This has got to be one of the ugliest constructions in the English language. (Naturally, it's "and/or" but it seems that Wordie doesn't let you include a slash in a Wordie-word.)
A singular, naturally (there is no such thing as a "kudo"!). It's borrowed directly from the ancient Greek word for praise, and it's pronounced "ku-doss", not "ku-doze".
A neologism for the annoying little stones that get stuck in the treads of your shoe soles and make a clicking sound as you walk along (also applies to tire treads).
A neologism for the mist that hits your windshield as you drive along the highway after a rainstorm, requiring you to use your windshield wipers even though it's not raining.
A neologism for the annoying little stones that get stuck in the threads of your shoe soles and make a clicking sound as you walk along (also applies to tire threads).
Used by the late Hao Wang (in his book "Beyond Analytic Philosophy: Doing Justice to What We Know") to denote the charting or mapping of human knowledge (similar to aspects of Francis Bacon's Great Instauration).
Ain't is a contraction for "am not". Another form is "amn't" but that's hard to pronounce, no? It was further shortened to "a'n't" or "ain't". We're accepting of "we aren't" in the first person plural, "they aren't" in the third person plural, "he isn't" and "she isn't" and "it isn't" in the third person singular, and "you aren't" in the second person singular and plural. So why the resistance to "I ain't" in the first person singular? Granted, the extension of "ain't" to the second person singular (cf. the song "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Billy Austin and Louis Jordan) and to the third person singular (cf. "It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan) is problematic, albeit fun. But as far as I can see, "I ain't" is fair game.
There's a building Manhattan that I used to call the fubs building -- for "fat, ugly, big, squat". Imagine my surprise when I discovered the meaning of fubsy. :-)
I learned this term from IBM Fellow Jerry Woodall, who went to school with Oliver Smoot at MIT. If I recall correctly, he may even have been involved in the original measurement process. :-)
What does it mean to "handle plurals better"? Some folks might simply prefer the plural form. Example: I prefer interstices to interstice because that final "s" adds further sibilance. Why discourage folks from listing one form over the other? And why does the "root" word get preferential treatment in the first place? Sounds like wordism to me. ;-)
BTW, the WSJ story is cool (through which I find yet another parallel between us -- we're both Columbia grads).
Only three? In what dwarfish world do the West Wing writers dwell? Have they been drinking too much dwale? And what kind of dwelling is the White House, anyway? Is the current dweller a mental dwarf (as some allege) or merely a dweeb? Etc.
Thanks for the return comment; I'm happy to have brought a smile to your face. Sadly, you and I seem to be diametric opposites when it comes to nice. :(
Here's another techie suggestion -- enable ClaimID support (it's easy!) so that Wordies can proudly say "yes, this really is my very own Wordie page" (or list). Thanks for the great service!
stpeter commented on the word fluxions
"Nature and Nature's Laws lay hid in night;
God said, 'Let Newton be!' -- And all was light."
Dec 15, 2008
stpeter commented on the word synecdochy
I assume you mean synecdoche?
Sep 30, 2008
stpeter commented on the word whee
I think this word always deserves to end with a bang: Whee!
Sep 29, 2008
stpeter commented on the word trustifarian
A person who lives off a trust fund.
Sep 21, 2008
stpeter commented on the word and-or
This has got to be one of the ugliest constructions in the English language. (Naturally, it's "and/or" but it seems that Wordie doesn't let you include a slash in a Wordie-word.)
Sep 18, 2008
stpeter commented on the word idiologism
A neologism that you made up. I made this word up, so for me "idiologism" is an idiologism. :)
Sep 17, 2008
stpeter commented on the word guanometer
An idiologism meaning "bullshit detector".
Sep 17, 2008
stpeter commented on the word kudos
A singular, naturally (there is no such thing as a "kudo"!). It's borrowed directly from the ancient Greek word for praise, and it's pronounced "ku-doss", not "ku-doze".
Jan 22, 2008
stpeter commented on the word flustrated
A combination of flustered and frustrated.
Sep 15, 2007
stpeter commented on the word promethean
Naturally the opposite is epimethean.
Aug 14, 2007
stpeter commented on the word janky
Kind of a cross between junky and skanky.
