On Mon, 29 Jul 1996, Mary Ellin D'Agostino wrote:
 
> According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "Potting" (verb) means:
> 1. Drinking (ale, beer, etc); tippling.
> 2. The making of pottery or earthenware.
> 3. Ther preserving of butter,meat, fish, etc in pots or other vessels.
> 4. Planting in or transplanting into a pot.
> 5. The catching of crabs in pots.
> 6. Shooting; taking of pot-shots.
> 7. attrib. and comb. ... (in combination with various words, having various
> meanings).
>
> At 06:00 PM 7/29/96 +0300, you wrote:
> >I've recently submitted a text using the verb form of "potting" meaning
> >to make or fashion pots, as by a potter.  My ed. suggests that this is
> >"unusual" or that I may be a little "potty".  English colleagues take
> >this verb form to mean putting plants in "flower pots".  I'd very much
> >appreciate feedback on this because I do not have access to a really big
> >dictionary of American.  Thanks.
> >Eliot Braun, Israel Antiquities Authority
 
 
I'm surprised that no one has madde mention of the other common definition
of the term in use within this profession.  Looters/vandals of
archaeological sites are commonly (hereabouts, anyway) referred to as
"pothunters".  They are said to "pot" sites by "potting" them, which, in
turn, drives legitimate archaeologists "potty" (as opposed to sending them
to the "potty").
 
Chris J.-Andersen ([log in to unmask])
 
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