the.com/stain
proof that you lived, drank, and lost a fight with spaghetti
means A discoloration or mark left on a surface, usually one that's hard to remove and unwelcome — or, figuratively, a lasting blot on a reputation.
from From Middle English 'steinen,' likely shortened from Old French 'desteindre' meaning to remove color or take away dye (from 'des-' off + 'teindre' to dye, ultimately from Latin 'tingere,' to dip or color). There may also be influence from Old Norse 'steina,' to paint. The irony is built in: a word rooted in coloring and dyeing came to mean color landing exactly where you didn't want it.
- red wine
- oxidized pigments bond to fabric within minutes
- blood rule
- cold water only; heat cooks it in permanently
- forensics
- luminol reveals blood stains scrubbed away years ago
- old masters
- some painting stains are deliberate aging tricks
- language
- a moral stain outlasts any laundered shirt