A TWIST! The assumption that led me to discover this etymological truth is itself a misconception based on a coincidence. Rodents are named for their ability to gnaw, but technically not for their teeth. The "-dent" in "rodent" does NOT mean "tooth" after all!
It's stuff like this that makes etymology perhaps my very favorite -ology.
About the dents or the eggs?
I can't believe I never made this connection before. It's like how I always knew that "ov-" means "egg" but I was in my 30s before I realized that "oval" literally just means "egg-shaped".
Thought process on my way home tonight: "Hey, a squirrel.... Squirrels are rodents, right?... Rodents are named for their teeth-- '-dent' means 'tooth'.... Wait: Is a dent called a 'dent' because it's like a bite mark? At home, I'll look up the etymology, and if I'm right, I'll post about it."
In U.S. English, I've heard "Here's a quarter-- buy a clue" and (from the age of pay phones) "Here's a quarter/dime/nickel-- go call someone who cares."
Thank you! ❤️ Luckily, the burn is on my nondominant (left) hand, and it doesn't hurt anymore. All that remains to be seen is whether it will leave a scar. I'm rationing the cookies out over the next few days. They're okay-- maybe not worth the delivery fee.
This is exactly what it reminded me of too!
My initial idea was to order warm cookies delivered for my agonies. But my finger-burn isn't agonizing anymore. Then I thought I'd order cookies to celebrate my finger being back to normal. But my finger doesn't look or feel normal yet. So I guess I ordered cookies just because I'm hungry.