GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Darb]

Trick question: If a hitchhiker that's 3 months pregnant has been hitchhiking cross country for 7 weeks, how much of her 9 month gesticulation period remains before she gives birth ?

[Algot Runeman]

Make a quotitien quotidian mistake. Be fully aware and do it daily so you don't have a dry spell free of mistakes.

Especially do it with a dotted line below the word, gesticulating as "loudly" as possible that the word isn't right (does a dotted line have hands?).

The world will let you know. If not the world, then a friendly member of the forum. If not a friendly member, then one happy to point out another's fault. Thanks, Darb.

Answering the trick question: It has been my experience that the time of gesticulation has nothing whatsoever to do with the limits of pregnancy. Hand waving and steady criticizing the automobile's passengers are not even limited when one is behind the wheel of a car whizzing past a hitchhiker. A cell phone may impede the wilder motions of one hand, but the other can be free of any restraint (such as the steering wheel!).

[Darb]

Thou art essentially correct, but a more full and complete answer is that it is unanswerable, as neither the exact starting date of her "9 month gesticulation period", nor the exact ending date of her unspecified gestation period are given. All of the other factoids provided were essentially red herrings in metaphorical cream sauce.

[Algot Runeman]

Ah! In spite of the question being a trick one, you expected honesty and a thoughtfully articulated answer instead of simply a gest jest. I will, therefore, hitch up my pants and wait at Gest station before mounting the train, steering clear of gesticulating, gestating hitchhikers and drivers alike on my way to re-matriculate at the local university.

[Darb]

Oh, and before any of my fellow polyglots finger me on basic biology, I suppose that tricksy run-on sentences about gesticulating gestating women shouldn't actually end with a period

/me braces for impact

[Algot Runeman]

Point well taken, Darb. Happy endings. Enough said.

[Ghost]

Word of the Day Monday, January 11, 2010

flagitious\fluh-JISH-uhs\ , adjective; 1. Disgracefully or shamefully criminal; grossly wicked; scandalous; -- said of acts, crimes, etc. 2. Guilty of enormous crimes; corrupt; profligate; -- said of persons. 3. Characterized by enormous crimes or scandalous vices; as, "flagitious times."

However flagitious may be the crime of conspiring to subvert by force the government of our country, such conspiracy is not treason.
-- Ex parte Bollman & Swartwout, 4 Cranch 126 (1807)

The Grinch, a nefarious, flagitious, sly, nasty, troublesome, bad-tempered, intolerant and foul-smelling character who, for reasons never fully explained, lives in a cave above the town.
-- Robin Greer, "Carrey Christmas", News Letter, December 1, 2000

These men were reported to be heretics . . . , seducers of youth, and men of flagitious life.
-- Isaac Taylor, History of the World

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Flagitious comes from Latin flagitiosus, from flagitium, "a shameful or disgraceful act," originally, "a burning desire, heat of passion," from flagitare, "to demand earnestly or hotly," connected with flagrare, "to blaze, to burn."

[Algot Runeman]

We are being drawn into dangerous territory, now.

I have tried several times to pronounce this horrible word, and find myself feeling verbally inebriated, at best. Three times "Fluh-JISH-ush" passed forth. Only by slowing my speech to an abnormal, and extremely cautious cadence, was I able to utter "Fluh---JISH---uhs". Darb may say that this is normal, but just look at his posting image.

Will I ever feel comfortable enough to use this term in casual conversation?
Wait! What casual conversation could I be having that this word would come up?

I feel cheated, by the way, that the movie "Avatar" may force us to explain ourselves in a forum, "I use my own photo as my own avatar, you know. It has NOTHING to do with the James Cameron movie, Dude! I am enraged enough to commit flagitious mayhem upon you, your movie date, and the entire audience." [Popcorn bounces off several heads]

Hey, my computer flags todays WotD as misspelled!

[Ghost]

Hey, my computer flags todays WotD as misspelled!

My spell check says it is fine.

[Darb]

We are being drawn into dangerous territory, now.

I have tried several times to pronounce this horrible word, and find myself feeling verbally inebriated, at best. Three times "Fluh-JISH-ush" passed forth. Only by slowing my speech to an abnormal, and extremely cautious cadence, was I able to utter "Fluh---JISH---uhs". Darb may say that this is normal, but just look at his posting image.

