That doesn't seem too odd to me. Crud is sort of an archaic word, and I wouldn't ever say someone was "full of crud", I'd say "full of crap", although even that would have to be in front of my boss or mother, otherwise I'd say "full of shit".
My experience with linguists is that they generally speak in a derogatory manner about prescriptivists. Language is constantly evolving, difficult to predict, and often difficult to understand. My understanding of the chapter in The Language Instinct is that he is directly criticizing prescriptivism in general, with the Mavens as the focal point of his derision.
In chess, tempo refers to the moves. Gaining a tempo means accomplishing a task one move faster than your opponent, and allows you to move onto your next attack.
There's quite a bit more to this. The term comes from chess. Normally people play standard openings, and some openings are gambits. In this, the player typically sacrifices a pawn early for future positional consideration, as well as tempo. In general, a gambit describes a risk, since if the positional advantage does not amount to material gain, the player has lost something for nothing. Interestingly enough, many of the gambits occur as white, the side which begins with the advantage.
Steven Pinker uses the term "The Language Mavens" to describe to newspaper columnists who declare themselves experts on language and stalwarts against change.
I also had speech therapy as a young child, I would say my r's as w's as the beginning of words. It went away pretty quickly, although maybe one in a thousand times I'll catch myself screwing it up.
I suggest misses, that would be really tough to say with a lisp.
It doesn't half to be baseball, it could be basketball (probably the most common), football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, pretty much any team sport you can think of.
She's the one who likes all our pretty words, and she likes to read along, and she likes Erin McKean, but we don't know if she's a she, or know if she's a he. And I say yeah.
In the end we decided not to actually select lists or words of the year, so the point is moot. If you like a list, nominate it for something. Otherwise, we can go by the date of the first comment.
Well, I've definitely said, "5 thou" to refer to thousand. Add that to the fact WordNet only contains content words, nouns, verbs, etc., and this makes complete sense.
"Now, here it is -- here is what John McCain said to Cindy McCain in 1992, during a prior campaign, in front of strangers and campaign workers and three members of the press:
'At least I don't plaster on the make-up like a trollop, you cunt.'"
I'm 99% certain that he meant campaign, as in a "promotional campaign".
While I'm posting here, it is somewhat difficult to post here and then scroll all the way to the top to read the relevant comment. I think that we are reaching the point where some simple sort of paging may be necessary, although I'm not sure if a simple page redesign might make this easier.
selection bias in action. A commentator makes so many comments about the game and players that over the course of hours of constant speech, there are bound to be several times they are immediately proven wrong. These stand out in memory.
The thing of it is that people think they are better memories which makes them strenuously assert that they are better memories, and that their memory was really how things occurred.
What do you mean? I think the standard of living is going up in most of the "first world" countries. Now, the third world countries which don't have technology have much lower standards of living.
In Hebrew, Baal is simply the word for "Lord". Combined with the word for flies, you get Beelzebub, "Lord of the flies". The wikipedia page is pretty interesting.
You can't really go by the definitions in dictionaries of such things. If you really take them seriously, than all of sarcasm and metaphor is a subset of irony, which I think we can clearly agree is false.
That's possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I'm too flummoxed to make a proper joke about all the places I've been where I've heard dumb things.
We now know the maximum time it takes for a comment to be made before we go straight to dirtiness. We can't even blame WordNet on this one, like we can for scarf.
Of course, this story ignores the existence of sarcasm. Said differently, the same student reply would be affirming the lecturer. It always annoys me when people say "I could care less" is wrong, since if you could care less, that means you care a little, but they miss the sarcastic tone.
"Among the sweeping changes being discussed are the scrapping or delaying of unpopular tax rises, including the planned 2 per cent rise in fuel duty due this autumn, and controversial rubbish taxes."
I'd call it a garage sale if the stuff is in the garage (or driveway) and a yard sale if the stuff is in the yard. If neighbors are simultaneously holding sales, it could also be a block sale.
In Dallas Texas, there are a lot of "Estate sales".
I've heard the number of X's refers to the number of times the liquor has been filtered (or distilled, I'm not sure). The maker would add an X each time it went through.
As far as I can tell, this word is meant to be sarcastic. Steven Pinker says as much in "The Language Instinct", and it makes perfect sense. The tone with with which this term is spoken almost always makes the sarcasm completely clear.
I imagine you have to throw the balls forward. As for juggling on a train, I've never done it, but from what I understand of physics, both you and the ball are moving at the speed of the train, so when you drop something, it falls straight. Will test next time I'm on a train.
Can anyone actually pronounce this word with the "g" sound? It doesn't seem possible to me without twisting my vocal chords, and it doesn't sound right.
"I call fie on that particular hobgoblin." When a discussion opens with me being referred as teeming ignorant, I feel should respond and attempt to make a logical argument for my choice in words. Arguing is my forte, rhyming with tort, and I don't logically think my choice is in err, rhyming with fur.
I split infinitives every chance I get. That is not a real rule of English language, it was made up by some stuffy British chap who wanted English to be more like Latin, and "to boldly go" where many have before, "it a proposition up with which I will not put".
Yes, you have a visceral reaction to this, I understand, I have a visceral reaction to forte, but you can't really criticize people for it, because in one sense, we're both right, and in another, actual sense, they are. I was hoping to stem the visceralness of your dislike with some cold-hearted logic. I guess it didn't work.
Sionnach, do you say cherubim? Do you say octopodes? Do you say kine instead of cows? Do you say pease even when there is only one of what a lesser Wordie might call a pea? Where do you draw the line?
John, scarf as listed above is the first of the verb senses. The noun senses, which are in a different synset, has the expected article of clothing. Perhaps that is the problem.
My reaction to this was "Oh My God" following by laughing out loud, and two more iterations of that, followed by a hardy WTF, and one more "Oh My God" for good measure.
Several times I have found my way to an amazon.com page where the book was listed as out of print. It's like getting to the temple at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and it turning out that the grail had been destroyed 800 years earlier.
The etymology is clearly English, although from the spelling I can imagine that is why you'd think it was Latinate. Knowing the etymology, it couldn't be cle-RES-tor-y, but I give you full credit. Just assume that your ex got lucky.
I never did the spelling bee, but this seems like it would be a great word.
That's a pretty odd quote. Martin Luther was certainly quite radical, though by today's standards his stances were quite conservative. The Apocrypha are "not regarded as equal" for a number of reasons, not the least of which that they don't adhere to the strict message portrayed by the Catholic Church. I can imagine how Luther would support their reading.
Here's my plan for a t-shirt. On the back, you have "Press Here For A Random Word", and on the front, you have a big list of words, possibly the Wordie top 100, minus the first, and possibly removing the swears for those who wish the shirt to be school friendly. Or, we could vote for the words that go on it.
I think it's funny if it is on the back. Then when someone pokes you in the back, you can shout a random word, like epicaricacy, rapprochement, or sidereal.
Actually, octopus is Greek. If you want to be faithful to the original language, it should then be octopodes. If you want to do it the easy way, then you should say octopuses.
Adding something to my Amazon wishlist. I feel like I do this a couple times a week, yet whenever I am actually at a bookstore, I also seem to find other interesting things to buy. Any others with triple digit wishlists?
Very interesting etmyology on this one. From Hebrew "ba‘al zəbûb", meaning "lord of the flies", a Philistine deity. Puts a whole new spin on that book. Answers has some more information on the etymology, including the possibility the Zebub was actually a place, and not a thing.
Chris Matthews, on the recent Elliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, "How do these checks get written? I mean, we're talking about $5,000 for an assignation here".
There's a commercial from a couple years ago where they say "Don't be such a couch couscous", and it has stuck in my head. Disgusting stuff, I have to say.
Verb is a noun, and noun is a noun. I enjoy words which describe themselves, and the opposite, words which don't describe themselves. Monosyllabic and polysyllabic have to be the champion examples for this phenomenon.
There are a number of levels. Cow, obviously, is the first. Pig is at the second, with goat, lamb, and other higher mammals. Chicken, and other birds are generally at level 3. Fish occupy the fourth, and other weird aquatic animals are at the fifth level. So even the lowliest oyster is only 5 steps away from heaven.
Beefism is this religion I invented. The main idea is that animals, specifically cows, were created by God and given souls, and the end goal is for them to eat heaven. However, to ascend, they must be consumed by the angels of God, man. This means that you should eat as much meat as possible. Lesser animals, like pigs, are reincarnated up into cows, if they are consumed by humans.
Dogs are considered lesser angels, and they help man in his quest to consume meat. Cats are generally considered tools of Satan, as is Tofu. There are a number of schisms within Beefism, specifically as to whether or not the eating of horses is acceptable. Church doctrine says that horses are similar to dogs in that they aid man, but a growing group seems to think they qualify as meat animals. There is also an evil sect which believes that humans too have souls, and if they are eaten, they can ascend to heaven, but this heresy is stamped out wherever it is found.
I can't believe it took 14 hours for someone to add the madeupical tag.
Although, Skipvia did make up a word in his response, the fourth to last, S-something or other, never heard of it before, I'll be glad if I never hear of it again, it sounds silly.
I heard a radio interview where a woman talked about the Nazis being environmentalists, which is logical, but the woman kept using the word ironic, so I had to blog about it.
I first heard this word in Snow Crash, possibly the perfect SF novel. It is a device which sits in the woman's vagina, essentially a sharp needle filled with a chemical to knock out a would be rapist.
At work, whoever takes the last piece of cake after someone's birthday has to clean up, so people take progressively smaller pieces until there is too little left to be called a piece.
VanishedOne, there may not be a prohibition against linking to ghost words, but as a matter of personal preference I prefer to have something on each word. If you want to link to words that aren't in the database, that is just fine.
I guess that's why I'm not a librarian, although I've often considered dropping math, science, and computers for librarianism. I can't think of that first book that made me love to read. I've been reading extensively since I was maybe 8 years old, and while there are books I read back then that I still enjoy to reread, I can't think of a Book of Gold.
That makes sense, "causa pro metrica" could mean, "left out because of meter", meaning the poet left out specific information so that the poem would scan correctly.
Well, I draw analogies or quote from Shakespeare all the time, and this must be terribly frustrating to a lot of people. Culture is a strange thing. The easiest way to explain or learn something is by analogy, and when everybody understands something really well, the analogies are easy. Now, I know that many people are not fans of baseball, unless you were raised on the game, it is not something you can jump into it.
I'll occasionally watch British tv shows, and they make references to football (soccer), cricket, British politics, general British specific culture, and I'll have no idea what they are talking about. The show "How I Met Your Mother" has a running bit where the Canadian character makes references that the Americans don't get, and it's so funny because she really sells the audience that we're supposed to be getting this joke.
Any time you have people of different backgrounds, different ages, genders, or races, even different neighborhoods, different schools, and in my line of business, born on different continents, you are going to have such problems. I have not read Bryan Garner, but reading his Wikipedia entry I imagine that I'll have to. Still, I see no way that we can revert to a language without cultural influences, and it would be a travesty of epic proportions to do so.
Looking at etymonline , "Used for 'Low Germany and the Netherlands'", which describes a number of different countries. The WordNet definition makes sense this time.
With pitchers and catchers reporting last Thursday, I thought about this again, and have come up with a suitably Wordie analogy for baseball.
Every pitch is a word, every inning a sentence, every game a page. Every season forms an epic novel. A fabulous pitch is like a particularly well chosen word. A wonderful inning, late game rally, it is a beautiful sentence, "It was awful living in that hell full of angels". Pitchers and Catchers report marks the beginning of the prologue. When your team doesn't make the playoffs, it's like the ending of a novel abruptly, frustratingly. A World Series victory is like the beautiful end to a classic novel, "it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known", or "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past".
An interesting idea, but slightly disturbing. The idea that we really have enough use for the term that we need a new one is frustrating. I think your word is a bit too out there to catch on.
I've had quite a few, it's hard to pinpoint the first time I was really interested by words, but I can call a few smaller ones. I read in an essay by Isaac Asimov the etymology of the word delapidate, and was completely fascinated by how the word means something different yet somehow the same.
There's a reasonable chance that John put a 2^7 character limit on Wordie entries. I probably would have made a similar assumption if I were designing this.
What I like to do with words like this is spend a minute or two enumerating the different conceivable pronunciations, and then guessing which one is correct. I got this one right.
Don't worry about "borrowing" lists or list ideas. Wordie is what you want to make it. Don't pay attention to that crazy guy who came up with ten commandments.
When I've finally succeeded in fixing that last tricky compiler error and am able to run my code, I shout, "Compile dance", and spin my chair around, and wave my arms.
When a recession ends, you jump up and do a little jig, reaching into your wallet and throwing $20 bills up in the air with joy. I did this yesterday when reading the Fed had lowered the interest rate another half point and someone told me this meant the recession was over.
Well John, I flew halfway across the country, had dinner and drinks with family, went to bed, got up and went to an all day party with college friends, drinking and eating, passed out late that night, got up the next morning and visited with family, got back on a plane and flew home. I could have checked Wordie that night, but I was too tired, so come Monday evening, I was something like 1000 posts behind.
Random House has "key-lee", but the rest have "kay-lee". Bartleby has an audio sample attached, and there is a more noticeable pause in between the two syllables than in daily.
I had to grab my combinatorics text off my bookshelf to refresh my memory. Euler proved that an order 6 Latin square does not exist, and conjectured that it was also true for all odd multiples of 2. It turned out he was wrong about everything except 6.
Actually, that one makes sense. Message and passage, while both from French, came into Middle English, and once anglicized, they took on the English suffix. Massage came from French at a much later date, and has not been fully assimilated (thanks Bill!) into the English language, so it doesn't take on an English suffix.
From etymonline, "c.1225, messager, from O.Fr. messagier, from message (see message). With parasitic -n- inserted by c.1300 for no apparent reason except that people liked to say it that way (cf. passenger, harbinger, scavenger)."
I actually enjoyed the polemic parts of it. Pinker and I have very similar philosophies of life, politics, science, religion, etc., so I felt he was preaching to the choir. It's always nice when famous intellectuals agree with you.
It's important to note that "experience" doesn't necessarily imply human experience. A computer can examine sample problems to come up with heuristics, it is a standard technique in artificial intelligence.
It seemed to work to make me cooler (relatively, of course) when I was 14, but I think that these days it wouldn't work. For words where the "age" suffix wouldn't work, we used "action". So instead of bondage, you'd have bond-action, or for barrage, barrage-action.
