Not sure who's making all these accounts, but I'm presuming they're turks, being paid for spam by the bushel. Funny they'd bother to reply, but hey, I guess they're people too.
“We talk about the enemy here, which is different from the enemy downrange, but which is just as deadly,” he said, using the military term used for a combat zone.
Oops -- I'll fix that tonight, p&r. I tidied up the profile sub-pages the other day (adding sort options for lists & favorites, things like that), and must have forgotten the comment links in the process.
“A Metro-North spokesman said the problem was caused when the devices on top of several trains that pull electricity from the overhead lines tore down the wires just west of the Greenwich, Conn., station.
Railroad officials were unsure on Saturday how the devices — known as pantographs — were able to bring down the power lines, but they suspected the recent heat wave might have played a role.”
“Anthony Perrotti, 88, was posing around the room wearing a Triple Cleveland — white tie, white belt, white shoes — and lamenting the hot pink shirt he could have paired it with.”
“In London, Cockney will be replaced by Multicultural London English - a mixture of Cockney, Bangladeshi and West Indian accents - the study shows.
"It will be gone within 30 years," says Prof Kerswill.
The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, says the accent ,which has been around for more than 500 years, is being replaced in London by a new hybrid language.
The new accent, known in slang terms as Jafaican, is most famously spoken by rap star Dizzee Rascal.”
The comments on a person's profile are paginated, but I forgot to paginate the ones by the person who's profile you're looking at. Thanks for catching that, will do it shortly.
It's been a long time coming, but comments are finally pageable, so you can now scroll back through all comments on words, lists, and people, including words like features with a large number of comments. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the 'more' link.
“Some sleepwalkers will go jogging on the freeway and be killed in traffic, or stroll off the deck of a cruise ship, unaware of their surroundings, he said. He and colleagues even coined the term parasomnia pseudo-suicide, in part because the fatalities are frequently misinterpreted.”
“Hence, Rees’s First Law of Quotation: ‘When in doubt, ascribe all quotations to George Bernard Shaw.’ The law’s first qualification is: ‘Except when they obviously derive from Shakespeare, the Bible or Kipling.’ The corollary is: ‘In time, all humorous remarks will be ascribed to Shaw whether he said them or not.’
Why should this be? People are notoriously lax about quoting and attributing remarks correctly, as witness an analogous process I shall call Churchillian Drift. The Drift is almost indistinguishable from the First Law, but there is a subtle difference. Whereas quotations with an apothegmatic feel are normally ascribed to Shaw, those with a more grandiose or belligerent tone are almost automatically credited to Churchill. All quotations in translation, on the other hand, should be attributed to Goethe (with ‘I think’ obligatory).”
The Vagueness Is All, From Volume 2, Number 2, April 1993 issue of The “Quote... Unquote” Newsletters
“A random list of stuff that the spring 2011 men’s wear shows in Milan suggest that style guys should be on the alert for: pencil thighs shrink-wrapped in jeggings (jeans so tight they look like leggings); scruffy bed head (Bottega Veneta); lug-soled shoes with inset espadrille rope soles (Prada); paper-bag waists (ditto Prada); boat-neck sweaters (ditto ditto); colors from the sorbet bin at the ice cream counter, like watermelon, mango, pistachio (Dsquared) or aqua, mint, almond (Calvin Klein); unlined short-sleeved safari jackets (Gucci); slave chains (Emporio Armani — shout out to Pauly from “Jersey Shore”!); Balenciaga butterfly sunglasses, designed for women but worn by guys, as Snoop Dogg did at the MTV movie awards; Birkenstock style sandals with gladiator straps (Burberry.)”
“Even more archaic is the maritime term “smoking lamp.”
According to a Navy history Web site, this phrase dates to the 16th century, when a lamp was stoked near the ship’s galley to draw tobacco users away from where gunpowder was stored.
The term has survived as a nautical figure of speech.
“The smoking lamp is lit” designates those times and places for smoking; but when a skipper says, “The smoking lamp is out,” it means crush out your cigarettes now.”
According to this dictionary, it's the adverbial form of electrophotomicrography, which means "photographing by electric light objects magnified by the microscope". Apparently it was once considered the longest word in the English language, until pushed aside by pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
“Instead, scientists will try to determine whether the whale had been swimming through oil by using a method known as hindcasting, which looks at how bloated an animal’s body is to calculate how long it has been dead, then retraces patterns in water currents to tell where the body might have drifted from.”
According to Wikipedia a paddywhack is a sheep or cow ligament, which can be dried and used as a dog treat. I presume that's the "give a dog a bone" reference in "This Old Man."
I had thought this had something to do with hitting Irish people. Wrong again.
Thanks for the 'tweet' bookmarklet suggestion -- added it to the word pages, it has none of the performance issues the previous one did. Appreciate the tip :-)
“You can see the imprints of the big toe,” said another team leader, Ron Pinhasi, an archaeologist at University College Cork in Ireland, who said the shoe resembled old Irish pampooties, rawhide slippers.
We were using a 3rd party service for that, and it was sometimes slowing down pages unacceptably. We can find or write another though -- do you youse want it back?
“Americans have long been fascinated by disaster scenarios, from the population explosion to the cold war to global warming. These days the doomers, as Mrs. Wilkerson jokingly calls herself and likeminded others, have a new focus: peak oil.”
Every comment ever made on Wordie or Wordnik is in the database. I've been slowly increasing the number of comments shown, but obviously still haven't hit the number where they're all visible on heavily commented pages.
The reason we don't just grab everything is that Wordnik gets well over an order of magnitude more traffic than Wordie ever did, and it contains vastly more data. Doing a SELECT * or equivalent on a table containing many billions of rows could bring the whole thing crashing down. It's not that it's hard, it's that the potential implications are different, so we've intentionally made it hard.
But you're right, all the old comments should be exposed--I want to see them too--and I'll roll back the limit again. Another reason I've been slow about it is that I keep meaning to page the comments, so they can be viewed in batches. Haven't gotten to that either though, so for the time being we'll up the limit again, probably early next week, when I'll be pushing some other new code.
Sionnach, part of why I didn't respond to your earlier email is that you accused me, again, of betraying you, and I didn't know what to say to that. I understand preferring Wordie, it was a special thing. I love Wordnik, but I know things were lost in the transition. Not just nuts and bolts features, but a secret-garden spirit that changed when it was added to something larger and different.
So while I understand anger or disagreement about how I managed things, "betrayal" implies some kind of malevolence that I don't think I've shown, and I know I don't feel. I'm not trying to dissuade you though--it upsets me, but you're free to call it what you will. But you wanted me to acknowledge your request, so I'm doing that, and letting you know the reason I didn't earlier.
“The childish, romantic story of “Ondine” is about a West Cork fisherman named Syracuse (Colin Farrell) who one day snags a lovely, breathing young woman in his net. This comely catch, who gives her name as Ondine (Alicja Bachleda), isn’t a mermaid, but might be another, more locally familiar sort of mythic beast, a selkie: a woman who is also a seal.”
Just checked out 'Let go the painters' (which I lerve), and I think it might not show up until you open up the permissions some more. Right now they're CC for non-commercial use; we are, theoretically, a commercial enterprise.
The site only grabs photos where the owner has explicitly granted permissions, so my guess is that if, on Flickr, you click the 'edit' link next to 'Some rights reserved' in the right column, and set it to 'Attribution Creative Commons', it'll show up on Wordnik not too long thereafter (I'm not sure how soon Flickr updates make it into their API, but I know it's not instantaneous.)
Fantastic — I'd love to see the citation. The sense I'm familiar with is "all about the benjamins", as in, $100 bills, on which Benjamin Franklin appears. Which is probably post-1817.
“Other male Marines, who consider themselves the most aggressive fighters in the armed services, have been won over by the female engagement teams, referred to as fets.”
Hello. Would you please refrain from the political commentary? This isn't a forum for that. When you push groups like the Institute for Justice, it drifts towards spam.
Hi jwj, there are bookmarklets and plugins for looking up words from any web page, and a bookmarklet for adding a word to a list from any page (they're all linked to on the tools page). Something similar that let you highlight text and feed it straight into the comment form is a fine idea.
If anyone wants to whip up a bookmarklet or plugin, we'd happily feature it on the tools page :-)
“But it is the vuvuzela, a cheap plastic horn, that may be the lasting South African symbol of the 2010 games, said Mr. Alegi, a scholar of soccer at Michigan State University.”
“When the photographer Philippe Halsman said, “Jump,” no one asked how high. People simply pushed off or leapt up to the extent that physical ability and personal decorum allowed. In that airborne instant Mr. Halsman clicked the shutter. He called his method jumpology.”