Will I ever feel comfortable enough to use this term in casual conversation?

What casual conversation could I be having that this word would come up?

Oh, I can think of numerous examples.

For instance: I, personally, find the commonplace misconception of Thomas "John" Crapper, as somehow being the inventor of the modern flush toilet, to be a flagitious disservice of history. Yes, the man did indeed exist, and yes, he was a plumber who is properly credited with improving the flushing of said flagitious device, but the "crapper" or "john" {as it's known in colloquial Americanized English} actually existed for more than 50 years before Mr. Crapper was even born. Oh, the indignity of having one's name be mentally synonymous with the horrific sounds of sputtering flatus and the surreptitious violent ejecta of bodily wastes and putrid sick ! Tis most unfair.

[Darb]

Oh, and a belated exlanation for Voralfred:

... All of the other factoids provided were essentially red herrings in metaphorical cream sauce

* A "red herring" is slang for a deliberately disinformative clue, or investigative dead end.

* Herrings are often served in cream sauce, so it became a convenient culinary aliteration of opportunity that I clearly did not pass up.

The rest of this explanation is not for the faint of heart.

Spoiler: show

* I think it's self evident that a "cream sauce" (of sorts) was the root cause behind the gesticulating woman's gestation period, and although I'm sure many will be tempted to gesticulate rudely at me for stooping to such flagitious depths ... but if she'd had a miscarriage, then it too (the fetus) would be a metaphorical (and anatomical) red herring.

[voralfred]

(...) Thomas "John" Crapper, as somehow being the inventor of the modern flush toilet, (...)

The middle and last name of this interesting character are certainly suggestive of his valiant efforts to promote modern hygiene. But is it just accidental that his first name evoques, in France at least, earlier efforts to deal with the same problem?

Spoiler: show

"Thomas" used to be a euphemism for "chamberpot" in French

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Spoiler: show

... a "cream sauce" (of sorts)... but if she'd had a miscarriage, then it too (the fetus) would be a metaphorical (and anatomical) red herring.

then the "cream sauce" would have been a hoax (of sorts)?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

(...) Thomas "John" Crapper, as somehow being the inventor of the modern flush toilet, (...)

The middle and last name of this interesting character are certainly suggestive of his valiant efforts to promote modern hygiene. But is it just accidental that his first name evoques, in France at least, earlier efforts to deal with the same problem?

Spoiler: show

"Thomas" used to be a euphemism for "chamberpot" in French

Oh well ... what's in a name?

On US navy ships visiting ladies are shown where to find the "head".
(a scene in the movie "Operation Petticoat" with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis)

[Algot Runeman]

My readings have told me that the "head" refers to a rope strung from the starboard or port bow to the bowsprit on which one could comfortably sit below the line of sight of the helm (steering) in order to do what needed doing. While the stern (rear) of the ship would have been less prone to wave splash, it was almost always the location of the main cabin. It would have been indelicate for the captain to look up from his tea to see a sailor "at work" out the rear lights (windows). Territory "before the mast" was the province of the lowly sailors, in any case.

If and when the reading group takes up Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, much of the mystery of nautical terminology will become less mysterious.

It should also be noted that there are many hundreds of yards of "rope" on a sailing ship, but almost none of it is accurately termed rope. There are lines, stays, yards (halyards, lanyards), etc. but the head rope is one of the few properly identified ropes on the ship.

[Darb]

I knew all the other terms, but the head rope was a new one on me.

[Ghost]

Word of the Day Tuesday, January 12, 2010

torpor\TAWR-per\ , noun; 1. Lacking in vitality or interest. 2. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility. 3. Lethargy; apathy.

At 47, I'm starting to wonder which direction I'm headed. And with good reason because, according to my accountant, there is no way I'm going to be able to give in to torpor, fatigue or anything else that might take me out of the work force anytime soon.
-- Michelle Slatalla, "A Play Date With My Imagination ", New York Times, June 2, 2009

Silence crept down again over the wet country; the faint dripping resumed, and suddenly a great shower of drops tumbled upon Gloria stirring her out of the trance-like torpor which the passage of the train had wrought.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned

Crows often go into a kind of torpor and lie on the ground with their bills half-open when sunning themselves, looking to all the world as if they are about to succumb to some terrible malady.
-- Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness

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Torpor derives from Latin torpēre, to be stiff or numb.

