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| | The Mavens' Word of the Day |
 | | Most people would probably share your belief: that the primary meaning of mess is 'a dirty or untidy' condition, and the 'meal' sense is somehow derived from this or perhaps represents a different word. |
 | | The main modern senses, which are in fact rather recent, dating mostly from the early nineteenth century, begin with things like 'a jumble; a dirty or untidy mixture or mass', and 'a state of confusion or disorder'. |
 | | The word mess is borrowed from Old French, from Late Latin missus 'a course at a meal', literally 'what is sent', that is, 'what is placed on the table', a noun use of the participle of mittere 'to send'. |
| www.randomhouse.com /wotd/index.pperl?date=19990719 (270 words) |
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