tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313792232024-03-13T14:10:57.489-07:00Everyone Is Jumping Off the Brooklyn BridgeIshmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-27819693973467075022009-06-18T13:05:00.000-07:002009-06-18T13:08:10.141-07:00Moving the blog...If anyone's still watching here, I've moved the posts for "Words to Your Mother" to it's own dedicated site at:<br /><br /><a href="http://wordstomother.blogspot.com/">http://wordstomother.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Maybe I'll finally get around to ending the two and a half year hiatus... We'll see...Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1163019532731592802006-11-08T12:58:00.000-08:002006-11-08T12:58:53.053-08:00Word Search to Your Mother<p>A reader contributed the following puzzle, made entirely of words covered in "Words to Your Mother". And I do mean <i>entirely</i>. If you find all of the words, there will not be any letters left. As such, to create more of a challenge, I am not providing a list of words in the puzzle: You'll have to figure out for yourself which words they are. You should be able to find 79 words, most or all of which you can find on my last <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-101st-anniversary.html">word index</a>. (I don't believe there are any from more recent posts.)</p><p>Here you go:</p><pRE style="text-align: center; font-size: 14pt;">WEREVENANTERATONYMENIUQK<br />HKDNPANGRAMTSIDOPORIHCUH<br />OHNUBVERISIMILITUDEVITAA<br />MCOJEEDULTSOPETARETEVNIR<br />UTIEARPIGNIFFUGCAMSTBULA<br />KOTJUPFRONLAMIXAMEASAQBN<br />LHCPCDHNOZAEHCUOLRSILNOA<br />UCEEOPRIEPIRYABAUURLEEDW<br />KTRRUSIALDIHAIHHOOEUEHHB<br />SYREPEICCOANCHURGALBNEIC<br />IROSPSMSAOLHQSOAIBBMNMSH<br />SECTUUUBOYNOCUMECUAAUAAU<br />PNRRTESOAEUIGSISTGCNITTR<br />EOEONOCCRRHNAYTTHISMVOTL<br />LOPKRKRUUOATENEUYDAOILVI<br />LRYIONEGDLNZORRASARSROAS<br />YTHAKUEIBAAIAPARBMIZTGVH<br />SLAKEJDRHRCRCDAYDEXAUIAA<br />PANACEAPEDARBAACHTUNGSSG<br />HPARGIDIMPRESSFULSOMETTI<br />TUETROPLOCONTEMNEVLOVEDM<br />EDUTITRECITCILCNEOCTAVEA</PRE><br />Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1163016834669395982006-11-08T12:11:00.000-08:002006-11-08T13:00:02.986-08:00Words to Your Mother: Hiatus<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiatus">Hiatus</a> is the temporary state that this <span>blog</span> is entering while I do some traveling. I'm not completely sure how often I'll be near an Internet connection, and I don't expect to have much time to make these posts while I'm gone in any case. (In my preparation to leave I haven't even had much time to make them while I'm <i>here</i>.) I might post occasionally, but don't expect my roughly daily post to show up again until early December.<br /></p><p>A few things to help hold you over while I'm gone:</p><p>The menal_floss <a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/2813">blog</a> has a nice little list of words today. See if you can guess which ones are realy and which aren't.</p><p>Also, if you want to keep up your vocabulary while I'm gone, here are thirty words randomly selected from the list of words that I've been considering posting about. (The total list would be over 150 words at this point.) I've assigned each word a day for the next month should you choose to go back and research any of them. (I may still use some of these when I get back.)<br /></p><p>November 8: hyacinth<br />November 9: whinge<br />November 10: recazier<br />November 11: telemores<br />November 12: mata hari<br />November 13: hemantaschen<br />November 14: piquante<br />November 15: melanoma<br />November 16: caprice<br />November 17: declension<br />November 18: poxy<br />November 19: fin de siecle<br />November 20: triptych<br />November 21: chalet<br />November 22: tureen<br />November 23: sonata<br />November 24: diaspora<br />November 25: lannguorous<br />November 26: funereal<br />November 27: abortifacient<br />November 28: aphorism<br />November 29: furtive<br />November 30: ichnologist<br />December 1: scrye<br />December 2: bugaboo<br />December 3: mycelium<br />December 4: inveterate<br />December 5: usurer<br />December 6: ferous<br />December 7: xenial<br />December 8: zylorimba</p><p style="font-size:10px; text-align: right;">technorati tags:<a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/words">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hiatus">hiatus</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px;">Blogged without <a title="Flock" target="_new" href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock">Flock</a> :-( </p>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1163011667294619352006-11-08T10:43:00.000-08:002006-11-08T10:48:12.253-08:00Words to Your Mother: Rumspringa<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumspringa"><i>Rumspringa</i></a> is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_German_language"><i>Deitsch</i></a> for a "running around". In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish">Amish</a> community, this is a period in which Amish youths are <a href="http://www.theweekmagazine.com/article.aspx?id=1706">encouraged</a> to explore the "English" world before deciding to live permanently in the Amish community. This usually lasts from age sixteen through to the early twenties. During this time the Amish youths experience things normally considered sinful, potentially including dating, driving, drinking, smoking, and drug use, among other things. <a href="http://www.theweekmagazine.com/article.aspx?id=1706">According to the Amish</a>, around 80-90% of these youths return to their communty.<br /><p style="font-size: 10px; text-align: right;">technorati tags:<a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/words">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary">vocabulary</a><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogging"></a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pennsylvania%20German">Pennsylvania German,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Pennsylvania%20Dutch">Pennsylvania Dutch</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Amish">Amish</a><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/spam"></a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px;">Blogged without <a title="Flock" target="_new" href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock">Flock</a> :-( </p><br /><br /><p/>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162804565836619622006-11-06T01:10:00.002-08:002006-11-06T01:17:01.346-08:00This blog is officially legitimate<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>It has attracted attention. How do I know? I just had my first <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-octave-poetry.html">comment <span>spam</span></a>.