Comments by mialuthien

  • Thanks for pointing that out, Bilby, I didn't notice. I copied it straight from my Notepad, where I was shifting around all these words during the last two days to see which one would fit best for each participant. And grawlax is a great word, me likes it too much :P I'll leave it to Rolig then, and try to come up with a new word for Seanahan. Ugh, it's so difficult and discombobulating!

    August 1, 2008

  • It really is impossible to guess. I'll be ecstatic if I get three of them right, but even one may suffice. Come on, what are the odds? (Someone calculate, quick!).

    Asativum esemplastic

    Bilby zoetrope

    Chained_Bear pluripotent

    Darqueau – that loooooooooong word that messes up this comment

    Dontcry sunflower

    Frogapplause ingenue

    Gangerh hunky-dory

    John pluripotent

    Oroboros relaxed

    Palooka thoughtful

    Plethora psychasthenic

    Prolagus irreverent

    Pterodactyl inexorable

    Rolig gravlax

    Seanahan cavalier (or gravlax!)

    Sionnach sigh

    Skipvia mojo

    Whichbe groovin'

    Yarb stripper

    It's pure guessing from my part, based on vague, vaguer than vague, intuitive associations about the participants' personalities and what they would consider an appropriate word for themselves.

    Edited.

    August 1, 2008

  • A company of cats very uncertain of each other.

    August 1, 2008

  • If your comment was any more suggestive, it would be having sex, Skipvia.

    *g*

    August 1, 2008

  • It is a Slavic language, amirite? Czech? Let me improvise: a small boy and a small girl (the emphasis on small) are eating something or walking somewhere, drinking cacao? Don't laugh. It sounds like that (I'm using my Russian to decipher that).

    Edited. That's what I get when I don't read the comments!! Darn.

    July 31, 2008

  • Heh, that's a good one, thanks, Chained_Bear. Surprisingly, it isn't in my 85,000-word bilingual dictionary. It looks like I'll have get out my bulky English-Russian dictionary for a precise translation.

    Wodge – ком, комок and ломоть, ку�?. Nice!

    July 31, 2008

  • Um... er, Serbian? I've no idea. But it certainly looks obscure enough *g*

    July 31, 2008

  • See also a wedge of cheese.

    July 31, 2008

  • Were were you earlier, C_B? Damn, that's a good point. *added*

    July 31, 2008

  • A glossary of nipples, as suggested by Gangerh (because it has a "good mouthfeel", I suppose), and seen on Sakhalinskii's list of nipples and their derivatives.

    Nipples are found in glossaries the same way geese wander around in gaggles, and turtledoves travel around in pityings.

    July 31, 2008

  • I love it!! And the definition is appropriate, Bilby.

    July 31, 2008

  • Done! It's a collective term for a group of cheese :) See a wedge of geese for comparison.

    July 31, 2008

  • *sporfles coffee all over keyboard* Sorry, folks, I didn't check it before painstakingly copying it from my huge list. I innocently presumed that minge is a kind of collective term for a group of something, I didn't even think of looking it up in the first place. Is it even correct? Still, even if it isn't, I'll leave it up for the entertainment value.

    July 31, 2008

  • You think "a group of nipples" should have a glossary as its collective noun? :P Well, I might add it in that case!

    July 31, 2008

  • Er, sorry, but occasionally a joke is lost on me. No matter how hard you study a foreign language, you can't be as fluent and well-versed in the intricacies of language as its native speaker.

    When I stop and think about it, other meanings of these words immediately come to mind. However, words in general are much more polysemous in English language than my own, so it's sometimes difficult for me to separate the funniest sense of the word from the most obvious one.

    And no, C_B, I don't normally look at birds with an unreserved carnivorous intent, birds are cute and cuddly :P

    Edited. I use the indefinite article a so it would be immediately obvious that what I'm referring to is a group, for example, a pitying of turtledoves (won't it sound a little ambiguous otherwise?).

    July 31, 2008

  • It is a plump of geese when it's in front of you, making you think of nice, appetizing roasted fowls, whereas when it's above you and in movement, and you are in danger of being defecated on from up above, it is a wedge of geese. Right? Right.

