Nov from Rachael -- Griffonage

This envelope from Rachael came with a very clear warning about trying that style of writing. Her accompanying message included:

... carpal tunnel and crossed eyes..... and even madness.

Nuf said --- I will not be doing anything even remotely like this....

and this one will go in the special folder of envelopes that come with warnings.

Her envelope was lined with some very cool paper - both sides --- not original work - from something *artsy*

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Today's add-on in on-topic and came to us from my BigHelpfulBrother. I might find the time to retype this - or I might not. It is from this website LINK to RobWords.com 

VOCABULARY EXPANDER Impress your pals with a new word. GRIFFONAGE gri-FON-aaj MEANING: Terrible handwriting You're lucky this is a typed newsletter, otherwise it would be incomprehensible. You would have little hope of deciphering my griffonage. This word was borrowed from French in the 1800s to haughtily decry poor penmanship.

QUOTE

"There was a heap of little crumpled bills which, with Felicie's griffonage, Helen had thrown into her table-drawer."

Maria Edgeworth, Helen (1834)

The French verb griffoner means "to scribble". However, une griffe is a claw or talon, so the verb evokes the idea of clawing at the page with little dexterity.

Next time you want to politely draw attention to someone's dodgy handwriting, you could perhaps try complimenting them on their idiosyncratic griffonage. 

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Jean's 2-cents. I'm guessing that graffiti came from griffon, too.