[This entry is cross posted at ordinary-times.com]

In New Amsterdam, kids played hoekje spelen, or “playing corner.” Basically, it was hide-n-go-seek. And that’s how we get the phrase “playing hooky.” Or not. There are other, more boring, etymologies, but they’re boring. So hoekje.

Truant comes from Middle English “truand,” which in turn comes from Old French “truant” and probably another turn to something Celtic. The Old French word means “beggar,” “vagabond,” or “rogue” and was used to denote someone who doesn’t pull their weight. Rogues are not boring.

Don’t be boring. Piss Off Early, Tomorrow’s Saturday. There’s all manner of mischief to get up to on a Friday afternoon.

First, some verse.

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Villanelle of the Poet’s Road
Ernest Dowson (1867-1900)

Wine and women and song,
Three things garnish our way:
Yet the day is over long.