    July 31, 2008

  • "The term "deadpan" first emerged as an adjective or adverb in the 1920s, as a compound word combining "dead" and "pan" (a slang term for the face). It was first recorded as a noun in Vanity Fair in 1927; a dead pan was thus 'a face or facial expression displaying no emotion, animation, or humor'. The verb deadpan 'to speak, act, or utter in a deadpan manner; to maintain a dead pan' arose by the early 1940s, apparently as a journalistic coinage rather than a theatrical one.

    It must be noted that today its use is especially common in humour from the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is also very appreciated in France, by the influence of the "esprit" (dry-humour mostly). Many popular American sitcoms also used deadpan expressions, most notably Friends and Seinfeld. Dry humor is often confused with highbrow or egghead humor. Although these forms of humor are often dry, the term dry humor actually only refers to the method of delivery, not necessarily the content." – Etymology of "deadpan" from the Reference.com

    July 31, 2008

  • I don't think we have any furries in here *looks around* What we do have is one occasionally irate, but otherwise good-natured, she-bear (mama-bear? ursine specimen?) and one cheery marsupial.

    July 31, 2008

  • Wow. *lost for words*

    July 31, 2008

  • She is only chained in a figurative sense; wait until she mauls the both of you for throwing around innuendos about her so carelessly.

    July 31, 2008

  • Mwhahaha. Hee hee.

    July 30, 2008

  • I tried to Google it, C_B, but got a slew of contradictory results back. The word tectonic was already familiar to me from geography, but my little sister is currently obsessed with what she calls tektonik, a very popular new dance with difficult-to-learn moves, supposedly invented (and copyrighted, can you believe it!) in France.

    This is what Google regurgitates to me:

    Results 1 - 10 of about 4,210,000 for tectonic.

    Results 1 - 10 of about 225,000 for tectonik.

    Results 1 - 10 of about 160,000 for tektonic.

    Results 1 - 10 of about 1,270,000 for tektonik.

    July 30, 2008

  • Have a good time in California, P.! Make sure to gather up all the peculiar new words the Californians use, and bring them back here to share! :P

    July 30, 2008

  • It sounds sirius-ly dangerous. I wouldn't want to bump into a red-ringed madrona sucker alone in a dark night. Do you know what kind of places they frequent? And who is madrona and why is she (it?) being sucked? And how? *creeped-out* *alarmed*

    July 30, 2008

  • Are you sure? Because my sister, who attends these (French?) dancing lessons, prefers the word tektonik. But I know even less about the origin of both this term and dance, so I'm not arguing.

    July 30, 2008

  • I hope I got the spelling right; if not, correct me.

    July 30, 2008

  • Cuil the search engine does not support Boolean/wildcard queries, which means that it's never going to be my default search engine :/ And its name is a bit off-putting, too, because of its similarity to Latvian kuilis, a (domestic) boar.

    July 30, 2008

  • Ahaha, I concur. Octopus should just not be in trees pretty much sums it up. Tree-crawling octopi (octopuses? octopodes?) are just creepy.

    July 30, 2008

  • A cliché-induced headache from the "makes your teeth grind" department :-t

    July 30, 2008

  • In Latvian, we use a transliterated form of this word: krupjē. For a long time I believed that what it meant was a toad, because of its striking similarity to the Latvian word for this amphibian krupis. I only got the meaning right when I turned about twelve :/

    July 30, 2008

  • masculine God – Godde – Goddess feminine

    July 30, 2008

  • It's a nice coinage, certainly. And it once more proves it that there's a word for everything, no matter how trivial.

    July 30, 2008

  • Language Log, Obscenicons in the workplace, by Benjamin Zimmer, Aug 24, 2006

    July 30, 2008

  • solrad(comics) the radiating lines that show a bulb (or the sun) is shedding light (Mort Walker ©)

    July 30, 2008

  • See blurgits.

    July 30, 2008

  • blurgit(comics) blurgits are the curved lines preceding or trailing after a character's moving limbs (compare with swalloops) – word invented by Mort Walker

    July 30, 2008

  • agitron – in comic art, agitrons are the wiggly lines around an object that is shaking, or in movement (Mort Walker ©)

    July 30, 2008

  • digiton – in comic art, digitons are the character's stylized fingers (Mort Walker ©)

    July 30, 2008

  • squean – in comic art, squeans are short lines and circles drawn in a starburst pattern that signify intoxication, dizziness, confusion, or sickness (Mort Walker ©)

    July 30, 2008

  • Also, Xs over a character's eyes to indicate drunkenness or death (Mort Walker ©).

