Some people might be under the impression that golf is a hobbyhorse of mine because of the numerous times I use golfing terms or situations to illustrate the meaning of words in this column. They would be correct.
The most common use of the term hobbyhorse is a topic to which one constantly reverts. Once he gets on his hobbyhorse and starts talking about taxes, you can't get him to discuss anything else.
The word hobby (a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in for relaxation) is a shortened version of hobbyhorse. And the word hobbyhorse is a consequence of the word hobby as used in the 14th century.
Here is the story behind these two words: hobbyhorse and hobby. In the 1300s hobby referred to a small or medium-sized horse. For some unknown reason, in the 1500s, a horse costume worn by a person participating in a Morris dance or theatre performance was called a hobby horse. Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance based on rhythmic stepping by a group of entertainers in costume. Eventually hobbyhorse denoted a plaything that a child pretended to ride, consisting of a stick with an imitation horse’s head at one end. I remember having a hobbyhorse to play with when I was young. By the mid-17th century, hobbyhorse began to refer to a favourite pursuit or pastime, like our modern use of the word hobby. In the early 1700s, a toy horse mounted on springs was called a rocking horse, but sometimes referred to as a hobbyhorse. The meaning of hobbyhorse was then extended to an issue that someone returns to repeatedly, especially in conversation. This is typically encountered in such phrases as “get on one’s hobbyhorse” or “ride one’s hobbyhorse.”
Other words like hobbyhorse include pet subject, obsession, preoccupation, and fixation.
A pet subject is a matter that is special and important to a person. Climate change is a pet subject of the teacher and is mentioned in almost every class.
An obsession is a persistent disturbing interest with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. He painted the outside and inside of his home in Rider green because of his obsession with the Riders football team.
A preoccupation is extreme or excessive concern with something. She had such a preoccupation with her cell phone that it was determined to be the cause of the car accident.
A fixation is an unhealthy attachment to something or someone. She had a fixation on the daily movements of the neighbour next door.
I consider golfing a hobby of mine. Although depending on the day, I wonder if it really is a pursuit of relaxation. Others in my household might label it as a fixation though. In any case, I usually enjoy it. And I am glad it is not my occupation.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com. Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
