We have a wall of bookshelves in our computer room. They contain my favourite novels, some important (to me) theological books, reference materials, books for the granddaughters to read (someday, hopefully), old school yearbooks, and some very old Bibles. I wanted to check something in Martin Luther’s German Bible. The copy I have of Heilige Schrift (Holy Scripture) was published by John S. Brown of Paris, Ontario in the late 1880s. The book weighs 11.5 lbs. When I opened it up the book had a fusty smell.
Fusty means saturated with dust and stale odours. When they arrived at the cottage in May there was a fusty odour from being closed up since October.
Fusty was derived in the 1300s from the French word fustè, meaning smelling of the cask. Old French used the word fuist for wine cask. Fusty originally described wine that had gone stale or sour from sitting in the cask too long. Fusty migrated to label any stale or decayed food. Fusty was then used to designate any smell that came from undisturbed places. Eventually anything that lost its freshness could be said to smell fusty.
Synonyms of fusty are malodorous, stinking, fetid, putrid, rank, and musty.
Malodorous means having a bad odour. Malodorous ranges from the unpleasant to the strongly disgusting. Our kitchen garbage container had a malodorous smell that forced me to place the trashcan in the garage for a few days before our pickup day. Still not sure what caused the malodorous stench.
Stinking implies an offensive aroma to an extreme degree. Last week there was a scent stinking up the whole ensuite bathroom coming from the sink. Nothing some liquid Plummer couldn’t fix though.
Fetid suggests a disgusting odour that may be tolerated by some people. The aroma of cooking sauerkraut is fetid to many but I rather like the smell, especially in anticipation of eating it.
Putrid means the sickening odour of decaying organic matter. Many years ago I was fishing in Alaska. People gutted the salmon on the river bank to leave for animals but just a slight whiff was putrid if the remains were still there the next day.
Rank suggests a foul scent, though acceptable for some. Many find cigar smoke a rank odour but those who enjoy a good cigar relish it.
Musty implies dampness and mildew. You should leave the bathroom door open for air circulation so damp towels don't end up smelling musty.
Because stale and dusty fragrances are associated with old things, fusty developed to describe ideas, attitudes, or individuals that are old-fashioned and stale. The Muppets have many lovable characters, including a few that are grumps and curmudgeons, who love to complain about everything. Statler and Waldorf are the balcony hecklers who are the definition of fusty old men.
The Augusta National Golf Club, where The Masters is played every year, was a fusty old boys club until they admitted female members in 2012. Prior to 2012, women were permitted to play the course as guests or spouses of active members, but they could not hold their own memberships.
The fusty academic establishment did not want to recognize digital media and clung to books as the prime way of sharing information.
Sam attended an estate sale the other day hoping to pick up some gems for a cheap price. She discovered that everything for sale has a fusty aroma and was not worth the price, at any cost.
Full disclosure: my German language skills are next to non-existent, so my fusty old Bible is more suited to pressing things flat than academic ventures I may desire to pursue.
Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com. Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
