Osculate (pronounced os-kyuh-leyt)
(1) To come into
close contact or union.
(2) In geometry (of
a curve), to touch another curve or another part of the same curve so as to
have the same tangent and curvature at the point of contact.
(3) To kiss (now
often jocular).
(4) In zoology, of
an organism or group of organisms, to be intermediate between two taxonomic
groups.
(5) In mathematics,
determining whether a number is divisible by another by means of certain
operations on its digits.
1650-1660: From the Classical Latin ōsculātiōn, stem of ōsculātiō (a kissing) drawn from osculor (I kiss). The –ate suffix (used to form adjectives from nouns indicating the possession of a thing or a quality) was from the Proto-Italic -ātos, from the primitive Indo-European –ehtos; a "pseudo-participle" possibly related to -tus, though similar formations in other Indo-European languages show that it was distinct from it already in Indo-European times. It was cognate to the Proto-Slavic –atъ and the Proto-Germanic –ōdaz. Osculator has retained its original meaning (a kisser) but is now more often cited as the title of the Osculator software, a specialised calculator.
The noun & adjective osculatory (the noun plural osculatories) means "of or relating to kissing" but also enjoys two technical meanings: (1) in geometry it means "relating to, or having the properties of, an osculatrix; capable of osculation" and (2) in Christianity it describes a religious tablet (usually one with a representation of Christ or the Virgin Mary) which is kissed by the priest during the Mass (the "kiss of peace") after which it is passed to others in the congregation for them to kiss (the ritual modified in recent years, notably after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic). As an adjective (in both geometry and kissing!), the comparative is more osculatory and the superlative most osculatory). The now most commonly used form now appears to be the noun osculation, from the Latin ōsculātus, past participle of ōsculārī (to kiss) from osculum (a kiss; pretty mouth, sweet mouth (literally "little mouth") a diminutive of os (mouth). Osculate is a verb & adjective, osculation is a noun, osculated is a verb, osculating is a verb & adjective, osculant is a noun & adjective and osculatory is a noun & adjective; the most common noun plural is osculations.
Il Bacio della Morte (The Kiss of Death). That Ms Christian's eyes remained wide open at such a moment has long disturbed some.
The monochrome image known as the Il Bacio della Morte (The Kiss of Death) was taken on 12 May 1957 at the moment actress Linda Christian (1923-2011) kisses Scuderia Ferrari factory driver Alfonso de Portago (1928–1957) as he was about to re-join the 1957 Mille Miglia (thousand mile) race after a brief stop. Moments later, Portago died instantly when, at high speed on the road between Cerlongo and Guidizzolo, a tyre blew, causing his 4.2 litre Ferrari 335 S to crash, killing eleven including de Portago's navigator and nine spectators, four of whom were children. The 1957 event was the 24th running of the endurance classic which had first been contested in 1927 and by the 1950s was one of the most prestigious rounds of The World Sports Car Championship, attracting factory entries from manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, BMW & Porsche; it would also be the last.
Just who too the Kiss of death has never been known and although one eye is drawn Linda Christian looking lovely in polka dots, what is striking is the sight of de Portago in "pudding basin" helmet, goggles and leather jacket, sitting in his open Ferrari without seatbelts. It was a time when motor racing was a dangerous business for drivers and spectators alike, 83 of whom were killed at Le Mans in 1955 and the reasons for the long and lucrative careers of modern top-flight drivers includes (1) they survive because the cars and circuits are now so much safer and (2) they're not when younger dissuaded from their career choice by having to attend several funerals a year. Life magazine was not hyperbolic when it published the photograph under the headline Death finally takes a man who courted it. There remains an alluring romance to The Kiss of Death.
Linda Christian was between 1949-1956 married to the film star Tyrone Power (1914-1958) who she had divorced only shortly before The Kiss of Death was taken. When Hollywood enfant terrible Orson Wells (1915-1985) was in 1956 received in the Vatican for an audience with Pope Pius XII (1876-1958; pope 1939-1958), he was expecting to be quizzed about American politics but was intrigued to find His Holiness was more interested in industry gossip. Wells would later recall the two sitting alone for 45 minutes, the pope "held my hand and never let it go" while asking questions like "Is it true that Irene Dunne is contemplating divorce?" and "What do you think of Ty Power’s marriage coming up?" "All the hot stuff" was how Welles put it. Others have has similar experiences with exalted clerics, Harold Macmillan (1894–1986; UK prime-minister 1957-1963) complaining that whenever he met an archbishop with whom he wished to discuss some theological point, all they wanted to do was "talk politics".
Lindsay Lohan (b 1986) and fashion designer Donna Karan (b 1948), osculating, London, 2006.
