Talk:conger eel

RFV discussion: August–September 2019
Rfv-sense: A chain of booksellers. DTLHS (talk) 20:06, 28 August 2019 (UTC)


 * I think this is based on a misunderstanding. Chambers 1908 has:
 * Conger, kong′gėr, n. a marine bony fish in the eel family, 3 to 6 feet long—also Con′ger-eel : a company of co-operating booksellers. [L.,—Gr. gongros.]
 * The misunderstanding is caused by the unusual use in Chambers of the colon, which separates definitions. The entry should be interpreted as:
 * Conger, kong′gėr, n. [L.,—Gr. gongros.]
 * a marine bony fish in the eel family, 3 to 6 feet long—also Con′ger-eel;
 * a company of co-operating booksellers.
 * Indeed, in ’s Dictionarium Britannicum (1730) we find:
 * [of congrus, L.] A ſociety of bookſellers to the number of 10 or more, who unite into a ſort of company, or contribute a joint ſtock for the printing of books ; ſo called, becauſe as a large conger eel is ſaid to devour the ſmall fry, ſo this united body over-powers young and ſingle traders, who have neither ſo much money to ſupport the charge, nor ſo-united an intereſt to diſpoſe of books printed ; tho’ (according to tradition) the foregoing was the original of the name conger, yet to be a little more complaiſant, you may derive it of congruere, L. i. e. to agree together ; or ſi licet in parvis magnis exemplis uti, of congressus a congreſs. Utrum horum mavis accipe.
 * And Bailey’s An Universal Etymological Dictionary of 1764 has, more concisely:
 * CON'GRE / CON'GER [of congruere, L. to agree together] a Society of Bookſellers who have a joint Stock in Trade, or agree to print Books in Copartnerſhip.
 * --Lambiam


 * Oops, my error. Perhaps we should have this sense at congre and conger, however. Equinox ◑ 13:17, 29 August 2019 (UTC)


 * Speedied. Kiwima (talk) 21:58, 7 September 2019 (UTC)


 * ✅ Created the sense at . (I couldn't find much evidence of congre.) Equinox ◑ 01:42, 15 September 2019 (UTC)