[net.nlang] juggernaut

harkins (01/25/83)

re: juggernaut's origin; as i recall it, it's from the sanscrit; relates
to a festival for a hindu god Jagganath (sp?); the extremely fervent would
throw themselves under the wheels of a sort of parade float, proving their
devoutness; over time, usage came to refer to the large wheeled thing
as 'juggernaut' that they threw themselves under... ernie harkins
how 'bout this one: bizarre (one of my favorites)

jss (01/27/83)

according to my dictionary (the big 2nd ed) the followers of Jagganath did
NOT throw themselves under the wheels of the cart, which would have been
a sacrilege.
they have 'bizarre' coming from the Basque word for beard, implying 'manly'
i wonder if that's a value judgement...