YLTO!! Glossing the Glossary

[Almeta]

Started Consider Her Ways and encountered this immediately: "Certain human myrmecologists to whom this book was sumitted....".

[Sam]

I'm fairly certain they're a type of entymologist but for a specific insect group, can't remember what though.

P.S. somewhat worried by how I know that...

[Debra]

wow, I can't even pronounce that!

[Almeta]

Sam wrote: "I'm fairly certain they're a type of entymologist but for a specific insect group, can't remember what though.

P.S. somewhat worried by how I know that..."

Yep, studying ants.

I'm worried about you too! :D

[Cherie]

LOL!!! You two are a crack up! I am dying to know if the book is worth reading, Almeta. I do like ants, just not in my house.

[Sam]

Excellent I have managed to prove my geek credentials once again ;-)

[Janice, Moderator]

Jack London had me checking my dictionary throughout A Daughter of the Snows. But tatterdemalion had me scratching my head. It means tattered. So why not just say tattered?

The word was used in describing the condition of the protagonist's skirt. "She involuntarily looked down. But its tatterdemalion presence relieved her, and her face jerked up scarlet."

[Ava Catherine]

I agree, Janice. Just say tattered. Mark Twain would have.

[Debra]

Geesh, where to folks come up with these words, anyway!

[[deleted user]]

I rediscovered the word spondulics in Dubliners. Means money, cash. It's a roll-off-the-tongue word.

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "Jack London had me checking my dictionary throughout A Daughter of the Snows. But tatterdemalion had me scratching my head. It means tattered. So why not just say tattered?

The word was used in ..."

Websters 9th indicates that it can be:1. a person dressed in ragged clothing: RAGAMUFFIN. 2. a :ragged or disreputale in apperance b: being in a decayed state or condition: DILAPIDATED 2: BEGGARLY, DISREPUTABLE

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm not sure if you are correcting me or expanding on the definition I gave. :)

The definition I gave came from the Kindle dictionary which is the Oxford Dictionary of English. The full definition was, "adj. Tattered or dilapidated; noun. A person in tattered clothing." The definitions from the two dictionaries don't contradict each other. Webster's is certainly more comprehensive.

[Cherie]

I'm sorry, Janice. No, I was not correcting you, just expanding on it because I was intrigued with the word.

I keep a dictionary on my desk because my Nook does not always find words and I am too lazy to go and Google it. The Webster Dictionary is one I got dumpster diving at work m-a-n-y years ago after an Admin cleaned out her office.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I love the word ragamuffin, and use it frequently. You should all too.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "I'm sorry, Janice. No, I was not correcting you, just expanding on it because I was intrigued with the word.

I keep a dictionary on my desk because my Nook does not always find words and I am to..."

I hope my message didn't sound confrontational because that wasn't my intent. I was just asking for clarification in my attempt at better communication. I don't want to assume anything. That always gets me in trouble. LOL!

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "I love the word ragamuffin, and use it frequently. You should all too."

I like ragamuffin myself although I'm tempted to use tatterdemalion once or twice to freak out my friends.

I was reading a thread in another group yesterday where they were listing the worst English words ever. I'm not sure what their criteria was because there didn't seem to be any commonality in the list and there were some pretty innocuous words included.

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "Cherie wrote: "I'm sorry, Janice. No, I was not correcting you, just expanding on it because I was intrigued with the word.

I keep a dictionary on my desk because my Nook does not always find wo..."

Oh, no worries. I did not take it that way. :)

@ Rusalka - I like ragamuffin too. My grandma used to use it all of the time - mostly for me. I was too tomboyish for her and I did not care if I was dirty or had tattered clothes on. My sister was the "prissy" one. She would never have been considered a tatterdemalion. he he he

[Ava Catherine]

Rusalka wrote: "I love the word ragamuffin, and use it frequently. You should all too."

I use this word all the time, too, Rusalka! I love it! ; )

[Ava Catherine]

Cherie wrote: "Rusalka - I like ragamuffin too. My grandma used to use it all of the time - mostly for me. I was too tomboyish for her and I did not care if I was dirty or had tattered clothes on. My sister was the "prissy" one. She would never have been considered a tatterdemalion. he he he


Cherie, I love this! I can just picture you as a cute little tomboy! A little ragamuffin! lol

[Sarah]

I'm reading Neuromancer for the SciFi challenge at the mo and as it is based in Japan, there are lots of local words used to describe things that I have no idea what they are. I have definitely looked up more words reading this book than any other book I've read. A couple of these are:

Sarariman - A Japanese corporate businessman [Anglicization of Japanese sarariman, salaried man]

Gaijin - A non-Japanese person, a foreigner, an outsider

Zaibatsu - A powerful family-controlled commercial combine of Japan

[Debra]

I recently read a book set in China and written by a man born in China. Lots of unknown words and names and places I couldn't recognize or pronounce!

[Debra]

A new (for me) definition of rape:

rape, also called colza, rape [Credit: Ingmar Holmasen] (species Brassica napus), plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Europe. Rape is an annual, 30 cm (1 foot) or more tall, with a long, usually thin taproot. Its leaves are smooth, bluish green, and deeply scalloped, and the bases of the upper leaves clasp the stem. Rape bears four-petaled, yellow flowers in spikes. Each round, elongated pod has a short beak and contains many seeds. These seeds, known as rapeseeds, yield an oil—rapeseed oil, or canola—that is variously treated for use in cooking, as an ingredient in soap and margarine, etc....

[[deleted user]]

Debra could add to her definition that rape is one of the main hayfever triggers. We see it growing locally and at times you can see the pollen rising off the field - and straight up my nose.