“At first glance, it does not look much like garbage. More than 20,000 tons of it have been shrink-wrapped into green bales that are neatly stacked, ready to ship about 2,300 miles across the Pacific to the mainland as an another export — “opala,” as garbage is called in Hawaiian.”
“Tennis is known as a gentleman’s game and serving up bagels, or bicycles, as a 6-0, 6-0 set is called in Switzerland, was once viewed as bad sportsmanship.”
“Reto Schmidli, 31, a police officer and part-time psychology student in Arlesheim, Switzerland, is the only person who has “double-bageled” Federer, that is, beat him, 6-0, 6-0.”
“And so this week, as they do every spring in a process called hazing, state workers and livestock agents used helicopters, horses and trucks to chase back the wild bison that had wandered out of Yellowstone to give birth or find fresh grass.”
Yeah, Facebook is pushing it a little these days, but that said, I rather like the 'Like' functionality. It's less of a commitment than 'sharing' (which you can still do--if you click the 'Like' button you then get the option to share it as well, which lets you add a comment.
When you 'Like' something, only people you're friends with on Facebook see your name. More details on Facebook's blog.
Hi Predrag. Please stop posting commercial links. Using Wordnik for SEO purposes violates our terms of service, and if continued will result in account deletion.
Whitespace weirdness when editing comments should be fixed now--please let me know if that's not your case. A handful of other bugs were also fixed, and a few other changes pushed, including tweaks to the Facebook/Twitter share buttons.
“Tomato varieties are labeled as either indeterminate or determinate, and horticulture experts recommend choosing indeterminate ones for upside-down gardens. Determinate tomato plants are stubbier, with somewhat rigid stalks that issue all their fruit at once, which could weigh down and break the stems if hanging upside down. Indeterminate types, by contrast, have more flexible, sprawling stems that produce fruit throughout the season and are less likely to be harmed by gravity. ”
Hi c_b, Tony just cleared up the glitch in our database that was causing trouble with war tourist. It necessitated removing it from your list, but you should be able to add it back now no problem.
“Sgt. Justus told us the story of a 16-year-old girl whom he convinced to "roll" on her pimp. But before she could testify against him she disappeared -- and her pimp walked free.”
Yeah, we're experimenting with the 'like' bandwagon (pro, it is tied to facebook, you can read one take on it here). So far it's not doing all that much for us, frankly, though we'll probably give it some more time, and maybe tweak it a little.
I like to think we're a sort of a Reese's peanut butter cup mixture of the sacred and the profane.
“A bird prodigy of evil and hybrid character is the despair of a Norfolk farmer. It rejoices in the name of the “swoose”, a portmanteau word indicating its origin, for its father was a swan and its mother a goose. This ill-assorted pair had three children — three “sweese”.
Daily Mail, 13 July 1920."
As quoted in Word Wide Words, by Michael Quinion, May 15, 2010
“Officials with BP and other companies involved in the effort, who discussed the plans in detail at some of the operations rooms, said the best of several options included a “junk shot,” which could be tried within the week. The method involves pumping odds and ends like plastic cubes, knotted rope, even golf balls — Titleists or whatever, BP isn’t saying — into the blowout preventer, the safety device atop the well.”
Another update today: the twitter search on the word summary pages just got a little less aggressive. Rather than automatically load new tweets, it alerts you that new tweets are available, and gives you the option to load them yourself. You can see it in action on any oft-tweeted word, like iPad, which people talk about far too much. (And which some genius tagged oleophobic. Best tag ever.)
Hi rich, the sort order bug when adding words to lists should be fixed. I also added better feedback when adding and removing words. Thanks for the bug report, and please let me know if you see any issues with it.
Hi folks, I think the multiple-entry bug is fixed. I just added some words to some words, and it seemed to work fine with both the 'Add' button and by hitting enter.
If anyone sees this again could you please let me know what browser you're using?
You're not alone either of you—this song always gets me choked up, and I sang it to Z a hundred times when she was tiny and couldn't sleep. Poor kid's bad luck to have a dad who only knows the words to murder ballads, drinking songs, and heartbreakers like this.
“The Marcoses’ only son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 52, known as Bongbong, said ‘immediately that got our attention. It doesn’t frighten us, but it certainly defined what could happen should he become president.’”
Anything we have only a single example for, as is the case with 'raiseable' at the moment, is most often a misspelling. But WordNet shows this as an acceptable version, fwiw.
“Sometimes people fault Obama for being too cool. I can see their point 5 percent of the time, but 95 percent of the time, it’s good to have a president with equipoise.”
We usually frown on people posting links prior to having contributed in any other way—99.9% of the time it's spam—but I think we can make an exception for speculative grammar. Welcome to Wordnik, spec.
Hi fionnuala, welcome to Wordnik and thanks for the comment on gaffle. It's great to see background info like that on where a unique word may have come from, or previously been used.
Hi telofy, glad you like the corpus additions and the translation feature. Those are provided by the Google Language API—who I intended to credit with a little logo link, like Flickr, but Google is very restrictive about the use of their logo.
Just fixed the Century definitions too—thanks much for pointing that out.
“Ms. Hunter first told the tale of her campaign coup de foudre (“a magnetic force”) and the resulting daughter, now 2, in an interview in the April issue of GQ that was illustrated with sexy pin-up shots of Ms. Hunter lying on a bed in pearls, a white shirt and no pants.”
I'm so glad you like it! Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments about how it's implemented. The translations themselves come from the Google Language API.
If you don't know what we're talking about, we recently added a 'translate' option to every word, but initially rolled it out to half of Wordnki's visitors (chosen randomly), so we could test it and make sure it didn't screw up anything else. It's looking pretty good though, so we'll probably be rolling it out to everyone very soon.
If you can't wait, clear your cookies and reload. Repeat until you see a translate option to the right of the links below each word :-)
“One of the more striking features of the contemporary conservative movement is the extent to which it has been moving toward epistemic closure. Reality is defined by a multimedia array of interconnected and cross promoting conservative blogs, radio programs, magazines, and of course, Fox News. Whatever conflicts with that reality can be dismissed out of hand because it comes from the liberal media, and is therefore ipso facto not to be trusted. (How do you know they’re liberal? Well, they disagree with the conservative media!) ”
Hi focalist, wanted to let you know we tightened up the random word rules considerably this morning.
It might be worth noting that Wordnik follows David Weinberger's injunction to filter on the way out. Which is to say we collect literally all the text we can, warts and all, and then use a variety of methods to try and decide what's worth making available.
Clearly we don't always get it right. But we've gotten much better over time, and have some changes on deck that will further improve our interestingness quotient, I think. Another great Weinberger quote is that "the solution to too much information is more information." The way that manifests on Wordnik is that we have a plethora of fantastic content providers whose text just entered the corpus, or is about to. As we get more and better data, the lower-quality material gets shoved out of sight, algorithmically speaking.
Thanks much for your feedback—hope that helps explain some of the quirks you noticed, and some of the ways we differ from a traditional dictionary. And welcome to Wordnik :-)
Hi pro, been slow in coming, but we tightened up the random word rules considerably this morning. I'm finding it a lot more interesting, hope you do too.
Hi whichbe, I'm sorry that we don't have this yet--if you email the urls of any lists you want removed I'll do it manually. Same goes for anyone else with the same request.
Hi pro, the 'did you mean' suggester is new and we're actively improving the algorithm. As you see, it doesn't handle multi-word phrases well, but I'll move that up on the list of improvements it needs.
We've tweaked the random word rules over time—it's better than it used to be, I think—but I agree, too many of the responses are not satisfying. Requiring words to have been looked up before is a good suggestion. I have some other rules I'm lobbying for that will hopefully up the interestingness quotient.
I just heard Eric Ries use this term to describe the smoke-and-mirrors dance some companies do when trying to convince their boards that everything's going great.
Good eyes rz :-) Just tonight we made a change where comments show up on the main word page if there are no definitions or examples. We might twiddle with it and show a selection of comments regardless of the other data available, but if a word has defintions and examples, it's both harder to squeeze the comments in, and maybe less necessary--you can kind of assume they might be there. But the big wall o' nuthin on some of the madeupical words wasn't doing justice to the brilliant banter in the backroom.
We just added a few updates to pronunciation recording. You can now add a description to your pronunciation ("This is an example of a Louisiana accent..."), and you can also say if you've recorded a pronunciation ("cat") or a sound ("meow").
I'm with bilby. There's etymology, and then there's metaphor, poetic license, and sanctification through usage. And the OED, which you name drop but must not have referenced, lists "to destroy or remove a large proportion of" as a valid rhetorical use. As does the venerable Century.
If you were the guy with the short straw, it was probably a major catastrophe.