</p> <p>(The message itself has been deleted, but I left the name and time as a memento of this special occasion.)<br/> </p> <br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogs" rel="tag">blogs</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogging" rel="tag">blogging</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/comments" rel="tag">comments</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/spam" rel="tag">spam</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162724584680909182006-11-05T02:57:00.002-08:002006-11-05T03:04:06.600-08:00Words to Your Mother: Bicameral<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">A <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=bicameral">bicameral</a> government is composed of two separate legislative chambers or branches. The U.S. government is one example of this, since it has both a Senate and a House of Representatives.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bicameral" rel="tag">bicameral</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162633775388193672006-11-04T01:43:00.002-08:002006-11-04T01:52:01.156-08:00Words to Your Mother: Apophenia<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>You might be a victim of neuroses (being unwanted mental lack of mental fitness) if, unlike most folks, you have encountered the <span>symptoms</span> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia">apophenia</a>.</p> <p>For example, your tendency to see patterns in otherwise meaningless data might lead you to look suspiciously for a hidden message in every tenth letter in the first paragraph of this post. <a href="http://www.mhsource.com/expert/exp1010504e.html">Lunatic</a>.</p> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/apohpenia" rel="tag">apohpenia</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/lunatic" rel="tag">lunatic</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162544819184322482006-11-03T01:00:00.000-08:002006-11-03T01:08:11.446-08:00Words to Your Mother: Revenant<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span>Revenant</span> can mean a few things:</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=revenant">revenant</a> is one who returns after a lengthy absence.</p> <p>Another type of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenant_%28fiction%29">revenant</a> is a person who returns from the dead (i.e., a ghost), possibly to achieve a specific goal (e.g., taking revenge on their killer). I believe this is the most common form of the word.<br/> </p> <p>Revenant can also be an adjective meaning something typical of a revenant. Of course, since I firmly believe the dead aren't wandering around, I'm not really sure what a typical sound of a dead person would be. However, "revenant shrieks and groans" is one example phrase that should give you a rough idea.</p> <p>Revenant can also mean returning or recurring. I would guess this is the least common of the four uses.<br/> </p> <br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/revenant" rel="tag">revenant</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162458690275434312006-11-02T02:04:00.000-08:002006-11-02T01:13:33.230-08:00Words to Your Mother: Crepuscular<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Something that is <span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=crepuscular">crepuscular</a></span> is dim or like twilight. It can also refer to animals that become active during twilight or between twilight and sunrise.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/crepuscular" rel="tag">crepuscular</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162365411394648802006-11-01T00:10:00.003-08:002006-10-31T23:35:11.866-08:00Words to Your Mother: Irascible<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I'm slowing down... I believe this is the first time that I've had a (approximately) 72 hour gap between posts. So, to catch up (although I still insist that this isn't necessarily a daily feature), I will use <a href="http://www.flock.com">Flock's</a> "<span>blog</span> this" feature to minimize the amount that I have to write. I'll try to minimize my laziness for future posts. Until then:<br/> <blockquote cite="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/irascible">i·<span>ras</span>·<span>ci</span>·<span>ble</span> Pronunciation (-rs-bl, -rs-)adj.1. Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered.2. Characterized by or resulting from anger.</blockquote><p class="citation"><cite cite="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/irascible"><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/irascible">irascible - definition of irascible by the Free <span>Online</span> Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.</a></cite></p> <p/><p/><p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/irasicble" rel="tag">irasicble</a></p></div><br /><p><strong>Edit:</strong> Due to a daylight-saving-related time warp, this post is listed after the two following posts. Go figure.</p>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162366411947783262006-10-31T23:31:00.000-08:002006-10-31T23:33:32.156-08:00Words to Your Mother: MacGuffin<p>My third and final (for the moment) lazy-catch-up post:</p><br /><br /><blockquote cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin">A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin or Maguffin) is a plot device that motivates the characters and advances the story, but has little other relevance to the story.The director and producer Alfred Hitchcock popularized both the term "MacGuffin" and the technique. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Hitchcock explained the term in a 1939 lecture at Columbia University: "[W]e have a name in the studio, and we call it the 'MacGuffin.' It is the mechanical element that usually crops up in any story. In crook stories it is always the necklace and in spy stories it is always the papers."