|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Delrond
Nargothrond
Aug 27 2012, 6:27pm
Post #1 of 41
(1863 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Is dirt a toy?
|
Can't Post
|
|
Some say yes, some say no. What say you?
|
|
|
Magpie
Elvenhome
Aug 27 2012, 6:52pm
Post #2 of 41
(1492 views)
Shortcut
|
|
or... a 'play object' if toy doesn't quite fix
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
mud pies, mud castles, mud bricks, and mud sculptures
construction site play with Tonka trucks
mud sliding (watch Woodstock)
mancala
digging holes
drawing lines/circles for hopscotch, tic tac toe, and/or marbles (not all of us had pavement to draw on)
king of the hill - one needs a pile of dirt for the hill
|
|
|
DanielLB
Elvenhome
Aug 27 2012, 8:59pm
Post #3 of 41
(1480 views)
Shortcut
|
You haven't lived your childhood if you haven't played with mud/dirt/soil! 
|
|
|
Delrond
Nargothrond
Aug 27 2012, 9:47pm
Post #4 of 41
(1324 views)
Shortcut
|
It is a play object. I've probably had dirt in nearly every orifice at one time or another and I'm sure I have eaten my fair share (probably more) of it as well. Even thrown it at my little sister. Dirt on my Shirt was one of Little D's favorite books at bed time, too. But I'm still not convinced that it is a toy. 
|
|
|
Alassëa Eruvande
Doriath
Aug 27 2012, 9:47pm
Post #5 of 41
(1487 views)
Shortcut
|
Well, you know my answer! Plus, my mother always said you must eat a certain amount of dirt in your lifetime to be healthy. I figure I got my share and then some!
Here are Little Eruvande and The Little Goblin a few years ago atop some dirt we had delivered to level out our back yard. Of course, we played in it for a week or so before we actually got it to the back yard! Incidentally, the next picture I have of them in the dirt pile is with their clothes completely shucked off, and them wearing nothing but smiles and dirt. Probably wouldn't fit with TORn's terms of service so I'll not link to that one! 
Heh, The Little Goblin just came up to the desk, saw the picture above, and said, "I wish we still had the dirt pile!" We should probably order another truckload just to play in.
|
|
|
imin
Doriath
Aug 27 2012, 9:56pm
Post #6 of 41
(1472 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Is all the trees and grass part of your back garden?!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
If so that is a massive garden!
|
|
|
Alassëa Eruvande
Doriath
Aug 27 2012, 10:00pm
Post #7 of 41
(1432 views)
Shortcut
|
We have five acres and the part you can see is the "back pasture", as I call it. Currently, there are three horses back there so no grass. Plus the drought hasn't helped the grass growing.  At the time the picture was taken, we didn't have horses, and had plenty of rain.
No, the part I consider the "yard" is only the immediate area around the house, much like a regular-sized yard. If I were wealthy, I would have the entire five acres landscaped in the image of an English country garden. But I'm not wealthy, and couldn't afford to water it, nor pay a guy to help me maintain it.
|
|
|
imin
Doriath
Aug 27 2012, 10:12pm
Post #8 of 41
(1628 views)
Shortcut
|
|
5 acre pasture and horses sounds lovely! :)
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I would love to own some land with a house one day - have enough room for a kid or two to run about on and grow my own veg like my mum does. i think an acre would do for me (especially as in the UK land is really expensive!).
That is awesome you have horses though, my sister used to go horse riding and loved it, and a 5 acre English garden would look great, be like visiting the shire
|
|
|
sevilodorf
Dor-Lomin
Aug 27 2012, 11:15pm
Post #9 of 41
(1400 views)
Shortcut
|
"Toynessity" is a state of mind. Therefore, dirt is a toy, air is a toy, etc etc etc
|
|
|
Sam20
Menegroth
Aug 27 2012, 11:26pm
Post #10 of 41
(1411 views)
Shortcut
|
To me dirt isn't a toy because I don't think it has been conceive for the purpose of it. It doesn't mean you cannot play with dirt as you can play with probably anything, maybe at your risks and perils. If someone play with a knife or a gun, does it make it a toy? I don't think so... A toy is something that has been create, made or conceive in the chief and basic fonction of playing and I cannot say that this is the case with dirt, mud, ect. Therefore I voted no.
(This post was edited by sam90 on Aug 27 2012, 11:33pm)
|
|
|
Magpie
Elvenhome
Aug 27 2012, 11:37pm
Post #11 of 41
(1497 views)
Shortcut
|
|
for kicks, I went to the Online Etymology Dictionary
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
toy (n.)
c.1300, "amorous playing, sport," later "piece of fun or entertainment" (c.1500), "thing of little value, trifle" (1520s), and "thing for a child to play with" (1580s). Of uncertain origin, and there may be more than one word here. Cf. M.Du. toy, Du. tuig "tools, apparatus, stuff, trash," in speeltuig "play-toy, plaything;" Ger. Zeug "stuff, matter, tools," Spielzeug "plaything, toy;" Dan. tøi, Swed. tyg "stuff, gear."
