[David Eaks] "FWIW its bain, it seems like the bain of your existence."
Uh, no... actually, its "bane".
"bane" was once a very serious word. The Old English "bana" meant
literally "slayer" in the sense we now use "killer" or "murderer."
Early on, the English "bane" was also used in the more general sense
of "cause of death," and by the 14th century "bane" was used in the
specialized sense of "poison," a sense which lives on in the names of
various poisonous plants such as "henbane" and "wolfbane."
From this very literal "something that kills you" usage, "bane" by the
16th century had broadened into its modern meaning of "something that
makes life unpleasant, a curse."
j (
DR. Sheldon Cooper, to you) Po
"I always pass on free advice -- its never of any use to me" Oscar Wilde.
