A quaint notion about acquaintances

Gee, little do the prospective buyers know how “quaint” the house really is. The real estate agent certainly knows how to think positively.

As used in the cartoon, “quaint” means having an old-fashioned charm. The word can also mean strange in a pleasing way or skillfully or cleverly made. (She wore a quaint wristwatch with an intricate silver band.)

According to Webster’s, the word originally meant “clever or skilled.” Its etymology tells us why. The word comes from the Latin word cognōscere, which meant “known thoroughly.” (The same Latin word has given us cognoscente, “a person with special knowledge in some field … [an] expert,” according to Webster’s.

Also deriving from cognōscere is “acquaint.” We can acquaint ourselves (gain knowledge) of both information and people.

Nowadays, an acquaintance often means someone we have met but do not know well. Many of us, though, probably have Facebook “friends” who are really only acquaintances.

I’d like to spend less time “friending” folks on Facebook and more time getting to know some flesh-and-blood acquaintances here in Grand Junction a little bit better.

I know. I understand. These days that may seem like a quaint notion.

Photo special to the Sentinel