Sunday, November 17, 2013

Callow Falcons

My youngest students recently engaged in playful badinage over who was the more callow of them.




callow (adj.) Look up callow at Dictionary.com
Old English calu "bare, bald," probably from West Germanic *kalwaz (cf. Middle Dutch calu, Dutch kaal, Old High Germankalo, German Kahl), perhaps from Latin or Celtic. From young birds with no feathers, meaning extended to any young inexperienced thing or creature (1570s). Apparently not from Latin calvus "bald."

cal·low
ˈkalō/
adjective
  1. 1.
    (esp. of a young person) inexperienced and immature.
    "earnest and callow undergraduates"