Wriggly riddle over maggots

QUESTION What is the origin of the word conundrum? Why is one of its definitions ‘maggot’? It IS thought ‘ conundrum’ originated as a joke among 16thcentury university students, concocted as a pseudo- Latin nonsense word. It was initially used as a derogatory term for a fussy or pedantic teacher.

the first recorded use is found in a work of Elizabethan pamphleteer thomas Nashe called Have With You to Saffron-Walden, 1596:

‘As the Elephant and the Rhinoceros neuer fight but about the best pastures, so I will winne from him his best Patrons, and driue him to confesse himselfe a Conundrum, who now thinks he hath learning inough to proue the saluation of Lucifer.’

Over the next two centuries, conundrum was used to mean a whim or silly idea and a pun, before it acquired its modern sense as an insoluble or very difficult problem.

Since 1893, the Oxford English Dictionary has defined conundrum as ‘whim, crotchet, maggot or conceit’. the link between conundrum and maggot can be found in ‘crotchet’.

People with eccentric views were called crotchet-mongers, and this was linked to the idea that whimsical or crotchety people had maggots in their brains. Fanciful dance tunes were also once called maggots, linking them to the crotchet of musical notation. Bella Wilson, Evesham, Worcs. QUESTION ‘Shut that door!’ and ‘I’m free!’ were made famous by Larry Grayson and John Inman respectively, but who popularised the saying ‘Hello, sailor!’? FurtHEr to the earlier answer, some like to propound the theory that ‘Hello, sailor!’ arose when Admiral Nelson’s fleet was seen off Cape trafalgar, whereon the opposing French commander issued the instruction to put to sea with the signal: ‘ A l’eau, c’est l’heure.’

this supposed origin may be consigned to the same category as the suggestion that Wellington’s signal: ‘Send reinforcements, we’re going to advance’ was misinterpreted as: ‘Send three and four pence, we’re going to a dance.’

Brian Morris, Wellesbourne, Warwks.