[Debra]

Cafetiere: French press!

[Debra]

tares: An unwelcome or objectionable element.

In context, here is an example: "In the immense inner fields of his emotions, now grew tares of doubt and guilt.

[Debra]

Helen wrote: "Debra could add to her definition that rape is one of the main hayfever triggers. We see it growing locally and at times you can see the pollen rising off the field - and straight up my nose."

Sounds like our ragweed!

[Sam]

I'm with you there Helen!!

It's also used to make biofuels too hence why we see so much more of it over here now.

[Janice, Moderator]

You could almost say that rape is a noxious weed! Once a farmer has planted rape, it's difficult to get rid of it. We see lots of fields of "volunteer rape". Now there's a term!

[Almeta]

Consider Her Ways is full of words for which I could not find a dictionary meaning. Perhaps they are more easily found in a 1940's scientific journal?☺

Here's one that I was able to learn: adelphogamy 1. A form of polyandry in which two or more brothers have or share the same wife, or wives. 2. Possibly, the marriage of a brother and sister to each other. 3. In zoology, mating of brothers and sisters, as with certain kinds of ants.

Of course, then I had to look up polyandry a form of polygamy whereby a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time.

References to maximæ, mediæ and minimæ, for which, by-the-way I can find no adequate contextual definition, refer to graduated sizes of ants in a colony. (today referred to as distinct size-classes, called major, median, and minor workers.) I was comically reminded of Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies.

[Sarah]

Yes it is a very strange word (rape) to use for a plant given the other usage of it!

Still reading Neuromancer and it kept mentioning how this guy was a fence and I kept thinking how is that possible? I know the book is weird but that doesn't make sense! Then I looked it up and it turns out it also means an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale. Now that makes sense!

[Debra]

Janice wrote: "You could almost say that rape is a noxious weed! Once a farmer has planted rape, it's difficult to get rid of it. We see lots of fields of "volunteer rape". Now there's a term!"

lol

[Debra]

Must be an American version of the word fence, Sarah. It's commonly used over here. I keep reading UK books and running into words I don't know, too!

[Almeta]

Debra wrote: "Must be an American version of the word fence!"

I had the same thought Debra. We Americans know all of the criminal jargon!

Take heart, there is Fence, Lancashire, a village in England and Fence, Wisconsin, a town in the United States. (Wonder how the residents make a living.)☻

[Debra]

Definition of SECATEUR
chiefly British
: pruning shears —usually used in plural

[Almeta]

What are you reading Debra, gardening books?☺☻☺

[Esther]

Debra wrote: "Definition of SECATEUR
chiefly British
: pruning shears —usually used in plural"

This is also a French word.

[[deleted user]]

Debra wrote: "Definition of SECATEUR
chiefly British
: pruning shears —usually used in plural"
Well I would prune plants with secateurs, but cut the lawn or the lawn edging with shears. Trust me when I say they're entirely different in scale. >:-)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Agree with Helen. Secateurs are about the size of large scissors and used one handed (or two I guess if you use them like me and try and make them cut things they are not built to cut). If I was pruning a hedge I'd use shears.

[Debra]

Almeta wrote: "What are you reading Debra, gardening books?☺☻☺"

I was reading Garbage Man, and horror book set in the UK. Because of our wayward ways and our filling up of landfills, Mother Earth takes her revenge on mankind.

[Debra]

You Brits are so funny with your different words! lol

[[deleted user]]

Debra wrote: "You Brits are so funny with your different words! lol"
Oi! Who's the language named after? Yup, that's right, it's us, the English. Therefore our words are entirely sensible and it's you Yanks that comfuse matters.
>;-)

[Sarah]

Debra wrote: "Almeta wrote: "What are you reading Debra, gardening books?☺☻☺"

I was reading Garbage Man, and horror book set in the UK. Because of our wayward ways and our filling up of landfills, Mother Earth..."

Is the book any good Debra? I have it on my TBR.

[Almeta]

Helen wrote: "Debra wrote: "You Brits are so funny with your different words! lol"
Oi! Who's the language named after? Yup, that's right, it's us, the English. Therefore our words are entirely sensible and it's you Yanks that comfuse matters...."

I saw that coming!☺

[Debra]

Yep, I saw that coming, too! lol

[Debra]

Sarah wrote: "Is the book any good Debra? I have it on my TBR. "

I enjoyed it. It's not for the squeamish. It's definitely full-on horror material. I like the way D'Lacey writes. If you are horror fan, you've got to read Meat. It's quite different and original.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Almeta wrote: "Helen wrote: "Debra wrote: "You Brits are so funny with your different words! lol"
Oi! Who's the language named after? Yup, that's right, it's us, the English. Therefore our words are entirely sen..."

So did I. Why I decided not to comment last night that a different country on the complete other side of the world uses the same words :P

[Almeta]

Rusalka wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Helen wrote: "Debra wrote: "You Brits are so funny with your different words! lol"
Oi! Who's the language named after? Yup, that's right, it's us, the English. Therefore our words a..."

Odd that.

[Debra]

Those English folk and their language sure get around! lol

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Well on a non English note, I discovered this one last night.

Tsundoku - (n) Japanese.
Buying books and not reading them; letting books pile up unread on shelves or floors or nightstands.

[Cherie]

Rusalka wrote: "Well on a non English note, I discovered this one last night.

Tsundoku - (n) Japanese.
Buying books and not reading them; letting books pile up unread on shelves or floors or nightstands."

Sounds like what I have. LOL!