It's not. It was made up at a bar by a radio guy who later reported it as the true etymology. After being confronted and asked for proof, he confessed.
"If she were 10 or 15 years younger — Lynne is 39 — she might be Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler, blowing away the “American Idol�? panel with her earthy, passionate voice and booking a ride to the top of the charts. While 39 doesn’t necessarily mean senescence in pop music the way it once might have — Bruce Springsteen picked up his most recent No. 1 album at age 58; that’s eight years older than Frank Sinatra was when he recorded “Strangers in the Night�? — it is a little long in the tooth to be looking for your first big hit."
The author might deserve some kind of vocabulary award.
I imagine John, that at some point you call toLowerCase or the Ruby equivalent on the string before putting it into the database. Since Ž is not a-zA-Z, the method would not doing anything to it. I doubt any programming language is smart enough to recognize the bizarre Unicode characters that have upper and lower case associated with them.
Edit: I'd actually meant to use square brackets as in regex syntax for a-zA-Z. Obviously that didn't work, but I think it turned out well anyway.
Lingo is a very frustrating show, since the players always guess really stupid words. One should examine the letter pattern of the English language and guess words that have the most likely letters.
I don't think it is spam, it's just a bit confusing. We all know what meta means, and we all know what photography means, but what exactly they mean when put together is not clear. For example, metaphysics is almost completely different from physics. One is about the universe, and the other is about the mind.
The issue at hand is that the noun impact, as in "Have an impact" is being used as a verb, with impacted as the past tense. This is getting confused with impacted, the adjective, as in impacted bowel.
. Basically it is a blanket term for ice cream bars, frozen candy bars, ice cream sandwiches, and all other variety of typically frozen prepackaged desserts.
The WordNet definition lists 3 senses, the above, "any epidemic disease with a high death rate", and "a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of". The second is what you are referring to. The third is the metaphorical sense.
I recently saw this play, and it was quite excellent. The issues raised about industrialization, outsourcing, international politics, and sentience of machines are becoming more important today than they were when it was written. I also detected quite a few subtle jabs at Communism.
The Characters for a Jewish Star Wars list is quite funny, but also a bit too short for list of the year status. Sionnach's list is amusing, but not quite up to knee-slapper. The winner then, is Reesetee's Name Suggestions for Event Bigger SUVs and Trucks , a truly hilarious list.
The "Ultra-Compact" list is also funny, and can be considered "an extension of Reesetee's award winning list".
It is clear that the most innovative list has and will continue to inspire imitators. That list is the Journey of a 300-Year-Old House . Congratulations to Chained Bear, who I hope will continue to push the envelope with what we do here at Wordie.
When you see something innovative, please use the tag "innovative".
After much deliberation, and philosophizing on the true meaning of "Best Meta List", I have hereby decided that the Best Meta List for 2007 was the excellent The Several Stages of Wordie Addiction . Congratulations to Reesetee, who successfully described exactly how the rest of us act.
The tag "meta" has already been in use and hopefully will be continued into the next year.
Georgielily does indeed have some wonderful lists, but the most aesthetically pleasing has to be Trivet's, Smock, Smock, Smock list. Congratulations for this list of the year.
After thorough examination of all of the wonderful lists, I found myself completely ball snookered as to what to pick. However, each of the other nominees had some kernel of sense, some thread to hold it all together, but the winner was so completely random that I found myself in the grass in left field, and had to trek back to my apartment to finish judging this category.
Almost all of the linked dictionaries offer the drivel definition for drool. WordNet lists both definitions, although it strangely has the nonsense definition as the primary synset.
The definitions are provided by WordNet, but a comment with the definition is sufficient. I think the problem is that this word should be spelled viscosity.
Now we have to define what the meaning of the word "is" is. If I am being illogical, but say that I'm being logical, have I now changed the meaning of the word logical? You are making what I would call a "false syllogism", which is fine, but I'm of the opinion you can't just change the original meaning with the false meaning. I would say,
1. same as above,
2. Falsely used to describe specious (often subtly so) reasoning.
I think you mean we're all trying to be secular. Nondenominational, to me, implies unspecified religion, particularly unspecified Christian, and typically all Christians support Christmas.
By the bathroom criteria, I would warrant a second date! Of course, I'd probably say or do something terrible to offend her, but at least I would have been prepared.
It was hard to beat the big bad of the first season, the Master, although season 3 with the Mayor came close. It got progressively worse until the awful big bad of season 6, but season 7 was definitely a good way to go out.
I would say the English lexicon is the domain of all English words, and lexome would refer to only the words of a specific language, so they seem to overlap.
I'll tell you why, because we like to drink, and we believe there's no such thing as too much of a good thing. Because nothing really ever made sense to us, and as we grow older we realize that all the authorities figures in our life, the Catholic Church, the British Monarchy (or for us in America, the Government), minute differences between people causing so much violence, the worldwide epidemic and famine and pestilence, all of it. And when we drink, it all just kind of goes away.
I first heard this word as the title of track 3 of the Everclear album "So Much for the Afterglow", which was about a short statement about anti-depressants.
As a person who has studied logic quite a bit, I can say I don't actually think like that. What VanishedOne did was essentially proving what is called modus tollens. I would have phrase the problem as to prove "not for all X, man(x) -> tall(x)", and by moving the negation across the universal quantifier, you get "exists x such that not man(x) -> tall(x)", and by expanding the implication, "exists x such that not(not man(x) or tall(x))" and by distributing the not, you get "exists x such that man(x) and not tall(x)", which means if you find a 7 foot tall man, you have disproved the original statement that all man are below that height. Again, this is proved for you already in modus tollens, you never actually have to perform this proof. Larger logic proofs do however take this kind of form.
Uh, Scotch is Scottish Whisky, which they just call Whisky when you're in Scotland. There is also Whiskey, which is typically Irish, although many places make it now.
Is there actually a twist involved in this, or is this a circular piece of paper? How does this physically work? It doesn't seem like it would be easy to automate this.
I would say disconcerted means you are no longer giving a concerted effort, so the term holds. Also, you have a word like handful, but clearly you wouldn't ever need handless, it is a meaning full concept. Something can be full of wonder, or it can be normal.
This is a great word. I agree with Chained_Beat wholeheartedly. I would probably also use this word to describe anyone who didn't like The Princess Bride, or anyone who listed Harry Potter as one of their favorite movies.
Maybe we can also use this to describe people who watch movies based on books but never actually read the book. I'm thinking Jurassic Park, LotR, and "I, Robot"(not actually based on the stories),
Actually pomegranate, linguistically speaking, common does tend to make it correct. A lot of words we use have different meanings now than when they were coined. We can't expect all words to keep the correct Latin meaning. delapidate, for example, doesn't mean what it does today, do you have a problem with that?
I think Rolig means noun phrase. I would tend to agree with Bilby, and for this purpose, and Ockham's razor, it makes sense to consider text to be an adjective.
I'm down with what you're saying Sionnach, that quarks have a certain charm, although that sounds pretty strange. You're usually on top of such things, and cut straight to what's up and getting to the bottom of such things. Hopefully bashing WordNet is just a flavor of the week, since it isn't actually a dictionary.
I think my main idea of WOTY was for it to be a new word, because otherwise we are choosing from a much larger pool of words. Most such lists award a neologism from that year or a word which no one had heard before that year. For example, truthiness existed, but in a different sense, and nobody had heard it. We could split into different types of word of the year if that's what people want.
True story Bilby, that happened to you? I often find myself explaining to people how Eskimo's (their term, I'm told Inuit is correct) don't really have hundreds of words for snow when English only has one. This is a gross misunderstanding of language, and really some sort of anthropological hoax perpetrated by the Whorfians.
I've often heard the expression "fit of pique", using the primary definition of "A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride" to mean acting out of wounded pride.
Especially since this is an old word. If someone else wants to run the WOTY categories (Uselessness, were you volunteering?), this would go under "Finally caught on" or something along those lines.
When I saw shitmix, this word sprang to mind. It is like argmax, if you know math. When you have a whole bunch of bad things that can happen, it invariably ends up being the shitmax.
A professor had a mug which said "F*%& Cancer". Someone came up to him and said, "That's not a nice word", and he responded, "Yes, but since that's the name of the disease I have, I feel justified in using it". It's a horrible illness, and our ability to stand tall and laugh in the face of death is part of what makes us human.
The winery didn't want to tartrate their wine, but the government insisted, forcing a tartrater on them, meaning they where tartratered. They appealed, and the appeals court detartratered them. The case went to the Supreme Court, who upheld the initial ruling, meaning the winery was retartratered. Finally, the President pardoned the winery, resulting in the unprecedented action of being deretartratered.
It was a funny limerick, but perhaps it was my oedilf days which led me to think the whole time that the stresses ended up on the wrong words. With no offense intended, I'll offer up this slight change.
I can honestly say that I've never used the word orangest, and I can't recall having ever heard or read it. I've heard greenest, bluest, and reddest. I don't think I've heard yellowest or purplest, although they both are recognized as words. This is pretty strange. Perhaps if enough people add it to their words, we can start a movement for the dictionaries to add it. Anyone know a lexicographer?
I'm cool with advertising on the site. For those with AdBlock, the ads were blocked by default, so if people want them or don't want them, they can control it themselves.
Random word took me here, and I'm not sure how to get out. There are no links to any other words or lists. I guess I'm stuck here until somebody let's me out.
I understand what you're saying, there are so many good words and lists that it would be really hard to pick out the top ones, and some awesome stuff from 8 months ago would be left out. I'll have to think about this some more.
Hey John, what's the feasibility of tags on lists, and comments on tag pages? These are very minor feature requests, but if they are easy to do, that would be awesome.
Ouch John, not even the first one to list your own name. I picture you putting Wordie online like opening an amusement park, and Riddley runs past you to get into the line for the best roller coater.
Bandersnatch is ok, because Lewis Carroll just kind of made it up. Testiculate was made up with a different meaning, as a portmanteau, but we probably need a different term for existing words which we make up new meanings for. Flustrated goes back to 1700, so it is officially not Madeupical, and neither is nounal. You can tag both as "real", or "nonmadeupical" if you like.
Of course, I have no authority, but people tend to listen to me because I talk so loudly that they can't hear anybody else.
The earliest site from the OED is "1600 FAIRFAX Tasso XIV. xliv, How comate, crinite, caudate starres are fram'd I knew.", which probably means something to someone.
Because we will form some sort of nominating committee, we don't have to worry about THAT WHICH WILL NOT BE SPOKEN winning. I envisioned us choosing only madeupical words (not really fair for me to use that here), but rare words that no one had chosen would also be useful.
I propose that Wordie do a word of the year. John, can we do a poll somehow? Also, if enough people are interested, we could put the voting on the front page. We could also do things like comment of the year, thread of the year, list of the year, etc. Then, John could get a special gold star to add to the appropriate pages. Possibly silver, bronze, and nomination stars for others.
Suggestions for various categories and input on details on how this will work are appreciated. Eventually, we'd start a "X of the Year: 2007" page and take nominations. Some group of us, possibly the league of extrawordy gentlemen, possibly an independent group, possibly John if he wants to, can sift through the nominations and come up with 5 or so to be put onto the poll, which people can vote for at some point in December.
We should also get John's input to check if this poses any technical challenges on his end.
More importantly, all of the the words that have kj that pronounce both letters are compound words. The j in Reykjavik is different than the normal English j.
It would be ideal to be able to edit a comment, as you can on almost every message board I post to. If people are concerned about people editing messages and screwing up the flow of conversations, I would say have an "Edited" marker that a person could click on for the original post.
For the record, the row on a chess board is named in direct analogy for the line of soldiers. I would imagine the hierarchy term comes from this as well.
At some point, I suggested using a version of Roget's thesaurus, which is in the public domain, to provide more information to words. I don't really like tagging the opposite word as a regular tag, it is very confusing. If we had a separate "synonym" and "antonym" area, we could avoid this issue.
"He (American biologist William A. Arnold) could have gone to Berkeley to pick up radioisotope technique, but would have missed living in Copenhagen, learning from de Hevesy - would have missed contributing a coinage to the gamble that is history.... 'Later that day Frisch looked me up and said, 'You work in a microbiology lab. What do you call the process in which one bacterium divides into two?' And I answered, 'binary fission'. He wanted to know if you could call if 'fission' alone, and I said you could'"
-- From "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes, Frisch referring to Otto Frisch, who with Lise Meitner first postulated nuclear fission.
And you wonder why America had a revolution. This was one of the Intolerable Names, and was the driving force between the Declaration of Pronunciation. See also worcestershire.
A class of mollusks containing scallops, oysters, clams, and mussels. see malacology for an exciting jaunt into the stunningly confusing world of taxonomy.
Oh, of course, "An order of lamellibranchs". This is order includes oysters, and as far as Wikipedia is concerned, doesn't exist. It seems to exist only in dictionaries.
WordNet is a bit different than a normal dictionary. Diamond has a general physical definition, which we all know. The term diamond is typically used to describe a piece of diamond mounted on some sort jewelry. This is the most commonly used, which is why it is the first definition WordNet gives.
That is really strange, I would have assume that plethora and plethron came from the same source, but apparently they were just similar sounding Greek words.
I wouldn't say poor choice of words, I would say cruel. The usage is ironic, which is normally a good thing, but in this case, the words were being used for evil.
I don't think it actually means without child in that sense. The normal sense is unable to conceive children, and in this case, the woman was deliberately barren, that is, deliberately not conceiving.
This could be used for good or for evil. This would be great to describe a particularly stupid pun or an idiotic word like enginerd. However, it could be used by others to describe a lot of the comments that I leave.
I made a very bad joke today, about the makers of Mathematica suing the periodic table, resulting in tungsten. When nobody laughed I said "too obscure?", and they replied, "too unfunny".
The term "Nanook of the North" stands out for me, and it appears to be a 1922 movie, see IMDB . Weird, I wonder why an 85 year old movie pops so quickly to my mind.
A new game, somebody posts on a word, and the first person to answer with the correct comment wins! Anybody can pick a word to select, and anybody can respond with the answer. The trick is, no clues can be left.
Comments by seanahan
Show previous 200 comments...
seanahan commented on the word sturgeon's law
That doesn't seem too odd to me. Crud is sort of an archaic word, and I wouldn't ever say someone was "full of crud", I'd say "full of crap", although even that would have to be in front of my boss or mother, otherwise I'd say "full of shit".
