Mascots

From the Online Etymology Dictionary:
mascot - 1881, from provincial Fr. mascotte "sorcerer's charm, 'faerie friend,' good luck piece," from Prov. mascoto "sorcery, fetish" (cf. Narbonnese manuscript, 1233, mascotto "procuress, enchantment, bewitchment in gambling"), from masco "witch," from O.Prov. masca, from M.L. masca "mask, specter, nightmare" (see mask). Popularized by Fr. composer Edmond Audran's 1880 operetta "Le Mascotte."

Huh. I always thought it was a toss-up between my mother's portable beds ("ma's cots") or my whiskey-making friends ("ma Scots").

The 9th grade football team played a team from Rhea County High School last week. If you look at the home page, you find out that they are the Golden Eagles. I would think that the rhea would be a more suitable mascot -- unless they were going for the mother of the Greek gods or one of Saturn's moons. (No, wait, you don't want a mascot for high schoolers to be a "moon"...)

It turns out that I was mispronouncing the name of the county. (I forgot I was in the South, where all "normal" rules are suspended.) Here in Tennessee, they pronounce it "ray". Just out of curiosity, I ought to ask how they pronounce the name of the town the school is in. It's spelled Evensville, but I suppose it could be said like "Evan".

For the record, McCallie's mascot is the Blue Tornado. (I really ought to go to a football game, if just to see what the costume looks like.)