    July 30, 2008

  • plewd(s) – the sweat droplets that appear around a character’s head when sweating, working hard, or stressed by a dissertation project (Mort Walker ©)

    July 30, 2008

  • briffit – the cloud of dust that appears when a comic character is running fast, or clouds of dust that hang in the spot where a swiftly departing character or object was previously standing (Mort Walker ©)

    July 30, 2008

  • waftarom – rising serpentine lines indicating odors or heat

    Coined by the cartoonist Mort Walker, who also invented words like grawlix, squean, spurl, neoflect, plewd, vite, dite, hite, direct-a-tron, throwatron, sailatron, staggeratron, swishatron, briffit, solrad, whiteope, indotherm, crottle eyed, neoflect, jigg, jarn, quimp, and nittle.

    July 30, 2008

  • :-t

    Added because I didn't know what a cross smiley looked like* – had to look it up, actually.

    *it is, you know, important

    July 30, 2008

  • A cellcert is an audio transmission from a live concert which is transmitted to the interested party as-it-happens via cell phone from a person attending the event.

    July 30, 2008

  • *boggles the mind* I hope no Wordies, or words, or Wordies for words, were lost *finds self entangled in own words*

    July 30, 2008

  • See Commercial categories for reference.

    Language Log, Commercial categories, by Arnold Zwicky, July 25, 2008

    July 30, 2008

  • Thanks, P. I knew it had a name, and now I have one more ****-related name to watch out for!

    This would have been listed as my "least favorite word", if I could stand to have it on my profile.

    July 30, 2008

  • The latter, Dontcry, and I'm not joking :/

    BTW, who on earth has an ear phobia? And what do they do, then – cut their ears off? Ow.

    July 29, 2008

  • Well, I must admit that I'm more partial to the whole merciful beheadings and cancellation of Christmas bit *g*

    July 29, 2008

  • No, a squib is a non-magical person of magical parentage, just like a witch or a wizard is a magical offspring born to non-magical parents, a.k.a. Muggles :P

    July 29, 2008

  • Eugh, just eugh. Please be advised not to use this word in a conversation with me. I have a ****-phobia (what's the correct word for it?). It's an apt coinage, but an ugly word *totally grossed-out* *selective memory on*

    July 29, 2008

  • If this is meow in Norwegian, then my cat speaks a foreign language!

    Both ņau and mjau is something a 'Latvian' cat would say.

    July 29, 2008

  • You've obviously researched the subject :) I'll put it away in my passive vocabulary, then. Heaven forbid I'd come across as a pretentious twit!

    July 27, 2008

  • You sure you didn't mean inamorata instead?

    A definition would be nice! :)

    July 27, 2008

  • I'd actually love to see it in print :P

    July 27, 2008

  • Oh, thanks for providing an explanation! I was trying to figure it out myself. So, it's having hairy + ugly + fat buttocks, right?

    July 27, 2008

  • Er, what exactly dasykakosteatopygian means? I'm guessing it's something to do with 'ugly' and 'ass', but it sounds more weighty.

    July 27, 2008

  • Other synonyms: the middle course, the middle-of-the-road, aurea mediocritas.

    I'd never heard of this term either, Sionnach. While it may not be in common use anymore, I still find it somewhat useful to know, especially as I like French-sounding words (I don't speak French) and might be inclined to try to use it in a conversation some day.

    July 27, 2008

  • jawbation – a rebuke, reproof, esp. one of a lengthy and tedious character; a talking to, a lecture; also a long discussion

    July 27, 2008

  • juste milieu – the happy medium, the golden mean; judicious moderation, esp. in politics

    July 27, 2008

  • kef – a state of dreamy tranquility; a smoking material that produces such a state (WWFTD)

    July 27, 2008

  • klazomania – compulsive shouting

    July 27, 2008

  • lability – susceptibility to change; instability

    July 27, 2008

  • See also grandiloquent.

    July 27, 2008

  • legrityFr. 'leger', light /le JER i tee/ lightness; quickness or agility of mind or body

    July 27, 2008

  • lexicographicolatry – reverence for the dictionary

    July 27, 2008

  • See also verbivore and logophile.