July 31, 2008
seanahan commented on the word evolution
Steven Pinker's "The Language Instinct" is a great book about language evolution.
July 30, 2008
seanahan commented on the word billigram
Not to be confused with a bilbygram either.
July 30, 2008
seanahan commented on the word philosopher's egg
Apparently, according to this website http://thealchemicalegg.com/ when you crack open the philosopher's egg, you get the philosopher's stone.
July 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word maven
My experience with linguists is that they generally speak in a derogatory manner about prescriptivists. Language is constantly evolving, difficult to predict, and often difficult to understand. My understanding of the chapter in The Language Instinct is that he is directly criticizing prescriptivism in general, with the Mavens as the focal point of his derision.
July 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word medectophobia
This is a great word.
July 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lexicographicolatry
Ick, I don't like it.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word banana hammock
The Todd wears and talks about these all the time.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word that's for me to know and for you to find out
This is one of the most annoying expressions ever.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tempo
In chess, tempo refers to the moves. Gaining a tempo means accomplishing a task one move faster than your opponent, and allows you to move onto your next attack.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the powers that be
Often abbreviated as TPTB.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word opening gambit
There's quite a bit more to this. The term comes from chess. Normally people play standard openings, and some openings are gambits. In this, the player typically sacrifices a pawn early for future positional consideration, as well as tempo. In general, a gambit describes a risk, since if the positional advantage does not amount to material gain, the player has lost something for nothing. Interestingly enough, many of the gambits occur as white, the side which begins with the advantage.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word maven
Steven Pinker uses the term "The Language Mavens" to describe to newspaper columnists who declare themselves experts on language and stalwarts against change.
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word philosopher's egg
How does this relate to a philosopher's stone?
July 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word g-hits
I would say "gee-hits", or even just "google hits".
July 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word great firewall of china
How is that ironic?
July 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lolcat
I am not ailurophobic, just allergic.
July 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word das letzte hemd hat keine taschen
That is truly poetic.
July 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lilitu
Also known as Lilith.
July 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word intelligent design
Of course, there is no law preventing preventing prayer in school.
July 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ben franklin effect
Sounds a lot like cognitive dissonance.
July 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dr. horrible
Not really a word, but still, I'd imagine many of us here are Joss Whedon fans.
http://www.drhorrible.com/
July 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word antagonym
See this oroboros list for a bunch of examples.
July 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word copacetic
You some kind of freak, Yarbissimo.
July 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word i am the supreme ruler of the universe
You'll have to fight me for it.
July 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-6
7. Zorn's Lemma
July 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word e^Ï€i + 1 = 0
Confuses the crap out of me.
July 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word butle
The ad is for "Get Gerard Butler Ringtones", awesome.
July 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word shipper
A seriously frightening group of people.
July 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the user mialuthien
Sleep is for the weak.
July 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fair sex
I read a great line once, "women are both the fair sex and the unfair sex".
July 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the list scrabble-words-2
There are a couple of other Scrabble lists floating around, I suggest hoary and cwm.
July 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word coverslut
I hereby propose that this word be used to describe someone who likes cover bands.
July 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word inf
In that case, we have to give them the "\".
July 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the list lispers-nemeses
I also had speech therapy as a young child, I would say my r's as w's as the beginning of words. It went away pretty quickly, although maybe one in a thousand times I'll catch myself screwing it up.
I suggest misses, that would be really tough to say with a lisp.
July 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pick-up game
It doesn't half to be baseball, it could be basketball (probably the most common), football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, pretty much any team sport you can think of.
July 11, 2008
seanahan commented on the list phylum-obscurata-botanica
If these are all Greek words, you should bulk add the tag "Greek".
July 11, 2008
seanahan commented on the word facepalm
Mostly from frustration.
July 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word proof
You're right, especially in large math books. Leave them wanting more for the next edition.
July 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the user she
She's the one who likes all our pretty words, and she likes to read along, and she likes Erin McKean, but we don't know if she's a she, or know if she's a he. And I say yeah.
July 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word Þig
So it's like a half theta?
July 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word borg
Resistance is futile.
July 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word swass
Short for having a sweaty ass.
July 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word swamp ass
I've always heard of this as swass.
July 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word times less
If X is 8 times more than Y, than I would consider Y 8 times less than X. So if $40 million is 8 times less than $320 million.
July 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gedankenexperiment
A much cooler way to say though experiment.
Edit: It took five months for somebody to catch this typo.
July 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the list lists-of-the-year
In the end we decided not to actually select lists or words of the year, so the point is moot. If you like a list, nominate it for something. Otherwise, we can go by the date of the first comment.
June 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word illumine
Is this an archaic form of illuminate?
June 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word beta
The nickname of Eratosthenes, for being second best in many fields.
June 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word peoria
There is a great restaurant in Peoria call Burger Barge, my favorite is the Tavern Burger.
June 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fistshake
See this YouTube video
June 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ausploitation
Referenced in the Simpson's when they traveled to Australia.
June 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fistshake
Shaking your fist at someone as they drive/run/flee away. Or from the Simpson's, "Shake harder boy!"
June 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the user yarb
Uh, fistshake?
June 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word zoot suit
zoot suit riot
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word shaddenfreud
STOP TALKING! THIS WORD MEANS NOTHING! epicaricacy.
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word moran
What was the policy on big images? I prefer links.
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the user yarb
And my legend grows.
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word definitely
That's totally worth $30 a year.
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word curple
Rhymes with purple!
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word thou
Well, I've definitely said, "5 thou" to refer to thousand. Add that to the fact WordNet only contains content words, nouns, verbs, etc., and this makes complete sense.
June 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word chad
When was the last time the country Chad was in the news?
June 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word trollop
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jodi-lampert/deconstructing-john-revis_b_102571.html
"Now, here it is -- here is what John McCain said to Cindy McCain in 1992, during a prior campaign, in front of strangers and campaign workers and three members of the press:
'At least I don't plaster on the make-up like a trollop, you cunt.'"
June 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word features
I'm 99% certain that he meant campaign, as in a "promotional campaign".
While I'm posting here, it is somewhat difficult to post here and then scroll all the way to the top to read the relevant comment. I think that we are reaching the point where some simple sort of paging may be necessary, although I'm not sure if a simple page redesign might make this easier.
June 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pulchritudinous
We have to have something to rhyme with multitudinous.
June 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tetris edit
That's really quite a clever metaphor.
June 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word commentator's curse
selection bias in action. A commentator makes so many comments about the game and players that over the course of hours of constant speech, there are bound to be several times they are immediately proven wrong. These stand out in memory.
June 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word flashbulb memory
The thing of it is that people think they are better memories which makes them strenuously assert that they are better memories, and that their memory was really how things occurred.
June 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gaf quat
Are you an actor?
June 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word summer
Odd, this is different than the synsets on the WordNet page for WordNet page for Summer.
June 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word flashbulb memory
The recent studies have shown that this theory is false. These memories are just as likely to be false as any other memory.
June 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word unk-unk
Typically referred to in engineering settings as the "Proverbial unknown-unknown".
June 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word in media res
I have to admit, I've always used the spelling of media, but I'll have to start using the correct version.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word in media res
Best to avoid the "Popular Usage" section of the Wikipedia page, it's infuriating.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word false dichotomy
You're either with us, or against us, Bilby.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bookfox
Dutifully favorited.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pancosmism
I'm sort of struggling to understand this one. It is belief in the lack of the supernatural, or essentiallyl naturalism?
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word indescribable
That's stupid. Wikipedia, you're stupid. Indescribable is the absence of a description, not a description itself.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word seemingly-never-ending-season
I don't know to what you refer.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word phallephoric
Definition?
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word frecency
This word makes my ears bleed.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word thespionym
An awesome way to say stage name.
June 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ephemeralization
What do you mean? I think the standard of living is going up in most of the "first world" countries. Now, the third world countries which don't have technology have much lower standards of living.
June 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word mcfate
Interesting, internet doesn't seem to have much to say on this, but obviously this isn't referring to McDonald's.
June 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word baal
In Hebrew, Baal is simply the word for "Lord". Combined with the word for flies, you get Beelzebub, "Lord of the flies". The wikipedia page is pretty interesting.
May 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word blogorrhea
I wouldn't say "great", since I would feel any word starting with blog is an abomination.
May 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word blasfamous
Richard Dawkins? Martin Luther? Baruch Spinoza?
May 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the list metonyms-2
Rolig, I think you misunderstood me. I was agreeing with you, and not the dictionary definition cited by Mollusque.
May 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the list metonyms-2
You can't really go by the definitions in dictionaries of such things. If you really take them seriously, than all of sarcasm and metaphor is a subset of irony, which I think we can clearly agree is false.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word flat earth
That's possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I'm too flummoxed to make a proper joke about all the places I've been where I've heard dumb things.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word paraphrasia
Disorder in which a person can't stop paraphrasing everything you say, and taking the content as their own. See paraphasia.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word paraphasia
Not to be confused with paraphrasia.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word delenda
Carthage.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word portmanteau word
See portmanteau, or the tag for portmanteau.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word metagnostic
I imagine this is meta-gnostic and not metag-nostic or meta-nostic?
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word heartstone
"This has never been proved definitively"? Really, nobody has ever proved that?
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word picayune
Very interesting Whichbe.
May 27, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ozymandian
See Ozymandias .
May 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word glory hole
We now know the maximum time it takes for a comment to be made before we go straight to dirtiness. We can't even blame WordNet on this one, like we can for scarf.
May 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word founding fathers
If you put Thomas Paine in a room with the leaders of the Democratic party, he'd probably be the most liberal one there.
May 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bleezy
Similar to bleery eyed.
May 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pleonasm
What was the felicitous pleonasm?
May 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word iberian
Hmm, I don't see it.
May 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tyromancy
Hmm, I thought this one would have something to do with the word tyro.
May 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word swan~upping
The ad right now is for latinamericancupid.com and I'm not sure why.
May 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fuck
Is it weird, Reesetee, that I immediately given only "the" and 3 f-words I guessed exactly the precise form the soldier used?
May 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word polyonymy
Contrast with polysemy, which is one word for many things.
May 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word zetetic
Interesting, one of my favorite magazines, the Skeptical Inquirer, used to be called The Zetetic.
May 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dementophobia
Be careful, or the irony police will come and get you.
May 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word parousiamania
One thousand, nine hundred, and seventy five years and counting...
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word asterize
See asterate.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word logarithmancy
Awesomeness.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word boobs
I'm a big fan of boobs. Wait, what does this have to do with Wordie? Oh, you mean the word boobs.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fata morgana
A cool etymology.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dentophobia
Uh, whichbe, you might want to read the previous comments.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word asterate
see stellify. I think that asterize might be better, though.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word stellify
This word sounds kind of cook, but I think that asterate sounds cooler.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word esper
Basically it is ESP-er.
May 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word brannigan
Zapp!
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word chatmate
Smart money says this is British.
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bork
Also used as an alternation for broken, as in, "This code is borked".
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word chuck norris
This has been going on for a few years now. But once you find out he has been campaigning for Huckabee it is hard to keep up the respect.
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word yeah, right
Of course, this story ignores the existence of sarcasm. Said differently, the same student reply would be affirming the lecturer. It always annoys me when people say "I could care less" is wrong, since if you could care less, that means you care a little, but they miss the sarcastic tone.
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lennonesque,picturesque, gangerhesque,at your desk, arabesque,marrakesh, right arm and verbal arms, n'est ce pas quesque ness
I think there is a 128 character limit.
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word byte
Answers gives a different etymology.
May 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word verbivorous
I'm not certain that I'm happy with the use of "Literally" in the first definition.
May 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word controversial rubbish taxes
"Among the sweeping changes being discussed are the scrapping or delaying of unpopular tax rises, including the planned 2 per cent rise in fuel duty due this autumn, and controversial rubbish taxes."
"Gordon Brown faces new 10p tax rebellion", May 4, 2008, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3868082.ece
May 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word shtup
Especially since non-Yiddish people use it in places other than Yidland.
May 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word shtup
It doesn't do etymologies.
May 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gorn
That's quite odd.
May 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the things they curried
Good book, bad pun.
May 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word shiboleth
I hope to God it's pronounced the same.
May 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word soma
Also a Smashing Pumpkins song.
May 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word garage sale
I'd call it a garage sale if the stuff is in the garage (or driveway) and a yard sale if the stuff is in the yard. If neighbors are simultaneously holding sales, it could also be a block sale.
In Dallas Texas, there are a lot of "Estate sales".
April 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word boozex
I've heard the number of X's refers to the number of times the liquor has been filtered (or distilled, I'm not sure). The maker would add an X each time it went through.
April 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word 175
The preferred way is 1^1 + 7^2 + 5^3
April 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the list lost-for-word
There have been similar attempts at this kind of thing before, but not in a public manner, What's the word for that?.
April 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word schadenfreudgeon
Alright, dutifully added.
April 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word palanquin
Picaresque?
April 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word double
Uh, this word is boring?
April 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word manufactrovery
Oops indeed. I am suitably chastised.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word manufactroversy
See this link .
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word noosexual
Used on sapiosexual, not sure what it means.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the user bilby
I like it, keep up the good quotes.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word manufactrovery
http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/04/manufactroversy/
The art of creating controversy where none exists.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word googleganger
Peck_Jon, you are brilliant, and correct. This term is hereby removed from the common usage. Unless of course, Google does a Yellow Pages spoof.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word i could care less
As far as I can tell, this word is meant to be sarcastic. Steven Pinker says as much in "The Language Instinct", and it makes perfect sense. The tone with with which this term is spoken almost always makes the sarcasm completely clear.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word learning curve
My comments about I could care less moved to that page.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word joggle
I imagine you have to throw the balls forward. As for juggling on a train, I've never done it, but from what I understand of physics, both you and the ball are moving at the speed of the train, so when you drop something, it falls straight. Will test next time I'm on a train.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word strength
Can anyone actually pronounce this word with the "g" sound? It doesn't seem possible to me without twisting my vocal chords, and it doesn't sound right.
April 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word syrup
From personal experience, I find the results highly suspect.
April 11, 2008
seanahan commented on the word joggle
I've also been told of people who can juggle while downhill skiing.
April 11, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ambergris
I'm reminded of Roseanne from that Futurama episode.
April 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word buccula
I immediately thought bunnicula.
April 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word virginians
Many of the founding fathers were Virginians, Jefferson, Madison, Washington, so this could kind of be viewed as
synecdoche.