</blockquote><p class="citation"><cite cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin">MacGuffin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></cite></p><br /><br /><p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/MacGuffin" rel="tag">MacGuffin</a></p><div style="clear:both; padding-bottom: 0.25em;"></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162365913537137832006-10-31T23:24:00.000-08:002006-10-31T23:25:43.256-08:00Words to Your Mother: In medias res<blockquote cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res"><p/></blockquote><p>Again, I'm feeling lazy, so I'll let Wikipedia speak for me. I will note that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation"><i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i></a> epsiode <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspicions_%28TNG_episode%29">"Suspicions"</a> is one of many examples of this technique.</p><br /><br /><blockquote cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res">In medias res (Latin for "into the middle of things") is a literary technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead of from its beginning (ab ovo or ab initio). The characters, setting, and conflict are often introduced through a series of flashbacks or through characters relating past events to each other. Classical works such as Virgil's Aeneid and Homer's Iliad begin in the middle of the story.</blockquote><p class="citation"><cite cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res">In medias res - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></cite></p><br /><br /><p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/in%20medias%20res" rel="tag">in medias res</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Latin" rel="tag">Latin</a></p><div style="clear:both; padding-bottom: 0.25em;"></div><br /><br /> </p>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162103185670536952006-10-28T23:19:00.002-07:002006-10-28T23:35:20.260-07:00Words to Your Mother: Slake<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">To <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=slake">slake</a> is to satisfy or quench ("to slake one's thirst), to moderate ("to slake one's anger"), to refresh by moistening, or to combine lime wit h moist air. It is more common in older English, but still in modern usage.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/slake" rel="tag">slake</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162019299005948412006-10-28T00:01:00.002-07:002006-10-28T00:09:09.260-07:00Words to Your Mother: Poltroonery<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Double-post today to make up for a missing day:</p> <p><span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=poltroon">Poltroonery</a></span> is cowardice.</p> <p><br/> </p> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/poltroonery" rel="tag">poltroonery</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/poltroon" rel="tag">poltroon</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1162019208496727982006-10-27T23:59:00.002-07:002006-10-28T00:09:01.570-07:00Words to Your Mother: Scroobious<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runcible_spoon">Scroobious</a> is a word from the nonsense poetry of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lear">Edward Lear</a>. It is applied to people to imply disapproval of their conduct; however, it is not a real word.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/scroobious" rel="tag">scroobious</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Edward%20Lear" rel="tag">Edward Lear</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/nonsense%20words" rel="tag">nonsense words</a></p></div><blockquote></blockquote>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161847522700235682006-10-26T00:22:00.000-07:002006-10-26T00:28:28.123-07:00Words to Your Mother: VitaA <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=vita">vita</a> is a short account of a person's life. More than one vita would be vitae. A vita can also be a <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=curriculum+vitae">curriculum vitae</a> (which is singular in this case), which is <span>basically</span> a resume (or, if you prefer, <span class="hw">resumé</span>, or if you just want to be snooty, <span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/resume">résumé</a></span>)<br /><p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vita" rel="tag">vita</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vitae" rel="tag">vitae</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/curriculum%20vitae" rel="tag">curriculum vitae</a></p><div style="clear:both; padding-bottom: 0.25em;"></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161757481939180112006-10-24T23:17:00.002-07:002006-10-24T23:25:49.866-07:00Words to Your Mother: Mukluk<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukluk">mukluk</a> is a soft boot made of reindeer skin or sealskin and worn by <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=mukluk">Eskimos</a>.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/mukluk" rel="tag">mukluk</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/shoes" rel="tag">shoes</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/eskimos" rel="tag">eskimos</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Inuits" rel="tag">Inuits</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161708170145287632006-10-24T09:35:00.000-07:002006-10-24T10:03:20.520-07:00Words to Your Mother: Hoi polloi<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=hoi+polloi">hoi polloi</a> are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_People">common people</a>.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hoi%20polloi" rel="tag">hoi polloi</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161628319943417282006-10-23T11:25:00.000-07:002006-10-23T13:22:43.426-07:00Words to Your Mother: ສະບໃຢດີ (sabaai dee)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Today, we again venture into southeast Asian linguistics with a consideration of ສະບໃຢດີ (pronounced "<a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Lao_phrasebook"><span>sabaai</span> <span>dee</span></a>" or "<a href="http://www.geocities.com/lao_thai2000/index"><span>sa</span>-<span>baaj</span>-<span>dii</span></a>"), which is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_language">Lao</a> (or, if you prefer, Laotian) for "Hello".