pterodactyl has looked up 4797 words, created 117 lists, listed 2663 words, written 1229 comments, added 46 tags, and loved 5 words.
Comments by pterodactyl
Comments for pterodactyl
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Yes, it's wight next to it.
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Is that the finger next to the pinkie?
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Yep! "Pterodactyl" literally means "wing-finger". (Or "finger-wing". Latin is not my strong suit.)
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I just found out about this: http://www.cognatarium.com/cognatarium/?K=pter (by which I mean that I just found out about the site, but also that there's such a lovely connection between pterodactyls, helicopters, and butterflies).
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Hearts are just cool.
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I heart you, pterodactyl.
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For a short time (after the latest switchover) your profile wasn't visible--I even went to the new feedback whatsit and made a "Where's the pterodactyl" topic.
I know some creatures (bilbies, bears, and even foxes) seem to be endangered, but with my (admittedly limited) knowledge of the fate of most pterodactyls... well... let's just say I was worried, but I'm much happier now. -
*giant reptilian hug* I missed you too, ruzuzu!
(Thinks: Oooh! I just typed five syllables in a row that have the same vowel sound!) -
I'm so glad you're back! I missed you.
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After several months of rejecting my password and giving me an error message, Wordnik has finally decided to allow me back in. Hurrah! Let the listing recommence!
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Thank you for your excellent comment on grocery. Your link was exactly what I was looking for!
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I'd love to--thanks, pt.
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No, ruzuzu, I don't -- would you care to do the honors? :-)
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Do you have a phonestheme list for the cranky, craisiny CR? (See cremains.)
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Just sent my email to you, gangerh! Let me know if you didn't get it.
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You cannot escape the charge that you have previously engaged in the amazing pastime that is IDENTIFY THE WORDIE.
You are therefore prime target material for inviting to IDENTIFY THE WORDIENIK.
The whole of the bit of Wordnik that joins in on this would be truly honoured should you participate this time round.
Easily find the right page right now because it is currently the most commented on list shown on the Community page. -
Hi, hernesheir! Hope you're having a wonderful day!
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Hi, ptero.
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Is FR- a phonestheme? See comments on fraught.
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Thanks, hernesheir! That's a beautiful discovery you've made. Now I can't help but wonder whether there are any collections of four letters that can form seven words...
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In your past comment for aril, you mentioned the four letters of that word can form six different words, and asked if any other 4 letters could form six words. O, P, S, T can be arranged to spell stop, post, opts, tops, spot, and pots.
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Yes, avocado is a beautifully rounded word.
avOcAdO -
Avocodo!
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Fine, thanks. How are you?
(See good) :-) -
Hi there!
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chthonian is a good word too,.
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Yea, nicely like bdellium and dleurotomarioidea.
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"pterodactyl has added 97 lists containing 2,324 words, 43 comments, 43 tags, 92 favorites, and 0 pronunciations."
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Thank you for the kind comments on my profile. I'm glad you're here. :-)
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Glad you like it. :-)
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Five seconds after learning the word "cnidarian", I started a new list to put it on. Thank you!
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“Pterodactyl”, with a “c”, as in cnidarian!
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Ptotally, dude
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Because I am not merely a gentleman, but also a pedant, I must point out that the phrase "icy vacuum of outer space" is just poetic license. A vacuum cannot be cold, any more than it can be hot, because heat is a property of matter, and a vacuum contains no matter (well, virtually no matter, anyway).
As for the aesthetic qualities of my underthings, well, a reptile's got to have some secrets, hasn't he? -
Well, I didn't think I knew the bear. I play by similar rules, myself, and am no stranger to disreputable cousins.
Wait, that sounds like I hang out with disreputable cousins, which is not the case.
I'll refrain from asking if you wear an enchanting thong, but be advised I'm dying to know. ;) -
So, let's see... I think that makes the bear-o-dactyl your first cousin once removed.
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Oh deary me. Well, I am in a bit of a pickle now, aren't I? The secret is out. However shall I live this down?