April 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word circean
After Circe from the Odyssey?
April 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word data
My brain is bleeding.
April 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word data
"I call fie on that particular hobgoblin." When a discussion opens with me being referred as teeming ignorant, I feel should respond and attempt to make a logical argument for my choice in words. Arguing is my forte, rhyming with tort, and I don't logically think my choice is in err, rhyming with fur.
I split infinitives every chance I get. That is not a real rule of English language, it was made up by some stuffy British chap who wanted English to be more like Latin, and "to boldly go" where many have before, "it a proposition up with which I will not put".
Yes, you have a visceral reaction to this, I understand, I have a visceral reaction to forte, but you can't really criticize people for it, because in one sense, we're both right, and in another, actual sense, they are. I was hoping to stem the visceralness of your dislike with some cold-hearted logic. I guess it didn't work.
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wordie point
Why sadder?
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word data
Sionnach, do you say cherubim? Do you say octopodes? Do you say kine instead of cows? Do you say pease even when there is only one of what a lesser Wordie might call a pea? Where do you draw the line?
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word raconteuse
This is a great word.
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word scarf
John, scarf as listed above is the first of the verb senses. The noun senses, which are in a different synset, has the expected article of clothing. Perhaps that is the problem.
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word word porn
Good god, what have I done. see i can't believe people still use the internet for stupid porn
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word i can't believe people still use the internet for stupid porn
"Two Girls, One Copula", that is just wrong.
April 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word outmiracle
When I first read this, I read it as if it were similar to outbuilding, which didn't really make any sense.
April 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word scarf
My reaction to this was "Oh My God" following by laughing out loud, and two more iterations of that, followed by a hardy WTF, and one more "Oh My God" for good measure.
April 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word censorship
Censorship, evil, or greatest evil?
April 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word hausfrau
Random tidbit, the word hussy is derived from housewife, which used to be something like houswif.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word impregnable
I think there are two different prefixes which both look like "im". The first is "not", and the second is roughly "in".
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word emoticon
There is no emoticon for what I am feeling.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bibliobituary
Several times I have found my way to an amazon.com page where the book was listed as out of print. It's like getting to the temple at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and it turning out that the grail had been destroyed 800 years earlier.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word clerestory
The etymology is clearly English, although from the spelling I can imagine that is why you'd think it was Latinate. Knowing the etymology, it couldn't be cle-RES-tor-y, but I give you full credit. Just assume that your ex got lucky.
I never did the spelling bee, but this seems like it would be a great word.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word i can't believe people still use the internet for stupid porn
And now I have the idea of word porn stuck in my head, and I can't even begin to fathom what that might be.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word apocryphal
That's a pretty odd quote. Martin Luther was certainly quite radical, though by today's standards his stances were quite conservative. The Apocrypha are "not regarded as equal" for a number of reasons, not the least of which that they don't adhere to the strict message portrayed by the Catholic Church. I can imagine how Luther would support their reading.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word anaptyxis
Interesting, I hadn't heard this one before, but I have noticed the vowel insertion many times.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word press here for a random word
Here's my plan for a t-shirt. On the back, you have "Press Here For A Random Word", and on the front, you have a big list of words, possibly the Wordie top 100, minus the first, and possibly removing the swears for those who wish the shirt to be school friendly. Or, we could vote for the words that go on it.
April 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the linguists
A documentary about Linguists and languages. I saw this excellent film yesterday and wrote a review here.
April 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word press here for a random word
I think it's funny if it is on the back. Then when someone pokes you in the back, you can shout a random word, like epicaricacy, rapprochement, or sidereal.
March 30, 2008
seanahan commented on the word barquentine
We could all chip in and buy a Wordie yacht. Or as a coworker said the other day, "I tried yacht.woot.com, but it didn't work".
March 30, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pullulation
He is using the third definition.
March 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the list dcduring-s-list
Or you could go Hebrew and say octopusim, but that might be taking it too far.
March 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word hector
Used recently by George Bush, CBS news
March 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word barquentine
Dictionaries tend to agree on teen.
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the list dcduring-s-list
Actually, octopus is Greek. If you want to be faithful to the original language, it should then be octopodes. If you want to do it the easy way, then you should say octopuses.
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word aide-de-camp
Like Secretaries General and Chiefs of Staff.
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word aid de con
According to this page, it is some sort of pun.
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word snuck
I prefer "Booth snuck up on Lincoln" over "Booth sneaked up on Lincoln".
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word seraphs
Shouldn't this be seraphim?
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word amazon wishlisted
Adding something to my Amazon wishlist. I feel like I do this a couple times a week, yet whenever I am actually at a bookstore, I also seem to find other interesting things to buy. Any others with triple digit wishlists?
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word biting the wax tadpole : confessions of a language fanatic (elizabeth little)
"You know who you are", sigh, yes I do. amazon wishlisted.
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word prosopagnosia
This word is fun to say.
March 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word hesitatingly
The way I see it, moving hesitantly is slowing moving towards a goal. Moving hesitantingly is moving in spurts, each of them hesitant.
March 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ulyssean
This is kind of bizarre.
March 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gilbertese
Could it be from Gilbert and Sullivan?
March 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word boffo
Used by Ford Prefect to describe a beach in California, I believe.
March 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word king hit
It would be awesome if the Australian version of Mortal Kombat used "king hit" instead of fatality.
March 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word spitzicaricacy
see spitzenfreude and epicaricacy.
March 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word spitzenfreude
I'm pretty sure you mean spitzicaricacy.
March 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word march madness
Friday is a holiday, so I don't have to take it off.
March 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word summatories
Interesting, I've always referred to sigma as the "Summation sign". Of course, in Latex it is just \Sum.
March 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word poop
You read Wordie in courtrooms?
March 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word jenny
Reminds me of the classic poem:
Jenny kissed me when we met,
Jumping from the chair she sat in,
Time, you thief, who love to get
Sweets into your list, put that in.
Say I’m weary, say I’m sad,
Say that health and wealth have missed me,
Say I’m growing old, but add
Jenny kissed me.
March 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word verbify
See also verbed and anthimeria.
March 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word krakenstein
Is this supposed to be some sort of Frankenstein joke?
March 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word beelzebub
Very interesting etmyology on this one. From Hebrew "ba‘al zəbûb", meaning "lord of the flies", a Philistine deity. Puts a whole new spin on that book. Answers has some more information on the etymology, including the possibility the Zebub was actually a place, and not a thing.
March 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word angst
First thing I could come up with was taking a document and converting it into the language of the Isle of Man, "Manxed".
March 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bacontarian
I don't see what's so strange about that. Bacon is a truly amazing food.
March 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word anthropomorphize
That's what I call, Dropping the APM bomb
March 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word philosopher's stone
"Reaching out to Joe Sikspak"? This should be "Six-pack", "Sixpack", or "Six Pack", right? Unless there's some joke here I'm unaware of.
March 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word metamorphosis
Somehow I just don't find it that funny. I think the Onion would have done a better job.
March 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word problematize
Wow, just wow. I think I passed out twice trying to read that.
March 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word assignation
Chris Matthews, on the recent Elliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, "How do these checks get written? I mean, we're talking about $5,000 for an assignation here".
Hilarious.
March 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word kung pao
Truly this is the greatest of all Chinese food.
March 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word conglobulation
That is really bizarre.
March 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ataraxy
See ataraxia.
March 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tunnel vision
"I want my tunnel vision
I need my medication
I want your arms around me
Wop bop dip bop doo doo doo doo"
-- "Little Fingers", Apocalypse Hoboken
March 11, 2008
seanahan commented on the list the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it
It's this list, and I feel fine.
March 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word esprit de corps
Do others often hear this with the first syllable taken off? Perhaps I just miss it since the stress is on the second syllable.
March 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word atrabilarian
From Webster's, "A person much given to melancholy; a hypochondriac. --I. Disraeli."
March 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word maccam
But then it isn't a palindrome!
March 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cholagogue
Apparently this means "promoting the flow of bile", a very odd thing.
March 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dentophobia
Next thing you know you'll be saying they should have their own schools.
March 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word monotreme
Note that one needs to be careful with the use of primitive in this context. WordNet is not.
March 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word exuviatory
From expiation
March 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the list sarahh-s-list
This has to be nominated for list of the year in some category...
March 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the word frisco
But they still say Philly Cheesesteak?
March 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word couscous
There's a commercial from a couple years ago where they say "Don't be such a couch couscous", and it has stuck in my head. Disgusting stuff, I have to say.
March 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word hizzoner
In Chicago, many refer to Richard J. Daley as hizzoner, and the title appears to be used in several other places.
March 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word verb
Verb is a noun, and noun is a noun. I enjoy words which describe themselves, and the opposite, words which don't describe themselves. Monosyllabic and polysyllabic have to be the champion examples for this phenomenon.
March 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word your gramma's roof
Obama's excused!
March 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word davy
But what does it mean?
March 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word verb
That's a fabulous language quote.
March 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word let's blow this popsicle stand!
It's an old person phrase.
March 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word footnote
Agreed, Good Omens is a fabulous read.
March 3, 2008
seanahan commented on the word and the horse you rode in on...
I've always wanted to use mix up phrases like this to confuse people.
"Get out of here, and don't let the horse you rode in on hit you on the way out."
March 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ashes to ashes dust to dust
When I hear this, I always think "ash to ash, dust to dust, fade to black".
March 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word beefism
There are a number of levels. Cow, obviously, is the first. Pig is at the second, with goat, lamb, and other higher mammals. Chicken, and other birds are generally at level 3. Fish occupy the fourth, and other weird aquatic animals are at the fifth level. So even the lowliest oyster is only 5 steps away from heaven.
March 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word beefism
Beefism is this religion I invented. The main idea is that animals, specifically cows, were created by God and given souls, and the end goal is for them to eat heaven. However, to ascend, they must be consumed by the angels of God, man. This means that you should eat as much meat as possible. Lesser animals, like pigs, are reincarnated up into cows, if they are consumed by humans.
Dogs are considered lesser angels, and they help man in his quest to consume meat. Cats are generally considered tools of Satan, as is Tofu. There are a number of schisms within Beefism, specifically as to whether or not the eating of horses is acceptable. Church doctrine says that horses are similar to dogs in that they aid man, but a growing group seems to think they qualify as meat animals. There is also an evil sect which believes that humans too have souls, and if they are eaten, they can ascend to heaven, but this heresy is stamped out wherever it is found.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word half-witty
An expression which is partially witty, or the kind of thing a half-wit would find witty, or some hybrid of the two.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word when hell freezes over
There are a number of half-witty jokes about for when you actually end up cleaning the darn dog that involve Satan's cold testicles.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word vampire power
Also a little known but growing movement among western vampires to gain equal rights with humans.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word analects
Often used to describe the collected writings of Confucius.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word analecta
The only variant I can recall seeing of this is in the analects of Confucius.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wewe
Listen to this mp3.
The Urban dictionary is the only one which defines this.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word neoteric
I just noticed that the edit distance between this word and neotenic is absurdly small.
March 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sciatic
Apparently it refers to the hip, or a region near the hip, although this doesn't fit with the citation below.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word thole-pin
This term is still somewhat in use, at least among Boy Scouts, specifically the rowing merit badge.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word disclude
The word I used when I couldn't remember exclude existed.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word disregulated
I said disclude once, when I meant exclude.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word verbificent
I can't believe it took 14 hours for someone to add the madeupical tag.
Although, Skipvia did make up a word in his response, the fourth to last, S-something or other, never heard of it before, I'll be glad if I never hear of it again, it sounds silly.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cyclopedic lexicon of sex
You should write a review on Amazon.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word how green were the nazis
I heard a radio interview where a woman talked about the Nazis being environmentalists, which is logical, but the woman kept using the word ironic, so I had to blog about it.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word smite
If you smite someone, they have been smitten?
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word neoteric
"Of recent origin, modern".
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word topology
Most commonly heard (by me) as a type of mathematics.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word topologist
Someone who studies topology.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground
A topologist is someone who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground, but can tell the difference between his ass and two holes in the ground.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ingress
The WordNet definition is confusing. Doesn't the celestial object disappear when the eclipse starts?
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word vagina dentata
I first heard this word in Snow Crash, possibly the perfect SF novel. It is a device which sits in the woman's vagina, essentially a sharp needle filled with a chemical to knock out a would be rapist.
February 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word round-headed intellectual
See pointy-headed intellectuals.
February 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pointy-headed intellectuals
I like to think of myself as a round-headed intellectual.
February 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sat word
And by "most people" you mean "most people who aren't on Wordie"?
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tragediously
Apparently an archaic form of tragically.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word greedlet
At work, whoever takes the last piece of cake after someone's birthday has to clean up, so people take progressively smaller pieces until there is too little left to be called a piece.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the pie and the pendulum
I think you mean Dr. Phil.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word vignette
Interesting this evolved into the more common present day meeting.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tincture
Everything has chains, absolutely nothings changed.
Take my hand, not my picture, spilled my tincture.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word skewes number
See this article by Isaac Asimov for more information.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word googolplex
Actually, mathematically speaking, you can view this number as tiny. Now Skewes number, that's freaking huge.
February 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word adventitious
Totally madeupical.
February 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word i'm allergic to cats
I actually am legitimately allergic to cats. I also fear and dislike them.
February 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word heuristics
Well, it comes up in the context of algorithms all the time, so I don't really have strong feelings about it either way.
February 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the user thesuperiorbeing
VanishedOne, there may not be a prohibition against linking to ghost words, but as a matter of personal preference I prefer to have something on each word. If you want to link to words that aren't in the database, that is just fine.
February 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lilaceously
That is a beautiful word. It sounds close to vivacious, which possibly tinges my perception.
February 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word book of gold
I guess that's why I'm not a librarian, although I've often considered dropping math, science, and computers for librarianism. I can't think of that first book that made me love to read. I've been reading extensively since I was maybe 8 years old, and while there are books I read back then that I still enjoy to reread, I can't think of a Book of Gold.
February 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word causa pro metrica
That makes sense, "causa pro metrica" could mean, "left out because of meter", meaning the poet left out specific information so that the poem would scan correctly.
