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A Thread of Words
I think "papingo" is an old Scottish word for a popinjay, which probably is in your dictionaries. A popinjay is also an old word (but perhaps not as archaic) for a parrot, and according to Wikipedia a "dandy or a foppish person".
Jean wrote: "I think "papingo" is an old Scottish word for a popinjay, which probably is in your dictionaries. A popinjay is also an old word (but perhaps not as archaic) for a parrot, and according to Wikipedi..."Thanks Jean - I knew the dandy meaning of popinjay, but hadn't realized that it originated from a gaudy bird meaning! That makes it all the more funny to me :)
Edit: Your info re: 'papingo' fits in with the context as the book is set in 1547 Scotland! So an old or archaic Scottish word is in character, so to speak.
Mod
Uxorial for us italian is not so strange, it comes from latin (uxor=wife) and we have a similar word in italian, even if it not so common
A new meaning for me (from Robinson Crusoe): 'ancient' can mean 'flag' or 'ensign', as well as 'very old'.
Gill wrote: "A new meaning for me (from Robinson Crusoe): 'ancient' can mean 'flag' or 'ensign', as well as 'very old'."I didn't know that!
A few more words from the Dunnett front:
penumbral = from penumbra, meaning the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object; or a peripheral or indeterminate area or group
cacodemon = malevolent or evil person or spirit
corybantic = wild, frenzied
I particularly like corybantic :)
Leslie, that sheds some light on the title Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore which I read last year (and sadly was rather dissapointed by).Love corybantic!
Mod
These are good words from Robinson Crusoe: 'buskins' and 'spatterdashes'. I especially like the latter.
Spatterdashes! Sounds like a practical piece of clothing that today's cyclists might benefit from! :)More words from my Dunnett book:
decumbiture = confinement to a sick bed, or time of taking to one's bed from sickness
corium = another term for dermis, skin, chiefly used in zoology
Oh I am dying for the occasion to say 'I am in decumbiture due to a disease of my corium that I contracted when in befuddlement I walked through dirty waters without my splatterdashes.' LOL
I love the word 'elucidate.' Its usefulness when writing essays cannot be properly explained.
LOL Jenny! Now that really would flummox your neighbours! :D
A new one for me. Thanks, Chimney!Steampunk
Jenny wrote: "Oh I am dying for the occasion to say 'I am in decumbiture due to a disease of my corium that I contracted when in befuddlement I walked through dirty waters without my splatterdashes.' LOL"ROTFLOL!!
Caolán wrote: "I love the word 'elucidate.' Its usefulness when writing essays cannot be properly explained."or elucidated ;)
OK, so the German has a question ....again.What is the difference between elaborate and elucidate? (love both words by the way) The dicionary didn't care to enlighten me on that subject.
HAHAHA Jenny! To my mind (without reference, since you've already looked) "elaborate" is giving a bigger picture with more description, whereas "elucidate" is clarifying something - giving more of an explanation. In fact what I'm doing I would consider to be "elucidating", but if I started to give examples I would be "elaborating" on it.
It is indeed a very fine distinction, and others may disagree.
That makes sense Jean! Thank you.:) We have plenty of those words as well, differing only in nuance, so it is easy to think they are interchangeable at random, and often they are, but there is always that ONE sentence that really needs that ONE specific word and in my mother tongue I can sometimes be a bit anal about getting it right.
Hey I have just rescued a book destined to go to the charity shop (which no doubt I will get into trouble for!) It is called The Wonder of Whiffling: And Other Extraordinary Words in the English Language and is jampacked with wonderfully whimsical words. As if I need to know any more... But I'm sure a few may find their way on to this thread.How about a "yam yum" (a love letter)
Or a "toecover" (an inexpensive or useless present)
Or a "corduroy voice" (which fluctuates between high and low, like the ridges in corduroy)
A TOECOVER? As in something to cover your toes with?! LOL.
Well I suppose it is pretty useless...First usage was in 1948.
