Michael Gates's Blog, page 39
November 14, 2014
Word of the Day: cachinnate
What's "the word I'm thinking of"? Today, it's....
cachinnate [KAK-ih-nate] verb (TWITO, page 26)
To laugh loudly
Things that make me cachinnate (at least inwardly): bigfoot reports, possibly apocryphal George W. Bush quotations ("Why don't the French have a word for entrepreneur?"), pro wrestling, The Office (especially the British version), and puns.
cachinnate [KAK-ih-nate] verb (TWITO, page 26)
To laugh loudly
Things that make me cachinnate (at least inwardly): bigfoot reports, possibly apocryphal George W. Bush quotations ("Why don't the French have a word for entrepreneur?"), pro wrestling, The Office (especially the British version), and puns.
November 12, 2014
Random Sequence: Redowas and Galops
"In the morning, however, as she sat in the parlor at the piano, drumming away at scraps of redowas and galops, Mr. Maxell came up to her, and, after a brief 'Good-morning,' asked her to continue her playing."
--Anonymous, "Seventeen" in Godey's Lady Book and Magazine, August 1864
(I found a bound copy of several issues of Godey's in my basement and have been flipping through the dusty pages.)
redowa (noun) = a Bohemian dance in the form of a waltz or a mazurka
galop (noun) = a lively country dance
The weird thing about this bound copy of Godey's (an American magazine) is that the issues are all from the 1860s, and there is not a single mention anywhere of the American Civil War.
--Anonymous, "Seventeen" in Godey's Lady Book and Magazine, August 1864
(I found a bound copy of several issues of Godey's in my basement and have been flipping through the dusty pages.)
redowa (noun) = a Bohemian dance in the form of a waltz or a mazurka
galop (noun) = a lively country dance
The weird thing about this bound copy of Godey's (an American magazine) is that the issues are all from the 1860s, and there is not a single mention anywhere of the American Civil War.
November 11, 2014
Photo of the Week (by me): GhostFace
It's November -- and still Halloween on Bowers Street, Jersey City Heights. Click the pic for a closer view -- if you dare. (No, this isn't my house.)
November 10, 2014
Link Mania: Ding Dong Daddy, Are you an apptycock?
50 Old British Dialect Words to Incorporate into Conversation
Are you an apptycock? Try saying this to your peg-puff: "Let's bang-a-bonk and have a nipperkin of cuddle-me-buff." (It's not as risqué as it sounds.)
~~~
Some of my favorites (because either very creative, mystifying, or appalling) from this blog: Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, Borb Borbb, Calorie Queen, Dinah Soar, Ding Dong Daddy, Egg Fu (he's Chinese, duh), Hate Face, Lorloxx the Layer, Man-Thing, Microwavebelle, Oonagh Mularkey, Zebediah Killgrave, and Whirlicane. There are many more.
~~~
15 Words That Are Way More Interesting Than They Seem
If you think the word "cabbaged" hardly has a musical ring to it, think again.
Are you an apptycock? Try saying this to your peg-puff: "Let's bang-a-bonk and have a nipperkin of cuddle-me-buff." (It's not as risqué as it sounds.)
~~~
Some of my favorites (because either very creative, mystifying, or appalling) from this blog: Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, Borb Borbb, Calorie Queen, Dinah Soar, Ding Dong Daddy, Egg Fu (he's Chinese, duh), Hate Face, Lorloxx the Layer, Man-Thing, Microwavebelle, Oonagh Mularkey, Zebediah Killgrave, and Whirlicane. There are many more.
~~~
15 Words That Are Way More Interesting Than They Seem
If you think the word "cabbaged" hardly has a musical ring to it, think again.
November 9, 2014
Much Ado about NOTHING
What exactly is porridge, anyway? Is it like oatmeal? It's not on the menu at Applebee's.
My son, who has heard about porridge in fairy tales -- it's what the three bears eat -- keeps mentioning it at odd moments, which I take to be his stabs at absurdest humor. I jokingly asked how much I would have to pay him to try to order it at his favorite restaurant (Applebee's), but he declined the offer. Porridge sounds like a ridiculously antique dish intended for paupers, like something David Copperfield would eat. Does anyone still eat it today?
