum et doli, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 186 :
fecisti, here, facetias, quom, etc., id. Stich. 5, 2, 7 .--
B. Wit, witty sayings, witticisms, pleasantry, drollery, humor,
facetiousness

(Merriam-Webster online)
Main Entry: sar·casm  
Pronunciation: 'sär-"ka-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: French or Late Latin; French sarcasme, from Late Latin
sarcasmos, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to tear flesh, bite the
lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh; probably akin to Avestan
thwar&s- to cut
Date: 1550
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or
give pain <tired of continual sarcasms>
2 a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic,
and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b
: the use or language of sarcasm <this is no time to indulge in sarcasm>
synonym see WIT 

thanks for letting me pontificate (just building bridges, y'know) --
Jennifer

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