[Darb]

Algot Runeman sank into the pleasant torpor that awaited him, courtesy of a freshly demolished platter of hot turkey, stuffing and giblet gravy, the lush draw of vintage Rocky Patel Torpedo cigar, and his massive evening dose of Metoprolol XL.

[Algot Runeman]

Algot Runeman sank into the pleasant torpor...

Ahh! Hmmm.

Darb, you captured me well.

[Darb]

{curtsy}

Say, we're approaching the 100 page milestone ... perhaps we should do something special. Any ideas ?

Human sacrifice ?
Spanish inquisition confession contest ?
Rubber chicken mixed martial arts ?
Frat house toga party ?

[Algot Runeman]

... perhaps we should do something special. Any ideas ?

Is there any more of that turkey dinner? I need a nap. Been up for three hours, now.

[Darb]

Word of the Day Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Lapidary \LAP-uh-dair-ee\ , adjective;

1.Of or pertaining to the art of cutting stones or engraving on them.2.Engraved in stone.3.Of or pertaining to the refined or terse style associated with inscriptions on monumental stone.noun: 1.One who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones.2.A dealer in precious stones.

Quotes:

Here, disgusted by venality and intrigue, the retired courtier would come to compose lapidary maxims and wise but sympathetic letters to ardent youth.
-- Michael Foley, Getting Used to Not Being Remarkable

If I asked how long it took to simmer the meat sauce, Emilia would answer with a grumble and her usual lapidary phrase: "Quanto basta. As long as it takes."
-- Patrizia Chen, Rosemary and Bitter Oranges

The settings for Jim Crace's fiction are always evoked with superb, lapidary precision.
-- Caroline Moore, "The timid Don Juan", Sunday Telegraph, August 31, 2003

Origin:
Lapidary is from Latin lapidarius, "pertaining to stone," from lapis, lapid-, "stone."

[Darb]

{Darb gesticulates with annoyance at the WOTD for Feb 23rd, 2007}

It really gets my goat when those torpid flagitious cullions at the delapidated Dictionary dot com continually reuse the same words over and over again, every few years, regardless of the fact that there are literally hundreds of thousands of interesting words in the English language that have not yet been offered up to the general public for proper linguistic vivisection.

I propose that henceforth, we confirm whether or not a given WOTD has been previously extirpiated by our resident polyglotic hooligans, and if so, we pick an alternate WOTD of our own to maul in effigy.

[Darb]

ALTERNATE Word of the Day, for Jan 13th, 2010 (since lapidary is a repeat)

Cullion

cul-lion  /ˈkʌlyən/ [kuhl-yuhn]
–noun Archaic. a base or vile fellow.

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Origin:
1350–1400; ME culyon, coil(i)on < AF, MF coillon worthless fellow, lit., testicle < VL *cōleōnem, acc. of *cōleō, for L cōleī (pl.) testicles, scrotum

cul·lion (kŭl'yən)
n. Archaic
A contemptible fellow; a rascal.

[Middle English coilon, testicle, from Old French coillon, from Latin culleus, bag.]

[Algot Runeman]

Terse Verse

Really scary,
Thickly hairy.
Massive muscles,
Leaf fall rustles.

Moonlight coming,
Time for roaming
Wolf's teeth drip.
Lapidary: R.I.P.

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I've been a fan of Robert B. Parker's writing, and in his books about Jesse Stone, the head of the police department (Head Stone?), the main character's lines are appropriately delivered in a terse, lapidary style. Also, the style of dialog is consistently crisp in the western trilogy that begins with Appaloosa, though I don't think the town of Tombstone is ever mentioned.

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While it is certainly always fun to tackle a new word here, old words present us, "the wordy ones", the challenge of being more creative by writing something novel about the old word, not repeating oneself, or saying the same thing again, or reiterating a prior iteration, or running on and on and on.

Wait. All of those traits are ascribed to the old among us.
If the shoe fits, wear it put it back and get one size smaller so it looks better.