Agreed, janetjetson--I would be off-put by this, were I not able to imagine the smirk with which I'm sure it was delivered, and to appreciate the intentional effort to get a rise out of her audience. Bit dicey though, using loaded terms like this out of context.
“A rustic salad of caramelized roast pears, earthy lardo, walnuts and salty pecorino di Fossa was a last look at winter, presented as simply as cuttings in a garden basket.”
Fantastic. I had the pleasure of hearing Merrill talk a few times when I was at the NYTimes, she's great. Though if she says this about other dictionaries, I hesitate to imagine what she thinks of Wordnik.
Hi frindley, you should be whitelisted. Actually, looks like you must be, since that Shuttercal link is working. Let me know if it's not letting you do something you'd like to.
I also miss the also-ons. They're on the to-do list, though I can't promise when we'll get to them.
Hi tigermouse, thanks a million for the pronunciation on Eyjafjallajökull. I've been mildly obsessed with the whole event since seeing this photo. It's probably due in part to pixelization, but it looks almost biblical.
That sounds much better than the what I've heard called a banana boat, which are those very small, very tight speedo-style bathing suits for men. I believe they're more common in Europe than America. Also known as a banana hammock.
If you're still feeling lost shoot me an email (john@wordnik.com), and I'm happy to help orient you. But it's pretty much words and people and lists, swirled to together, with an occasional sprinkling of tags and pronunciations :-)
He's not a manpage. It's short for "manual page." They're the built-in documentation on Unix computers. To see them you use the "man" command: "man awk" shows the manpage for the awk command, for instance.
Freak not, as an old friend of mine used to say. The survey questions were canned--we didn't write them. We're not going anywhere. And the survey will come down shortly--we just wanted to try and gather info from a broader swath of visitors. You folks, but also drop-ins from searches, people who use the site but don't register, those not inclined to chat.
Over the past week we've closed some holes that let people surreptitiously put spam in little-seen corners of the site. In particular, accounts that were never used to create lists or leave comments could contain spam links that weren't immediately visible. Shutting those down reduced overall spam, but had the perverse effect of increasing its visibility, as the spammers shifted tactics and started using comments again.
Today we started requiring new accounts to be activated by email for the first time, which will hopefully help. This is a constant battle though, and we have further steps in the wings if necessary. Thanks again for your patience.
Great word--you might want to consider adding your definition to the comments page of the word itself (which looks like it has one example that accords with your definition below).
“I can eye-witness report this: during breaks he [John Wayne] shed his boots and slipped into a chartreuse pair of those fluffy marabou slippers more associated with women.”
Great list! Haven't heard 'pogy' in years. How about 'moxie'?
Missed this earlier—I was born in Brunswick, lived in Portland on and off, did indeed go to Bowdoin. But I've moved far too much; by any reasonable local standard I'm from away (another good phrase for this list).
“The classical example of thermionic emission is the emission of electrons from a hot metal cathode into a vacuum (archaically known as the Edison effect) in a vacuum tube. However, the term "thermionic emission" is now used to refer to any thermally excited charge emission process, even when the charge is emitted from one solid-state region into another.”
Hi t, as you noticed, I had to clamp down on links in profiles earlier this week, necessitated by another massive spam attack. We are at this very moment writing code to better address this, but in the meanwhile I've been whitelisting people to let them use links in profiles. Just added you to the list.
“A spoon pie (more like a fruit stew with dumplings), in which biscuit dough is dropped onto the fruit before baking. The consensus is that the dish got its name because the lumps of cooked dough resembled cobblestones.”
“A British dessert in which raw fruit is topped with a crumbly pastry mixture and baked. One reference says a crumble is like a crisp, but not as rich.”
Hi indioman. None of the four dictionaries from which we offer definitions includes 'listeth'. When a word is looked up that we have examples for, but not definitions, we display the examples up top--look up a word with definitions, like petulant, and you'll see that the definitions come first.
We decided to still display the dictionary links for words with no definitions, but grayed-out and disabled, because we thought it would be useful to know that we do indeed offer definitions when available. Otherwise people might thin we were just an examples site. Perhaps we should be more explicit, and say "no definitions available?"
“As miner after miner was carried out of the mine’s mouth, rescuers hugged each other and wept for joy. Scenes of the rescue were broadcast repeatedly on national television on Tomb-Sweeping Day, China’s national holiday to commemorate the dead.”
Pro, we're testing that layout for the word-related commands--half of our visitors see what you're seeing, half see the old style. The concern was that people unfamiliar with the site wouldn't even know those options were available if they were buried in a drop-down menu. Bit early to say definitively, but it seems like more people use the new style.
If you have suggestions about how to better implement it, though, I'd love to hear them, either here or in an email.
I can see why you wouldn't like all these word, except for 'cobbler,' which just makes me think of shoes and peaches--both of which I like. Does it have a meaning I don't know about, or do just not like the sound of it?
“The center of that Creole culture — a Cuban and Italian mix, is Ybor City. That’s where Cuban immigrants set up cigar rolling shops in the late 1800s, and where Jill Wax opened La France in 1974. She started with the one store, then expanded to two. She has four streetfront windows with constantly rotating displays: colorful Victorian corsets and feathered hats for Gasparilla, Tampa’s annual pirate festival parade; a 1920s safari scene with palm fronds hung across the wall as backdrop to a mannequin wedding couple.”
“Obama preempts the other side's most resonant arguments, which forces them to come up with more and more extreme claims in order to differentiate themselves. In the end, he occupies the reasonable middle ground and his opponents are Palinized.”
Washington Monthly, Political Animal, by Steve Benen, March 23, 2010 (quoting a "Hill staffer")
john commented on the user mollusque
Hi mollusque, the 'move' function should be working again, thanks for the report.
Aug 2, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Hi mollusque, 'sup' and 'sub' tags should be working in comments now :-).
Jul 31, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
It's down in the footer. Blog content is a bit more static than the other header links, so I thought we'd try separating them.
Jul 30, 2010
john commented on the word consider a spherical cow in vacuum
I *lerve* this joke, but almost as pleasing is the site of the two ruzuzu lists it fits into :-)
Jul 23, 2010
john commented on the user mollusque
Hi mollusque -- you can now filter tag pages by a specific user, as long as they have a public profile. Here's the form:
http://www.wordnik.com/tags/food?created_by=john
Sorry for the long delay on this, and please let me know if you see any quirks.
Jul 23, 2010
john commented on the user mollusque
Hi mollusque, my apologies for the long wait on per-user tag list links. I'm looking into it right now.
Jul 20, 2010
john commented on the user Prolagus
That's very funny. Sure, I'll leave it.
Not sure who's making all these accounts, but I'm presuming they're turks, being paid for spam by the bushel. Funny they'd bother to reply, but hey, I guess they're people too.
Jul 17, 2010
john commented on the word fair to midland
I think you mean fair to middling, though you're not the only one who hears it otherwise.
Jul 16, 2010
john commented on the word downrange
“We talk about the enemy here, which is different from the enemy downrange, but which is just as deadly,” he said, using the military term used for a combat zone.
The New York Times, As a Brigade Returns Safe, Some Meet New Enemies, by Timothy Williams, July 13, 2010
Jul 14, 2010
john commented on the list cable-ties
I was on autopilot and almost nuked this, but it's awesome, so it got a reprieve. Worms in my ears now, though.
Jul 14, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Oops -- I'll fix that tonight, p&r. I tidied up the profile sub-pages the other day (adding sort options for lists & favorites, things like that), and must have forgotten the comment links in the process.
Jul 12, 2010
john commented on the word pantograph
“A Metro-North spokesman said the problem was caused when the devices on top of several trains that pull electricity from the overhead lines tore down the wires just west of the Greenwich, Conn., station.
Railroad officials were unsure on Saturday how the devices — known as pantographs — were able to bring down the power lines, but they suspected the recent heat wave might have played a role.”
The New York Times, Thousands Stranded as New Haven Line Shuts Down, by M. Amedeo Tumolillo and Colin Moynihan, July 10, 2010
Jul 11, 2010
john commented on the user PossibleUnderscore
Ga, pu, I'm so sorry about this ongoing listing problem. Writing you an email right now to try and address.
Jul 11, 2010
john commented on the word dectet
An ensemble of ten musicians, according to Wikipedia. A group of nine is a nonet, though some would have it neuftet.
Jul 10, 2010
john commented on the word Triple Cleveland
“Anthony Perrotti, 88, was posing around the room wearing a Triple Cleveland — white tie, white belt, white shoes — and lamenting the hot pink shirt he could have paired it with.”
The New York Times, Cool Air, if You Can Get to It, by Ariel Kaminer, July 9, 2010
Jul 10, 2010
john commented on the word Candwich
“Is putting a sandwich in a can and calling it a “Candwich” the next can’t-miss billion-dollar idea?”