February 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word broca's field
I believe this is the same as Broca's area
February 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ignosticism
Coined, I believe, by Rabbi Sherwin Wine , the founder of humanistic Judaism.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pitchers and catchers report
Well, I draw analogies or quote from Shakespeare all the time, and this must be terribly frustrating to a lot of people. Culture is a strange thing. The easiest way to explain or learn something is by analogy, and when everybody understands something really well, the analogies are easy. Now, I know that many people are not fans of baseball, unless you were raised on the game, it is not something you can jump into it.
I'll occasionally watch British tv shows, and they make references to football (soccer), cricket, British politics, general British specific culture, and I'll have no idea what they are talking about. The show "How I Met Your Mother" has a running bit where the Canadian character makes references that the Americans don't get, and it's so funny because she really sells the audience that we're supposed to be getting this joke.
Any time you have people of different backgrounds, different ages, genders, or races, even different neighborhoods, different schools, and in my line of business, born on different continents, you are going to have such problems. I have not read Bryan Garner, but reading his Wikipedia entry I imagine that I'll have to. Still, I see no way that we can revert to a language without cultural influences, and it would be a travesty of epic proportions to do so.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word vulturine
Good word.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word violence
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. -Salvor Hardin in Isaac Asimov's Foundation.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word eleventy one
It's been a while, but doesn't Bilbo celebrate his eleventy first birthday at the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring?
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tenty one
Now I have to check to make sure there is an entry for eleventy one.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word drake equation
See XKCD's recent treatment .
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word belgium
Looking at etymonline , "Used for 'Low Germany and the Netherlands'", which describes a number of different countries. The WordNet definition makes sense this time.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word apple-john
Also the bizarro version of John who develops Wordie on an iMac.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pitchers and catchers report
With pitchers and catchers reporting last Thursday, I thought about this again, and have come up with a suitably Wordie analogy for baseball.
Every pitch is a word, every inning a sentence, every game a page. Every season forms an epic novel. A fabulous pitch is like a particularly well chosen word. A wonderful inning, late game rally, it is a beautiful sentence, "It was awful living in that hell full of angels". Pitchers and Catchers report marks the beginning of the prologue. When your team doesn't make the playoffs, it's like the ending of a novel abruptly, frustratingly. A World Series victory is like the beautiful end to a classic novel, "it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known", or "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past".
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word truš�?
Apparently, it is Slovenian for the sound of a crash.
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word whipple
Also a medical procedure, See wikipedia
February 20, 2008
seanahan commented on the word turtle
And believe me, it's turtles all the way down.
February 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ukulele
Did anyone else notice that he pronounced the middle syllable in libido as "bye", as in, "li-bye-doh".
February 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word la-la land
Also Los Angeles.
February 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word truš�?
How does one pronounce the funny letters?
February 19, 2008
seanahan commented on the word malakomisia
An interesting idea, but slightly disturbing. The idea that we really have enough use for the term that we need a new one is frustrating. I think your word is a bit too out there to catch on.
February 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wordiepiphany
I've had quite a few, it's hard to pinpoint the first time I was really interested by words, but I can call a few smaller ones. I read in an essay by Isaac Asimov the etymology of the word delapidate, and was completely fascinated by how the word means something different yet somehow the same.
February 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ace and gary
Starring none other than Stephen Colbert.
February 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word longest word ever
There's a reasonable chance that John put a 2^7 character limit on Wordie entries. I probably would have made a similar assumption if I were designing this.
February 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word coriaceous
What I like to do with words like this is spend a minute or two enumerating the different conceivable pronunciations, and then guessing which one is correct. I got this one right.
February 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word coruscatively
See coruscate.
February 18, 2008
seanahan commented on the word valentinous
Definition?
February 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word whist
I first learned about Whist from Jules Verne.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word features
Skipvia, beware of lost comments.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word isn’t an agnostic just an atheist without balls
This is actually a very Wordie topic, since both of those terms have drastically different meanings, both by believers and non-believers.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word adamantine
The root word of Wolverines adamantium.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bicephalous
Zaphod Beeblebrox.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bicephalously
From bicephalous, meaning having two heads.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word histrionically
"I'm going to fall off Jim's willow!", Tom screamed histrionically.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word peanut butter cookies
I've never understood why someone would destroy a perfectly good cookie experience by leaving off the Hershey's Kiss.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word soda fountain
Also refers to the soft drink dispenser at fast food restaurants.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wantnought
wastenought wantnought?
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wastenought
wastenought wantnought?
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word memories of my mel, and holy whores
Recently banned in Iran, once they discovered what the title translated to.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word clue
It was a great movie.
February 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word hot wheels
Interesting, I never realized there was a difference between Matchbox and Hot Wheels, I always that they were referring to the same thing.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word noughts and crosses
I never realized tic-tac-toe had another name.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cóiste-bodhar
Fabulous movie, I remember it fondly when I saw it as a child. Features a very young Sean Connery.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the list a-manner-of-speaking-2
Don't worry about "borrowing" lists or list ideas. Wordie is what you want to make it. Don't pay attention to that crazy guy who came up with ten commandments.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word remote viewing
If by interesting, you mean crap, and by dabbled, you mean wasted taxpayer's money, then yes.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lady of the lake
A great episode of UCB .
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wordolesence
The upbringing of a Wordie.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word perpendicular
Sounds like a great Wordie upbringing, or wordolesence.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ghost in the machine
It's also used to describe emergent intelligence in computer programs.
February 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word afrit
Or efreet.
February 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word al
Can you replace "Best" with "Only"?
February 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word vincent
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen; they're not listening still,
Perhaps they never will...
February 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word clementine
Also my favorite Decemberists song. Also an Elliot Smith song, covered by the Decemberists.
February 12, 2008
seanahan commented on the word oriflamme
I always think of orcs when I see the word oriflamme.
February 7, 2008
seanahan commented on the list u-s-and-them
Hear Linus Torvalds pronounce Linux here , and in Swedish, for completeness.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word kalpa
Eastern thought certainly is a lot different than Western.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wrath
I make the same association.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the incredible lightness of boing!
Double so. Filistinism? I think you are referring to philistinism.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word oriflamme
I always think of orcs.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word blair
WordNet has a fairly random set of persons. See the definitions court.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word brave new word
Oh Brave New Word, that has such letters in it.
See madeupical.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sober tomorrow
Winston Churchill was probably the Wordie-est of 20th century politicians. Before that, it was probably Disraeli.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word winx
We all missed your winxsome smile Chained_bear.
February 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word laid
That's a great song.
February 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word kegs
Wow, combining two of my joys, words and stripping.
February 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word safety pin
That is the new craziest thing I have ever heard.
February 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ultrarevolutionaries
Five by Five, mollusque.
February 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word compile dance
When I've finally succeeded in fixing that last tricky compiler error and am able to run my code, I shout, "Compile dance", and spin my chair around, and wave my arms.
February 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word end of recession dance
When a recession ends, you jump up and do a little jig, reaching into your wallet and throwing $20 bills up in the air with joy. I did this yesterday when reading the Fed had lowered the interest rate another half point and someone told me this meant the recession was over.
February 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word deleterious
I almost always here this in terms of mutations.
February 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bender is the night
That's excellent, a quality reference, double pun, just fabulous.
February 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word palavery
Surely from palaver.
February 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word job in the morning
It would help if I had heard of Joy in the Morning.
February 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word painstaking
At first glance, "pain-stalking", but that probably isn't right.
February 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word painstaking
I always pronounce and hear it pronounced "pain-staking", but almost certainly it is "pains-taking", right?
January 31, 2008
seanahan commented on the word vain-glory
Most often heard in the adjective form, vain-glorious.
January 31, 2008
seanahan commented on the word job in the morning
Huh?
January 31, 2008
seanahan commented on the word candy corn
Lewis Black really hates it.
January 31, 2008
seanahan commented on the user super-julia
Honestly? I could go either way. Belief is a tough thing.
January 31, 2008
seanahan commented on the word argh
Well John, I flew halfway across the country, had dinner and drinks with family, went to bed, got up and went to an all day party with college friends, drinking and eating, passed out late that night, got up the next morning and visited with family, got back on a plane and flew home. I could have checked Wordie that night, but I was too tired, so come Monday evening, I was something like 1000 posts behind.
January 29, 2008
seanahan commented on the word shah
Groan.
January 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word quotative like
I enjoy how linguists come up with complicated terms for simple things.
January 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the least of the mohicans
That's clever.
January 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word troll doll
They still existed in the early 90s, although they won't particularly popular.
January 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the word argh
I've been down almost 1,000 after a weekend without internet.
January 28, 2008
seanahan commented on the list fauxlyrical
My oh my what a wonderful list
January 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fissilingual
A reference to our old friend Jack Abramoff.
January 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sealing wax
Hmm, so we weren't singing about Puff and ceiling wax?
January 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sticky bun
*sigh*, heavenly
January 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pompitous
So that's what he was saying. I bet if you asked 10 people on the street, 9 of them would have heard the song, and none of them would know this word.
January 26, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pixy stix
Kids in junior high used to snort this powder.
January 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word geis
See also geas.
January 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ambidextrous
Credit belongs to Yogi Berra, I believe.
January 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word regale
One could also see the entry for OEDILF.
January 25, 2008
seanahan commented on the word regale
He posts on several forums I am/was a member of, if that is the Chris Doyle being referred to.
Chris at the OEDILF
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word exeunt
Let's just stick to exit, shall we?
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word homoiconicity
Hmm, perhaps you should check Wordie more often?
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word palindrome
Best palindrome ever.
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word copremesis
Reminds me of the South Park where they eat in their buts and poop out their mouths.
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cornish hen
Often called Cornish game hen.
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dime
This has gotten weird.
Someone is smoking something.
Perhaps a dime bag.
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word powder-puff
To clarify, I left out a word.
I think the term initially comes from powder-puff FOOTBALL.
I guess my brain equated powder-puff so much with football that it seemed reasonable to leave off the last word. Strange.
January 24, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dime
I stole some ice cream
Then uselessness dropped the dime
Now I am in jail
January 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ceilidh
Random House has "key-lee", but the rest have "kay-lee". Bartleby has an audio sample attached, and there is a more noticeable pause in between the two syllables than in daily.
January 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word powder-puff
I think the term initially comes from powder-puff.
January 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word magic square
I had to grab my combinatorics text off my bookshelf to refresh my memory. Euler proved that an order 6 Latin square does not exist, and conjectured that it was also true for all odd multiples of 2. It turned out he was wrong about everything except 6.
January 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ecumenical
From David Eddings, referring to a character named Silk,
"Silk's depredations were broadly ecumenical".
January 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-5
16. Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field, and later Orchard Field. I got the clue right away, but had to look up the exact earlier name.
January 23, 2008
seanahan commented on the word stimthought
Also known as an "idea".
January 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word magic square
There's actually some cool combinatorics one can do with these magic squares.
January 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word twat
An amusing historical note from Wikipedia
January 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word messenger
Actually, that one makes sense. Message and passage, while both from French, came into Middle English, and once anglicized, they took on the English suffix. Massage came from French at a much later date, and has not been fully assimilated (thanks Bill!) into the English language, so it doesn't take on an English suffix.
From etymonline, "c.1225, messager, from O.Fr. messagier, from message (see message). With parasitic -n- inserted by c.1300 for no apparent reason except that people liked to say it that way (cf. passenger, harbinger, scavenger)."
Apparently, the n is excrescent.
January 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the list here-there-be-dragons
There's a great cartoon called Flight of Dragons , with John Ritter one of the voice actors. Highly recommended. *Cough* available at you tube.
January 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ancient of days
I had a list of eight million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine names for God, but I gave up at that point.
January 22, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the blank slate (steven pinker)
I actually enjoyed the polemic parts of it. Pinker and I have very similar philosophies of life, politics, science, religion, etc., so I felt he was preaching to the choir. It's always nice when famous intellectuals agree with you.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word courtesy
Least likely post ever.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the story of english (robert mccrum)
I'd rate it a little higher, perhaps 3 stars. It was a bit dry and not really re-readable, but it packs a lot of information and isn't boring.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word le ton beau de marot (douglas r. hofstadter)
This has been on my must read list for about a year, I'll have to bump it up to the top.
I think that GEB is not particularly accessible unless you already understand Godel's incompleteness thereom. A good knowledge of Bach also helps.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the stuff of thought (steven pinker)
Anybody who enjoys language should read this book.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the language instinct : how the mind creates language (steven pinker)
What's the total number of stars? It doesn't matter, I rate this book as infinite stars.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word heuristic
It's important to note that "experience" doesn't necessarily imply human experience. A computer can examine sample problems to come up with heuristics, it is a standard technique in artificial intelligence.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word witch-hare
Whsst!? Is that like Psst?
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word powerblog
But what does it mean?
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word love spoon
Hmm, is there a love spork?
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ppl
Also population.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word app
Also application.
Edit: As in killer app.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word black hole
Those are the best kind of jokes, the one where a simple physical truth is expressed in a profound manner.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gyp
I've been told not to use gyp, because it is racially offensive to the Gypsy people, better known as Romani.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word muleteer
The original novel by Dumas was The Three Muleteers, but a clever editor decided to change it.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word oikoumene
Also oecumene, see middle earth.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word accubitus
Is this kind of like spooning?
Notice the root is the same as for succubus and incubus, with the prefix a meaning not.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the list xx-age
Oh my God, it's a mirage, I'm telling y'all it's sabotage?
Also camouflage.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word middle earth
oikoumene?
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word drownded
I enjoy the excellent way you expounded on that theme.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the list wordage
It seemed to work to make me cooler (relatively, of course) when I was 14, but I think that these days it wouldn't work. For words where the "age" suffix wouldn't work, we used "action". So instead of bondage, you'd have bond-action, or for barrage, barrage-action.
January 21, 2008
seanahan commented on the word worry
I'm going to have to print that out for my cubicle.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the word deceptively
That is a hilarious article.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the word exenterate
To disembowel.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the word photic sneeze reflex
Nice use of exenterate.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the word uncircumcised
I noticed some secret hints John dropped about a pregnancy, but I didn't think it was polite to say anything.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the list wordage
When I was around 14 my friends and I used to use -age as a suffix for just about everything, to denote coolness.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pumpernickel
It's not. It was made up at a bar by a radio guy who later reported it as the true etymology. After being confronted and asked for proof, he confessed.
January 17, 2008
seanahan commented on the word mike hunt
This one's a classic. I would have listed it, but was beaten by a couple hours.
January 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word longbow
How does one conceal a longbow?
January 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word mediæval
I thought I was, or knew, all the different types of nerds, but typography is a new one. It's good to have you aboard.
