Tiu

I don't like to be critical, said Pliny the Elder, but...

You're going to be, I said. Is it about Tuesday?

Yes, said Pliny. I thought you were going to tell us how it got its name, or some other interesting facts about Tuesday. Not that you thought it looked like a tree.

So did I, I admitted, but I really did think it looked like a tree.

In what way exactly? asked Pliny. TUES looks like branches to you, does it?

Yes, I said, just look at the letters. And imagine if they were printed in a sort of curve.

No, said Pliny. I can't see it.

Look! I said, getting out a piece of paper and a fish topped pencil and drawing the letters TUES as a curve. Then to prove my point, I drew the letters DAY coming down from a point in between the U and the E.

Oh yes, I see ! said Pliny. It does look somewhat arborial. However I still think you ought to have been less subjective. Did you not think to Google it, or look it up in Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable?

I thought everybody would already know how Tuesday got its name, I said.

They wouldn't, said Pliny. It's the one that hardly anybody knows. Do you know?

I do now, I said, I've just looked it up. And no, I didn't know before, although I thought I did.

What did you think you thought it was? asked Pliny looking interested.

Oh I never got that far, I answered. But anyway, now I know that it's named after Tiu the son of Odin. He had his hand bitten off when chaining up the wolf Fenrir, I added gratuitously.

Hence his name, said Pliny.