The New York Times, Money in the Bank? No, Sandwich in a Can, by Kirk Johnson, July 7, 2010
Jul 8, 2010
john commented on the word tastevin
“Ah, the tastevin, the shallow silver cup that today largely evokes the image of the supercilious sommelier.”
The New York Times, When the First Sip Is the Sommelier’s, Not Yours, by Eric Asimov, July 6, 2010
Jul 8, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Sorry rz, must have re-introduced this. Am looking into it this morning.
Jul 7, 2010
john commented on the word Jafaican
“In London, Cockney will be replaced by Multicultural London English - a mixture of Cockney, Bangladeshi and West Indian accents - the study shows.
"It will be gone within 30 years," says Prof Kerswill.
The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, says the accent ,which has been around for more than 500 years, is being replaced in London by a new hybrid language.
The new accent, known in slang terms as Jafaican, is most famously spoken by rap star Dizzee Rascal.”
BBC News, Cockney to disappear from London 'within 30 years', July 1, 2010
Jul 6, 2010
john commented on the word restavek
“Ms. Dumas, her confidante, said that Daphne feared she would be used as a restavek — a child servant.”
The New York Times, Haitian Orphans Have Little but One Another, by Deborah Sontag, July 5, 2010
Jul 6, 2010
john commented on the user hernesheir
The 'cvcvcvcvcc' bug should be fixed now.
Jul 5, 2010
john commented on the user hernesheir
That is strange, and I was able to duplicate. Thanks for the reports m & h, I'll look into tonight.
Jul 4, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Thanks h, that should be fixed now.
Jul 3, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
The comments on a person's profile are paginated, but I forgot to paginate the ones by the person who's profile you're looking at. Thanks for catching that, will do it shortly.
Jul 1, 2010
john commented on the list revolting-beverages
I love Clamato! Without it the caesar would not be possible, and I don't want to live in a world without caesars.
But each to their own :-)
Jun 30, 2010
john commented on the word baby mice wine
There's nothing metaphorical about this, nothing lost in translation. It is literally (so consider yourself warned, link-wise) baby mice, in wine.
Jun 30, 2010
john commented on the word Zima Gold
Gone but not forgotten. Properly eulogized here.
Jun 30, 2010
john commented on the word Lobsterita
A drink creation from Red Lobster, as seen on Flickr.
Jun 30, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
It's been a long time coming, but comments are finally pageable, so you can now scroll back through all comments on words, lists, and people, including words like features with a large number of comments. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the 'more' link.
Jun 30, 2010
john commented on the word tenderpreneur
“A tenderpreneur is an insider pocketing millions from rigged government tenders for everything from air-conditioners to locomotives.”
The New York Times, The Black and the White of It, by Roger Cohen, June 28, 2010
Jun 29, 2010
john commented on the word parasomnia pseudo-suicide
“Some sleepwalkers will go jogging on the freeway and be killed in traffic, or stroll off the deck of a cruise ship, unaware of their surroundings, he said. He and colleagues even coined the term parasomnia pseudo-suicide, in part because the fatalities are frequently misinterpreted.”
The New York Times, The Mysteries of Tobias Wong, by Alex Williams, June 25, 2010
Jun 26, 2010
john commented on the word Churchillian Drift
“Hence, Rees’s First Law of Quotation: ‘When in doubt, ascribe all quotations to George Bernard Shaw.’ The law’s first qualification is: ‘Except when they obviously derive from Shakespeare, the Bible or Kipling.’ The corollary is: ‘In time, all humorous remarks will be ascribed to Shaw whether he said them or not.’
Why should this be? People are notoriously lax about quoting and attributing remarks correctly, as witness an analogous process I shall call Churchillian Drift. The Drift is almost indistinguishable from the First Law, but there is a subtle difference. Whereas quotations with an apothegmatic feel are normally ascribed to Shaw, those with a more grandiose or belligerent tone are almost automatically credited to Churchill. All quotations in translation, on the other hand, should be attributed to Goethe (with ‘I think’ obligatory).”
The Vagueness Is All, From Volume 2, Number 2, April 1993 issue of The “Quote... Unquote” Newsletters
Jun 25, 2010
john commented on the word BaGOK
Huh. I had thought it was something more like Koo Koo Ka-Chaw.
Jun 25, 2010
john commented on the word tonsorialist
Otherwise known as a barber.
Jun 25, 2010
john commented on the word passle
A bunch, a motley crew. Usually spelled passel.
Jun 25, 2010
john commented on the word jeggings
“A random list of stuff that the spring 2011 men’s wear shows in Milan suggest that style guys should be on the alert for: pencil thighs shrink-wrapped in jeggings (jeans so tight they look like leggings); scruffy bed head (Bottega Veneta); lug-soled shoes with inset espadrille rope soles (Prada); paper-bag waists (ditto Prada); boat-neck sweaters (ditto ditto); colors from the sorbet bin at the ice cream counter, like watermelon, mango, pistachio (Dsquared) or aqua, mint, almond (Calvin Klein); unlined short-sleeved safari jackets (Gucci); slave chains (Emporio Armani — shout out to Pauly from “Jersey Shore”!); Balenciaga butterfly sunglasses, designed for women but worn by guys, as Snoop Dogg did at the MTV movie awards; Birkenstock style sandals with gladiator straps (Burberry.)”
The New York Times, Men: What to Watch (and Watch Out For), by Guy Trebay, June 23, 2010
Jun 23, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
"I think I fixed the quotes," he said, hopefully.
Jun 23, 2010
john commented on the word mixoclassical
As seen on mesonoxian.
Jun 22, 2010
john commented on the word smoking lamp
“Even more archaic is the maritime term “smoking lamp.”
According to a Navy history Web site, this phrase dates to the 16th century, when a lamp was stoked near the ship’s galley to draw tobacco users away from where gunpowder was stored.
The term has survived as a nautical figure of speech.
“The smoking lamp is lit” designates those times and places for smoking; but when a skipper says, “The smoking lamp is out,” it means crush out your cigarettes now.”
The New York Times, Navy Bans Tobacco Use on Its Submarine Fleet, by Thom Shanker, June 20, 2010
Jun 21, 2010
john commented on the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
You can see scans of the dictionary entry for this here.
Jun 19, 2010
john commented on the word electrophotomicrographically
According to this dictionary, it's the adverbial form of electrophotomicrography, which means "photographing by electric light objects magnified by the microscope". Apparently it was once considered the longest word in the English language, until pushed aside by pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
Jun 19, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Thanks, I'll look into the comment weirdness.
Jun 18, 2010
john commented on the word hindcast
“Instead, scientists will try to determine whether the whale had been swimming through oil by using a method known as hindcasting, which looks at how bloated an animal’s body is to calculate how long it has been dead, then retraces patterns in water currents to tell where the body might have drifted from.”
The New York Times, Spill May Have Taken Its Largest Victim Yet, by Leslie Kaufman, June 17, 2010
Jun 18, 2010
john commented on the word dissatisfactory
Brackets on half-bakery, please. That just made my day :-)
Jun 17, 2010
john commented on the word lilikoi
Better known as the passion fruit.
Jun 17, 2010
john commented on the word cdonald's theorem
You can see this equation (n^2 + 9 + 9) graphed, and hear the name of the theorem pronounced, here.
Jun 15, 2010
john commented on the word paddywhack
According to Wikipedia a paddywhack is a sheep or cow ligament, which can be dried and used as a dog treat. I presume that's the "give a dog a bone" reference in "This Old Man."
I had thought this had something to do with hitting Irish people. Wrong again.
Jun 12, 2010
john commented on the word fructivorous
Means "fruit-eating." An alternate spelling of frugivorous.
Jun 12, 2010
john commented on the word how to hide the like button
You can find AdBlock Plus (ABP) here.
Jun 10, 2010
john commented on the user Prolagus
Thanks for the 'tweet' bookmarklet suggestion -- added it to the word pages, it has none of the performance issues the previous one did. Appreciate the tip :-)
Jun 10, 2010
john commented on the word pampootie
“You can see the imprints of the big toe,” said another team leader, Ron Pinhasi, an archaeologist at University College Cork in Ireland, who said the shoe resembled old Irish pampooties, rawhide slippers.
The New York Times, This Shoe Had Prada Beat by 5,500 Years, by Pam Belluck, June 9, 2010
Jun 10, 2010
john commented on the word Vaigaimuthu
Apparently the name of an ancient river in India.
Jun 7, 2010
john commented on the word nuclear
Very sorry -- just sent you an email. Looking into it right now.
Jun 7, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
We were using a 3rd party service for that, and it was sometimes slowing down pages unacceptably. We can find or write another though -- do you youse want it back?
