Pips?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Apr 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Diana	20 Apr 2003
One last post before I head for bed. Why does one call pips "pips"? It's a funny word. I know one finds pips in fruit, but why in Tarot decks?

Rusty Neon	20 Apr 2003
Hi Diana ... I've always been curious but never looked it up. The word 'pip' is used by some tarotists to describe the unillustrated Ace (or Two) to Ten cards of tarot decks, and by other tarotists to describe the Ace (or Two) to Ten cards of tarot decks, even if the Two to Ten cards have illustrations on them. The Oxford Canadian English dictionary gives the following as the first-listed meaning of 'pip': "any of the spots on a playing card, dice or domino." It would appear, then, that this is how the usage of 'pip' arose in connection with the Ace (or Two) to 10 cards of the tarot deck. This extension of the word 'pip' to tarot is quite natural. Hmm ... I wonder who started using 'pip' in the context of tarot? Possibly the playing card historians who wrote about tarot cards?

felicityk	20 Apr 2003
Diana, I believe you're thinking of "pits" in fruit. :)

Lee	20 Apr 2003
Diana's right, "pips" is used when referring to seeds in fruit, such as in lemons or apples. -- Lee

felicityk	20 Apr 2003
How strange, I have never heard that! I've only heard them called seeds. Well, I learned something new today. Felicity

Rhiannon	20 Apr 2003
"Pips" are the "seeds" of truth! R :) (Wow, that was corny!.... corn is seeds, pips, whatever)

skytwig	20 Apr 2003
:laugh: Thanks for asking, Diana! I was wondering myself. I thought, pictures in picture? But that seemed too modern...... Rusty, again, you inform us!!!! That makes so much sense!!! Just got another crinkle in my brain!!! :joke:

divinerguy	21 Apr 2003
Gives a whole new meaning to Gladys Knight and the Pips. I wonder if she's the Queen of Cups?

Diana	21 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Lee Diana's right, "pips" is used when referring to seeds in fruit, such as in lemons or apples. -- Lee Actually Lee, judging from your post, I think this must be once again a variation between the Queen's English and American English. We call all the things that are in fruit "pips". Whether they are lemons, oranges, plums or peaches. And I have never heard them being referred to "pits" or "seeds". Pits in British English are deep deep holes dug in the ground, and seeds are tiny little things that get sown in the spring in the ground.

skytwig	21 Apr 2003
Either that or she (Gladys) is a gambler...... :joke: I keep wanting to sya, pip pip hooray!!! or is it: hip, hip pooray? So, then, what is a Pippen?

DarkElectric	21 Apr 2003
Pippin? A seedling? And does this mean Gladys Knight was a fruit?

skytwig	21 Apr 2003
Maybe a pippin is a flying pip.... you know, one of those pips we spit out....... :joke: and Gladys, well, I'd say she's a mango.....

Umbrae	21 Apr 2003
I do remember reading “The Five Orange Pips”…classic Sherlock Holmes…indeed a pip…is a fruit seed; and also as Webster states, a dot used to signify a number on dice or dominoes. Looking further, we find that pip is the abbreviation of ‘pippin’ (a small seed of an apple, orange, or similar fruit; and also a noun from the earlier ‘Peep” (of unknown origin) meaning the figure or spots on playing cards or dominoes. Here is an interesting bit, it is also the name of the diamond section of the skin of a pineapple (which is neither pine nor apple.

skytwig	22 Apr 2003
thank you, Umbrae. Interesting, huh? So, it's Gladys Knight and the Dots ..... :)

The Pips? thread was originally posted on 20 Apr 2003 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.