wolfnotes

Comments by wolfnotes

• wolfnotes commented on the word STRONG

  Seeing it in all caps made me think of Strong Bad for some reason.

  November 28, 2009

• wolfnotes commented on the word accordion

  Treaty or agreement made under musical duress (Semantricks)

  November 28, 2009

• wolfnotes commented on the word sheepness

  'Now take a sheep,' the Sergeant said. 'What is a sheep only millions of little bits of sheepness whirling around and doing intricate convolutions inside the sheep? What else is it but that?'

  'That would be bound to make the beast dizzy,' I observed, 'especially if the whirling was going on inside the head as well.'

  Flann O'Brien, The Third Policeman

  December 11, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word sub-rosa

  see sub rosa

  December 11, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word res ipsa

  see res ipsa loquitur

  December 11, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word bulbul

  'What would you say a bulbul is?'

  ...

  'Not one of those ladies who take money?' I said.

  'No.'

  'Not the brass knobs on a German steam organ?'

  'Not the knobs.'

  'Nothing to do with the independence of America or suchlike?'

  'No.'

  'A mechanical engine for winding clocks?'

  'No.'

  'A tumour, or the lather in a cow's mouth, or those elastic articles that ladies wear?'

  'Not them by a long chalk.'

  'Not an eastern musical instrument played by Arabs?'

  He clapped his hands.

  'Not that but very near it,' he smiled, 'something next door to it. You are a cordial intelligible man. A bulbul is a Persian nightingale. What do you think of that now?'

  'It is seldom I am far out,' I said dryly.

  Flann O'Brien, The Third Policeman

  December 6, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word soliterraneous

  makes me think of a lonely planet

  November 19, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word pythagorean

  Pythagoras, the reputed inventor of music, heard beautiful sounds coming unexpectedly out of a blacksmith's shop. Weighing the anvils the smiths were striking, he discovered the harmonic ratios governing the perfect ('Pythagorean') consonances, as well as the whole step.

  Richard Taruskin, The Oxford History of Western Music

  November 16, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word nashi pear

  From Wikipedia: 'The nashi pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, is sometimes called the Asian pear. It has also been called the Japanese pear, Korean pear or Taiwan Pear, as well as sand pear, apple pear, bapple, papple, and bae, from the Korean 배 or li (梨) in Chinese.'

  November 14, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word miracle fruit

  From Wikipedia: 'The miracle fruit plant (Synsepalum dulcificum) produces berries that, when eaten, cause bitter and sour foods (such as lemons and limes) consumed later to taste sweet.'

  November 14, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word daguerrotype

  via Toothpaste for dinner

  November 8, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the list swim-at-two-birds

  That's correct, sionnach. I've finally gotten around to reading it and it's great so far. I'm jotting down interesting/unfamiliar words as I go.

  Here it is at Google Books

  November 7, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word sun-trellised

  Once again he quitted the warm sunlight of the clear morning to smash and shatter a clear path in the sun-trellised twilight of the jungle.

  At Swim-Two-Birds

  November 7, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word trick-o'-the-loop

  None of your bloody miracles, shouted Shorty, we're playing for money! None of your trick-o'-the-loop, none of your bloody quick ones!

  At Swim-Two-Birds

  November 7, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word wolf

  From Wikipedia:

  a wolf tone, or simply 'wolf', is produced when a played note matches the natural resonating frequency of the body of a musical instrument...an overtone that amplifies and expands the frequencies of the original note, frequently accompanied by an oscillating beating...which may be likened to the howling of the animal.

  Not to be confused with Wolfe Tone, a leader in the Irish independence movement of the late 18th century.

  November 5, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word inanition

  Choosing his boot, the buttoned class, as a convenient example of inanition, he lifted it in the air, slowly describing an arc of forty-five degrees.

  At Swim-Two-Birds

  November 3, 2008

• wolfnotes commented on the word syzygy

  Wasn't this an NES game? Oh, no, that was Xexyz.

  October 29, 2008