Baby-faced Burt Humburg passed along the word-of-the-day to me:
pogonotrophy (po-guh-NAW-truh-fee) noun
The growing of a beard.
[From Greek pogon (beard) + -trophy (nourishment, growth).]
Pogonology is the study of beards and pogonotomy is a fancy word for
shaving.
Now this sounds like news for Man Beard Blog (who will no doubt be pleased with the Greek etymology), but what is this? Have I got some reputation for facial hirsuteness (a word that is etymologically related to “horror”)? Is it a hint that I need to shave, errm, I mean pogonotomize myself?
More likely, it’s acute envy.
Besides, I’m proud to be indirectly affiliated with the Pogonophora, the bearded worms of the deep sea.
Sarda Sahney says
Like many other words in the English language, pogonotrophy seems to have a very specific (and not very useful) function. Case in point: defenestrate – the act of throwing out of a window.
Burt Humburg says
It is indeed envy, sir. Your follicle-fu is stronger than my own.
BCH
just john says
“pogonotrophy” — What a great thing to accuse somebody of practicing!
So, keeping in mind that old skit about putting on a fake beard to indicate you’ve been waiting a long time, could “pogonotrophic” be used to describe the experience of time seeming to stretch due to boredom?
Stanton says
I always get “decollate” confused with “defenestrate”
Aaron Kinney says
Chuck Norris was the 4th wise man. He gave Jesus the gift of “beard,” which Jesus proudly wore the rest of his days.
MorpheusPA says
I love that word. I’ve heard architects and HVAC people talk about fenestration, however, and the word actually finds a use in Joan Slonczewski’s Brain Plague, a marvellous book not really about windows at all.
Morph
Michael Vieths says
As a pogonophile, I disapprove of any discussion of pogonotomy. We must encourage pogonotrophy, particularly amongst biologists and programmers. Purely for the greater glory of beards, of course; it has nothing to do with my desire for eye candy.
JP says
Pogonotrophy is already rampid amongst programmers and definitely does not need any addition promotion.
Bob O'H says
I think defenestration was a popular method for getting rid of unpopular mayors etc. in the Middle Ages. So it used to be a very useful word, before the invention of double glazing.
I guess pogonotrophy was also affected by double glazing, if to a lesser extent.
Bob, pogonotrophist these past 16 years
MAN BEARD BLOG says
The great Man Beard Biologist is correct that MAN BEARD BLOG is thrilled by all aspects of this story. Both the Greek origins and the specific meaning of the -trophy suffix are delightfully consistent with MAN BEARD BLOG’s recent obsession with King Leonidas. His beard truly is all the nourishment one could ever need.
stogoe says
Knowing a few programmers in my day, you don’t want to encourage their pognotrophy, as their wiry, unkempt bristle-beards bring naught but shame to the MANBEARDBLOG.
I have worn the goatee of my fathers nigh on 7 years.
stogoe says
That is, my own goatee in the style of my forefathers, not the beards of my forefathers. What kind of crazy weirdo d’ye think we are?
Stanton says
Bob O’H said I think defenestration was a popular method for getting rid of unpopular mayors etc. in the Middle Ages. So it used to be a very useful word, before the invention of double glazing.
Actually, decollation was the preferred method of mayor-disposal during the Middle Ages. Defenestration was the preferred method of wife-disposal then, also.
stogoe wrote That is, my own goatee in the style of my forefathers, not the beards of my forefathers. What kind of crazy weirdo d’ye think we are?
I’m very disappointed in you. My beard has been worn in my family for 7 generations.
John McKay says
I go pogonotrophy.
I’ve always regarded shaving as an attempt to look younger, as in a beardless youth. But, since a beard is a secondary sexual characteristic that comes with puberty and sexual potency, shaving carries a negative subtext. The shaver makes himself appear pre-pubescent, or not yet sexually potent. Therefore, shaving is an act of symbolic castration and I’m having nothing to do with it. That goes double for body waxing.
MAN BEARD BLOG says
“I’ve always regarded shaving as an attempt to look younger, as in a beardless youth. But, since a beard is a secondary sexual characteristic that comes with puberty and sexual potency, shaving carries a negative subtext. The shaver makes himself appear pre-pubescent, or not yet sexually potent. Therefore, shaving is an act of symbolic castration and I’m having nothing to do with it. That goes double for body waxing.”
This makes MAN BEARD BLOG want to
weepkill a man with my bare hands.Matt T. says
Feh. I have a beard because shaving’s a pain in the ass. Get halfway through and get bored, but you can’t stop because you walk around with half a beard, they’ll lock you up. Since no one’s making me do it, I quit shaving. Hell, I forget the last time I put blade to cheeck.
I got long red hair, too, so I look like a viking’s little brother. It works out, surprisingly.
MAN BEARD BLOG says
“I have a beard because shaving’s a pain in the ass. Get halfway through and get bored, but you can’t stop because you walk around with half a beard, they’ll lock you up.”
Don’t limit your options!
John McKay says
I have a beard because shaving’s a pain in the ass.
If you were hurting your ass, you probably weren’t doing it right, and it’s a good thing you stopped.
Michael Vieths says
Pogonotrophy is already rampid amongst programmers and definitely does not need any addition promotion.
Fewer than a quarter of my fellow programmers in this office have facial hair, and the percentage of men in my biology classes the past couple of years bearing beardy goodness was even lower, so I must disagree.
chezjake says
This summer my beard will be celebrating 40 years of continuous pogonotrophy. Does this make me eligible for some sort of pogon trophy?
Monado says
Maybe beards are just for long field expeditions.
Mike says
For some reason my brain processed the title of the post as “Pycnogophilia or Pycnogophobia?” Way more interesting than beards.
llewelly says
This is all wrong. A ‘pogon’ isn’t a beard. It’s a subatomic particle given off by a bouncing pogo stick.
Mena says
Sorry guys but I’m one of those women who don’t like beards. Well, goatee types and such are nice sometimes but not a big scruffy beard. No, it’s not envy!
Can I ask a question though? What’s the deal with moustaches? If someone is shaving already I think that he would shave all of it off or not shave and let all of it grow. Is the upper lip difficult or sensitive to shave or something?
stogoe says
I currently have a moustache, but let me tell you, I didn’t for about 5 years. My lip fur wasn’t as strong as my neckbeard-fu, and rather than suffering a laughable lip-growth, I shaved the upper lip.
Then again, I have a goatee and not a full-on chinstrap, so I was already shaving.