</p> <p>Lao is closely related to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language">Thai</a>. Laotian generally uses the Thai alphabet for writing, and I believe that the phrase discussed here is the same in both <span>languages</span>, as well as in <span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan">Isan</a></span>. Like the related <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-joom-reeup-sooa.html">Khmer</a> alphabet, this is an <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-abugida.html">abugida</a></span> (or <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/writing/syllabic.htm">syllabic alphabet</a>) rather than a true alphabet.<br/> </p> <p>As with <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-cho.html">Vietnamese</a>, Lao is a highly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonal_language">tonal language</a>. I can't claim to be an expert on <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/writing/lao.htm">Laotian tones</a>, but I believe the following to be the correct interpretation of this phrase:</p> <blockquote><p>ສະ = <span>sa</span> (with a low rising tone)<br/> </p> <p>ບໃ = bay (with a low tone)<br/> </p> <p>ຢ = y (with a low rising tone)<br/> </p> <p>ດີ = <span>dee</span> (with a low tone)<br/> </p> </blockquote>In practice, you may still be understood without the proper tones for such a common phrase (especially given the contexts you would be most likely to use it in), but it is definitely better to try to achieve the proper tone when speaking.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/%E0%BA%AA%E0%BA%B0%E0%BA%9A%E0%BB%83%E0%BA%A2%E0%BA%94%E0%BA%B5" rel="tag">ສະບໃຢດີ</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sabaai%20dee" rel="tag">sabaai dee</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sa-baaj-dii" rel="tag">sa-baaj-dii</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hello" rel="tag">hello</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Lao" rel="tag">Lao</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Laotian" rel="tag">Laotian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Thai" rel="tag">Thai</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Isan" rel="tag">Isan</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/abugida" rel="tag">abugida</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/syllabic%20alphabet" rel="tag">syllabic alphabet</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tone" rel="tag">tone</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tonal%20language" rel="tag">tonal language</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Vietnamese" rel="tag">Vietnamese</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Khmer" rel="tag">Khmer</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Cambodian" rel="tag">Cambodian</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161499219165103512006-10-21T23:33:00.000-07:002006-10-21T23:40:19.186-07:00Words to Your Mother 101st Anniversary Index (10/21/06)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>And to think I missed my own anniversary...</p> <p>The main feature of the blog that wasn't supposed to last more than a week or two has now reached its 101st anniversary. The 101 words that I've included below (not counting <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-fosters.html">Foster's</a> or words that shared a definition under another word's heading) represent what you may or may not have learned so far. Honestly, I don't remember what many of them mean myself. Here's your chance for a refresher. Note that seventeen of the words below fail Flock's spell-check (not counting words marked as non-English or the phrase "Rashomon effect", which includes a proper noun). Enjoy.<br/> </p> <p><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-abrade.html">abrade</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-abugida.html">abugida</a></span><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-achtung.html">achtung</a></span> (German)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-agape.html">ἀγάπη (agape)</a> (<span>Koine</span> Greek)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-amiga.html">amiga</a></span> (Spanish)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-apothecary.html">apothecary</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-apotheosis.html">apotheosis</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-avast.html">avast</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-axed.html">axed</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-baleen.html">baleen</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-bodhisattva.html">bodhisattva</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-brae.html">brae</a> (Scottish)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-bwana.html">bwana</a></span> (Swahili)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-beaucoup.html">beaucoup</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-caduceus.html">caduceus</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-certitude.html">certitude</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-cho.html">chào</a></span> (Vietnamese)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-chiropodist.html">chiropodist</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-churlish.html">churlish</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-colporteur.html">colporteur</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-contemn.html">contemn</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-danke-schn.html"><span>danke</span> <span>schön</span></a> (German)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-de-rigueur.html"><span>de</span> <span>riguer</span></a> (French)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-decimation.html">decimation</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-devolve.html">devolve</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-digraph.html">digraph</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-discomfit.html">discomfit</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-dobar-dan.html"><span>dobar</span> <span>dan</span> (добар