Whelmed?

[boognish76]

If you can be overwhelmed or underwhelmed - can you be just whelmed?

[Jabba]

Whelm is an archaic word meaning to turn something over so as to cover something else.

[flashpig]

I think I have got this right, Quizmonster (or monger, I forget) will know, but words like whelmed and kemped (as in unkempt) used to mean something, but while the original word got dropped the modified version remains. I don't know why. I'm probably wrong now. I'll post this anyway just so that somebody can have the pleasure of correcting me.

[chickpea]

did you just watch 10 things i hate about you? because one of the characters on that asks the same thing

[boognish76]

I have seen that film, but not recently so I don't remember the line. I must have subconsciously ferreted it in the back of my brain! I often think the same thing about uncouth - can you be couth?

[IndieSinger]

boognish76 - you may be interested in the story, which can be found here.