    July 27, 2008

  • See long-windedness.

    July 27, 2008

  • Way to ruin the mood, B.! Here I was, sitting and picturing assorted fine male asses parading in front of me, and you go and throw sweaty and hairy at me! *pouts* Not that some aren't, mind, but I had a better mental picture!

    July 27, 2008

  • dasyproctic – with hairy buttocks

    July 27, 2008

  • kakopyge – someone who has ugly buttocks

    July 27, 2008

  • steatopygous – having extremely fat buttocks

    July 27, 2008

  • A paraphrast is "one of those conversationalists always paraphrasing their own words; that is, a paraphraser, who repeats things in different ways, which is to say, he or she expresses the meaning in yet another fashion, or, as it were, simplifies and rephrases the sentence in order to clarify, in a word, by paraphrasing" – The Insomniac’s Dictionary: The Last Word on the Odd Word by Paul Hellweg. See also paraphraser.

    July 27, 2008

  • One who is a compulsive buyer, someone with an uncontrollable urge to buy things.

    July 27, 2008

  • One who is always going tsk, tsk.

    July 27, 2008

  • bibliobibulus – "one who gets drunk on books" is someone who reads too much and so is generally oblivious to the world around them – coined by H. L. Mencken; see bibliobibuli, plural of bibliobibulus

    July 27, 2008

  • coprolalomania – an obsession with foul language

    July 27, 2008

  • I wouldn't know *g*

    (Medectophobia is the fear of the contours of one’s penis being visible through one’s clothes).

    July 27, 2008

  • logolatryveneration or excessive regard for words

    July 27, 2008

  • Logodaedalus is someone who is skilled in the manipulation of words (logos + Daedalus).

    July 27, 2008

  • A government that is all talk and no action. Just sayin'.

    July 27, 2008

  • pasimology – the study of gestures as a means of communication

    July 27, 2008

  • Why sadly, B.? *g* I, personally, find mesopygions cute, not at all objectionable!

    July 27, 2008

  • Well, I guess we need to ask Papuans for clarification on the correct use of it! :P

    July 27, 2008

  • Nasal irrigation? Eugh!

    July 27, 2008

  • malnoia – a vague feeling of mental discomfort

    July 27, 2008

  • An opposite of feminist.

    July 27, 2008

  • mastigophorerobs. a fellow worthy to be whipped

    July 27, 2008

  • matutolagniaantemeridian sexual desire

    July 27, 2008

  • mendaciloquent – able to tell artful or skilled lies

    July 27, 2008

  • menticide – the undermining or destruction of a person's mind or will, esp. by systematic means such as mental and physical torture, extensive interrogation, suggestion, training, and narcotics (WWFTD)

    July 27, 2008

  • mesopygionrare the cleavage of the buttocks

    July 27, 2008

  • micawberish – characteristic of an improvident person who lives in expectation of an upturn in their fortunes

    July 27, 2008

  • misopedia – a severe dislike of children, esp. one's own

    *g*

    July 27, 2008

  • mokitaPapuan the truth that everyone knows but no one talks about

    July 27, 2008

  • moonglade – the track made by moonlight on water

    July 27, 2008

  • morigerous – obedient, compliant, submissive

    July 27, 2008

  • motch – to eat little, slowly, quietly and secretly; to consume or waste imperceptibly, hence, motching, fond of dainties, with the idea of eating in secret; (also) slow, quiet eating, with the idea of fondness for good living; imperceptible use, with the notion of thriftlessness

    July 27, 2008

  • musardobs. a dreamer; an absent-minded person

    July 27, 2008

  • mutatis mutandis – 1) with the necessary changes having been made; 2) with the respective differences having been considered

    July 27, 2008

  • natiform – resembling the buttocks

    July 27, 2008

  • See obituary.

    July 27, 2008

  • It is pronounced /ne-fê-lê-kak-'si-jee-yê/.

    July 27, 2008

  • nulliverse – a world devoid of any unifying principle or plan

    July 27, 2008

  • How did you guess, Dontcry? I'm an elvin princess! *twirls around in her foofy princess dress*

    July 26, 2008

  • Maybe I'll add some Latvian words some time later this year. I don't want to start creating entirely new lists just now, as I'm going to be moving away in two weeks, and will be AWOL from the internets for a while until everything's settled (that will probably take a couple of months, I suppose).

