Wordie [wûrd • ē]
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first listed by:
die6die (315 words)
appears in these lists:
rich words, by Emera
Numbrella ☂, by whichbe
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The region of calm winds, centered slightly north of the equator and between the two belts of trade winds, which meet there and neutralize each other. It is widely assumed that the phrase "in the doldrums" is derived from the name of this region. Actually, it's the other way about. In the 19th century, "doldrum" was a word meaning "dullard; a dull or sluggish fellow."
The region now called the the Doldrums wasn't named until the mid-19th century, and the naming came about as the result of a misapprehension. When reports of ships that were becalmed in that region described them as being "in the doldrums," it was mistakenly thought that the reports were describing their location rather than their state. -- from The Phrase Finder
If you're in the doldrums you're down in the dumps