promiscuity (was: wagons)

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

In AD8-0243 Jorn Bereng asks: "Finally, here's a question for John H.;  I've
always wondered about the Meaning of the name "Promiscua" that was given to
the Giulietta wagons.  I hardly think that it has the same connotations as the
English word "promiscuous"?"

The term has generated some banter on the digest in the past - at least among
some of the young and presumably virile west-coast contingent. My
English/Italian/English dictionary was little help, simply translating
promiscuo as promiscuous, but a sublisting has a "Scuola promiscua" translated
as a co-educational school, which I doubted would have, in Italy, the
connotation we might snicker into it. Next stop was a standard monolingual
(American-English) desk dictionary, where the Latin root combines 'pro',
forth, with 'miscere', to mix, with a first meaning of 'consisting of a
heterogeneous mixture' and a second meaning of 'not restricted to one class,
sort, or person' (whence our sexual use, as well as the Italian educational
use) and goes on to give, as synonyms, 'casual' and 'irregular'. So, applied
to the car, it probably broadly suggests a relatively casual vehicle suitable
for mixed uses, hauling child socker teams, groceries, trash, fertilizer,
luggage, shotguns, slobbering hunting dogs, dead birds, used car-parts, or any
of the other mess one might not want to inflict on a pristine luxury car, town
car, Grand Tourer, or proper sports car.

 Enjoy yours,

John H.

Raleigh, N.C.

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