    One meow added as per request (see your new and improved list here).

    And I'd love for you to engage in some wild speculations! *g* The second part of my nick does Mean Something. Er, well, not really – I've borrowed it form a certain book we've all read. Or should have read *g*

    July 26, 2008

  • I don't think any of you will know how to pronounce it properly, unless, of course, you happen to be Latvian or Russian. Then it's easy, as the ņ sound is pronounced exactly like the н sound in "нет" (net).

    Kaķis saka "ņau!" – the cat says "meow!"

    Kaķis žēli ņaud – the cat is meowing piteously

    Kaķa ņaudēšana krīt man uz nerviem – the meowing of the cat is getting on my nerves

    July 26, 2008

  • Gather around! Gather around! Let's all eat cake at Bilby's expense! Thus, we can have a cake and eat it, too. We just have to make a point of eating only Bilby's cakes, keeping ours to ourselves.

    *nom nom nom*

    July 26, 2008

  • Sure, sure, whatever you say, Bilby *g*

    July 26, 2008

  • This is one awesome list with seriously mental words *g*

    July 26, 2008

  • Sorry, an inadvertent slip of the tongue, Dontcry, just an unfortunate lapse, a result of an overconsumption of psychelate! *relaxes again*

    July 26, 2008

  • Alright, not to worry, Dontcry, I'll take over some of the tasks while you go pursue pressing existentially spiritual matters *puts on apron, hums and busies self*

    July 26, 2008

  • Just how many of you are lounging about here today? (I can't see you, my eyes are closed) *amused*

    July 26, 2008

  • Quite an assorted crowd of slightly dotty and forgetful people has gathered here. Are you all high on sugar..? May I join? Where's my psychelatessen*?

    *who cares what it is

    July 26, 2008

  • Do you often translate random poetry you like? *g* Anyway, thanks for clarifying that, your translation is nonetheless good.

    Once again, it is interesting to come across yet another euphemistic designation for practitioners of the world's oldest profession. It's got quite a colorful vocabulary.

    July 26, 2008

  • oblectation – pleasure; satisfaction; recreation; delight

    July 26, 2008

  • Also, a person who opposes reform and enlightenment.

    July 26, 2008

  • obtrectationslander; detraction; calumny

    July 26, 2008

  • ochlophobia – the fear of crowds (mobs)

    July 26, 2008

  • oikology – the science of the home; home economics; the "science" of housekeeping

    July 26, 2008

  • oligophreniafeeblemindedness

    July 26, 2008

  • Also, having encyclopedic curiosity and knowledge.

    July 26, 2008

  • omninescience – ignorance of everything, universal ignorance

    July 26, 2008

  • onomatope – an onomatopoeic word

    July 26, 2008

  • ophiophilist – a person who loves snakes

    July 26, 2008

  • opsimathy – education late in life

    July 26, 2008

  • orectic – pertaining to the desires and their satisfaction; hence, impelling to gratification

    July 26, 2008

  • oscitation – 1) the act of being inattentive; 2) the state of being drowsy

    July 26, 2008

  • otium(rare) leisure; free time; ease

    July 26, 2008

  • outrecuidance(rare) extreme self-conceit: presumption

    July 26, 2008

  • You were very quick in finding the right reference! And I'm really amazed that you managed to render the poem so well in such a short time. Wow.

    July 26, 2008

  • Paphian – pertaining to elicit love: wanton

    Edited.

    July 26, 2008

  • papillote – 1) a greased paper wrapper in which food (as meat or fish) is cooked; 2) hist. a small triangular piece of paper used as a curl-paper for damp hair

    July 26, 2008

  • persifleur – a person who indulges in persiflage: one given to frivolous banter especially about matters usually given serious consideration

    July 26, 2008

  • phillumenist – a collector of match-books

    July 26, 2008

  • philography – the collecting of autographs

    July 26, 2008

  • pickthank – one who strives to put another under obligation; an officious person; hence, a flatterer

    July 26, 2008

  • platypygous – /plae ti PAI gus/ having broad buttocks

    July 26, 2008

  • plesiosynchronous – nearly simultaneous

    July 26, 2008

  • poietic – creative, formative, productive, active

    July 26, 2008

  • psaphonic – planning one's rise to fame

    July 26, 2008

  • pseudoantidisestablishmentarianism – false opposition to the withdrawal of state support from an established church

