ferret

\FAIR-ut\

verb

1 : to hunt game with ferrets

2 : to drive out of a hiding place

3 : to find and bring to light by searching — usually used with out

I'm fascinated by the use of nouns in the verb form. It's fair to say most people associate the word FERRET with the small domesticated rodent, as opposed to the verb inspired by the rodent's hunting instincts.

I do this often with the word house. Man, I'm totally gonna house that sandwich. My intended meaning here is: destroy by means of eating. I really have no idea where this comes from. House of course is a verb meaning: to shelter. But the implication for destruction exists only in contemporary slang. The urban dictionary defines this verb form as:

1. (v) to consume a substantial quantity quickly, completely, and with purpose.
2. (v) to beat in competition.
3. (v) to dominate.

Fair enough.

One entry in the urban dictionary defines FERRET as:

Best thing of anything. ever. all who say otherwise should go suck on it.

A bit vague, but certainly assertive.

Some friends of mine growing up had a ferret. The youngest sibling, and usually the first to awake in the morning after sleep overs, would often wake me up by slipping the animal under my sheets. I suppose she was FERRETING me out of my slumber. She did this with other pets, too—the guinea pig, the rabbit. But the ferret was the worst because it stunk. Perhaps this is why the animal is known for driving things out of hiding places—it overwhelms its victims with stench.

This tactic also works for fragrant vagrants on the city bus.