stymie English · revision 1253

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈstaɪmi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is of unknown or uncertain origin.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) It may come from Scottish ''stymie'' “a person who sees poorly” (1616),^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) from ''stime'' “the least bit”, as in being unable to see a stime.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster gives a Scots golfing term ''stimie'', “to obstruct a shot”.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In golf, an opponent's ball lying on the green between one's own ball and the hole (1834).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) Barnhart dates the noun to 1857.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The golfing verb, to block an opponent with a stymie, followed in 1857.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The general sense “to block, hinder, thwart” is first recorded in 1902,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) and is now the usual one.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) Wiktionary notes that the golfing stymie has since been abolished.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1616 – a person who sees poorly.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1834 – a golf ball blocking the line to the hole.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1857 – verb, to block with a stymie.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1902 – to thwart in general.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To block or [[thwart]]; to stand in the way of.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(golf)'' A situation in which an opponent's ball blocks the line of one's putt.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An obstacle or difficult situation.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''stump'', ''mystify'', ''frustrate'' and ''confound'' as synonyms of the verb.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}