дан)</a> (Serbo-Croatian)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-dong-ma.html">懂嗎 (懂吗/dong ma)</a> (Mandarin Chinese)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-draconian.html">draconian</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-ebay.html">ebay</a></span> (Pig Latin)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-ekorn.html">ekorn</a></span> (Norwegian)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-embarazada.html">embarazada</a></span> (Spanish)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-enclitic.html">enclictic</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-ennui.html">ennui</a> (French)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-estuary.html">estuary</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-facinourous.html">facinorous</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-fata-morgana.html"><span>fata</span> <span>morgana</span></a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-flustrated.html">flustrated</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-fulsome.html">fulsome</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-ganef.html">גנבֿ (<span>ganef</span>)</a> (Yiddish)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-grotto.html">grotto</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-hakuna-matata.html"><span>hakuna</span> <span>matata</span></a> (Swahili)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-harangue.html">harangue</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-hematologist.html">hematologist</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-hypercorrection.html">hypercorrection</a></span><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-icthys.html">icthys</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-impeachment.html">impeachment</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-impress.html">impress</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-inter-arma-enim.html">inter <span>arma</span> <span>enim</span> silent <span>leges</span></a> (Latin)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-inveterate.html">inveterate</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-f.html">!*(f ^^/~ (i<span class="ipa">œ <span>yye</span></span>)</a> (<span>Oou</span>)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-jejune.html">jejune</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-jiffy.html">jiffy</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-joom-reeup-sooa.html">ជំរាបសួរ (<span>joom</span> <span>reeup</span> <span>sooa</span>)</a> (Cambodian/Khmer)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-junk.html">junk</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-khara.html">khara</a></span> (Sanskrit)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-klaatu-barada.html"><span>klaatu</span> <span>barada</span> <span>nikto</span></a> (fictional language)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-lacuna.html">lacuna</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-languorous.html">languorous</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-louche.html">louche</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-maximal.html">maximal</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-meretricious.html">meretricious</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-miter.html">miter</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-momento-mori.html"><span>momento</span> <span>mori</span></a> (Latin)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-nest-ce-pas.html"><span>n'est</span>-<span>ce</span> pas</a> (French)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-noblesse-oblige.html">noblesse oblige</a> (French)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-nuqneh.html">nuqneH</a></span> (Klingon)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-octave-poetry.html">octave</a> (poetry)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-panacea.html">panacea</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-pangram.html">pangram</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-perestroika.html">perestroika</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-phantasmagoria.html">phantasmagoria</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-philology.html">philology</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-picayune.html">picayune</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-postlude.html">postlude</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-prig.html">prig</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-propinquity.htmlhttp://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-propinquity.html">propinquity</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-quail.html">quail</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-quest-ce-que-cest.html"><span>qu'est</span>-<span>ce</span> <span>que</span> <span>c'est</span>?</a> (French)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-quine.html">quine</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-rashomon-effect.html"><span>Rashomon</span> effect</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-schadenfreude.html">schadenfreude</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-schizoid.html">schizoid</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-screed.html">screed</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-selah.html">סלה (<span>selah</span>)</a> (Hebrew)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-somnambulist.html">somnambulist</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-sont-les-mots-qui.html"><span>sont</span> <span>les</span> mots <span>qui</span> <span>vont</span> <span>tres</span> <span>bien</span> ensemble</a> (French)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-souma-yergon.html"><span>souma</span> <span>yergon</span></a> (<span>Wolof</span> [?])