TIL that "floss" is actually an acronym standing for "Frictional Ligation Of Subgingival Spaces"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_floss
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1g1htxu/til_that_floss_is_actually_an_acronym_standing/
@todayilearned FALSE.
Neither the Wikipedia link nor the Wiktionary entry mention that. Wiktionary's Etymology section instead says:
Uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English *flos (attested in Middle English Flosmonger (a surname)), related to English fleece. Alternatively from French floche (“tuft of wool”), from floc, from Old French flosche (“down, velvet”), from Latin floccus (“piece of wool”), probably from Frankish *flokkō (“down, wool, flock”), from Proto-Germanic *flukkô (“down, piece of wool, flock”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“hair, fibres, tuft”).
Cognate with Old High German flocko (“down”), Middle Dutch vlocke (“flock”), Norwegian dialectal flugsa (“snowflake”), Dutch flos (“plush”) (tr=17c.).
@adamhotep @todayilearned Yeah, but if you obtained a zillion followers via Threads are you a flossmonger?
@janisf @todayilearned if you believe that backronym, "friction" might imply Xitter. I'm pretty happy with this site's pachydermongers.