No, the truth is, the embarrassing antics described therein were perpetrated by one of my disreputable cousins. Personally, I strive to be a more civilized specimen of the order Pterosauria. While I do indulge in the occasional interspecies affaire d'amour, I always adhere strictly to the rules of gentlemanly conduct, such as removing my hat in the presence of ladies, laying down my jacket across any muddy patches in a lady's path, and never subjecting a lady to the icy vacuum of outer space. -
Ptero, if you're around... I found this and wondered... Do I know the bear?
(Caution: salty language therein.)
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Yes, now you are under the protection of the License to Err. And that’s an excellent idea by the way; I shall do the same.
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I'm covered by dint of having favorited License to Err. :-)
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Another content customer, what an honor. :-)
Yet strictly speaking you’re not yet covered by the License to Err since as of now—unless it’s a cache issue—you haven’t added it to any lists.
But that reminds me of an emendation I was planning to apply—an important emendation, at least for as long as we still have Time separating past and future. Thanks. -
For too long I have been treading gingerly through life, eschewing any risk for fear that I might somehow err. Well, no longer. Thanks to telofy and Wordie PRO!, I now have license to err. That's right, boys and girls -- if I screw up now, no big deal! I just laugh about it and get on with my life.
And I gotta say, its a wonderful feeling. :-) -
Don't forget this gem:
"What's now missing from the pterosaur picture is how these animals took off, but Padian already has some ideas.
'Two obvious choices are just jumping up and flapping, and running along and flapping,' Padian said, adding, 'I suspect both were possible.'"
Congratulations, ptero, on finally being recognized by us hairless monkeys for the flight genius you are. .... How's the real estate at Pterosaur Beach, by the way? ;)
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"The pterodactyl was likely a powerful flyer with highly maneuverable wings and a developed capacity for flight control."
*preens* -
At last, we've figured out how you land!
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I couldn't agree more.
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Truth is, pterodactyls are actually adorable. I mean, just look at those cute reptilian eyes!
pterodactyl commented on the user pterodactyl
Yes, it's wight next to it.
Apr 27, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the user pterodactyl
Yep! "Pterodactyl" literally means "wing-finger". (Or "finger-wing". Latin is not my strong suit.)
Apr 26, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word what time
Is this a grammatical error?
"What time should I pick you up?"
Prescriptive grammarians would probably say yes, it is an error, because it's missing the word "at". It should be "What time should I pick you up at?" or "At what time should I pick you up?"
If these grammarians are also copy editors, they might suggest the phrasing "When should I pick you up?", which avoids the "what time" construction entirely. After all, English already has a perfectly good word for asking questions about time ("when"), so, the editors might say, why not just use it?
Actually, I think there's a jolly good reason to use "what time" instead of "when". I don't think they mean the same thing.
My idea is that people use "what time" to refer to time on a clock, as opposed to time on a calendar. For example, if you ask someone "When did you arrive in London?", they might answer "Last Thursday", which isn't helpful if what you're really inquiring about is the arrival time of their train. So, instead, you can ask "What time did you arrive in London?", a question to which "Last Thursday" is not a sensible response.
If I'm right about this, then "what time" is a two-word idiom that functions as one word, rather like "how much" or "how many" or the Spanish "por qué".
Huh. So, if it is an idiom, does this explain the absence of "at"?
Apr 13, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word Hawai'i
Good point. Yeah, that would probably explain the spelling. But it wouldn't explain the pronunciation. Why don't we pronounce the glottal stop?
Apr 13, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word emu
Great, thanks! I had been stricken with indecision about which pronunciation to use (they're both equally prevalent in American English), but this decides the issue. From now on, I shall emulate the elocutions of the emu experts.
Apr 10, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word second
Then our work here is done. *evil laugh*
Apr 10, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word spelt
This page is amazing. How did I not know about this before?