    July 26, 2008

  • psychasthenia – an incapacity to resolve doubts/uncertainties or to resist obsessions/compulsions that one knows are irrational

    July 26, 2008

  • psychrolute – one who bathes in the open air daily throughout the winter; spec. a member of a society formed c. 1840 to promote this practice (thus, psychrolusia - bathing in cold water)

    July 26, 2008

  • pygophilous – buttock-loving

    July 26, 2008

  • quaesitum – that which is sought for; an object of search; the answer to a problem

    July 26, 2008

  • Maybe they need to have two separate meanings then. I... don't know, either.

    July 26, 2008

  • It's Latvian, Yarb. And I've somehow managed to pick up some Russian – through osmosis, I guess, as I've never bothered to learn it properly (have always been more fascinated with English).

    July 26, 2008

  • Er, wordanista is right and wordinista is wrong? *hopeful*

    July 26, 2008

  • *yanks C_B's chain sneakily* If you weren't tethered by these shackles, no one would ever be tempted to tug at your chain, you, fettered Bear. (I love your nick-name. It makes for some good – or bad – jokes).

    July 26, 2008

  • It's probably meant to be annoying. I know this selfsame expression in two more languages, so it's not necessarily solely an English thing.

    July 26, 2008

  • I do have teeth, Bilby! (In a glass on my bedside cupboard – not!!).

    July 26, 2008

  • It's a very useful word to know. It's a shame that there's no corresponding word for it in my native language. But we do have an unofficial word for a meal that we eat after nine or ten o'clock.

    July 26, 2008

  • rectopathic – easily hurt emotionally; thin-skinned

    July 26, 2008

  • renitent – resisting physical pressure; resisting constraint or compulsion: recalcitrant

    July 26, 2008

  • retrogenesis – the loss of mental abilities in old age in the opposite order in which they are gained in childhood, esp. as exhibited by Alzheimer's patients

    July 26, 2008

  • roorback – a defamatory falsehood published for political effect

    July 26, 2008

  • sagination – the act of fattening, or state of being fattened

    July 26, 2008

  • Literally, the love of looking. See also voyeurism.

    July 26, 2008

  • scripturientobs. having an overwhelming urge to write

    July 26, 2008

  • sexotropic – constantly thinking about sex

    July 26, 2008

  • sialoquentobs. spraying saliva when speaking (hence, sialoquence)

    July 26, 2008

  • See also spanogyny, a scarcity of women.

    July 26, 2008

  • spanogyny – a scarcity of women (contrast spaneria)

    July 26, 2008

  • spheropygian – having full and rounded buttocks

    July 26, 2008

  • stupiditarian(nonce-word) one whose ruling principle is stupidity (from stupidity, after humanitarian etc.)

    July 26, 2008

  • stylometry – the study of the chronology and development of an author's work based especially on the recurrence of particular turns of expression or trends of thought; hence, stylometrics and stylometrist (or stylometrician)

    July 26, 2008

  • syllogomania – compulsive hoarding

    July 26, 2008

  • talionic – pertaining to revenge in kind

    July 26, 2008

  • thanatophilia – an undue fascination with death

    July 26, 2008

  • theomachy – 1) fighting against or amongst the gods; 2) opposition to the divine will

    July 26, 2008

  • trainspotter(figurative sense) a person who collects trivial information of any sort

    July 26, 2008

  • See also l'esprit de l'escalier.

    July 26, 2008

  • trichoptilosis – a longitudinal splitting of hair fiber better known as split ends

    July 26, 2008

  • tub-thumper – a speaker or preacher who for emphasis thumps the pulpit; a violent or declamatory preacher or orator; a ranter

    July 26, 2008

  • wordster – one that is adept in the use of words, esp. in an empty or overblown manner

    July 25, 2008

  • Oh... ha, thanks, B_C! I ♥ your snails!

    July 25, 2008

  • (To Frogapplause: click on the "Some Html is allowed" to get directions on how to create links.)

    July 25, 2008

  • See pregnant pause for another meaning of conjunction!

    July 25, 2008

  • Wow, Skipvia, you win the internets today! That was a very well-thought out and age-appropriate explanation! And I'll never look at the word conjunction the same way again. *g*

    July 25, 2008

  • "Google hits" seems more appropriate, as it makes immediately clear what we're talking about.