Jenny wrote: "OK, so the German has a question ....again.What is the difference between elaborate and elucidate? (love both words by the way) The dicionary didn't care to enlighten me on that subject."
LOL! I agree with Jean by the way as to the distinction between elaborate and elucidate. I think of elucidate as synonymous with explicate, while elaborate is more like expand or expound (to stick with E words!).
@Jean - I think those must be exclusive to your side of the Pond! but I like the term "corduroy voice" :)
I think elucidate is linked to the word for 'light' as a root.
Gill, that was my first thought as well, as in 'shedding light' on something, which I guess makes sense.
My last batch of words from The Game of Kings:cacodemon = malevolent or evil person or spirit
fugitation = 1. (Scots law) a sentence given to an accused person who does not appear for trial declaring them to be an outlaw and fugitive; 2. the act of running away
aposteme = (Medicine) An abscess; a swelling filled with purulent matter
concamerate = 1. To arch over; to vault. 2. To divide into chambers or cells.
escharotic = not in my dictionary; perhaps from eschar (Medicine) meaning a dry, dark scab or falling away of dead skin, typically casued by a burn, an insect bite, or infection with anthrax
oh Leslie, don't get me started again!!! LOL.
Mod
I'd say the same. At least thus is the difference between "elaborare" and "elucidare" which clearly are the italian correspectives. It's not always so straight the corrispondence - the famous "false friends" - but I feel rather certain about those.
shaggledickApparently "an affectionate greeting" used by Australians for someone who is familiar, but whose name doesn't come to mind. Not sure how to use this one... "Hey there, shaggledick!" ?
Jean wrote: "shaggledickApparently "an affectionate greeting" used by Australians for someone who is familiar, but whose name doesn't come to mind. Not sure how to use this one... "Hey there, shaggledick!" ?"
LOL! I don't think I could use this with a straight face...
(secretely trying to find out the meaning for 'shaggle', in order to know just HOW inappropriate I would be if I was to call anyone shaggledick)
I think I'll stick to my favourite tactic of guessing the name of said person - then feeling mortified as I walk away, the actual name only then dawning on me.Seems safer than 'shaggledick.'
That's so funny, Jean, I can't believe they say that!!
Jean wrote: "shaggledickApparently "an affectionate greeting" used by Australians for someone who is familiar, but whose name doesn't come to mind. Not sure how to use this one... "Hey there, shaggledick!" ?"
Lol!! Jean where do you get these words from! I don't quite know how to put this... But shaggledick sounds like a dirty word!
Here's a tip: don't try to separate it in order to understand it better like I did! Lol!
well as you can see from my previous post I had already fallen into that trap face first! LOL
Can't stop laughing! You just made my day, Jean!
I know I know - but I was really hoping for a comment from a true cobber Aussie... :D
Mod
And I following!
LOL! I just read that Jean. that's hilarious. have you said that to someone yet?
What do you think, Amber? I'm embarrassed enough sharing it with you guys :DOK, how about this one then, dating from 1552. It means a babbler or a chatterer...
clatterfart
LOL. Hey Jean, I dare you to call someone a shaggle dickens. LOL. ^_^
:) def do it and then tell us what they say. just say it to someone you know or to a stranger. LOL.
Just tried it out on my husband Chris, but he thinks I might get beaten up if I say it to anyone else :(
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Books mentioned in this topic
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right (other topics)Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right (other topics)
1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (other topics)
Twenty Years After (other topics)
The Polar Express (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Enid Blyton (other topics)Enid Blyton (other topics)
Bertrand Russell (other topics)
Bertrand Russell (other topics)
Bertrand Russell (other topics)
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All of which is leading up to the following words:
1. epithalamics = from epithalamium (epithalamia), meaning a song or poem celebrating a marriage
2. periastral = ?? not in my dictionaries! peri- prefix means round or about so perhaps "periastral dreams" means daydreams (dreams about the stars?) closest word in my dictionary: periastron = the point nearest to a star in the trajectory of a body orbiting the star
3. papingo = ?? not in my dictionaries; some sort of parrot from the context
4. uxorial = relating to a wife