<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-spick-and-span.html"><span>spick</span> and span</a><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-sushi.html">sushi</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-syllepsis.html">syllepsis</a></span><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/07/words-to-your-mother-tchotchke.html">tchotchke</a></span> (Yiddish)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-teratonym.html">teratonym</a></span> (not a real word)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-uff-da.html"><span>uff</span> <span>da</span></a> (Norwegian)<br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-uhuru.html">uhuru</a></span> (Swahili)<br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-verisimilitude.html">verisimilitude</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/09/words-to-your-mother-virtu.html">virtu</a></span><br/> <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-whom.html">whom</a><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-yare.html">yare</a></span><br/> <span><a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/08/words-to-your-mother-zimbra.html">zimbra</a></span> (not a real word)</p> <span style="font-size: 5pt;">If you can read this, you don't need glasses. You know, unless you're wearing them right now. Or unless you increased the font size or you're using a magnifier program or a text-only browser without font sizes. Cheater.</span><br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Words%20to%20Your%20Mother" rel="tag">Words to Your Mother</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/index" rel="tag">index</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/anniversary" rel="tag">anniversary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/100" rel="tag">100</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/101" rel="tag">101</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161496418472490512006-10-21T22:46:00.000-07:002006-10-21T22:53:39.423-07:00Words to Your Mother: Propinquity<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=propinquity">Propinquity</a> can refer either to physical proximity or to a sort of kinship or bond between people or things.<br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/propinquity" rel="tag">propinquity</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161415908599777292006-10-21T00:24:00.000-07:002006-10-21T00:31:48.860-07:00Words to Your Mother: Grotto<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=grotto">grotto</a> is a small cave or cavern<br/> </p> <p> It can also be a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grotto">garden</a> like such</p> <p>Is this in iambic pentameter?<br/> </p> <p> I think I'm stuck from <a href="http://everyonesjumping.blogspot.com/2006/10/words-to-your-mother-octave-poetry.html">yesterday</a> - oh, drat.<br/> </p> <br/> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/grotto" rel="tag">grotto</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161327736416329512006-10-19T23:55:00.000-07:002006-10-20T00:02:16.713-07:00Words to Your Mother: Octave (poetry)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=couplet">couplet</a> is a poem</p> <p> That consists of two lines</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=quatrain">quatrain</a> is a poem</p> <p> That consists of four lines</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=sestet"><span>sestet</span></a> is a poem</p> <p> That consists of six lines</p> <p>An <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=octave">octave</a> has eight in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iambic_pentameter">iambic pentameter</a></p> <p> So this doesn't count as one (even if it were a poem)<br/> </p> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/poetry" rel="tag">poetry</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/couplet" rel="tag">couplet</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/quatrain" rel="tag">quatrain</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sestet" rel="tag">sestet</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/octave" rel="tag">octave</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161244618171992472006-10-19T00:50:00.000-07:002006-10-19T00:56:58.440-07:00Words to Your Mother: Ennui<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Ennui (pronounced "on-we") is boredom. Extreme, extreme boredom.</p> <p>Yup.</p> <p>That's about it.</p> <p>Did I mention that it's related to the word "annoy"?</p> <p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ennui" rel="tag">ennui</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31379223.post-1161157124841383232006-10-18T00:31:00.000-07:002006-10-18T00:38:45.423-07:00Words to Your Mother: Hypercorrection<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hypercorrection">Hypercorrection</a></span> is something that is familiar to you and I , even if you haven't heard of it before. A <span>hypercorrection</span> is a phrase that is formed by taking existing grammatical rules and misapplying them in an attempt to be more correct but resulting in an improper statement.</p> <p>Some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercorrection">examples</a> of <span>hypercorrection</span>:</p> <blockquote><p>Pluralizing "virus" as "<span>virii</span>". (The proper pluralization is <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/virus">viruses</a>.)<br/> </p> </blockquote><blockquote><p>Forcibly removing prepositions from the ends of clauses.</p> <p>Using "you and I" as an object since it sounds more "proper". ("He gave it to you and I.")</p> <p><span>Hyperforeignism</span>: Misapplying pronunciation rules for other languages to words that do not follow these rules. (Lots of good examples of this at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercorrection#Hyperforeignism">Wikipedia</a>.)</p> </blockquote><p style="font-size:10px;text-align:right;">technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/words" rel="tag">words</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vocabulary" rel="tag">vocabulary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hypercorrection" rel="tag">hypercorrection</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hyperforeignism" rel="tag">hyperforeignism</a></p><p style="text-align: right; font-size: 8px">Blogged with <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" target="_new" title="Flock">Flock</a></p></div>Ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359994303931576941noreply@blogger.com0