minerva has looked up 1 words, created 2 lists, listed 603 words, written 292 comments, added 35 tags, and loved 0 words.
Comments by minerva
Comments for minerva
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Where have you been, Minerva? We miss your wonderful citations.
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The Goddess of poetry and wisdom is a great fit for Wordie.
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Minerva, thank you for that tostications quote, absolutely fantastic.
minerva commented on the word backfriend
Dr. Johnson's dictionary: from back and friend. A friend back-wards; that is, an enemy in secret. Dr. Johnson's dictionary blog
From OED: A pretended or false friend; an enemy who pretends friendship; a secret or unavowed enemy.
Jan 16, 2009
minerva commented on the word race music
See also race film, which was a genre from the silent era to the 1940s. I remember seeing a documentary about these movies on AMC or Turner Classic Movies.
Feb 16, 2008
minerva commented on the word trap street
As someone who has a tendency to get lost, I'm glad I can now blame this failing on trap streets.
Feb 12, 2008
minerva commented on the word trap street
From Wikipedia: "a fictitious street included on a map, often outside the area the map covers, for the purpose of "trapping" potential copyright violators of the map, who will be unable to justify the inclusion of the "trap street" on their map."
See mountweazel.
Feb 12, 2008
minerva commented on the word ben
Sung by Michael Jackson. Does it count if Ben was actually a rat?
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word bobby mcgee
"Me and Bobby McGee," sung by both Roger Miller and Janis Joplin.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word valleri
Immortalized by The Monkees.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word jessie
Rick Springfield's hit "Jessie's Girl." Spelling notwithstanding, the Jessie in the song is a guy.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word tommy
Song by The Who.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word luka
Song by Suzanne Vega.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word carrie
Song by Swedish band Europe.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word maria elena
Also a song by The Smithereens.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word maria elena
Song performed by the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra.
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word mrs potter
Mrs. Potter's Lullaby, by the Counting Crows
Feb 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word romp
See also romping bout. (Does not apply to river otters.)
Feb 5, 2008
minerva commented on the word squillo
Squillo is the Italian word for "ring" (as in "telephone ring"). It is also used to indicate a resonant, trumpet-like ringing sound in the voice of opera singers. In current Italian, it is also used a slang term for prostitute. (Wikipedia)
Feb 2, 2008
minerva commented on the list clarissa-or-the-history-of-a-young-lady
Sionnach, where did you find this?
Jan 30, 2008
minerva commented on the list clarissa-or-the-history-of-a-young-lady
LMAO! Thanks for that!
Jan 30, 2008
minerva commented on the list exclamation-words
Zounds! Shazam!
Jan 30, 2008
minerva commented on the list shindigs
Rout: 6. a large, formal evening party or social gathering. (dictionary.com) 5. A fashionable gathering. (thefreedictionary.com)
Jan 25, 2008
minerva commented on the word archbishopric
Haha!
Jan 24, 2008
minerva commented on the list shindigs
Has no one been to a rout?
Jan 24, 2008
minerva commented on the list shindigs
How about a rout?
Jan 23, 2008
minerva commented on the list •open-list-what-s-on-em-your-em-work-desk
Yarb, is it a red stapler? Because that would be cool.
Jan 23, 2008
minerva commented on the list from-the-estate-of-the-brothers-collyer
I just read about these brothers yesterday. If only you could list newspapers more than once.
Jan 21, 2008
minerva commented on the word fadge
They shall be made, spite of antipathy, to fadge together. --Milton.
Jan 14, 2008
minerva commented on the word fadge
Also to fit, suit, agree.
Jan 14, 2008
minerva commented on the word arabick
What he vouchsafed to read of other of your letters has given my lord such a curiosity as makes him desire you to continue your accounts. Pray do: but not in your hellish Arabick...
Mowbray to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word arabick
See arabic. Can also mean a written code.
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word lords-zounter
Lords-zounter, if I have patience with him!
Mowbray to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word lords-zounter
See also zounds.
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word argufying
Now (rot the puppy!) to see him sit silent in a corner, when he has tired himself with his mock-majesty and with his argumentation (who so fond of argufying as he?)...
Mowbray to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word algebra
I send you enclosed a letter from Mr Lovelace; which, though written in the cursed algebra, I know to be such a one as will show what a queer way he is in; for he read it to us with the air of a tragedian.
Mowbray to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word algebra
Can also mean a code.
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word lightsome
...I found there was no prevailing on her to quit it for the people's bedroom, which was neat and lightsome.
Belford to Lovelace, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word lightsome
Unbarred windows, and a lightsomer apartment, she said, had too cheerful an appearance for her mind.
Clarissa Harlowe as quoted by Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word guggle
Something rose in my throat, I know not what, which made me for a moment guggle, as it were, for speech...
Belford to Lovelace, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word paradeful
They sent for the apothecary Rowland had had to her, and gave him, and Rowland, and his wife, and the maid, paradeful injunctions for the utmost care to be taken care of her: no doubt with an Old Bailey forecast.
Belford to Lovelace, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word soily
Methinks, miss, said Sally, you are a little soily, to what we have seen you. Pity such a nice young lady should not have changes of apparel.
Sally Martin to Clarissa Harlowe, as quoted by Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word marplot
A person who mars or defeats a plot, design, or project by meddling.
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word marplot
After Marplot, a character in The Busybody (1709), a play by Susanna Centlivre.
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word proleptically
They were all ready to exclaim again: but I went on, proleptically, as a rhetorician would say, before their voices could break out into words.
Lovelace to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 9, 2008
minerva commented on the word lief
See also lieve.
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word stews
Also brothels.
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word lieve
I had now as lieve die here in this place, as anywhere.
Clarissa Harlowe as quoted by Belford to Lovelace, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word lieve
See also lief.
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word fondledom
Help me again to my angel, to my CLARISSA; and thou shalt have a letter from me, or writing at least, part of a letter, every hour.
... Oh return, return, my soul's fondledom, return to thy adoring Lovelace!
Lovelace to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word personate
That, after he found me out there (I know not how), he could procure two women dressed out richly, to personate your ladyship and Miss Montague...
Clarissa Harlowe to Lady Betty Lawrance, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word deemster
To this purpose, the custom in the Isle of Man is a very good one –
‘If a single woman there prosecutes a single man for a rape, the ecclesiastical judges impanel a jury; and, if this jury finds him guilty, he is returned guilty to the temporal courts: where, if he be convicted, the deemster, or judge, delivers to the woman a rope, a sword, and a ring; and she has it in her choice to have him hanged, beheaded, or to marry him.’
Anna Howe to Clarissa Harlowe, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 4, 2008
minerva commented on the word boggle
...when your unexampled vigilance and exalted virtue made potions, and rapes, and the utmost violences, necessary to the attainment of his detestable end, we see that he never boggled at them.
Anna Howe to Clarissa Harlowe, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
Jan 4, 2008