Angelo Rulli was asking about the term Hurdy-Gurdy.  Both words are
nouns, and appropriated from the actual meanings or roots in the
Webster's unabridged dictionary.  A Hurdy-Gurdy refers to the twisting of
a drum.  Onboard fishing trawlers, there is still a drum called a gurdy
that winds in the nets.  The name hurdy refers to the twists in a woman's
hair or coffier.  Put them together and you get "twisting the drum."  It's
a comic name that has also been applied to everything that is cranked or
turned for a frivolous purpose (usually).

Craig Brougher

 [ Hmmm.  Which chicken or egg came first?  Did the sailors apply their
 [ term to the hand-cranked instrument, or was it verse-visa?  -- Robbie