Conk

Day 36: As a collector of words, I'm not sure how "conk" eluded me until I was well past fifty, at least insofar as it refers to a bracket/shelf fungus. "A conk on the head" was part of my lexicon, as was the game of "conkers," but both imply a certain degree of injury to one's person. How it could apply to a fungus was beyond me, so I consulted Webster's Third New International, the three-volume reference which holds my desk to the floor. Webster, bless his little heart, suggests that "conk" was probably derived from "conch" (the shell), although he expresses some doubt about the validity of that etymology. It makes sense, certainly, but not all derivations are as simple as they appear on the surface. That said, I have never been conked by a conk, nor have I seen a conk employed in conkers. Even so, the word has conquered my vocabulary in such a fashion that I never pass one without mentally saying, "Conk!" "Bracket" just doesn't have the same ring.

Conk!

Day 146: This is a bracket fungus or shelf fungus, otherwise known colloquially as a conk. Mind you don't confuse a conk with a conker which, as you may know, is a horse chestnut and the implement used in a rather hazardous game played by British children and now banned in most schools. The name "conker" becomes obvious to players in a very short time, but that's another subject entirely. I first encountered the term "conk" in reference to a bracket fungus somewhat late in life and was curious with regard to its etymology. The results of my research into the word's origin were inconclusive, although many experts seem to hold that it most likely originated in "conch" (a shell with a somewhat similar shape), and "conk" is an accepted pronunciation for "conch." Trust me, you would not want to play conkers with conks like these!