Four Humours and Snivellus again

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 144289


> Potioncat:
> Taking this back to the humorous; of course, it's funny that Ginny 
> calls Fleur, Phlegm, but am I missing something? Do British kids use 
> the word phlegm? Is there a word play that I'm missing?

Valky:
If there is it possibly is that Ginny uses the word Phlegm to imply
that Fleur is haughty (Think back to Dolores Umbridges catchphrase and
you'll get that. <g>) or that she is a clinger who has overstayed her
welcome.

I wouldn't say that I know it's common for the word phlegm to be used
as this specific insult in british english, but I am pretty sure that
I can say I know a word like phlegm would be understood in the
language as meaning that the person lacks personality. Ginny could be
saying that Fleur has all the personality of a slug, that would be my
best guess. 



> potioncat:
> In the US the polite word would be mucus and the impolite would be 
> snot. So maybe if you didn't like your sister's boyfriend Scott, 
> you'd call him Snotty Scotty. Or Snivelus, come to think of it. OK, 
> only a select few would use Snivelus.

Valky:
I'd just like to make a correction on the general british english use
of snivel. here is the entries from the two leading british english
dictionaries -

Cambridge -
snivel   
to cry slightly in a way that is weak and does not make other people
feel sympathy for you:
He's sitting in his bedroom snivelling because he was told off for not
doing his homework.

snivelling, US USUALLY sniveling   
adjective OLD-FASHIONED INFORMAL
used to describe someone whom you do not like because they are weak
and unpleasant:
That snivelling creep/coward!

Oxford -
snivel

  • verb (snivelled, snivelling; US sniveled, sniveling) 1 cry and
sniffle. 2 complain in a whining or tearful way.

  • noun a spell of snivelling.

  — DERIVATIVES sniveller noun. 


Especially in the time of the Marauders which would have been some 20
or so years ago, the word sniveller had a meaning far removed from
it's roots in old english as a word for mucus. It was generally used
to describe a poor, weak and manipulative personality, and I am fairly
sure that JKR would have the Marauders intending this meaning in their
insulting name for Snape as she would be quite familiar with this 
colloquial use of the word which was fashionable at the time - Note
the old fashioned informal use stated in the Cambridge dictionary.

Valky