*laughing out loud*
Apr 10, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word emu
How is this pronounced in Australian English? "ee-moo" or "ee-myoo"?
Apr 10, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word second
Interesting! If I heard someone say "second rug test", and pronounce the D, I would almost certainly mishear it as "second drug test". I'm so used to not hearing a D in "second" that my brain would automatically assume that the D is part of the following word.
Apr 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word second
I've been saying this word for years, but I've only just now realized how bizarre its pronunciation is.
The issue is the final consonant. The word is spelled with a final D, but it's not pronounced with a final [d]. If you try pronouncing the word with a final [d], it sounds wrong.
At first I assumed that the final consonant was a [t], as part of a "-NT" ending. But Ts are articulated with the tip of the tongue, and when I say "second", my tongue only articulates the N. I mean, [n] and [t] are both alveolar consonants, but when I say "second", my tongue goes up to the alveolar ridge just once, for the [n], and just kinda stops there.
So, then I started thinking that maybe the "d" was just totally silent, and that the word is pronounced to end on the [n]. But that's clearly wrong, because if you try pronouncing "secon", it sounds different, and easily distinguishable from "second".
I hesitate to even suggest this, because it sounds so weird, but I'm starting to think that the final consonant in "second" is an [n] and a [ʔ] (a glottal stop) pronounced simultaneously.
What do you guys think?
Apr 7, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the list not-much
"A trice" is nice! Feel free to add it to the list!
Mar 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the list tunie-mark-rothko-song
You're welcome! Glad you like it!
This is, honestly, one of the most beautiful songs I know. It's sad, and pensive, and the lyrics are just exquisite. I highly recommend listening to it.
Mar 2, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word semantic satiation
Ooh, thanks, ruzuzu, for bringing this useful phrase to our attention!
This would be a good candidate for reesetee's "It has a name?!" list.
Feb 29, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word specular highlight
Wordnik's "Visuals" feature really comes in handy here.
Feb 17, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word spat
I keep hearing "spit" used as its own past tense (e.g. "Yesterday I spit a watermelon seed nearly twelve yards") and I think to myself What's wrong with "spat"? We have a perfectly good past tense form available to us -- why aren't we using it?
It can't just be because "spat" is an irregular past tense. If that were the problem, then we'd be seeing an equivalent drop-off in other irregular past tenses, like "taught" or "wept", but nobody is going around saying "I weep last Saturday, because my girlfriend teach me the meaning of the word 'dump'." It sounds ridiculous, right? So why doesn't it sound equally ridiculous to say "Yesterday I spit a watermelon seed"?
Jan 26, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word travesty
Excellent point about the cross-pollination from tragedy!
I'd argue that most people who use "travesty" as a short form of "travesty of justice" aren't aware that that's what they're doing. I figure it started with a bunch of people who DID intentionally shorten "travesty of justice", and then a second bunch of people who didn't know the meaning of the word "travesty" (i.e. "mockery") heard the word being used by the first bunch, and inferred from context that it meant "disgusting state of affairs".
Does that sound like a plausible sequence of events?
Jan 18, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word lend
This word seems to be dying out, in favor of "loan" (as a verb). This could be because "lend" is an irregular verb, or because people prefer to use the same word ("loan") as both the noun and the verb. Or, most likely, for both reasons.
I'm sad about this. I Iike the word "lend", and I'd hate to see its demise. Why should we make "loan" do double duty, when we already have a lovely little verb to do the job?
Jan 17, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word travesty
I think this is one of those words whose dictionary meaning doesn't match its common meaning. The dictionary meaning is "mockery" or "grotesque parody", but when I hear it, it usually means something like "disaster" or "disgusting state of affairs" or "offensively bad situation". The tweets on the right side of this page all support this latter definition.
My best guess is that travesty used to mean "mockery", but the meaning has drifted over time. I wonder how long it will be before the major dictionaries update their definitions?
Jan 17, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the user ruzuzu
What's all the fuss about hearts?