    July 25, 2008

  • Well, I don't know about Dontcry, but I loved your explanations, especially the examples provided (your illustration rocks, Bilby!). And slovenly and flabby is going on my list.

    July 25, 2008

  • Yes, yes, yes, but when is it due? *taps foot* You can't wait indefinitely, as far as I know (and far be it from me to know).

    July 25, 2008

  • Bzuh? is inseparable from its question mark. It saddens me that whenever I try to list it, Wordie goes all 500 Application Error on me. Oh, well.

    July 25, 2008

  • C_B, you sound too much like me for my piece of mind *g* Especially in your signature line.

    July 25, 2008

  • Well, I choose a somewhat roundabout way to find out who tagged what – first, I go to the address bar, and then start to tinker around a bit, like this: http://wordie.org/tags/madeupical?u=mialuthien, where I replace my name with someone else's name instead – "sionnach", "gangerh", etc. But, of course, the way Skipvia described it is the most energy-saving one. Why do I always choose to complicate things? *rolls eyes at own stupidity*

    July 25, 2008

  • *raises hand timidly* Aren't they clichéd expressions instead of idioms? At least, I thought they were (the last ones posted, I mean).

    Dontcry, I'm in agreement with you. But I've also got an impression (from reading stuff online, mostly) that the phrase "I couldn't care less" is mostly British, while its companion "I could care less" is more used in America. The latter does sound a bit nonsensical, if you ask me, but if so many people are still using it, there should be some justification for it. As to the other expression, "you can’t have your cake and eat it, too" sounds more natural to me :)

    July 25, 2008

  • I love your corrections. Especially, when they are addressed to other people. Then it's *hilarious*.

    July 25, 2008

  • As per Chained_Bear's suggestion (see a resounding silence). Does someone know of the origin of this phrase? Otherwise, I can't help but wonder who knocked up the pause and is the lucky father...

    July 25, 2008

  • Wow. Did they really have to list all those smells? They forgot to include hundreds of thousands of others. Why is "smelling of tansy" more important than, say, "smelling of rain on warm asphalt"? Bzuh?

    Edited. Thanks, Dontcry! :)

    July 25, 2008

  • No worries, C_B, I am remarkably hard to offend. The last I remember being offended, it was June 2000, and I remember that offense with a sliver of *evul* glee, because, for once, I had a chance to unleash all my fiery, scathing sarcasm on the unfortunate souls who'd dared to cross me. That was very energizing. I am more worried about offending others!

    July 25, 2008

  • Reesetee's special recipe? See data.

    July 25, 2008

  • Well, I learnt a *lot* form the lively and opinionated debate on the data usage; however, the things that have stuck with me are not the proper use of the word in question, but things like bellowing grammarian frumpmudgeon and anaemic-faery-coloured cupcakes *smirks*

    July 25, 2008

  • *relaxing in a comfortable wicker rocking chair, munching on chocolate chip cookies and slurping her banana milkshake*

    I'm all tranquil and serene now.

    July 25, 2008

  • Thanks, Dontcry! *pictures self in a comfortable handcrafted wicker rocking chair, munching on a chocolate chip cookie* Yes, feeling all better now. Is Frogapplause relaxing on The Porch as well? This is a good pique managment tactic.

    I agree with Whichbe on genuine insight, so long as people's feelings are not being hurt. (Definition for yuks, Whichbe?)

    July 25, 2008

  • Sorry, sorry! There's nothing boring about the concept of PTSD, but as a language unit, you've got to admit there's nothing particularly exciting or inventive about it.

    On an unrelated note... That's it! I'm officially renaming this list! I've been under flak about its current name all day and have finally had enough *eyebrow twitch*

    Edited. I really meant no offense :(

    July 25, 2008

  • You're being really perceptive today, C_B! I am presaging that your famous last words will be "if I may... I think you mean... I hate to be persnickety, but!...". Amirite? Just yanking your chain *g*

    July 25, 2008

  • If you keep bickering, Sionnach will come along and slap a "ridiculous" tag on this whole conversation! It happened to basonym (proof) *g*

    July 25, 2008

  • To dispel some concerns, I have too say that I have no objections whatsoever to being corrected or amended – in fact, all suggestions on proper usage or spelling of words and expressions are very welcome. I'm here to learn, and I've already learnt so much from all of you.

