Dec 25, 2009
HARANGUE
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French arenge, from Old Italian aringa, from aringare to speak in public, from aringo public assembly, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German hring ring
Date: circa 1533
1 : a speech addressed to a public assembly
2 : a ranting speech or writing
3 : lecture
** **
Sometimes after family dinners we serve dessert topped with harangue.
Showing posts with label vocabularium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vocabularium. Show all posts
12.29.2009
7.16.2009
Poseur (germophobe)
From Merriam-Webster:
POSEUR:
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, poser, from poser
Date: 1869
: a person who pretends to be what he or she is not : an affected or insincere person
A germophobe who wears leather belts but disinfects every available surface in their home OCD-style is a poseur.
POSEUR:
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, poser, from poser
Date: 1869
: a person who pretends to be what he or she is not : an affected or insincere person
A germophobe who wears leather belts but disinfects every available surface in their home OCD-style is a poseur.
4.01.2009
Slow Day meets Instant Messaging (a non pc post, you've been warned)
Beth says:
i just left a comment on Dawn's blog, and the security letter jumble was "interd"
Beth says:
I believe this should be used in everyday jargon
Beth says:
"you're a low class, back-country, inbred retard. you're an interd."
Beth says:
"did you hear the gaffe the new intern made at the staff meeting?? I thought these kids were in college--what an interd."
Beth says:
"the old man was interd next to his wyf at the simetery"
i just left a comment on Dawn's blog, and the security letter jumble was "interd"
Beth says:
I believe this should be used in everyday jargon
Beth says:
"you're a low class, back-country, inbred retard. you're an interd."
Beth says:
"did you hear the gaffe the new intern made at the staff meeting?? I thought these kids were in college--what an interd."
Beth says:
"the old man was interd next to his wyf at the simetery"
2.03.2009
What Do Yarn and Geese Have In Common?
From Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary (an oft-visited site):
SKEIN
n. Etymology: Middle English skeyne, from Middle French (Picard) escagne, probably from Vulgar Latin *scamnia, from *scamniare to wind yarn, from *scamnium rack for holding bobbins, from Latin scamnum bench, stool
1: also skean or skeane \skān\ : a loosely coiled length of yarn or thread wound on a reel
2: something suggesting the twists or coils of a skein : tangle
3: a flock of wildfowl (as geese or ducks) in flight
I had no idea "skein" applied to flying birds!
SKEIN
n. Etymology: Middle English skeyne, from Middle French (Picard) escagne, probably from Vulgar Latin *scamnia, from *scamniare to wind yarn, from *scamnium rack for holding bobbins, from Latin scamnum bench, stool
1: also skean or skeane \skān\ : a loosely coiled length of yarn or thread wound on a reel
2: something suggesting the twists or coils of a skein : tangle
3: a flock of wildfowl (as geese or ducks) in flight
I had no idea "skein" applied to flying birds!
1.12.2009
Ellipsical Diarrhea (i like to . . . )
From Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary (an oft-visited site):
ELLIPSIS
n.
Etymology: Latin, from Greek elleipsis ellipsis, ellipse, from elleipein to leave out, fall short, from en in + leipein to leave
1 a: the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood but that must be supplied to make a construction grammatically complete b: a sudden leap from one topic to another
2: marks or a mark (as …) indicating an omission (as of words) or a pause
** **
DIARRHEA
n.
Etymology: Middle English diaria, from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Greek diarrhoia, from diarrhein to flow through, from dia- + rhein to flow
1 : abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools
2 : excessive flow (verbal diarrhea)
** **
. . . a couple of folks have noted that I use ellipses often in my writing . . . perhaps a little too often. Could be a Stream Of Thought type of thing with a dash of Lack Of Focus and a pinch of Grammatical Pause, but really it's just because I like the rapid-fire sound of the tapthunktapthunktapthunk of the period key and the space bar . . . tapthunktapthunktapthunk . . . love it. . .
ELLIPSIS
n.
Etymology: Latin, from Greek elleipsis ellipsis, ellipse, from elleipein to leave out, fall short, from en in + leipein to leave
1 a: the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood but that must be supplied to make a construction grammatically complete b: a sudden leap from one topic to another
2: marks or a mark (as …) indicating an omission (as of words) or a pause
** **
DIARRHEA
n.
Etymology: Middle English diaria, from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Greek diarrhoia, from diarrhein to flow through, from dia- + rhein to flow
1 : abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools
2 : excessive flow (verbal diarrhea)
** **
. . . a couple of folks have noted that I use ellipses often in my writing . . . perhaps a little too often. Could be a Stream Of Thought type of thing with a dash of Lack Of Focus and a pinch of Grammatical Pause, but really it's just because I like the rapid-fire sound of the tapthunktapthunktapthunk of the period key and the space bar . . . tapthunktapthunktapthunk . . . love it. . .
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