Sunday, April 14, 2013

Prompt 268: Please

We are again out of prompts,so this week's offering is please--as in please suggest a prompt in the comments section and include the link to the blog where you publish your poems. We would like to feature your poem the week your prompt appears, so please plan to share your poem for us on that week once we publish the new schedule of prompts!

Here's some food for thought from the Online Etymology Dictionary:


please (v.) Look up please at Dictionary.com
early 14c., "to be agreeable," from Old French plaisir "to please, give pleasure to, satisfy" (11c., Modern French plaire, the form of which is perhaps due to analogy of faire), from Latin placere "to be acceptable, be liked, be approved," related to placare "to soothe, quiet" (source of Spanish placer, Italian piacere), possibly from PIE *plak-e- "to be calm," via notion of still water, etc., from root *plak- (1) "to be flat" (see placenta).

Meaning "to delight" in English is from late 14c. Inverted use for "to be pleased" is from c.1500, first in Scottish, and paralleling the evolution of synonymous like (v.). Intransitive sense (e.g. do as you please) first recorded c.1500; imperative use (e.g. please do this), first recorded 1620s, was probably a shortening of if it please (you) (late 14c.). Related:Pleasedpleasingpleasingly.

Verbs for "please" supply the stereotype polite word (e.g. "Please come in," short for may it please you to ...) in many languages (French, Italian), "But more widespread is the use of the first singular of a verb for 'ask, request' " [Buck, who cites German bitte, Polish proszę, etc.]. Spanish favor is short for hace el favor "do the favor." Danish has in this sensevær saa god, literally "be so good."
pleased (adj.) Look up pleased at Dictionary.com
"satisfied, contented," late 14c., past participle adjective from please (v.).
pleaser (n.) Look up pleaser at Dictionary.com
1520s, agent noun from please.
displease (v.) Look up displease at Dictionary.com
early 14c., from Old French desplais-, present tense stem of desplaisir "to displease" (13c.), from Latin displicere "displease," from dis- "not" (see dis-) + placere "to please" (seeplease). Related: Displeaseddispleasing.

12 comments:

  1. Please don't please
    I love to please you
    It is just that I am lazy

    My suggestion for Prompt : weak

    ReplyDelete
  2. How about:

    feel,

    feeling, or

    feelings?

    Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place

    I will return when "please" has soaked in. Lot's of possibilities here, it's a good prompt.
    ..


    ReplyDelete
  3. I would suggest "twilight" as a prompt.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My prompt suggestion is 'LIQUID'

    Have a happy Sunday


    much love...

    ReplyDelete
  6. My prompt suggestion is 'Rekindle'

    ReplyDelete
  7. http://monthofapril2008.blogspot.com/2013/04/entreating.html

    A haiku attempt for this week's "please" prompt

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://whisperingwithwords.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/abused/ :)

    ReplyDelete