Jenni writes today's guest entry. Flake or not, she is one of the more fabulous people I know, online or off. She is devilishly funny, a good catmom, has the New York apartment you only dream of, and can kick most people's asses. But she doesn't. Because flaunting her superpowers would frankly be beneath her.
Last week, Hilatron put out her antennae for some blogbots, so of course I responded immediately and promised her something spiffy for Monday.
Last Monday.
Yes, I am a flake. Granted, I have simply the best intentions, but intentions are worth jack and shit in the real world. I got to thinking, though, about the word flake. Dandruff is flakey, but I daresay that no one complains about its frivolous and forgetful nature. Cornflakes are a light and somewhat bland way to start the day, and despite what Tori Amos might say about the correlation between breakfast cereals and the terminally preoccupied, I have to respectfully say that most flakes are more interesting than bits of bran. Having exhausted all my ideas, or just gotten bored, I opened a window in my browser and called up Google.com, the lazy person's guide to everything.
How did anyone ever learn about anything before search engines? Oops, there I go digressing again.
The Online Etymology Dictionary lists the following definition:
flake (n.) - c.1330, possibly from O.E. *flacca "flakes of snow," from O.N. flak "loose or torn piece" (related to O.N. fla "to skin," see flay ), from P.Gmc. *flak- (cf. M.Du. vlac "flat, level," M.H.G. vlach, Ger. Flocke "flake"); from the same PIE root as L. plaga "a flat surface, district, region." Flaky "eccentric, crazy" first recorded 1959, said to be Amer.Eng. baseball slang, but probably from earlier druggie slang flake "cocaine" (1920s). Flake "eccentric person" is a 1968 back-formation from flaky.
"The term 'flake' needs explanation. It's an insider's word, used throughout baseball, usually as an adjective; someone is considered 'flaky.' It does not mean anything so crude as 'crazy,' but it's well beyond 'screwball' and far off to the side of 'eccentric.' " [New York Times, April 26, 1964]
Okay, I'll buy that, but let's see what else is out there.
Bartleby's agrees with the cocaine reference. (I am not a cokehead, folks! Just a little forgetful!)
Merriam-Webster's secondary definition of "flaw" seems to indicate a relationship between "flake" and "flaw":
Main Entry: 2flawFunction: noun
Etymology: Middle English, flake, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish flaga flake, flaw; akin to Old English flOh flat stone
Date: 1586
1 a : a defect in physical structure or form b: an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness < vanity was the flaw in his character > < a flaw in the book's plot >
Well, I'll agree it's a flaw... so would the doctor whose appointment I missed today.
According to Merriam-Webster's, the term flake out has the following definition:
Function: intransitive verbEtymology: probably from dialect flake to lie, bask
Date: 1939
1. slang : to fall asleep
2. slang : to be overcome especially by exhaustion
Which is almost always true for me. Especially now, because all the references I'm finding say the same thing, but not why. Dammit.
I guess the real question is not what is a flake, but why do people flake? I used to really give a shit. No, hey, stop snickering. I did! I was religious about doing things I'd say I would do... say, in high school. But then I realized that everyone else was a flake too! If they didn't follow through, why should I? Technology has grown to aid this, of course, with the advent of message machines that let you screen your calls, Caller ID (I'm not sure I could live without it), cell phones that can be turned off, away messages, and so much more - every new way to get in touch has several other ways to avoid getting touched at times. Perfect. Avoidance in the new millenium! Technogeek hippies and cybergranola. Oy.
Tori is totally, totally a cornflake grrl. I mean, who else dedicates songs to the faeries? I'm not dissing Tori or faeries, believe me. I'm just sayin'. Everyone does it. Be selfish. Turn off your cell phone and take a hot bath.
Please go visit the uberspew and tell Jenni how great you think she is. If you think otherwise, I don't know you.
Posted by hilatron at July 18, 2003 11:43 PM