Jun 5, 2010
john commented on the word doomer
“Americans have long been fascinated by disaster scenarios, from the population explosion to the cold war to global warming. These days the doomers, as Mrs. Wilkerson jokingly calls herself and likeminded others, have a new focus: peak oil.”
The New York Times, A Movement Prepares: Goodbye, Limitless Oil. Hello, Primitive Dystopia., by John Leland, June 5, 2010
Jun 5, 2010
john commented on the list things-that-roll-things-one-rolls-or-things-one-finds-in-a-roll
drunks?
Jun 5, 2010
john commented on the user hernesheir
Wordnik too :-)
Jun 2, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Every comment ever made on Wordie or Wordnik is in the database. I've been slowly increasing the number of comments shown, but obviously still haven't hit the number where they're all visible on heavily commented pages.
The reason we don't just grab everything is that Wordnik gets well over an order of magnitude more traffic than Wordie ever did, and it contains vastly more data. Doing a SELECT * or equivalent on a table containing many billions of rows could bring the whole thing crashing down. It's not that it's hard, it's that the potential implications are different, so we've intentionally made it hard.
But you're right, all the old comments should be exposed--I want to see them too--and I'll roll back the limit again. Another reason I've been slow about it is that I keep meaning to page the comments, so they can be viewed in batches. Haven't gotten to that either though, so for the time being we'll up the limit again, probably early next week, when I'll be pushing some other new code.
Sionnach, part of why I didn't respond to your earlier email is that you accused me, again, of betraying you, and I didn't know what to say to that. I understand preferring Wordie, it was a special thing. I love Wordnik, but I know things were lost in the transition. Not just nuts and bolts features, but a secret-garden spirit that changed when it was added to something larger and different.
So while I understand anger or disagreement about how I managed things, "betrayal" implies some kind of malevolence that I don't think I've shown, and I know I don't feel. I'm not trying to dissuade you though--it upsets me, but you're free to call it what you will. But you wanted me to acknowledge your request, so I'm doing that, and letting you know the reason I didn't earlier.
Jun 2, 2010
john commented on the word selkie
“The childish, romantic story of “Ondine” is about a West Cork fisherman named Syracuse (Colin Farrell) who one day snags a lovely, breathing young woman in his net. This comely catch, who gives her name as Ondine (Alicja Bachleda), isn’t a mermaid, but might be another, more locally familiar sort of mythic beast, a selkie: a woman who is also a seal.”
The New York Times, Neil Jordan’s Possible World of the Impossible, by Terrence Rafferty, May 28, 2010
Jun 1, 2010
john commented on the user Prolagus
Just checked out 'Let go the painters' (which I lerve), and I think it might not show up until you open up the permissions some more. Right now they're CC for non-commercial use; we are, theoretically, a commercial enterprise.
Jun 1, 2010
john commented on the user Prolagus
The site only grabs photos where the owner has explicitly granted permissions, so my guess is that if, on Flickr, you click the 'edit' link next to 'Some rights reserved' in the right column, and set it to 'Attribution Creative Commons', it'll show up on Wordnik not too long thereafter (I'm not sure how soon Flickr updates make it into their API, but I know it's not instantaneous.)
May 31, 2010
john commented on the word benjamins
Fantastic — I'd love to see the citation. The sense I'm familiar with is "all about the benjamins", as in, $100 bills, on which Benjamin Franklin appears. Which is probably post-1817.
A Google define: search falls down pretty hard on this one.
May 31, 2010
john commented on the word fet
“Other male Marines, who consider themselves the most aggressive fighters in the armed services, have been won over by the female engagement teams, referred to as fets.”
The New York Times, In Camouflage or Afghan Veil, a Fragile Bond, by Elisabeth Bumiller, May 29, 2010
May 29, 2010
john commented on the user norton2
Hi Norton. Try the search box in the upper-right of every page to search for words.
May 29, 2010
john commented on the word tubicide
Death of a tub?
May 29, 2010
john commented on the word tubicide
Death in a tub?
May 29, 2010
john commented on the word bremsstrahlung
I'm sure you'll hear back from qroqqa next year.
May 28, 2010
john commented on the user ethnofinancecologist
Hello. Would you please refrain from the political commentary? This isn't a forum for that. When you push groups like the Institute for Justice, it drifts towards spam.
May 27, 2010
john commented on the list tools-with-which-to-fight-the-soulless-tax-vampires
I like Chris Dodd. He's got great hair.
May 27, 2010
john commented on the user jwjarvis
Hi jwj, there are bookmarklets and plugins for looking up words from any web page, and a bookmarklet for adding a word to a list from any page (they're all linked to on the tools page). Something similar that let you highlight text and feed it straight into the comment form is a fine idea.
If anyone wants to whip up a bookmarklet or plugin, we'd happily feature it on the tools page :-)
May 25, 2010
john commented on the word vuvuzela
“But it is the vuvuzela, a cheap plastic horn, that may be the lasting South African symbol of the 2010 games, said Mr. Alegi, a scholar of soccer at Michigan State University.”
The New York Times, South Africa Pushes to Make World Cup Its Own, by Celia W. Dugger, May 23, 2010
May 24, 2010
john commented on the word jumpology
“When the photographer Philippe Halsman said, “Jump,” no one asked how high. People simply pushed off or leapt up to the extent that physical ability and personal decorum allowed. In that airborne instant Mr. Halsman clicked the shutter. He called his method jumpology.”
The New York Times, The Joys of Jumpology, by Roberta Smith, May 23, 2010
May 23, 2010
john commented on the word opala
“At first glance, it does not look much like garbage. More than 20,000 tons of it have been shrink-wrapped into green bales that are neatly stacked, ready to ship about 2,300 miles across the Pacific to the mainland as an another export — “opala,” as garbage is called in Hawaiian.”
The New York Times, Ready to Ship in Hawaii: 20,000 Tons of Garbage, by Michael Cooper, May 21, 2010
May 23, 2010
john commented on the word perpensity
Check the definitions--it's archaic, but it is indeed a word.
The first three quotes are misspellings, but the fourth, from Swift, is proper usage.
May 23, 2010
john commented on the word bicycle
“Tennis is known as a gentleman’s game and serving up bagels, or bicycles, as a 6-0, 6-0 set is called in Switzerland, was once viewed as bad sportsmanship.”
The New York Times, Shut Out at Age 10, Federer Never Lost That Way Again, by Dave Seminara, May 21, 2010
May 22, 2010
john commented on the word double-bagel
“Reto Schmidli, 31, a police officer and part-time psychology student in Arlesheim, Switzerland, is the only person who has “double-bageled” Federer, that is, beat him, 6-0, 6-0.”
The New York Times, Shut Out at Age 10, Federer Never Lost That Way Again, by Dave Seminara, May 21, 2010
May 22, 2010
john commented on the word hazing
“And so this week, as they do every spring in a process called hazing, state workers and livestock agents used helicopters, horses and trucks to chase back the wild bison that had wandered out of Yellowstone to give birth or find fresh grass.”
The New York Times, Disputed Deal Puts Yellowstone Bison on Ted Turner’s Range, by Kirk Johnson, May 21, 2010
May 22, 2010
john commented on the word jocoserious
Yeah, Facebook is pushing it a little these days, but that said, I rather like the 'Like' functionality. It's less of a commitment than 'sharing' (which you can still do--if you click the 'Like' button you then get the option to share it as well, which lets you add a comment.
When you 'Like' something, only people you're friends with on Facebook see your name. More details on Facebook's blog.
May 20, 2010
john commented on the user dizajn
Hi Predrag. Please stop posting commercial links. Using Wordnik for SEO purposes violates our terms of service, and if continued will result in account deletion.
May 20, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Whitespace weirdness when editing comments should be fixed now--please let me know if that's not your case. A handful of other bugs were also fixed, and a few other changes pushed, including tweaks to the Facebook/Twitter share buttons.
May 20, 2010
john commented on the word determinate
See citation on indeterminate.
May 20, 2010
john commented on the word indeterminate
“Tomato varieties are labeled as either indeterminate or determinate, and horticulture experts recommend choosing indeterminate ones for upside-down gardens. Determinate tomato plants are stubbier, with somewhat rigid stalks that issue all their fruit at once, which could weigh down and break the stems if hanging upside down. Indeterminate types, by contrast, have more flexible, sprawling stems that produce fruit throughout the season and are less likely to be harmed by gravity. ”
The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/garden/20tomato.html, by Kate Murphy, May 19, 2010
May 20, 2010
john commented on the user chained_bear
Hi c_b, Tony just cleared up the glitch in our database that was causing trouble with war tourist. It necessitated removing it from your list, but you should be able to add it back now no problem.