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=toy
|
|
|
DanielLB
Elvenhome
Aug 28 2012, 9:28am
Post #12 of 41
(1338 views)
Shortcut
|
|
This is what the UK suffers from
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
*Everything* is fenced in - gardens, parks, fields ... there needs to be more proper "countryside"!
|
|
|
imin
Doriath
Aug 28 2012, 9:58am
Post #13 of 41
(1392 views)
Shortcut
|
No fences for miles and miles!
Like you i much prefer it, makes it feel like no one has ever been there and you are in 'proper' countryside. Scotland is even better for that though, some parts are real wilderness!
|
|
|
DanielLB
Elvenhome
Aug 28 2012, 10:00am
Post #14 of 41
(1349 views)
Shortcut
|
It's ok for you up North, much more open countryside. Down here everything is split into fields, bounded by hedges, fences and/or roads 
|
|
|
imin
Doriath
Aug 28 2012, 10:25am
Post #15 of 41
(1392 views)
Shortcut
|
Though i think that just comes from too many people living there to have enough open space without it being used for agriculture.
I can remember when went down to Oxford people said how awesome the Cotswold is - was a bit of a let down for me coming from the Lakes - but i always think foreign tourists must think that coming to the Lakes - get loads and loads of Japanese and American tourists and i just think, im sure they have more mountainous and beautiful regions than this - for me i really want to travel to yosemite and yellowstone but maybe its just the grass is always greener i dunno, lol.
|
|
|
Magpie
Elvenhome
Aug 28 2012, 1:56pm
Post #16 of 41
(1360 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Interesting... since this conversation was making me think about ha-has
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
...that word being the plural of ha-ha - just in case you're trying to make out what it is.
ha-ha has been one of those words that keeps cropping up in my life. I had a dear friend who had this odd tshirt. It was 'a dodo in a tutu in a ha-ha'.
A ha-ha is a basically a ditch that kept livestock grazing in the distance from encroaching on the leisure grounds of the household. It was, from the perspective of the household, invisible. So it functioned as a fence without looking like a fence.
After having him explain the tshirt, the word would crop up here and there and I'd think: I know what that is!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha-ha
|
|
|
Alassëa Eruvande
Doriath
Aug 28 2012, 2:03pm
Post #17 of 41
(1317 views)
Shortcut
|
It is a livestock fence and made of wire, so you can't really see it, but we are fenced on all four sides, plus one through the middle. Keeps out you riff-raff. 
|
|
|
Alassëa Eruvande
Doriath
Aug 28 2012, 2:07pm
Post #18 of 41
(1360 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Ha Ha! I've never heard of that!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
But what a great idea for improving your view. Of course, it would never work for us. We live in an area that was a sea bed during the time of T Rex, so it is nothing but solid limestone with a few inches of dirt on top. I don't think it would be easy or practical to dig the trench. Plus, with my fence jumping lab, we'd still have to run a hot wire around it. But I like the idea, and the name even more.
|
|
|
DanielLB
Elvenhome
Aug 28 2012, 2:07pm
Post #19 of 41
(1409 views)
Shortcut
|
But after Magpie's post, it might get a little confusing 
I'll just parachute in Alassëa Eruvande! If it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for me!
|
|
|
Delrond
Nargothrond
Aug 28 2012, 2:23pm
Post #20 of 41
(1274 views)
Shortcut
|
hours of fun digging for fossils in that there limestone. I remember doing that as a child, competing with my older brothers on who could find the coolest fossil. Most were crinoids or some sort of coral. While they could be considered as bibelots, baubles or bagatelles, they are not toys!
|
|
|
Alassëa Eruvande
Doriath
Aug 28 2012, 2:33pm
Post #21 of 41
(1369 views)
Shortcut
|
|
You've had a deprived childhood if you don't consider dirt and fossils as toys!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
We find lots of fossils all the time. Mostly what we find are oysters, devil's toenails, and giant snails that look like cinnamon rolls. We also find arrow heads.
You use the smaller fossils as armor for your dirt fort!
|
|
|
Delrond
Nargothrond
Aug 28 2012, 2:44pm
Post #22 of 41
(1284 views)
Shortcut
|
I played with my dad's construction tools (when he wasn't looking, of course), toys as well?
Really now, I was the middle of 5 children. Aside from never getting new pair of jeans of shoes, my childhood was anything but deprived. Throw in half a dozen neighborhood kids and we were the "Stand By Me" gang of the 1970's.
|
|
|
Alassëa Eruvande
Doriath
Aug 28 2012, 2:48pm
Post #23 of 41
(1383 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Middle child? Oh, you never had a chance!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I hope your Stand By Me friends never found a dead body! 
|
|
|
Delrond
Nargothrond
Aug 28 2012, 3:02pm
Post #24 of 41
(1434 views)
Shortcut
|
Unless you count squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, opossums and various other forest animals. I did, however, find myself talked into (maybe roped into would be more accurate) throwing cherry bombs at cars from the safety of the forest. See what happens when you turn a bunch of boys on the loose?
|
|
|
Patty
Elvenhome
Aug 29 2012, 5:18pm
Post #25 of 41
(1385 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Certainly little kids think so.
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
It's the cheapest toy I know of. All you have to pay for is soap to fix the damage.
|
|
|
|
|
1
