Maroon (August)

The fossilised meaning of maroon may never be excavated. Maroon comes into English via Italian and medieval Greek, “a large and particularly sweet kind of chestnut.” Hence, marron glacé. Presumably it’s its colour stuck. “A brownish-crimson or claret colour,” says the Dictionary, which proves yet again how colours defy definition. Even pronunciation is indefinite. Aug-ust we say for the month, au-gust for the adjective. Marr-own or ma-rooooooooooon? 17^th-century descendants of runaway slaves in the West Indies were called maroons, which is maybe how pirates invented the verb. However, the abandoned derivations of maroon may never be rescued, stranded in time.

Maroon (January)

My first game was Melbourne versus Fitzroy, Members Stand, home and away 1963. Fitzroy wore the leonine colours of blue, gold, and maroon. Murray’s Maroons played a presentable but losing game to Barassi’s Redlegs. They “languished” down the ladder too long. When the Lions were transcribed to Brisbane in a horse trade they changed name but kept the ursine colours of blue, gold, and maroon. Maroon continues to colour Fitzroy, badge of its schools, livery of trade, feature of murals and graffiti. The match itself was academic. January previous I'd chosen Collingwood, the only choice if you barrack for Collingwood.