'gingerly.....' ?

[derekpara]

Where did the expression 'gingerly' originate, as in ' He crept gingerly towards her ' ?

[jno]

this should help

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gin1.htm

A rather tortuous history.

[joggerjayne]

I don't like the word "gingerly"

I think it doesn't work.

I always think it should be gingerlyly

[jno]

as you remarked four years ago in the Related Questions, JJ.

[Quizmonster]

What, JJ, like dailyly, friendlyly, lovelyly, uglyly and deadlyly plus quite a few more such adjective/adverb forms?

[joggerjayne]

Doesn't work, QM

Daily = as if it was each day

Friendly = in the manner of a friend

Gingerly = in the manner of a ginger???

jno ... I'd forgotten about that old thread. I still think it's a terrible word.

[tamaris]

I use Asda's own smart price ( about £2.80 for a huge box) and soda crystals and conditioner

[tamaris]

Sorry wrong thread

[joggerjayne]

Do you use it gingerly, tamaris?

:0)

[tamaris]

I certainly do lol

[sandyRoe]

Then there's gingivitis. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, too

[Svejk]

Not Bold,then?

[Svejk]

Oops

[joggerjayne]

Svejk ... who'd have thought there was a joke to be had about washing powder???

Lol

[Svejk]

It wasn't ariel good one,to be honest. Morning jane.;-)

[Quizmonster]

JJ, most adverbs which end in 'ly' were developed from adjective forms which came first. Since I've just used the word 'first', I'll use it as an example. The earlist recorded use of first as an adjective was in 1000 AD, whereas the earliest recorded use of firstly was not until 1532. Similarly, brave 1485 and bravely 1590 and so on.
Gingerly wasn't created in this way; it did not come from the noun ginger (plant) 1000 AD or the adjective ginger (colour) 1845. Thus, your "like a ginger" analogy simply does not apply.
In fact, gingerly most probably came into English from an Old French word which gave us the now obsolete adjective, gent. This was not always an abbreviation of gentleman, but originally meant gentle or delicate.
It is easy to see, therefore, how gingerly came to mean gently, delicately or carefully.

[joggerjayne]

Two washing powder jokes!!

[derekpara]

Thanks to everyone.

I, too, dislike the expression and the spice - but quite liked Omo. Remember that ?

D

[jno]

ginger can be useful for upset stomachs, hangovers etc. And ginger beer with dark rum is a Dark and Stormy, popular in Bermuda and in my living room.

[stewey]

Can you use "Omo" palindromically?

[Svejk]

That's 3 on the Bounce, if you get my Dreft ;)