King Charles VI of France and five of his courtiers were dressed as woodwoses and chained together for a mascarade at the tragic Bal des Sauvages (later known as the Bal des Ardents) at the Queen Mother's Paris hotel, January 28, 1393. In the midst of the festivities, a stray spark from a torch set their hairy costumes ablaze, burning several courtiers alive; the king's own life was saved through quick action by his aunt, the Duchesse de Berry, who smothered the flames in her cloak.
Abominably filthy; i.e. resembling the stable of Augeas, a fabulous king of Elis, which contained 3,000 oxen, and had been uncleansed for 30 years, when Hercules, by turning the river Alpheus through it, purified it in a single day.
I believe "precious little" is a beautiful expression, as in "So much needed to be changed in academic life and society at large, and precious little of all that 60's rebelliousness made an impact". Gatochy
“Que yo sepa, nadie ha formulado hasta el ahora una teoría del prólogo. La omisión no debe afligirnos, ya que todos sabemos de qué se trata. El prólogo, en la triste mayoría de los casos, linda con la oratoria de sobremesa o con los panegíricos fúnebres y abunda en hipérboles irresponsables que la lectura incrédula acepta como convenciones del género. ... El prólogo, cuando son propicios los astros, no es una forma subalterna del brindis; es una especie lateral de la crítica�?. Jorge Luis Borges en PRÓLOGOS CON UN PRÓLOGO DE PRÓLOGOS.
This word seems like an exaggeration of verbosity just to indicate someone is a fool. Also, since it it rather complicated to articulate, the sayer risks the chance of making a fool of herself.
Well, the telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.
Comments by carolinacc
carolinacc commented on the word mephitism
foul or poisonous air; stench
May 10, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word woodwose
King Charles VI of France and five of his courtiers were dressed as woodwoses and chained together for a mascarade at the tragic Bal des Sauvages (later known as the Bal des Ardents) at the Queen Mother's Paris hotel, January 28, 1393. In the midst of the festivities, a stray spark from a torch set their hairy costumes ablaze, burning several courtiers alive; the king's own life was saved through quick action by his aunt, the Duchesse de Berry, who smothered the flames in her cloak.
May 8, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word ministry
the frost performs its secret ministry
un helped by any wind
(Coleridge)
May 8, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word augean
Abominably filthy; i.e. resembling the stable of Augeas, a fabulous king of Elis, which contained 3,000 oxen, and had been uncleansed for 30 years, when Hercules, by turning the river Alpheus through it, purified it in a single day.
oed
April 8, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word geal
trans. and intr. To stiffen as with cold, to congeal.
March 25, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word prate
for he that prates his secrets,
his heart stands on the outside
The Revenger's Tragedy
I wonder how that links to the quote above...
March 23, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word priggish
Dishonest, thief-like
March 23, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word parvenu
a nouveau riche?
March 23, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word smurf
Yei! Trippy cartoons!
March 6, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word aspergillosis
Oh, I think this is the kind of colds that hysterical and thin women get!
March 6, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word textual frustration
When texting with someone over IM or SMS that takes too long to reply leaving you waiting and frustrated.
"She takes forever; texting with Sara leaves me textually frustrated" (Urban Dictionary)
January 5, 2009
carolinacc commented on the word strew
"it strewed the whole of the north-western coast of Europe with wrecks" - Leigh Hunt; Autobiography
December 21, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word skewer
2. skewer (transitive verb)
Function:
transitive verb
Date:
1701
1 : to fasten or pierce with or as if with a skewer 2 : to criticize or ridicule sharply and effectively
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skewer%5B2%5D
December 16, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word pantomancer
pantomancer: One who sees omens in every event
December 9, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word flavorgasm
when eating food so good that you let out an involuntary moan, usually the first bite; also as an adjective - flavorgasmic
I ate this unbelievable steak yesterday. I swear when I ate the first bite I had a total flavorgasm
December 6, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word justifiction
the rewriting of history/editing of memory, in order to justify one's current position
November 13, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word hipomenata
a small book or notebook of phrases, quotes and notes used in the ancient world. Foucault mentions it.
October 28, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word little
I believe "precious little" is a beautiful expression, as in "So much needed to be changed in academic life and society at large, and precious little of all that 60's rebelliousness made an impact". Gatochy
October 19, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word theory
An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.
-Friedrich Engels
October 19, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word humour
Imagination was given to us to compensate for what we are not; a sense of humor was given to us to console us for what we are.
-Mark McGinnis
October 15, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word prologue
“Que yo sepa, nadie ha formulado hasta el ahora una teoría del prólogo. La omisión no debe afligirnos, ya que todos sabemos de qué se trata. El prólogo, en la triste mayoría de los casos, linda con la oratoria de sobremesa o con los panegíricos fúnebres y abunda en hipérboles irresponsables que la lectura incrédula acepta como convenciones del género. ... El prólogo, cuando son propicios los astros, no es una forma subalterna del brindis; es una especie lateral de la crítica�?. Jorge Luis Borges en PRÓLOGOS CON UN PRÓLOGO DE PRÓLOGOS.
September 28, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word miscegination
(n) : a mixing or blending; the mixing or blending of race in marriage or breeding
August 8, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word nincompoop
This word seems like an exaggeration of verbosity just to indicate someone is a fool. Also, since it it rather complicated to articulate, the sayer risks the chance of making a fool of herself.
August 8, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word i
And, as Kant brilliantly showed, the person who is acquainted with the self, who refers to himself as ‘I’, is inescapably trapped into freedom.
source: http://www.axess.se/english/2008/01/theme_scruton.php.htm
August 6, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word adoxography
adoxography
n. eloquent praise of a worthless thing
July 7, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word comedy
Well, the telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.
Kurt Vonnegut, Interview, Mcsweeneys.net
July 5, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word dionysiac
Pertaining to the greek god Dionysius, the twice-born.
July 1, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word whose
Equivalent of spanish 'cuyo'
June 8, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word whose
Equivalent of spanish 'cuyo'
June 8, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word neumes
neume or neum (nm, nym)
n.
A sign used in the notation of plainsong during the Middle Ages, surviving today in transcriptions of Gregorian chants.
Middle English, series of notes sung on one syllable, from Medieval Latin pneuma, from Greek, breath; see pneuma.
June 3, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word flagrate
v. t. 1. To burn.
June 3, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word argillous
En español: argiloso, sa., que tiene arcilla
June 3, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word ohne
without (german)
June 3, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word gesundheit
ge·sund·heit (g-zntht)
interj.
Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed.
June 3, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word yearn
yearn (yûrn)
intr.v. yearned, yearn·ing, yearns
1. To have a strong, often melancholy desire.
2. To feel deep pity, sympathy, or tenderness: yearned over the child's fate.
Middle English yernen, from Old English geornan, giernan; see gher-2 in Indo-European roots.
June 3, 2008
carolinacc commented on the word jettisoned
jet·ti·son (jt-sn, -zn)
tr.v. jet·ti·soned, jet·ti·son·ing, jet·ti·sons
1. To cast overboard or off: a ship jettisoning wastes; a pilot jettisoning aircraft fuel.
2. Informal To discard (something) as unwanted or burdensome: jettisoned the whole marketing plan.
n.
1. The act of discarding or casting overboard.
2. Jetsam.
From Middle English jetteson, a throwing overboard of goods to lighten ship, from Anglo-Norman getteson, from Vulgar Latin *iectti, iecttin-, from *iecttus, past participle of *iectre, to throw; see jet2.
June 3, 2008