January 16, 2008
seanahan commented on the word enchatress
That's quite clever.
January 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word the great death game
That is really quite odd.
January 15, 2008
seanahan commented on the word senescence
Third Wordie reference to this New York Times Magazine article today.
"If she were 10 or 15 years younger — Lynne is 39 — she might be Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler, blowing away the “American Idol�? panel with her earthy, passionate voice and booking a ride to the top of the charts. While 39 doesn’t necessarily mean senescence in pop music the way it once might have — Bruce Springsteen picked up his most recent No. 1 album at age 58; that’s eight years older than Frank Sinatra was when he recorded “Strangers in the Night�? — it is a little long in the tooth to be looking for your first big hit."
The author might deserve some kind of vocabulary award.
January 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word doyenne
From the article John recently linked on Errata, New York Times Magazine
"That particular week in early November was a good one for country pop; landing ahead of Krauss on the charts, at No. 1, was Carrie Underwood, the “American Idol�? ingénue whose second album, “Carnival Ride,�? sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week. And Reba McEntire, the country doyenne, also reached No. 1 a few weeks before that with an album of duets."
January 14, 2008
seanahan commented on the word bugs
I imagine John, that at some point you call toLowerCase or the Ruby equivalent on the string before putting it into the database. Since Ž is not a-zA-Z, the method would not doing anything to it. I doubt any programming language is smart enough to recognize the bizarre Unicode characters that have upper and lower case associated with them.
Edit: I'd actually meant to use square brackets as in regex syntax for a-zA-Z. Obviously that didn't work, but I think it turned out well anyway.
January 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word inhabitable
Are you sure that habitable and inhabitable mean the same thing? I always assumed that they were opposite.
January 11, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gumbo
Pure etymological ecstasy. How many English words come from Bantu?
January 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word dabiba
Arabic meaning "to abound in lizards".
January 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word tabaadawa
Arabic verb meaning "to pose as a Bedouin".
January 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the word okra
That's a great article from the New York Times, which for me is saying a lot, since I have very little respect for that paper.
January 10, 2008
seanahan commented on the list knots
I don't see mooring hitch, also known as fireman's hitch or highwayman's hitch, according to wikipedia.
January 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word imho
That's why "humble" is preferred.
January 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loblolly
There are 2,380 hits for "loblolly gruel", so I think it is valid.
January 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word melee
This is one of those words that I don't know the preferred pronunciation so I will alternate between the two most common, unknowingly.
January 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word btwers
How would one pronounce this?
January 9, 2008
seanahan commented on the word rocococococopy
Ornate clone of designer Chanel?
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word banananananamed
Fruit that grandma dubbed?
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word crisisisisisin
Emergency situation that an Egyptian goddess experiences?
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word gpl
The GNU Public License.
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word copyleft
Often used to describe the GPL, the GNU Public License.
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word commonism
I wonder if this usage of copyleft predates the GPL?
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wordie
That's what her name is.
Lingo is a very frustrating show, since the players always guess really stupid words. One should examine the letter pattern of the English language and guess words that have the most likely letters.
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word rococo cocoa
This brings to mind my favorite Crossword Puzzle ever, from the New York Times.
Clues:
Difficulties currently had by Osiris's Wife
Fruit given title by Grandma
Artistic style aped by designer Chanel
Answers:
crisisisisisin
banananananamed
rocococococopy
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word brobdingnagian
Also part of the name of a great band, The Brobdingnagian Bards .
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sn a j
I'm afraid I don't get this one.
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word referent
That seems about right. Is there a difference between what you are saying and the WordNet definition above?
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word différance
I got as far as "Différance is a French neologism coined by Jacques Derrida and homophonous with the word différence." and decided to stop.
January 8, 2008
seanahan commented on the word metaphotography
I don't think it is spam, it's just a bit confusing. We all know what meta means, and we all know what photography means, but what exactly they mean when put together is not clear. For example, metaphysics is almost completely different from physics. One is about the universe, and the other is about the mind.
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word impacted
The issue at hand is that the noun impact, as in "Have an impact" is being used as a verb, with impacted as the past tense. This is getting confused with impacted, the adjective, as in impacted bowel.
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word différance
What does it mean?
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cohort
So to decimate a legion would be to remove a cohort?
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word novelty
The google search should be self explanatory
. Basically it is a blanket term for ice cream bars, frozen candy bars, ice cream sandwiches, and all other variety of typically frozen prepackaged desserts.January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word pestilence
The WordNet definition lists 3 senses, the above, "any epidemic disease with a high death rate", and "a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of". The second is what you are referring to. The third is the metaphorical sense.
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word novelty
See my rant about how I hate the term "Ice cream novelties".
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word wordie
"Forget sexy, he's bringing back Wordie", the blonde girl on lingo talk about Chuck Woolery.
January 6, 2008
seanahan commented on the word visualizar
The internet is ridiculous.
January 5, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cute as a button
Folk etymologies anyone?
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word schpring-schprong biscuits
I just spent the last two minutes saying schpring-schprong in a variety of accents.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word cute as the dickens
I prefer cute as a button, which doesn't really mean anything more, but sounds nicer to me.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word thin mint
The one benefit of having sisters in Girl Scouts. I actually prefer samoas.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word aracataca
Most recognizable to me as the inspiration for Macondo.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word nuß-ecken
I wish English could drop an entire letter from the alphabet. I nominate y and c.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word neotony
There are a lot of evolutionary tales about neotony, including the "Juvenile Ape" hypothesis for human evolution.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word axlotl
This is the primary case of neotony.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lot'll
Add to that the comedy of the Father of SonOfGroucho and a Wordie is born.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word auld
I'm typically the defender of WordNet, but that's just absurd.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word headdesk
See facepalm.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word porte cochere
A covered entryway for people getting out of vehicles.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loden
A fabric used in coats, the color of a deep olive-green.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word robot
I recently saw this play, and it was quite excellent. The issues raised about industrialization, outsourcing, international politics, and sentience of machines are becoming more important today than they were when it was written. I also detected quite a few subtle jabs at Communism.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word virulent
That's an excellent metaphoric use of virulent.
January 4, 2008
seanahan commented on the word neologist
This is a great word, why isn't it more favorited?
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 most likely to be found staring at the grass off in left field
Good idea, tagged appropriately.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the list words-from-table-talk-s-five-words-contest
The one starting with "Given the atrocities" is a beautiful use of language.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 best knee-slapper
The Characters for a Jewish Star Wars list is quite funny, but also a bit too short for list of the year status. Sionnach's list is amusing, but not quite up to knee-slapper. The winner then, is Reesetee's Name Suggestions for Event Bigger SUVs and Trucks , a truly hilarious list.
The "Ultra-Compact" list is also funny, and can be considered "an extension of Reesetee's award winning list".
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 most innovative
It is clear that the most innovative list has and will continue to inspire imitators. That list is the Journey of a 300-Year-Old House . Congratulations to Chained Bear, who I hope will continue to push the envelope with what we do here at Wordie.
When you see something innovative, please use the tag "innovative".
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 best meta list
After much deliberation, and philosophizing on the true meaning of "Best Meta List", I have hereby decided that the Best Meta List for 2007 was the excellent The Several Stages of Wordie Addiction . Congratulations to Reesetee, who successfully described exactly how the rest of us act.
The tag "meta" has already been in use and hopefully will be continued into the next year.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 best aesthetic bang for your buck
Please tag words that are aesthetically pleasing with the "aesthetic" tag for future judging.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 best aesthetic bang for your buck
Georgielily does indeed have some wonderful lists, but the most aesthetically pleasing has to be Trivet's, Smock, Smock, Smock list. Congratulations for this list of the year.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 most likely to be found staring at the grass off in left field
After thorough examination of all of the wonderful lists, I found myself completely ball snookered as to what to pick. However, each of the other nominees had some kernel of sense, some thread to hold it all together, but the winner was so completely random that I found myself in the grass in left field, and had to trek back to my apartment to finish judging this category.
The winner is the Festival of Randomness . Congratulations to Uselessness.
For next year, everyone should tag lists with "left field" for everyone to keep track of them.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 best all around
Since we didn't have specific nominees for this list, I'm going to close this category for 2007.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word loty07 most educational
And since it is the only nominee, congratulations to It has a name?? , the most educational list of 2007.
As 2008 progresses, everyone should tag lists they feel are educational with that tag, and then we can look at the end of the year for favorites.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word hummer
Also, ..., well, never mind.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word ephemeromorph
Is this used to describe a virus?
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word drool
Almost all of the linked dictionaries offer the drivel definition for drool. WordNet lists both definitions, although it strangely has the nonsense definition as the primary synset.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word sacerdotal
Most useful definition ever. One only hopes that sacerdotalism will help.
January 2, 2008
seanahan commented on the word lacustrine
Funny, I've pretty much only seen this wonderful word in translations.
December 31, 2007
seanahan commented on the word defenestration
The list of the most popular words is Wordie Top 100 words .
December 31, 2007
seanahan commented on the word hobocore
What are you referring to?
December 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the word intriguingly
You'll have to explain this one.
December 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lorry
More commonly today used in British English to describe trucks larger than a pickup.
December 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the word trattoria
I had to look up lorry, which is a British term I've never heard used in America.
December 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the word zelator
I assume this word has a root of zeal.
December 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the word pogonotomy
Interesting use of gentile in definition 2, I wonder what historical relevance it has.
December 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the list tom-swifties
I added one to anonymously, but I haven't really written many, so it might not be any good.
December 28, 2007
seanahan commented on the word anonymously
"We'll have a rodent soon", the man said anonymously.
December 28, 2007
seanahan commented on the word intriguing
First of all, awesome WordNet definition.
Also, what's the deal with that spelling. I stared at the word for thirty seconds before looking it up to determine I had it spelled correctly.
December 28, 2007
seanahan commented on the word anonym
As Bilby says, intriguing.... I suppose when doing this you are being anonymous, but I would have thought this meant to go without using any name.
December 28, 2007
seanahan commented on the word generalist
There used to be such a thing as a Renaissance Man, which was a revered title.
December 28, 2007
seanahan commented on the word viscocity
The definitions are provided by WordNet, but a comment with the definition is sufficient. I think the problem is that this word should be spelled viscosity.
December 28, 2007
seanahan commented on the word avauntular
See avuncular.
December 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word circumjacent
That passage is so poetic that it's difficult to figure out what's actually going on.
December 26, 2007
seanahan commented on the word dropalme
That makes sense, thanks.
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word syllogistic
Now we have to define what the meaning of the word "is" is. If I am being illogical, but say that I'm being logical, have I now changed the meaning of the word logical? You are making what I would call a "false syllogism", which is fine, but I'm of the opinion you can't just change the original meaning with the false meaning. I would say,
1. same as above,
2. Falsely used to describe specious (often subtly so) reasoning.
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the list lessons-in-marxism
Groucho would definitely have been a Wordie.
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word pajamas
Ah, prepositional attachment humor, good stuff.
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word musings
I hadn't really noticed, but now that you mention it, it is kind of annoying.
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word software development
I would think "Ruby on Rails" might be a bit more accurate as magic tech word.
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word puce
That's great chained_bear, do you recommend buying the whole thing? Stan Freberg's "The United States of America" box set on Amazon
December 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word dropalme
I don't get it.
December 24, 2007
seanahan commented on the word merry christmas
I like to say Happy Christmas and Merry New Year.
December 24, 2007
seanahan commented on the word syllogistic
Actually, before you do a syllogism, you have to convert into first order logic.
1. Peanut_butter_sandwich > nothing
2. there does not exist X such that X > eternal_happiness
From this, you can't reason the way you said.
December 24, 2007
seanahan commented on the word merry christmas
As a male, I think I can say that most wars are caused by men. So I'll change it towards "Peace for men and goodwill for all of earth".
December 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ensorcell
Clearly it's from the Middle French ensorceler.
December 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word merry christmas
Regardless of whether you are religious or atheist, I think we all agree on "peace on earth and goodwill towards all men".
December 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word cosmos
From the Greek, this mean "order", which is the opposite of chaos.
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word brontephobia
And the winner is...
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word brontophobia
It's a race for the first hilarious comment to be posted brontephobia.
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word syllogistic
I'm fine with definition 1, but definition 2 is somewhat suspect.
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word merry christmas
I think you mean we're all trying to be secular. Nondenominational, to me, implies unspecified religion, particularly unspecified Christian, and typically all Christians support Christmas.
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word gnostic
It's silent.
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wikipedia
Anyone can make a Wikipedia page.
Edit: But rereading the Wikipedia page creation rules, I think this site tends to fall under their mission statement.
Edit2: By "fall under", I mean it doesn't fit into what they (the mods) want for there to be a page.
December 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bends
My baby's got the bends
December 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word serenity
Serenity now...
December 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word buffy
That line still makes me sad.
December 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bitch
It is the "bitch seat", "riding bitch" is short for "riding in the bitch seat".
December 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word interregnum
I know this from Foundation.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bitch
The same as in "Life's a bitch". I also like riding the usage, "riding bitch", describing being the one stuck in the middle backseat of a car.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word shibboleth
It arises naturally, but it is used deliberately to distinguish between the groups.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordkeeper
See listmaster and Ghostbusters
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the list globivore-guilt
I was at a grocery store in Urbana, Illinois, and came across Red Peppers all the way from Israel, which I thought was pretty strange.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word gradu
So gradu is a hypernym of Specific Excrement ?
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word gradu
So gradu is a superset of specific excrement?
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word listmaster
The natural counterpart to the listmaster is the wordkeeper.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word aleph-null
Which leads us to my favorite thing, the continuum hypothesis.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word festivus
Running to check...
By the bathroom criteria, I would warrant a second date! Of course, I'd probably say or do something terrible to offend her, but at least I would have been prepared.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word big bad
It was hard to beat the big bad of the first season, the Master, although season 3 with the Mayor came close. It got progressively worse until the awful big bad of season 6, but season 7 was definitely a good way to go out.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-4
12. From the hint, element 63 is europium, and element 95 is americium.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lexisphere
I would say the English lexicon is the domain of all English words, and lexome would refer to only the words of a specific language, so they seem to overlap.
December 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word abscondite
portmanteau?
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word stocious
I'll tell you why, because we like to drink, and we believe there's no such thing as too much of a good thing. Because nothing really ever made sense to us, and as we grow older we realize that all the authorities figures in our life, the Catholic Church, the British Monarchy (or for us in America, the Government), minute differences between people causing so much violence, the worldwide epidemic and famine and pestilence, all of it. And when we drink, it all just kind of goes away.
