FEATHER DUSTERS
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( Care , cane handle - as for canes , light wipe over with damp cloth , keep lightly oiled , English Goddard's products are the best available and contain bee's wax . Over time the bees wax will protect the outer surface and gives an aged appearance . All wooden items should have an exterior coating . Do not seal the surface . It is important not to let canes go dry or they will split ( some like to keep them in linseed oil , boiled is slightly more expensive but does not stain clothing as much as raw oil does ) . Make sure that the end of the cane is rounded and do not use if dry or split . Do not use anything containing silicone on wooden implements . As with all implements , wipe with a mild disinfectant after use . Avoid hitting hard objects such as desk tops . Over time , canes will revert to their natural shape . These bends may be forced out by applying pressure with the thumb as the cane is held in the hand . Keeping canes in bundles with rubber bands or plastic coated wire ties ( polish and oil can attack rubber bands ) will help to keep them straight . Store in a dry place , but do not allow to dry out . A ventilated bathroom will give the right level of humidity . )
Traditionally feather dusters had cane handles . The heads were made from a variety of feathers or wool . Feather dusters were and are a common item in homes . Modern ones have plastic handles and quite often sharp points at the end of the handle .
The cane handled versions were widely available , unlike school canes which were not , the closest being the canes sold at shows and fairs which held small dolls . Needless to say , many of these found their way across bottoms .
Feather dusters are generally not as severe as normal canes because they are shorter and the feathers or wool act as a shock absorber between the hand and the cane core .
The shorter ones may be used in the across the knee position in addition to the lying or bending over positions .
Feather dusters are also used to arouse the spankee before or after the spanking ( or for tickling ) .
Feather dusters have an association with maids .
FEATHER
Feather \Feath"er\, n. [OE. fether, AS. fe?der; akin to D. veder, OHG.
fedara, G. feder, Icel. fj["o]?r, Sw. fj["a]der, Dan. fj[ae]der, Gr. ?
wing, feather, ? to fly, Skr. pattra wing, feathr, pat to fly, and prob. to L.
penna feather, wing. [root]76, 248. Cf. Pen
a feather.] 1. One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds,
belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down.
Note: An ordinary feather consists of the quill or hollow basal part of the
stem; the shaft or rachis, forming the upper, solid part of the stem; the vanes
or webs, implanted on the rachis and consisting of a series of slender lamin[ae]
or barbs, which usually bear barbicels and interlocking hooks by which they are
fastened together. See Down,
Quill,
Plumage.
2. Kind; nature; species; -- from the proverbial phrase, ``Birds of a feather,''
that is, of the same species. [R.]
I am not of that feather to shake off My friend when he must need me. --Shak.
3. The fringe of long hair on the legs of the setter and some other dogs.
4. A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on a horse.
5. One of the fins or wings on the shaft of an arrow.
6. (Mach. & Carp.) A longitudinal strip projecting as a fin from an object,
to strengthen it, or to enter a channel in another object and thereby prevent
displacement sidwise but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.
7. A thin wedge driven between the two semicylindrical parts of a divided plug
in a hole bored in a stone, to rend the stone. --Knight.
8. The angular adjustment of an oar or paddle-wheel float, with reference to a
horizontal axis, as it leaves or enters the water.
Note: Feather is used adjectively or in combination, meaning composed of, or
resembling, a feather or feathers; as, feather fan, feather-heeled, feather
duster.
Feather
alum (Min.), a hydrous sulphate of alumina, resulting from volcanic action,
and from the decomposition of iron pyrites; -- called also halotrichite.
--Ure.
Feather
bed, a bed filled with feathers.
Feather
driver, one who prepares feathers by beating.
Feather
duster, a dusting brush of feathers.
To
show the white feather, to betray cowardice, -- a white feather in the tail
of a cock being considered an indication that he is not of the true game breed.
| Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