For some reason, I imagine porridge is similar to oatmeal, or perhaps like the milk-softened Grape Nuts cereal I eat every morning. It doesn't sound terribly appetizing. I imagine it would be only a step above gruel, yet admirably filling. After all, if anthropomorphic bears like it, porridge must have something going for it.
My son, who has heard about porridge in fairy tales -- it's what the three bears eat -- keeps mentioning it at odd moments, which I take to be his stabs at absurdest humor. I jokingly asked how much I would have to pay him to try to order it at his favorite restaurant (Applebee's), but he declined the offer. Porridge sounds like a ridiculously antique dish intended for paupers, like something David Copperfield would eat. Does anyone still eat it today?
For some reason, I imagine porridge is similar to oatmeal, or perhaps like the milk-softened Grape Nuts cereal I eat every morning. It doesn't sound terribly appetizing. I imagine it would be only a step above gruel, yet admirably filling. After all, if anthropomorphic bears like it, porridge must have something going for it.
November 7, 2014
Word of the Day: hoghenhine
What's "the word I'm thinking of"? Today, it's....
hoghenhine [HA-ghen-hyne] noun (TWITO, page 67)
A member of one's family; a guest who stays more than three nights
I suggest you NOT refer to your family members or long-term guests as hoghenhines, at least not in their presence, unless you are angry with them. They might take it the wrong way.
hoghenhine [HA-ghen-hyne] noun (TWITO, page 67)
A member of one's family; a guest who stays more than three nights
I suggest you NOT refer to your family members or long-term guests as hoghenhines, at least not in their presence, unless you are angry with them. They might take it the wrong way.
November 5, 2014
Random Sequence
"Mrs. Boylan had retired hopelessly into the depths of her cambric before this philippic was half through."
--Marion Harland, "Nobody to Blame" in Godey's Lady Book and Magazine, January 1864
(I found a bound copy of several issues of Godey's in my basement and have been flipping through the dusty pages.)
cambric (noun) = white linen or cotton fabric
philippic (noun) = bitter denunciation, invective
Next time you're subject to a philippic and feeling hopeless to respond, be sure to have a cambric handy to retire into. Surely that will disarm your verbal attacker... won't it?
--Marion Harland, "Nobody to Blame" in Godey's Lady Book and Magazine, January 1864
(I found a bound copy of several issues of Godey's in my basement and have been flipping through the dusty pages.)
cambric (noun) = white linen or cotton fabric
philippic (noun) = bitter denunciation, invective
Next time you're subject to a philippic and feeling hopeless to respond, be sure to have a cambric handy to retire into. Surely that will disarm your verbal attacker... won't it?
November 4, 2014
Photo of the Week: Sky Web (by me)
Whatsit? You've got me, but I like it. Click the pic if you do too. You know you want to.
November 3, 2014
The Phrase I'm Thinking Of: FREE eBook
Fire up your Kindles, logophiles! Starting today (November 3), the Kindle edition of my book, The Word I'm Thinking Of: A Devilish Dictionary of Difficult Words, is FREE on Amazon.com through Friday, November 8. Pinchfists, rejoice!
The Word I'm Thinking Of
No Kindle? The paperback is only $6.75 on Amazon. The audiobook is only $17.95 on Audible.com (or free with a 30-day trial). And keep in mind that the Kindle app (which doesn't require a physical Kindle e-reader) is a free download that you can run on your computer or smartphone.
The Word I'm Thinking Of
No Kindle? The paperback is only $6.75 on Amazon. The audiobook is only $17.95 on Audible.com (or free with a 30-day trial). And keep in mind that the Kindle app (which doesn't require a physical Kindle e-reader) is a free download that you can run on your computer or smartphone.
October 30, 2014
Link Mania: How 'solertic' are you?
10 Words with Spooky Etymologies
I'll never look at a nickel the same way again.
~~~
Feeling bright? 8 historical synonyms for 'clever'
Well! Aren't you the solertic one!
~~~
Strong Vocabulary Protects Against Cognitive Decline
TWITO to the rescue!
I'll never look at a nickel the same way again.
~~~
Feeling bright? 8 historical synonyms for 'clever'
Well! Aren't you the solertic one!
~~~
Strong Vocabulary Protects Against Cognitive Decline
TWITO to the rescue!
