Date:         Sun, 15 Jul 2001 14:27:18 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Mosquito Net/No See 'Ems
Comments: To: PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <000b01c10d51$27b57500$1a1966ce@n0e4e8>
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At 01:11 PM 7/15/2001, PSavage wrote:
>Steve, are you a linguist?
>Where did you come by the arcane knowledge
>re the origination of the term "no see 'ems"?

I don't think he's right.  In New England no-see-ums (note the spelling)
are midges, or minges, or as the French-Canadians call them, "sparks from
hell" -- very tiny flies which carry a very tiny red-hot needle to stick in
you.  Much much smaller than black flies, walk through regular mosquito
netting as though it isn't there.  The ones we have though, the zing goes
away in a half hour or so with no aftereffects.  "No-see-um netting" is the
fine-mesh netting that does keep them out, along with most of the air.

david


>I've only known the term to refer to the tiny, nearly
>invisible knat with a viscious bite whose burning itch
>intensifies for ten days. Amonia, applied with a swab,
>brings some relief.
>Known in Mexico as jejenes.

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"