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word tamara
Never smelled this, but I want to.
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word vocatives
Is this the first yo mamma joke ever?
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word annus horribilis
And Uselessness reminds me of the book I read in Spanish class, "Alexander y el dÃa terrible, horrible, espantoso, horroroso"
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word tinker
I see nothing wrong the use of tinker as described by WordNet. tinkerer is probably closer, but I'd understand both.
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word grimmoire
Ah, thanks for the clarification.
December 18, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ataraxia
I first heard this word as the title of track 3 of the Everclear album "So Much for the Afterglow", which was about a short statement about anti-depressants.
December 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bhagavata
See also Bhagavad Gita on Wikipedia
December 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word slag-ass macaroon
What's an ass macaroon?
December 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-4
4. Marx?
December 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word grimmoire
I've typically heard this used as black grimmoire, to describe a place where evil secrets are kept, or spells for necromancy.
December 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word horrendously
That's awful, so awful that it actually becomes funny.
December 14, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lackadaisically
This is a classic, provided you've read one of the greatest books ever written.
December 14, 2007
seanahan commented on the word rapoldonion
The only google hits are for Wordie.
December 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word hijos de puta
see also hijo de puta.
December 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word church
I love Thomas Paine.
December 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word man-who story
As a person who has studied logic quite a bit, I can say I don't actually think like that. What VanishedOne did was essentially proving what is called modus tollens. I would have phrase the problem as to prove "not for all X, man(x) -> tall(x)", and by moving the negation across the universal quantifier, you get "exists x such that not man(x) -> tall(x)", and by expanding the implication, "exists x such that not(not man(x) or tall(x))" and by distributing the not, you get "exists x such that man(x) and not tall(x)", which means if you find a 7 foot tall man, you have disproved the original statement that all man are below that height. Again, this is proved for you already in modus tollens, you never actually have to perform this proof. Larger logic proofs do however take this kind of form.
Lewis Carroll actually wrote a book about logic.
December 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word librartarian
That's really an awful pun, but it took guts, I'd vote for him.
December 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word quixotically
Hmm, I don't get this one.
Edit: Wait, quick-sotted-ly? I get it, that's hilarious.
December 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the list postpositive-adjectives
Uh, Scotch is Scottish Whisky, which they just call Whisky when you're in Scotland. There is also Whiskey, which is typically Irish, although many places make it now.
December 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word inadequate
Seinfeld did a whole bit on the growing "fear of success" in society. Deep down, I think we all long to be in the upper middle strata of society.
December 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word librartarian
A libertarian librarian.
December 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word herstory
Random House says history is "one who knows", while AHD says it is "learned man", which is probably indicative of the time it was used.
December 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word möbius fax
Is there actually a twist involved in this, or is this a circular piece of paper? How does this physically work? It doesn't seem like it would be easy to automate this.
December 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word erotology
That's great news John, best of luck with the new job.
December 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word smut
This page has more info WordNet definition of smut
December 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordiescenti
A play off of cognoscente.
December 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordiescenti
Coined by Asativum on hagiothecium.
December 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word v8
According to United States law, the makers are legally allowed to called this V8, despite the fact that v7f1 would be a more appropriate name.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word vim
That is quite the strange triplet of comments.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-4
1. Tubman (Harriet is the clue, if that helps with the others, as well as Underground Railroad)
After getting the first, I thought the rest would be easy, but I couldn't get any of them at first glance.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordout
Like a blackout.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word era
That sentence is a standard example in computational linguistics, used to describe how damn hard it is to do just about anything.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ghostly eunuch
See fraighteunclned if that wasn't obvious.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word fraighteunclned
Those are hard words to spell. Every year my Mom has me proofread the family Christmas letter, and every year she misspells ghostly eunuch.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word handless
Apparently this means awkward or clumsy. I guess this makes sense, if you think about what dexterous actually means.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word gormless
I would say disconcerted means you are no longer giving a concerted effort, so the term holds. Also, you have a word like handful, but clearly you wouldn't ever need handless, it is a meaning full concept. Something can be full of wonder, or it can be normal.
December 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the list word-guidelines-for-wordie
I usually use AHD, but if I'm on a campus network, I'll use the OED.
December 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word duress
That's quite clever.
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the list lists-of-the-year
Must have missed your last post Arby, list dutifully added.
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word loty07 most educational
Arby nominated It has a name??
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word filmwankers
This is a great word. I agree with Chained_Beat wholeheartedly. I would probably also use this word to describe anyone who didn't like The Princess Bride, or anyone who listed Harry Potter as one of their favorite movies.
Maybe we can also use this to describe people who watch movies based on books but never actually read the book. I'm thinking Jurassic Park, LotR, and "I, Robot"(not actually based on the stories),
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word nunnery
The WordNet definition listed seems just a bit redundant.
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the list a-place-for-everything
Get thee to a nunnery.
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word woomera
As the US attorney general says, there is no habeas corpus in the Constitution. Why should Australia be any different?
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the list tip-top-toponymic
There's always champagne. There are of course a whole host of other alcoholic drinks with place names, bordeaux, shiraz, etc.
December 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word decimate
Actually pomegranate, linguistically speaking, common does tend to make it correct. A lot of words we use have different meanings now than when they were coined. We can't expect all words to keep the correct Latin meaning. delapidate, for example, doesn't mean what it does today, do you have a problem with that?
December 5, 2007
seanahan commented on the word leguministas
As coined on sproutitude.
December 5, 2007
seanahan commented on the word sproutitude
Remember to bracket your words.
leguministas.
December 5, 2007
seanahan commented on the word all-new
Also brand-new.
December 5, 2007
seanahan commented on the word absquatulate
This is a great word, it's so fun to say.
December 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word jaffa
Of course, there's also the fact that everyone in the galaxy speaks English.
December 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word polyptoton
I think Rolig means noun phrase. I would tend to agree with Bilby, and for this purpose, and Ockham's razor, it makes sense to consider text to be an adjective.
December 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordie blogs
I've recently started a blog at http://seanahan.blogspot.com/
December 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word quark
I'm down with what you're saying Sionnach, that quarks have a certain charm, although that sounds pretty strange. You're usually on top of such things, and cut straight to what's up and getting to the bottom of such things. Hopefully bashing WordNet is just a flavor of the week, since it isn't actually a dictionary.
December 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word saccular
Having the form of a sac. Pretty straight forward.
December 2, 2007
seanahan commented on the word anal spur
See Wikipedia.
December 2, 2007
seanahan commented on the word taser
I think my main idea of WOTY was for it to be a new word, because otherwise we are choosing from a much larger pool of words. Most such lists award a neologism from that year or a word which no one had heard before that year. For example, truthiness existed, but in a different sense, and nobody had heard it. We could split into different types of word of the year if that's what people want.
December 2, 2007
seanahan commented on the word sepulcher
In America, I've seen sepulchre a couple times.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word jaffa
I enjoy how MacGyver always mispronounced this word. Everyone else on the cast at least tried to pronounce it.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word deja lu
Now I want to define deja screw, but that will only end badly.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word pegleg
True story Bilby, that happened to you? I often find myself explaining to people how Eskimo's (their term, I'm told Inuit is correct) don't really have hundreds of words for snow when English only has one. This is a gross misunderstanding of language, and really some sort of anthropological hoax perpetrated by the Whorfians.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word pique
I've often heard the expression "fit of pique", using the primary definition of "A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride" to mean acting out of wounded pride.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word nosism
I was thinking nosismitist.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word taser
Especially since this is an old word. If someone else wants to run the WOTY categories (Uselessness, were you volunteering?), this would go under "Finally caught on" or something along those lines.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-3
The done/Donne seems to me like quite the red herring. I never would have put those two together, even though I read a done/Donne pun earlier today!
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word thac0
Pronounced "thay-co".
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the list have-you-met-dick
Reminds me of that scene from Austin Powers, I wonder if that's the inspiration for it.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word phalynx
Also, there's fauxlynx.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word grim resignation over missing post-holiday comments
I'm in the midst of catching up with over a 1000 comments, and it's not pleasant, all of the good jokes are already taken!
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lingerie
It's because of the voiced postalveolar fricative.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word astaraceae
see asteraceae.
December 1, 2007
seanahan commented on the word shitmax
When I saw shitmix, this word sprang to mind. It is like argmax, if you know math. When you have a whole bunch of bad things that can happen, it invariably ends up being the shitmax.
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bra
I interpret it as panties go over both legs, where as the bra is worn over the chest.
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word singularitarian
Wow, just wow. I think all philosophy should be taught with Gilbert and Sullivan.
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word fuzzy wuzzy
See also fuzzy.
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word moe, larry and curly
The various combinations are listed here,
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word loty07 most innovative
Action movie in 50 words , although this came after Journey of a 300-Year-Old-House, I liked it a lot.
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word loty07 best knee-slapper
Linked here, Name Suggestions for Even Bigger SUVs and Trucks
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word cabal
I think so. It should only be used rarely, unless, of course, you are paranoid.
November 27, 2007
seanahan commented on the word gravy train
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?
We call it riding the gravy train.
November 25, 2007
seanahan commented on the word shuffle off this mortal coil
The original is from Hamlet.
See here for some interesting notes: Phrase explanation
November 24, 2007
seanahan commented on the word cackhanded
See this discussion on Wordcraft
November 24, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bagpipes
That's a great joke.
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the list what-s-the-word-for-that
Is there a name for the thing when you hold both hands palm up and kind of lift them as you shrug?
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the list what-s-the-word-for-that
Before facepalm, I didn't have a good way to describe it.
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the word cancer
A professor had a mug which said "F*%& Cancer". Someone came up to him and said, "That's not a nice word", and he responded, "Yes, but since that's the name of the disease I have, I feel justified in using it". It's a horrible illness, and our ability to stand tall and laugh in the face of death is part of what makes us human.
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordieoisie
The "word-ee-wah-zee", to sound like bourgeoisie. I guess this would be Wordie's middle class, but it's just so much fun to say.
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the word thanks
Thanks John for all your hard work in making this a great community.
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the word weirdoise
Not to be confused with the wordieoisie.
November 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the list lists-of-the-year
Added. I'm going to say Best All Around is decided first, so that the same word doesn't win that and another category.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word features
We can just tag words as misspelled.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lucky star
Earworm alert!
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word tagony
It may be bad, but by properly tagonizing over your tags, you can achieve a state of tecstasy.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lagomorph
hopping through the forest
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the list on-the-border
OreIda is a brand name, although they use a hyphen.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word cheese it
Describes how Bender runs away, typically after committing a burglary.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the list exit-strategy
What about cheese it?
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word psa
A public service announcement.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word deretartratered
Let me try to elaborate. :)
The winery didn't want to tartrate their wine, but the government insisted, forcing a tartrater on them, meaning they where tartratered. They appealed, and the appeals court detartratered them. The case went to the Supreme Court, who upheld the initial ruling, meaning the winery was retartratered. Finally, the President pardoned the winery, resulting in the unprecedented action of being deretartratered.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lost comments
PSA:
Little Boy: I missed that great comment, what happened?
LeVar Burton: When you went from posts 200-300 to posts 100-200, there had been 10 new comments added, so you lost comments 201-210.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word penvy
Sure, that's clearly what this is a portmanteau of.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ouroboros
A couple years ago I was ONE letter away from making this word in Scrabble.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word illiana
There is a Illiana Christian high School
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word texoma
See texhoma.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word texhoma
There is a border city name Texhoma , but there is also a lake named Texoma.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word fellatiate
I think you want fellate.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word loty07
Ok, anyone who wishes can feel free to make a category, and then I will make a list pointing to each of the words which represent.
Post categories to List of Categories for List of the Year 07 . I suggest funniest-loty07, etc., but others may wish a different standard.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the list lists-of-the-year
Please post categories for list of the year here, and then post the nominations to those pages.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word röschti
Mmm, sounds tasty.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ptyalism
If my dentist had used this word, it might not have been so awkward.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lozenge
It was a funny limerick, but perhaps it was my oedilf days which led me to think the whole time that the stresses ended up on the wrong words. With no offense intended, I'll offer up this slight change.
Mr. Yarb was a Wordie renowned
and his views on what rhymes were quite sound
they offered up "lozenge"
to rhyme against "orange"
and he promptly dropped dead to the ground.
November 22, 2007
seanahan commented on the list consonant-storm
"Once more into the labio-dentals, comrade" should be your new catchphrase, it is hilarious.
November 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the list at-least-two-apostrophes-or-your-money-back
'twasn't the night before Christmas.
November 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the word boulevard of broken dreams
The distinction between Wordie and Phrasie is not entirely clear, since it is difficult to define what exactly a word is.
November 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the list triads
How about latvia, lithuania, estonia and hammer, anvil, stirrup?
November 21, 2007
seanahan commented on the list michaelchang-s-words
Do you invent a lot of words in your short stories?
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word digressive
I was thinking that there must be a form of tangent that means this, but tangential means something different.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word orangest
I can honestly say that I've never used the word orangest, and I can't recall having ever heard or read it. I've heard greenest, bluest, and reddest. I don't think I've heard yellowest or purplest, although they both are recognized as words. This is pretty strange. Perhaps if enough people add it to their words, we can start a movement for the dictionaries to add it. Anyone know a lexicographer?
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word candid
I knew someone who ran the auto spellchecker on an essay and ended up with a paper on Voltaire's Candid.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word gimps
Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word mersenne primes
see gimps
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word advertising
I'm cool with advertising on the site. For those with AdBlock, the ads were blocked by default, so if people want them or don't want them, they can control it themselves.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word quondam
Now that's some WeirdNet action.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word moral bankruptcy
It's definitely "Hear Hear".
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ghits
I didn't invent this term, this is how I saw it. Next thing you know you'll be sticking an hyphen in email.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word orangest
Orange is listed as an adjective in the dictionary, I assume that oranger and orangest are implicit.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the list what-does-xkcd-mean
Funny, they've got my life down almost perfectly.
This is a funny book related comic
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word oracular
This is a fabulous sounding word.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wallflower
Don't forget that there are perks.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word marlovian
Refers to Thomas Marlowe.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the list beauty-is-truth-truth-beauty
I really enjoy anemone as a word, although I could care less about what it actually means.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word logomancer
Used by John on bibliomancy. Also, apparently, a Wikipedia user
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word nesiote
Can anyone find an etymology? I couldn't.