May 19, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
thanks all--am looking at the whitespace weirdness right now.
May 19, 2010
john commented on the word roll
“Sgt. Justus told us the story of a 16-year-old girl whom he convinced to "roll" on her pimp. But before she could testify against him she disappeared -- and her pimp walked free.”
The Huffington Post, Pornland, Oregon: Child Prostitution in Portland, by Dan Rather, May 18, 2010
May 18, 2010
john commented on the list dictionary--2
What's Wordnik—chopped liver?
May 18, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Yeah, we're experimenting with the 'like' bandwagon (pro, it is tied to facebook, you can read one take on it here). So far it's not doing all that much for us, frankly, though we'll probably give it some more time, and maybe tweak it a little.
I like to think we're a sort of a Reese's peanut butter cup mixture of the sacred and the profane.
May 16, 2010
john commented on the word no-lifer
I'm relieved this has nothing to do with prisons or abortion or other weighty issues.
*Goes back to farmville*
May 16, 2010
john commented on the word swoose
“A bird prodigy of evil and hybrid character is the despair of a Norfolk farmer. It rejoices in the name of the “swoose”, a portmanteau word indicating its origin, for its father was a swan and its mother a goose. This ill-assorted pair had three children — three “sweese”.
Daily Mail, 13 July 1920."
As quoted in Word Wide Words, by Michael Quinion, May 15, 2010
May 15, 2010
john commented on the word junk shot
“Officials with BP and other companies involved in the effort, who discussed the plans in detail at some of the operations rooms, said the best of several options included a “junk shot,” which could be tried within the week. The method involves pumping odds and ends like plastic cubes, knotted rope, even golf balls — Titleists or whatever, BP isn’t saying — into the blowout preventer, the safety device atop the well.”
The New York Times, ‘Junk Shot’ Is Next Step for Leaking Gulf of Mexico Well, by Henry Fountain, May 14, 2010
May 15, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Another update today: the twitter search on the word summary pages just got a little less aggressive. Rather than automatically load new tweets, it alerts you that new tweets are available, and gives you the option to load them yourself. You can see it in action on any oft-tweeted word, like iPad, which people talk about far too much. (And which some genius tagged oleophobic. Best tag ever.)
May 13, 2010
john commented on the user richnotwealthy
Hi rich, the sort order bug when adding words to lists should be fixed. I also added better feedback when adding and removing words. Thanks for the bug report, and please let me know if you see any issues with it.
May 12, 2010
john commented on the word malamanteau
But not a mallomanteau.
May 12, 2010
john commented on the word mallomanteau
A mixture of a mallomar and any other dessert.
May 12, 2010
john commented on the word Malamanteau
See also malamanteau.
May 12, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Hi folks, I think the multiple-entry bug is fixed. I just added some words to some words, and it seemed to work fine with both the 'Add' button and by hitting enter.
If anyone sees this again could you please let me know what browser you're using?
May 12, 2010
john commented on the user john
Been one on and off for years. Here's my tag.
May 12, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Thanks rz & a, I'm looking into it right now.
May 11, 2010
john commented on the list murder-ballads--drinking-songs--and-heartbreakers
Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes, fantastic. Worth stealing :-)
How about "In the Pines?"
May 10, 2010
john commented on the word Lou Gehrig's disease
Common name for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
May 10, 2010
john commented on the word an underwhelm of students
That would be reesetee's madeupical collective nouns.
May 10, 2010
john commented on the user 845125047
Hi Katherine, nice to see you here :-)
Thanks for the comment on diya--let me know if you have suggestions or comments regarding the UI/UX.
May 9, 2010
john commented on the word pessary
“(The first big victory had the memorable name of U.S. v. One Package of Japanese Pessaries.) ”
The New York Times, What Every Girl Should Know, by Gail Collins, May 7, 2010
May 8, 2010
john commented on the word tooth
Military slang for combat forces. See citation on tail.
May 8, 2010
john commented on the word tail
“The goal is to convert as much as 2 percent or 3 percent of spending from “tail” to “tooth” — military slang for support services and combat forces.”
The New York Times, Gates Takes Aim at Pentagon Spending, by Thom Shanker, May 8, 2010
May 8, 2010
john commented on the list tunie-and-the-band-played-waltzing-matilda
You're not alone either of you—this song always gets me choked up, and I sang it to Z a hundred times when she was tiny and couldn't sleep. Poor kid's bad luck to have a dad who only knows the words to murder ballads, drinking songs, and heartbreakers like this.
May 8, 2010
john commented on the word Bongbong
“The Marcoses’ only son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 52, known as Bongbong, said ‘immediately that got our attention. It doesn’t frighten us, but it certainly defined what could happen should he become president.’”
The New York Times, Imelda Marcos, at 80, Seeks to Restore the Dynasty, by Norimitsu Onishi, May 7, 2010
May 7, 2010
john commented on the word Pyrrhic Compromise
Awesome. Like being unable to decide between two equally qualified applicants, so you hire the boss's idiot cousin instead.
May 7, 2010
john commented on the word double dog dare
O, all I saw were the first three words.
*Craves two devil dogs.*
May 7, 2010
john commented on the word raiseable
Anything we have only a single example for, as is the case with 'raiseable' at the moment, is most often a misspelling. But WordNet shows this as an acceptable version, fwiw.
May 6, 2010
john commented on the word fetch
"slang for cool or awsome. Used in mean girls by Grechen Weener."
Urban Dictionary
Seen in the wild on Twitter: "A few days overdue, but keynote by @emckean at STC2010 was fetch."
May 6, 2010
john commented on the word equipoise
“Sometimes people fault Obama for being too cool. I can see their point 5 percent of the time, but 95 percent of the time, it’s good to have a president with equipoise.”
The New York Times, The Calm, Cool and Collected President, by David Brooks and Gail Collins, May 5, 2010
May 5, 2010
john commented on the user specgram
We usually frown on people posting links prior to having contributed in any other way—99.9% of the time it's spam—but I think we can make an exception for speculative grammar. Welcome to Wordnik, spec.
May 5, 2010
john commented on the word hot dog etiquette
Unless it is accompanied by chili and onions, when it has the possibility of rounding the corner into the sublime.
Talk of hot dog errors reminds me of my old hot dog eating tutorial. Posted that almost ten years ago, back when Kobayashi was in his prime.
May 4, 2010
john commented on the user fionnuala
Hi fionnuala, welcome to Wordnik and thanks for the comment on gaffle. It's great to see background info like that on where a unique word may have come from, or previously been used.
May 2, 2010
john commented on the user Telofy
Hi telofy, glad you like the corpus additions and the translation feature. Those are provided by the Google Language API—who I intended to credit with a little logo link, like Flickr, but Google is very restrictive about the use of their logo.
Just fixed the Century definitions too—thanks much for pointing that out.
May 1, 2010
john commented on the user sionnach
Hi sionnach, the autoexpander should be working for comment editing now.
Apr 30, 2010
john commented on the word meth lab of democracy
“This week, Jon Stewart called Arizona the “the meth lab of democracy.””
The New York Times, Desert Derangement Syndrome, by Timothy Egan, April 28, 2010
Apr 30, 2010
john commented on the word coup de foudre
“Ms. Hunter first told the tale of her campaign coup de foudre (“a magnetic force”) and the resulting daughter, now 2, in an interview in the April issue of GQ that was illustrated with sexy pin-up shots of Ms. Hunter lying on a bed in pearls, a white shirt and no pants.”
The New York Times, One Woman’s ‘Truth’: Rielle Hunter Talks to Oprah, by Alessandra Stanley, April 29, 2010
Apr 30, 2010
john commented on the list the-world-of-corn
Another gem I missed the first time around. Love this list, super love its name.
Apr 29, 2010
john commented on the word translate
I'm so glad you like it! Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments about how it's implemented. The translations themselves come from the Google Language API.
If you don't know what we're talking about, we recently added a 'translate' option to every word, but initially rolled it out to half of Wordnki's visitors (chosen randomly), so we could test it and make sure it didn't screw up anything else. It's looking pretty good though, so we'll probably be rolling it out to everyone very soon.
If you can't wait, clear your cookies and reload. Repeat until you see a translate option to the right of the links below each word :-)
Apr 29, 2010
john commented on the user Prolagus
Sure thing. I'm having more fun with it too--just got copper-nose.
Good luck with the stats.
