Willa, whose breed is Mountain Feist, is feeling a little sad now that she knows the derivation of the word feisty. From A. WORD. A. DAY by Anu Garg
feisty
PRONUNCIATION: (FY-stee)MEANING: adjective:
1. Spirited; full of courage, spunk, or energy.
2. Touchy, irritable, or ill-tempered.
ETYMOLOGY: From feist, variant of obsolete fist, short for fisting cur, a contemptuous term for a dog, from fist, from Middle English fisten (to break wind). The word fizzle is ultimately derived from the same source. Earliest documented use: 1896..
She's fine with the first meaning -- it's the origin of the word she dislikes. She would like it known that she never -- well, hardly ever -- breaks wind. Unlike her buddy Ali Ali who can clear a room in seconds.