November 20, 2007
seanahan commented on the word surreal
Knuth is an icon. He wrote the Dancing Links algorithm to solve Sudoku several years before the game was invented!
November 19, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ghits
The number of google hits for a search term.
November 16, 2007
seanahan commented on the word whg per bp
I've heard ghits which is a bit cleaner.
November 16, 2007
seanahan commented on the list grasshopper-s-words
John has a long mustache.
November 16, 2007
seanahan commented on the word beref
You've have unleashed me onto this Internet, and now I will ravish and scourge it.
November 16, 2007
seanahan commented on the list grasshopper-s-words
Grasshopper, the chair is against the wall.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word beref
Random word took me here, and I'm not sure how to get out. There are no links to any other words or lists. I guess I'm stuck here until somebody let's me out.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word word of the year
I understand what you're saying, there are so many good words and lists that it would be really hard to pick out the top ones, and some awesome stuff from 8 months ago would be left out. I'll have to think about this some more.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordieing
The act of using Wordie.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the user john
Hey John, what's the feasibility of tags on lists, and comments on tag pages? These are very minor feature requests, but if they are easy to do, that would be awesome.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word john
Ouch John, not even the first one to list your own name. I picture you putting Wordie online like opening an amusement park, and Riddley runs past you to get into the line for the best roller coater.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the list grasshopper-s-words
Bandersnatch is ok, because Lewis Carroll just kind of made it up. Testiculate was made up with a different meaning, as a portmanteau, but we probably need a different term for existing words which we make up new meanings for. Flustrated goes back to 1700, so it is officially not Madeupical, and neither is nounal. You can tag both as "real", or "nonmadeupical" if you like.
Of course, I have no authority, but people tend to listen to me because I talk so loudly that they can't hear anybody else.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wordieternity
I also feel like this is a possible use case:
"I was out of town for the weekend and the recent comments overflowed so I couldn't read them all." "Dude, a weekend? That's a wordieternity!"
Of course, I also like C_B's usage, "Madeupical will go down for all wordieternity as a classic."
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word comate
Used to describe a comet in the OED citation, "1600 FAIRFAX Tasso XIV. xliv, How comate, crinite, caudate starres are fram'd."
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word crinite
The earliest site from the OED is "1600 FAIRFAX Tasso XIV. xliv, How comate, crinite, caudate starres are fram'd I knew.", which probably means something to someone.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word nerf herder
Is it frightening that I actually consider that to be crucial information?
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bam
An ancient city, destroyed 4 years ago.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word postnatal hunger
Maybe Chained_Bear has learned how to read lips. Then she literally would have seen someone utter something. Bam.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word xd
It doesn't really work in the upper case either, ;P
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word toty07
See the tag page Words tagged with toty07
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word loty07
Evidently we can't put tags on lists. So for the time being we'll just list them here.
Action Movie in 50 Words
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word woty07
Not actually nominated, just added the tag for completeness. See the tagged words
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word loty07
This tag is used to apply to "Nominated for List of the Year in 2007".
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word toty07
This tag is used to apply to "Nominated for Thread of the Year in 2007".
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word woty07
This tag is used to apply to "Nominated for Word of the Year in 2007". In 2107, we'll have to have John III fix it.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word word of the year
Because we will form some sort of nominating committee, we don't have to worry about THAT WHICH WILL NOT BE SPOKEN winning. I envisioned us choosing only madeupical words (not really fair for me to use that here), but rare words that no one had chosen would also be useful.
So we have the tags
woty07 = word of the year 2007
toty07 = thread of the year 2007 (we'll include all threads at this point and figure out later what to do with multi-year threads)
loty07 = list of the year 2007
Other categories can possibly come in the future.
November 15, 2007
seanahan commented on the word word of the year
If we can get the nominations together by November 25, that would be great. I think it will be hard to get everything together by then.
November 14, 2007
seanahan commented on the word word of the year
I originally suggested that we tag things as shirt, since I don't think punctuation in tags is good.
November 14, 2007
seanahan commented on the word word of the year
I propose that Wordie do a word of the year. John, can we do a poll somehow? Also, if enough people are interested, we could put the voting on the front page. We could also do things like comment of the year, thread of the year, list of the year, etc. Then, John could get a special gold star to add to the appropriate pages. Possibly silver, bronze, and nomination stars for others.
Suggestions for various categories and input on details on how this will work are appreciated. Eventually, we'd start a "X of the Year: 2007" page and take nominations. Some group of us, possibly the league of extrawordy gentlemen, possibly an independent group, possibly John if he wants to, can sift through the nominations and come up with 5 or so to be put onto the poll, which people can vote for at some point in December.
We should also get John's input to check if this poses any technical challenges on his end.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word winchellism
I always think of Joe DiMaggio when I hear Winchell.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word upper volta
This is an old term for Burkina Faso.
Sometimes I think there is something wrong with me, that I could make better use of my brain cells.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word jude law
His semester abroad was excellent.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word galvanize
This word is actually an eponym. It belongs on a number of lists.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word boustrophedonically
I'm sorry, but as a programmer I read that pdf and am almost about to cry. There is a reason modern program languages evolved.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word einhänder
I've never heard of a "one-hander" sword, although I have heard of a bastard sword referred to as a "hand and a half" sword.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word hoover
Nobody does it like you, the way that you do, C_B, nobody, does it like you.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ingenue
Compare this to disingenuous.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word surveil
I like this word, but I am a sucker for spy shows.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word blackjack
More importantly, all of the the words that have kj that pronounce both letters are compound words. The j in Reykjavik is different than the normal English j.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word features
It would be ideal to be able to edit a comment, as you can on almost every message board I post to. If people are concerned about people editing messages and screwing up the flow of conversations, I would say have an "Edited" marker that a person could click on for the original post.
November 13, 2007
seanahan commented on the word rank
For the record, the row on a chess board is named in direct analogy for the line of soldiers. I would imagine the hierarchy term comes from this as well.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ridonkculous
Another character on that show used the shortened form ridonk, which made me angry. This is definitely a frat boy word.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word donkey
It certainly isn't.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word stronger
Ah yes, Kanye West, Nietszsche scholar.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word jacobean
Apparently, the Latin cognate for James is Jacobaeus, which leeds us to this word.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bourgie porn
A word in the article I'd never seen before, treacle.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word intoxicated
I probably say sex would have to be up there as well.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word tagging
At some point, I suggested using a version of Roget's thesaurus, which is in the public domain, to provide more information to words. I don't really like tagging the opposite word as a regular tag, it is very confusing. If we had a separate "synonym" and "antonym" area, we could avoid this issue.
November 12, 2007
seanahan commented on the word endorheic
A closed water system, including many lakes, like the Caspian Sea.
November 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the list quiz-time-3
Rumble in the Jungle! I got one. I have some guesses, but I'll save them until I've thought about them some more.
November 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word senior's moment
I've only ever seen it as senior moment.
November 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word vowel
Why?
November 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word autolysis
And you wonder why Peta might be against animal testing...
November 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word philomathy
see also polymath.
November 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word hirquitalliency
I'm not sure if this is madeupical or just exceedingly rare.
November 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word shiner bock
An excellent beer made in Texas.
November 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word womonym
I don't think so. Homonym has an actual meaning, whereas womonym would be a female nym.
November 10, 2007
seanahan commented on the word fission
"He (American biologist William A. Arnold) could have gone to Berkeley to pick up radioisotope technique, but would have missed living in Copenhagen, learning from de Hevesy - would have missed contributing a coinage to the gamble that is history.... 'Later that day Frisch looked me up and said, 'You work in a microbiology lab. What do you call the process in which one bacterium divides into two?' And I answered, 'binary fission'. He wanted to know if you could call if 'fission' alone, and I said you could'"
-- From "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes, Frisch referring to Otto Frisch, who with Lise Meitner first postulated nuclear fission.
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word travertine
From a Roman poet in 1938 describing the arrival of Hitler:
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word annealing
I actually studied simulated annealing in class today, funny coincidence.
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word naughties
Back in 1999, I decided to call them the aughts, and I've kept to my convictions.
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word featherstonehaugh
And you wonder why America had a revolution. This was one of the Intolerable Names, and was the driving force between the Declaration of Pronunciation. See also worcestershire.
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word pundigrion
They have slain the Earl of Murray,
and on him punned the green.
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word perfervid
Another example is perforce.
November 9, 2007
seanahan commented on the word iridule
From this page
His (Nabokov's) wife later explained “iridule�? to a curious reader: “We have often had the occasion to watch it at Telluride Colorado, in 1951. It is single i.e. not a double rainbow, like the “Twinned Iris�? of the previous line, fairly rarely seen and most attractive.�?
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lamellibranchia
see lamellibranch.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lamellibranch
Apparently this is also known as lamellibranchia.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word bivalvia
A class of mollusks containing scallops, oysters, clams, and mussels. see malacology for an exciting jaunt into the stunningly confusing world of taxonomy.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word lamellibranch
Finally, we've reached somewhere that means something. This is a class better known as Bivalvia.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word monomya
Oh, of course, "An order of lamellibranchs". This is order includes oysters, and as far as Wikipedia is concerned, doesn't exist. It seems to exist only in dictionaries.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word monomyarian
From the free dictionary, "a. 1. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Monomya.". Thanks a lot.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word malacology
see monomyarian
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the list snaily-clammy-squidy
You need to use &91; for left square bracket and &93; for right square bracket.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the list snaily-clammy-squidy
Test post with and
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word preterist
see iridule
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word eternian
Someone from Eternia.
I have the POWER!
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word limpet
It's funny, because 8 years on, nobody every mentions it, and I can't remember the last time I thought about it.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word front door
I'm not sure what you are referring to.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word facepalm
Hitting your palm against your forehead in frustration.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word jawdrop
When your drops in awe at something complete unbelievable. Also used to describe a physical motion is facepalm.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word dollar
The best etymology ever.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word clitterati
jawdrop
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word logodaedaly
"playing with words", nothing people on Wordie would like, as evidenced by the only 2 lists which it appears on.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word worcestershire
I get confused because you only pronounce a few of the letters.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word diamond
WordNet is a bit different than a normal dictionary. Diamond has a general physical definition, which we all know. The term diamond is typically used to describe a piece of diamond mounted on some sort jewelry. This is the most commonly used, which is why it is the first definition WordNet gives.
Looking at the WordNet entry should be illustrative.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word listlessness
Yes, we should have a 4 s cap on any username.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word stirrup
Not true! Stirrup pants!
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word caparison
Janny Wurts really likes using these old school words, which is where I first heard this one.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word squire
Essentially, the meaning of the words knight and squire flipped.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word criniere
Crin is apparently Latin for horse hair.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word crapple
Holy crip he's a crapple.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word plethron
That is really strange, I would have assume that plethora and plethron came from the same source, but apparently they were just similar sounding Greek words.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word finger
Also, a unix command to get information about someone.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word cuy
According to Wikipedia , these have been a common food source for 7 millennia.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word clockpunk
How is this different than alternative history?
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word trait
Apparently, the trailing t is silent in Britain, but never in America, where you would not be understood.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word barren
I wouldn't say poor choice of words, I would say cruel. The usage is ironic, which is normally a good thing, but in this case, the words were being used for evil.
November 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word barren
I don't think it actually means without child in that sense. The normal sense is unable to conceive children, and in this case, the woman was deliberately barren, that is, deliberately not conceiving.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word juliet balcony
I don't seem to remember any balcony scenes in Romeo and Juliet.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word raif
Interesting John, I hadn't heard of this, although from the connection to raid I knew roughly what it was.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word juliet balcony
That site doesn't mention the etymology, and I could never possible guess what it might be.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word knack
Offensive? I find it apropos.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word zhubov scale
This isn't made up? How many Zhubov's balls do we have today?
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word hubble
It is enormous in earthly terms, not in economical terms.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word helek
1080 = 360 * 3, which implies some relation to Babylonian measures.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word arcminute
That's 360 degrees times 60 minutes per degree.
November 7, 2007
seanahan commented on the word venust
The t really takes away from the beauty of the word.
November 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word tartar
Let them have their tartar sauce.
November 6, 2007
seanahan commented on the word impleach
Wait, impleach means the same thing as pleach?
November 5, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wella, wella, wella
Yes, it is a line from Summer Nights.
http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/g/grease8951/summernights302648.html
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word whortleberry
Wow, "erect European blueberry", hilarious.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word amaranthine
The closest I can think of would be to say bon mot, but it doesn't describe this specific situation.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word potato love
It's a brilliant term from a brilliant writer.
Also, it describes how I feel about potatoes.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word detartrated
I say onward to 200,000! Zipf be damned!
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word dimwitticism
This could be used for good or for evil. This would be great to describe a particularly stupid pun or an idiotic word like enginerd. However, it could be used by others to describe a lot of the comments that I leave.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the list writer-writer
People tend to have lots of words for their group, writers just happen to write them all down.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ithyphallic
I failed miserably.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word fnord
What are we going to do tonight chained_bear?
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word haitch
Evidently I'm a bad Irish Catholic.
November 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word wolfram
I made a very bad joke today, about the makers of Mathematica suing the periodic table, resulting in tungsten. When nobody laughed I said "too obscure?", and they replied, "too unfunny".
November 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word nanook
The term "Nanook of the North" stands out for me, and it appears to be a 1922 movie, see IMDB . Weird, I wonder why an 85 year old movie pops so quickly to my mind.
November 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word tags
Uh oh John, he knows too much.
November 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word free rice
I must have missed that one.
November 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word schwartz
Low Brow! Mel Brooks is not low-brow! I was actually looking for, "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine, let's see how you, handle it".
Ok, that was definitely pretty low-brow. Maybe this game isn't as fun as I thought.
November 3, 2007
seanahan commented on the word schwartz
Cauchy actually would go with Schwarz, but I'm looking for a whole sentence, not just a single word.
November 2, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ask
In the year 3000, everybody says axe.
November 2, 2007
seanahan commented on the word alpestrious
How exactly is something overrun with alps? Also, I discovered that alpestrine is a word.
November 2, 2007
seanahan commented on the word schwartz
A new game, somebody posts on a word, and the first person to answer with the correct comment wins! Anybody can pick a word to select, and anybody can respond with the answer. The trick is, no clues can be left.
Ready? Go.
November 2, 2007
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