Apr 29, 2010
john commented on the word epistemic closure
“One of the more striking features of the contemporary conservative movement is the extent to which it has been moving toward epistemic closure. Reality is defined by a multimedia array of interconnected and cross promoting conservative blogs, radio programs, magazines, and of course, Fox News. Whatever conflicts with that reality can be dismissed out of hand because it comes from the liberal media, and is therefore ipso facto not to be trusted. (How do you know they’re liberal? Well, they disagree with the conservative media!) ”
JulianSanchez.com, Frum, Cocktail Parties, and the Threat of Doubt, by Julian Sanchez, March 26, 2010
Apr 28, 2010
john commented on the user focalist
Hi focalist, wanted to let you know we tightened up the random word rules considerably this morning.
It might be worth noting that Wordnik follows David Weinberger's injunction to filter on the way out. Which is to say we collect literally all the text we can, warts and all, and then use a variety of methods to try and decide what's worth making available.
Clearly we don't always get it right. But we've gotten much better over time, and have some changes on deck that will further improve our interestingness quotient, I think. Another great Weinberger quote is that "the solution to too much information is more information." The way that manifests on Wordnik is that we have a plethora of fantastic content providers whose text just entered the corpus, or is about to. As we get more and better data, the lower-quality material gets shoved out of sight, algorithmically speaking.
Thanks much for your feedback—hope that helps explain some of the quirks you noticed, and some of the ways we differ from a traditional dictionary. And welcome to Wordnik :-)
Apr 28, 2010
john commented on the user Prolagus
Hi pro, been slow in coming, but we tightened up the random word rules considerably this morning. I'm finding it a lot more interesting, hope you do too.
Apr 28, 2010
john commented on the list animal-ines-cheat-sheet
zoooynms?
Apr 26, 2010
john commented on the list gender-s-game
Hi whichbe, I'm sorry that we don't have this yet--if you email the urls of any lists you want removed I'll do it manually. Same goes for anyone else with the same request.
Apr 26, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Oops, sorry about that a. Left some debug code in. It's fixed now.
Apr 26, 2010
john commented on the list butter-beans-and-snaps
Beautiful indeed! Makes me want to sing a little song about beans...
Apr 26, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Hi pro, the 'did you mean' suggester is new and we're actively improving the algorithm. As you see, it doesn't handle multi-word phrases well, but I'll move that up on the list of improvements it needs.
We've tweaked the random word rules over time—it's better than it used to be, I think—but I agree, too many of the responses are not satisfying. Requiring words to have been looked up before is a good suggestion. I have some other rules I'm lobbying for that will hopefully up the interestingness quotient.
Apr 25, 2010
john commented on the user kell
I see an example sentence over on bur clover, which is not nothing. But I'd ask that question of Google. It's not up to us what they index.
Apr 24, 2010
john commented on the word success theater
I just heard Eric Ries use this term to describe the smoke-and-mirrors dance some companies do when trying to convince their boards that everything's going great.
Apr 23, 2010
john commented on the list kinds-of-gladiators
Yeah. And I'd forgotten about this
Apr 22, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Good eyes rz :-) Just tonight we made a change where comments show up on the main word page if there are no definitions or examples. We might twiddle with it and show a selection of comments regardless of the other data available, but if a word has defintions and examples, it's both harder to squeeze the comments in, and maybe less necessary--you can kind of assume they might be there. But the big wall o' nuthin on some of the madeupical words wasn't doing justice to the brilliant banter in the backroom.
Apr 22, 2010
john commented on the word mallomar
See awesome citation on malophile.
Apr 22, 2010
john commented on the word malophile
As opposed to a mallomarophile.
Apr 22, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
pu, you're not seeing edit and delete links right next to the comment below? They should be at the end of the top line, like this:
possibleunderscore said: [ edit | delete ]
if that's not what you see, would you mind emailing me the browser you're using?
Apr 21, 2010
john commented on the word take our survey
You didn't miss much. It was actually just a time-share sales pitch.
Apr 21, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
We just added a few updates to pronunciation recording. You can now add a description to your pronunciation ("This is an example of a Louisiana accent..."), and you can also say if you've recorded a pronunciation ("cat") or a sound ("meow").
Apr 20, 2010
john commented on the list place-names-of-distinction
Just came across Shitlingthorpe, which is apparently a town in Yorkshire. Thought of you immediately, bil by :-)
Apr 20, 2010
john commented on the list volcanic-action
There's more info on many of these terms on this USGS glossary of volcano terminology.
Apr 20, 2010
john commented on the list wordniks-who-proudly-contribute-worthless-stuff--a-lot-of-dumb-comments--and-useless-words-to-the-zeitgeist-page
I'm not proud, I just can't help myself.
*throws cupcake at frogapplause, ducks*
Apr 20, 2010
john commented on the word decimate
I'm with bilby. There's etymology, and then there's metaphor, poetic license, and sanctification through usage. And the OED, which you name drop but must not have referenced, lists "to destroy or remove a large proportion of" as a valid rhetorical use. As does the venerable Century.
If you were the guy with the short straw, it was probably a major catastrophe.
Apr 20, 2010
john commented on the list knee-ded-words
I'm good, thanks! Go under the knife (a tiny arthroscopic knife) on the 28th, and will get full knee function back, I'm told.
Means I should be recovered in time to be of use to kad come mid-October. She'll soon be adding to her expectant words list :-)
Apr 20, 2010
john commented on the word slut dictionary
Agreed, janetjetson--I would be off-put by this, were I not able to imagine the smirk with which I'm sure it was delivered, and to appreciate the intentional effort to get a rise out of her audience. Bit dicey though, using loaded terms like this out of context.
Apr 19, 2010
john commented on the word Eyjafjallajökull
Nothing boring about Stromboli.
Apr 19, 2010
john commented on the word lardo
An Italian cured pork.
“A rustic salad of caramelized roast pears, earthy lardo, walnuts and salty pecorino di Fossa was a last look at winter, presented as simply as cuttings in a garden basket.”
The New York Times, Where Paris Chefs, Not Prices, Rise, by Christine Muhlke, April 18, 2010
Apr 18, 2010
john commented on the word slut dictionary
Fantastic. I had the pleasure of hearing Merrill talk a few times when I was at the NYTimes, she's great. Though if she says this about other dictionaries, I hesitate to imagine what she thinks of Wordnik.
Apr 17, 2010
john commented on the user frindley
Hi frindley, you should be whitelisted. Actually, looks like you must be, since that Shuttercal link is working. Let me know if it's not letting you do something you'd like to.
I also miss the also-ons. They're on the to-do list, though I can't promise when we'll get to them.
Apr 17, 2010
john commented on the word gait belt
“He learned to walk with assistance, then wore a gait belt that allowed others to grab him when he lost his balance.”
The New York Times, No Gold, but Something Better: Going Home, by John Branch, April 16, 2010
Apr 17, 2010
john commented on the user tigermouse88
Hi tigermouse, thanks a million for the pronunciation on Eyjafjallajökull. I've been mildly obsessed with the whole event since seeing this photo. It's probably due in part to pixelization, but it looks almost biblical.
And welcome to Wordnik!
Apr 17, 2010
john commented on the word Eyjafjallajökull
Are there any speakers of Icelandic out there who could provide a pronunciation?
Apr 17, 2010
john commented on the word hibernaculum
“Set into a mountainside in the town of Dorset, Aeolus Cave used to be the largest bat hibernaculum in New England.”
The New Yorker, Postcard From Vermont: Batless, by Elizabeth Kolbert, March 29, 2010
Apr 16, 2010
john commented on the word banana boat
That sounds much better than the what I've heard called a banana boat, which are those very small, very tight speedo-style bathing suits for men. I believe they're more common in Europe than America. Also known as a banana hammock.
Apr 16, 2010
john commented on the word analphabet
This word reminds me of analrapist--someone who combines the professions of analyst and therapist, according to Tobias Fünke on Arrested Development.
Apr 16, 2010
john commented on the user mirl
Hi mirl, welcome to Wordnik!
If you're still feeling lost shoot me an email (john@wordnik.com), and I'm happy to help orient you. But it's pretty much words and people and lists, swirled to together, with an occasional sprinkling of tags and pronunciations :-)
Apr 16, 2010
john commented on the word manpages
You know Kenneth, in 30 Rock?
He's not a manpage. It's short for "manual page." They're the built-in documentation on Unix computers. To see them you use the "man" command: "man awk" shows the manpage for the awk command, for instance.
Apr 16, 2010
john commented on the word take our survey
Freak not, as an old friend of mine used to say. The survey questions were canned--we didn't write them. We're not going anywhere. And the survey will come down shortly--we just wanted to try and gather info from a broader swath of visitors. You folks, but also drop-ins from searches, people who use the site but don't register, those not inclined to chat.
