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prettygoodwordfoible (FOI-buhl) - n., the top third of a sword blade, which is weaker in terms of leverage, in contrast to the forte; a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior, weakness, quirk.
Senses are in historical order, rather than primary meaning today. Note that most dictionaries do not make it clear that it's the top third, rather than half, and imply that it's where the blade itself is weaker -- the definition above is compiled from glossaries of fencing, which I take to be more authoritative in this case. From Middle French, obsolete form of Modern French faible, weak, from Old French feble (which also via Anglo-Norman gave us feeble), from Vulgar Latin *fēbelis, from Latin flēbilis lamentable/wretched, from flēre, to weep, from PIE *bhle-/*bhlo-, blow/howl.
---L.
Senses are in historical order, rather than primary meaning today. Note that most dictionaries do not make it clear that it's the top third, rather than half, and imply that it's where the blade itself is weaker -- the definition above is compiled from glossaries of fencing, which I take to be more authoritative in this case. From Middle French, obsolete form of Modern French faible, weak, from Old French feble (which also via Anglo-Norman gave us feeble), from Vulgar Latin *fēbelis, from Latin flēbilis lamentable/wretched, from flēre, to weep, from PIE *bhle-/*bhlo-, blow/howl.
---L.