Jan 14, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the user pterodactyl
*giant reptilian hug* I missed you too, ruzuzu!
(Thinks: Oooh! I just typed five syllables in a row that have the same vowel sound!)
Jan 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the list white-winter-hymnal
Love the title, love the list!
Jan 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word apricity
I feel sad when I see "museum pieces" like this word which would be gorgeous words if anyone actually used them. I feel that we ought to smash the glass of the museum display case, snatch the word, and absquatulate with it, then slowly introduce it into the wild and work to establish a breeding population.
Jan 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word epizeuxis
Examples here.
I love, love, love this word!
Jan 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the user pterodactyl
After several months of rejecting my password and giving me an error message, Wordnik has finally decided to allow me back in. Hurrah! Let the listing recommence!
Jan 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word actress
Why do we still use the word actress when most -ess words (e.g. stewardess, authoress, shepherdess, waitress) are considered improper or quaint? My guess is that it's because the sex of a steward, author, shepherd, or waiter is irrelevant, but an actor's sex actually matters, because it determines which roles he or she will be hired to play.
The same explanation also works for goddess. In religious studies and mythology, the fact that a goddess is female is actually quite relevant to her character, so it's not sexist to draw attention to the fact.
That's my theory, anyway. I could be wrong.
Jan 8, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word new interface
Thanks, Erin! :-)
Aug 3, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word new interface
I noticed the same thing on some of my lists, dontcry, and at first I was horrified. All our beautiful comments, gone! But then I spotted a comment from Erin on the Feedback page, saying that the comments feature is in "drydock" right now for repairs and revamping. I figure that means that our comments will be returning soon.
Incidentally, I just checked the Feedback page right now and found it completely comment-less, but I presume that's just another symptom of the "drydocking".
Aug 1, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the list lesser-known-meteor-showers
Heh... you can tell that this list dates back to the Wordie days. The names of meteor showers are supposed to be capitalized (e.g. "the Perseids", "the Leonids", "the Geminids") but Wordie didn't support capitalization.
Ah, memories of Wordie...
Jul 19, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the list lesser-known-meteor-showers
Sounds like it. If you'd seen the Fervids, you'd remember them. :-)
Jul 19, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word Oxford comma
"People — people like me — love the serial comma. They rely on it. They feel like society's abandonment of it is a sign that all has gone haywire. They feel about it the way other people feel about newspapers, green spaces, or virtue."
--"Going, Going, And Gone?: No, The Oxford Comma Is Safe ... For Now", by Linda Holmes, from NPR's Monkey See blog
Jun 30, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word good to go
I'm usually quite mild-mannered, but this phrase makes me grind my teeth together.
"Good to go!" Ugh! It's just so... so... smarmy.
Jun 30, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word aqueduct
Looks like the new Wordnik font is not kind to IPA symbols. :-(
Jun 30, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word aqueduct
A quick unscientific survey: Do you say /ækwədʌkt/ or /ɑkwədʌkt/? In other words, does the first vowel rhyme with "yeah" or with "blah"?
I just realized that I use /æ/ for "aqueduct" but /ɑ/ for "aqua", which seems terribly inconsistent of me.
Jun 30, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word fell swoop
Serial ruthlessness is certainly an option (albeit a terrible one). But there's something very final about "fatal" and "deadly".
Jun 28, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word @FreeBilby
They're giving out free bilbys? Hooray! I'll take three!
Jun 22, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the list tunie--whats-your-english
Do we still have a master list of Tunies? If so, here's another one for it.
Jun 22, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the list the-request-line
I want to thank Mr. Helster, and Wordnik, for providing this service. I love being able to get pronunciations on demand, and I'm amazed that we get this service for free. Thank you! I really appreciate it!
Jun 21, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user feedback
Bug: When I click on a tag, I'm taken to the corresponding word page, not the corresponding tag page. For example, the word "robin" is tagged "bird", but when I click on "bird", it takes me to bird.
