Wax Nostalgic
How is “wax” a verb?
A very odd usage for the word “wax” is “to become.” So to “wax nostalgic” means to become nostalgic; get wrapped up in thoughts of the past.
I had heard this before, and I understood it from context, but I was curious of the etymology behind that usage of “wax.” I origin is not totally – it goes through Old English and Proto-Germanic and several other origins. I haven’t much heard of any usage other than “wax nostalgic” (I quote another usage below, but it’s odd, and I’ve never heard of any similar usage.)
“Wax” has another off-usage which means “to grow in size” – the moon is known to “wax” and “wane.”
Why I Looked It Up
In The Internet Con, I found this a quote for “wax fat,” to refer to technology industry executives.
That got me wondering about the verb usage.