Apr 15, 2010
john commented on the list knee-ded-words
Just saw this--thanks, I think :-)
*Takes bow, knee buckles, collapses in heap*
Apr 14, 2010
john commented on the word orange cup
That "specialized spoon" is still around, sort of. They're really useful, too :-)
Apr 14, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Over the past week we've closed some holes that let people surreptitiously put spam in little-seen corners of the site. In particular, accounts that were never used to create lists or leave comments could contain spam links that weren't immediately visible. Shutting those down reduced overall spam, but had the perverse effect of increasing its visibility, as the spammers shifted tactics and started using comments again.
Today we started requiring new accounts to be activated by email for the first time, which will hopefully help. This is a constant battle though, and we have further steps in the wings if necessary. Thanks again for your patience.
Apr 14, 2010
john commented on the word shithawk
I love Trailer Park Boys, though I missed the last few seasons, for some weird reason.
*runs to Netflix, adds to queue*
Are there any Canuckistanis in the house? This belongs on a list, and I'm not sure I'm qualified.
Apr 13, 2010
john commented on the user benn
Hi benn, welcome to Wordnik!
Great word--you might want to consider adding your definition to the comments page of the word itself (which looks like it has one example that accords with your definition below).
Apr 12, 2010
john commented on the word drugget
I first assumed this referred to Lindsay Lohan and her ilk. The actual meaning is so much nicer.
Apr 12, 2010
john commented on the word Humperdink
Oh c'mon. How can this not make you warm to it at least a little. He's so well dressed.
The best thing about Engelbert Humperdinck's name is that it's actually a stage name. He chose it.
Apr 12, 2010
john commented on the word slenditude
“I might have rushed that last tweet. As, some of you have been quite rambunctious, and not worthy of my slenditude. You know who you are..”
—@JohnCleese
Apr 12, 2010
john commented on the word buckruh
The Gullah word for "white man."
Apr 12, 2010
john commented on the word comestion
“A devouring by fire” —Grandiloquent Dictionary
Apr 12, 2010
john commented on the list fabrics
Fantastic list. Another great source for this might be our fearless leader's other web site.
Apr 11, 2010
john commented on the word marabou slipper
“I can eye-witness report this: during breaks he [John Wayne] shed his boots and slipped into a chartreuse pair of those fluffy marabou slippers more associated with women.”
The New York Times, More Awesomeness, or John Wayne Part 2, by Dick Cavett, April 9, 2010
Apr 10, 2010
john commented on the word fiſhing
Interestingly, on ghoſt, the 'words tagged' section displays the same data as on ghost, but the section above that is different. Spooky.
Apr 10, 2010
john commented on the word fiſhing
Holy mackerel, our tagging system recognizes that fishing is the same as fiſhing.
there's a ghost in the machine :-|
Apr 10, 2010
john commented on the word seniormost
I first read this as "seniormoist," which sounds like an incontinence product. Has a pleasantly revolting ring to it.
Apr 10, 2010
john commented on the list mainisms
Great list! Haven't heard 'pogy' in years. How about 'moxie'?
Missed this earlier—I was born in Brunswick, lived in Portland on and off, did indeed go to Bowdoin. But I've moved far too much; by any reasonable local standard I'm from away (another good phrase for this list).
Apr 9, 2010
john commented on the word that that
Bravo!
*stands, whistles through teeth*
Apr 8, 2010
john commented on the word thermionic emission
“The classical example of thermionic emission is the emission of electrons from a hot metal cathode into a vacuum (archaically known as the Edison effect) in a vacuum tube. However, the term "thermionic emission" is now used to refer to any thermally excited charge emission process, even when the charge is emitted from one solid-state region into another.”
Thermionic emission. (2010, March 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:42, April 8, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thermionic_emission&oldid=347447926
Apr 8, 2010
john commented on the word Edison effect
The outdated term for a type of thermionic emission.
Apr 8, 2010
john commented on the word deosculate
How is it that deosculate and osculate mean the same thing? I'd expect this to mean "unkiss".
Apr 8, 2010
john commented on the user Telofy
Hi t, as you noticed, I had to clamp down on links in profiles earlier this week, necessitated by another massive spam attack. We are at this very moment writing code to better address this, but in the meanwhile I've been whitelisting people to let them use links in profiles. Just added you to the list.
Apr 7, 2010
john commented on the word galtiness
See comment at the bottom of this list by maygra, referencing this blog post about an Orson Scott Card novel.
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word dump cake
Oh thank heavens. For a moment I thought this might relate to coprophilia.
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the user chizuru
Perhaps you can have your pandowdy and it too, since there are other, nicer-sounding names for similar desserts. In fact, you inspired a list!
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word betty
“A baked pudding made of layers of spiced and sugared fruit and buttered bread crumbs.”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word clafoutis
“A French cobbler, with fruit (usually cherries) on the bottom, custard, and a rough batter crust baked on top”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word cobbler
“A spoon pie (more like a fruit stew with dumplings), in which biscuit dough is dropped onto the fruit before baking. The consensus is that the dish got its name because the lumps of cooked dough resembled cobblestones.”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word crisp
“A deep-dish fruit dessert made with a crumb or streusel topping and baked.”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word crumble
“A British dessert in which raw fruit is topped with a crumbly pastry mixture and baked. One reference says a crumble is like a crisp, but not as rich.”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word grunt
“A spoon pie, with biscuit dough on top of stewed fruit, which is steamed, not baked”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word pandowdy
“A spoon pie, with fruit on the bottom and a rolled crust on top, which is broken up to allow the juices to come through”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word slump
“A spoon pie, including cooked or uncooked fruit topped with biscuit dough or piecrust, which can be baked or steamed, and can be made upside down”
Ochef.com, Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble, Grunt, Slump—You Get the Picture
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the user indioman
Hi indioman. None of the four dictionaries from which we offer definitions includes 'listeth'. When a word is looked up that we have examples for, but not definitions, we display the examples up top--look up a word with definitions, like petulant, and you'll see that the definitions come first.
We decided to still display the dictionary links for words with no definitions, but grayed-out and disabled, because we thought it would be useful to know that we do indeed offer definitions when available. Otherwise people might thin we were just an examples site. Perhaps we should be more explicit, and say "no definitions available?"
Welcome to Wordnik!
Apr 6, 2010
john commented on the word Tomb-Sweeping Day
“As miner after miner was carried out of the mine’s mouth, rescuers hugged each other and wept for joy. Scenes of the rescue were broadcast repeatedly on national television on Tomb-Sweeping Day, China’s national holiday to commemorate the dead.”
The New York Times, Rescue of 114 at Chinese Coal Mine Called ‘Miracle’, by Sharon LaFraniere, April 5, 2010
Apr 5, 2010
john commented on the user jwjarvis
Hi Jason--the 'by letter' browsing will be able to be ordered alphabetically sometime this week. Stay tuned :-)
Apr 5, 2010
john commented on the user feedback
Thanks sionnach, I'll look into that.
Pro, we're testing that layout for the word-related commands--half of our visitors see what you're seeing, half see the old style. The concern was that people unfamiliar with the site wouldn't even know those options were available if they were buried in a drop-down menu. Bit early to say definitively, but it seems like more people use the new style.
If you have suggestions about how to better implement it, though, I'd love to hear them, either here or in an email.
Apr 5, 2010
john commented on the list words-i-hate--11
Hi Lauren, welcome to Wordnik!
I can see why you wouldn't like all these word, except for 'cobbler,' which just makes me think of shoes and peaches--both of which I like. Does it have a meaning I don't know about, or do just not like the sound of it?
Apr 4, 2010
john commented on the word Gasparilla
“The center of that Creole culture — a Cuban and Italian mix, is Ybor City. That’s where Cuban immigrants set up cigar rolling shops in the late 1800s, and where Jill Wax opened La France in 1974. She started with the one store, then expanded to two. She has four streetfront windows with constantly rotating displays: colorful Victorian corsets and feathered hats for Gasparilla, Tampa’s annual pirate festival parade; a 1920s safari scene with palm fronds hung across the wall as backdrop to a mannequin wedding couple.”
The New York Times, Snowbirds Cast Off Their Inner Fashionistas, by Jen A. Miller, April 2, 2010
Apr 4, 2010
john commented on the word Palinized
“Obama preempts the other side's most resonant arguments, which forces them to come up with more and more extreme claims in order to differentiate themselves. In the end, he occupies the reasonable middle ground and his opponents are Palinized.”
Washington Monthly, Political Animal, by Steve Benen, March 23, 2010 (quoting a "Hill staffer")
Apr 4, 2010
john commented on the word lagerphone
Also, what you pick up when you desperately need a beer.
Apr 2, 2010
john commented on the word lol
Milosrdenstvi, I accept that challenge. There must be a way, and I will find it!
Apr 1, 2010
john commented on the user bilby
Hi bil by--an article about Wordnik appeared in a major Tamil newspaper, which explains some of the comments you asked about, I think.
Apr 1, 2010