    As to this list – it mostly serves as a repository for those words that I do not wish to see on my 2008 Wordlist, which is for words I want to memorize when there's enough time, or on my "invisible list", which is for fun Wordie creations or words I'm feeling partial to for one reason or another. This is not a themed list. Though I'm open to any suggestions on how to name it properly.

    Sionnach: I love all kinds of comments and the subsequent discussions they provoke, and it would take very strong and colorful language to really offend me, so don't ever be afraid to comment on my too broad, too narrow, or too feeble definitions! :)

    And herding cats is going straight to my "invisible" (read: favourite) list, Chained_Bear!

    July 25, 2008

  • Power and influence go hand in hand :) Can you be influential, if you lack power? And how powerful are you, if you exert no influence over matters?

    July 25, 2008

  • Er, yes? "Was met with a resounding silence" – Google Book Search. The silence is imbued with meaning because it signifies something, usually a negative or a critical opinion.

    July 25, 2008

  • Now that I've thought about it more, I think that you both got a point. This saying is taken out straight from the Bible, and the relevant passage in it does suggest the use you referred to. But it could be that people no longer remember the origins of this phrase, and therefore use it inappropriately, like me.

    There's nothing objectionable with correcting people, C_B :) As much as I don't like to be wrong, I like being wrong twice about the same thing even less.

    Edited. We seem to think along the same lines, Dontcry :)

    July 25, 2008

  • Well, it looks like far be it from me wins by popular vote, then :)

    July 25, 2008

  • An "orphaned" word on Wordie. For more information, see Yarb's Adoption agency.

    July 25, 2008

  • Another worphan! :)

    July 25, 2008

  • How do you pronounce it when it's in its ghits form?

    July 25, 2008

  • So, you're saying that far be it from me is the more correct form of this expression? *is on the verge of burning her worthless dictionary* *looks expectantly at Chained_Bear*

    July 25, 2008

  • Could you elaborate, Miss A? What does this rule state?

    July 25, 2008

  • = (ironic) said when someone is about to get into a vehicle

    July 25, 2008

  • = someone who has not received the credit they deserve

    July 25, 2008

  • = a precarious situation

    July 25, 2008

  • = it's a secret

    July 25, 2008

  • = that's not going to happen

    July 25, 2008

  • = make your opinions known publicly

    July 25, 2008

  • = not physically able to do something that one wishes to do

    July 25, 2008

  • = finalised

    July 25, 2008

  • = a meaningful silence

    July 25, 2008

  • = people in charge

    July 25, 2008

  • = an opening move

    July 25, 2008

  • = put to one side to be worked on later

    July 25, 2008

  • = not very interesting

    July 25, 2008

  • = those with power

    July 25, 2008

  • = actions seem to be foolish but actually have a motive behind them

    July 25, 2008

  • = the police

    July 25, 2008

  • = to abandon

    July 25, 2008

  • = an immediate (reflex) response to something

    July 25, 2008

  • To be generous in some way to someone when it's not in his or her best interest.

    July 25, 2008

  • = so that it will be noted

    July 25, 2008

  • = in the present situation

    July 25, 2008

  • = standing out in a unique way

    July 25, 2008

  • = in any way at all

    July 25, 2008

  • = a nostalgic and idealistic reference to a perfect time in one's life

    July 25, 2008

  • = you should know what I'm talking about

    July 25, 2008

  • = in work

    July 25, 2008

  • = dangerous

    July 25, 2008

  • = this is something I would never do (usually said ironically)

    July 25, 2008

  • = leaving out important facts

    July 25, 2008

  • = everyone

    July 25, 2008

  • = pessimism

    July 25, 2008

  • = fast asleep

    July 25, 2008

  • = to deliberately boycott something

    July 25, 2008

  • = unprepared for a situation

    July 25, 2008

  • = a situation in which one can never win or from which one can never escape

    July 25, 2008

  • = alert and awake

    July 25, 2008

  • = the outcome or conclusion; most important factor

    July 25, 2008

  • = that may be so

    July 25, 2008

  • = back to the beginning

    July 25, 2008

  • = now

    July 25, 2008

  • = ultimately

    July 25, 2008

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