Jun 20, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user feedback
I see what you guys are saying about the images, and I think you're right to say that we old Wordie regulars don't come to Wordnik to find images. Still, I quite like the position of the images in the new interface, and I hope they stay there.
Print dictionaries usually have illustrations, and each illustration is usually positioned right next to its corresponding definition. Seeing these two things side by side helps you grok what the word means. I like the idea of having the same thing in Wordnik.
I also like the potential for serendipity. For example, earlier today, I looked up the word "afterglow". I had been thinking of it as an emotion, but then I stumbled into the images section of the page, which got me thinking about the connection between the metaphorical and literal meanings of the word. It was a pleasant rumination, and a serendipitous moment, and it wouldn't have happened if I'd been using the old interface.
Just my two cents. Feel free to disagree with me.
Jun 20, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user feedback
I agree with sionnach and bilby about the Feedback page. Maybe put a link to it on the home page?
Also, I just tried to create my first new list since the rollout of the new interface, and I see what bilby was saying about the content of the add box not autoclearing. I have to delete my last word from the box before I can add a new word. It makes me sad. :-(
Jun 20, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word new interface
I second ruzuzu's comment on the Feedback page. The reverse dictionary is teh alsome.
Jun 18, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user feedback
Would it be helpful if we collected all of our comments about the new interface on one page? I'm worried that we'll clutter up the Feedback page at the rate we're going.
I've left some comments at new interface. Y'all are welcome to join me over there.
Jun 18, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word new interface
I posted my previous comment about twenty seconds ago, and yet Wordnik says I posted the comment "about 9 hours ago". Perhaps this bug is associated with the new interface?
Jun 18, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word new interface
As soon as I saw that there was a new Wordnik interface, I was ready to hate it. I loved the old interface so much, I just assumed that any change would be bad.
Turns out I was wrong. Now that I've had a chance to play around with the new interface, I find I quite like it. The colors, especially, are a welcome addition. And I'm pleased to see that you kept the most important part of Wordnik's visual layout: lots and lots of white space. Bravo, Wordnik gnomes! Well done!
I do have one minor complaint. Across the top of each word page is a navigation menu, consisting of the words "Love", "Define", "Relate", "List", "Discuss", "See", "Hear", and "Share". I'm glad that these navigation links are present, but I think the words that were chosen to represent each link are cryptic and confusing. (Why all verbs?) When I first saw them, I had no idea what they did, and so I was afraid to click on them.
My suggestion is that you get rid of these verbs and replace them with the names of the sections that they link to. Thus, the words across the top would read "Love", "Definitions", "Related Words", "Lists", "Comments", "Visuals", "Audio", and "Share". That way, people could tell what they do.
Jun 18, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user feedback
Thanks, Erin! Whatever you guys did, it worked. All the links are working just fine for me now.
EDIT: ...except for "you don't beep at a polar bear match". I still can't get to that one.
Jun 18, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user feedback
Oh dear! I can't view any word pages! I want to see the new interface, but no matter which word I try, I just get the "Trouble delivering that page" message.
I can view list pages just fine, though.
I'm using Firefox on a Mac, if that helps.
EDIT: Okay, seems I can view word pages if I get to them by clicking on a link in a list, or by using the search box. I just can't get to them from the links on the Community page.
Jun 17, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the user pterodactyl
No, ruzuzu, I don't -- would you care to do the honors? :-)
Jun 9, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word comfortable
Yeah.
Jun 5, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word I dislike ampersands
Well, more ampersands for the rest of us, then!
*hands out ampersands to everyone but frogapplause*
Jun 5, 2011
pterodactyl commented on the word comfortable
I still think there's metathesis going on, even for a non-rhotic speaker. In non-rhotic dialects, the "r" is not spoken, but it's still present in the speaker's mind, as an unspoken phoneme... right? (I could be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.) And if that's so, then it seems plausible that a group of RP speakers might experience metathesis with those two phonemes, the /t/ and the /r/, even though one of them is never spoken.
Jun 5, 2011