Jul 24, 2007
stpeter commented on the word tread pebble
A neologism for the annoying little stones that get stuck in the treads of your shoe soles and make a clicking sound as you walk along (also applies to tire treads).
Jul 17, 2007
stpeter commented on the word threadpebble
Erk, I misspelled my own neologism -- I meant tread pebble, not *thread* pebble!
Jul 17, 2007
stpeter commented on the word tire mist
A neologism for the mist that hits your windshield as you drive along the highway after a rainstorm, requiring you to use your windshield wipers even though it's not raining.
Jul 16, 2007
stpeter commented on the word threadpebble
A neologism for the annoying little stones that get stuck in the threads of your shoe soles and make a clicking sound as you walk along (also applies to tire threads).
Jul 16, 2007
stpeter commented on the word octopodes
Gotta love those plurals from Greek (the plural is very much not octopi!). Oh and it's pronounced okk-TOP-oh-deez. Jeez. :)
May 11, 2007
stpeter commented on the word perhapsy
Feeling uncertain in one's thoughts or feelings. As in "I'm feeling a bit perhapsy about going to the movies tonight."
Apr 5, 2007
stpeter commented on the word thinksome
Given to thought and reflection; more precise than thoughtful methinks. :)
Mar 12, 2007
stpeter commented on the word schnike
A censor-friendly version of shit (seemingly first used in the 1995 film Tommy Boy).
Feb 21, 2007
stpeter commented on the word shat
Supposedly, the past tense of shit, falsely formed on the model of sit and sat. But it's amusing nonetheless.
Feb 21, 2007
stpeter commented on the word randroid
See also randian and randanista.
Feb 21, 2007
stpeter commented on the word phenomenography
Used by the late Hao Wang (in his book "Beyond Analytic Philosophy: Doing Justice to What We Know") to denote the charting or mapping of human knowledge (similar to aspects of Francis Bacon's Great Instauration).
Feb 20, 2007
stpeter commented on the word randian
See also randanista. :-)
Feb 18, 2007
stpeter commented on the word randanista
A more colorful word for randian.
Feb 18, 2007
stpeter commented on the word sinderesis
Conscience as the directive force of one's actions.
Feb 12, 2007
stpeter commented on the word lunkhead
A modification of lumphead, it seems.
Feb 2, 2007
stpeter commented on the word confiscatory
As in confiscatory taxation...
Jan 26, 2007
stpeter commented on the word avaunt
Avaunt, you cullions! (Henry V: Act 3, scene ii)
Jan 14, 2007
stpeter commented on the word lather
Why do people get into such a lather over words like ain't?
Jan 14, 2007
stpeter commented on the word atrabilious
See also atramentous.
Jan 14, 2007
stpeter commented on the word chaord
A combination of chaos and order.
Jan 14, 2007
stpeter commented on the word ain't
Ain't is a contraction for "am not". Another form is "amn't" but that's hard to pronounce, no? It was further shortened to "a'n't" or "ain't". We're accepting of "we aren't" in the first person plural, "they aren't" in the third person plural, "he isn't" and "she isn't" and "it isn't" in the third person singular, and "you aren't" in the second person singular and plural. So why the resistance to "I ain't" in the first person singular? Granted, the extension of "ain't" to the second person singular (cf. the song "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Billy Austin and Louis Jordan) and to the third person singular (cf. "It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan) is problematic, albeit fun. But as far as I can see, "I ain't" is fair game.
Jan 14, 2007
stpeter commented on the word catastrophism
Contrast with uniformitarianism.
Jan 10, 2007
stpeter commented on the word uniformitarianism
Contrast with catastrophism.
Jan 10, 2007
stpeter commented on the word philippic
As long as it's not simple and desultory. ;-)
Jan 10, 2007
stpeter commented on the word you
Enough about me, let's talk about you!
Jan 10, 2007
stpeter commented on the word pillbox
As in a leopard-skin pillbox hat, perchance?
Jan 10, 2007
stpeter commented on the word y'all
And my favorite contraction, the future y'all'll.
Jan 6, 2007
stpeter commented on the word splainin
As in, you got some 'splainin' to do!
Jan 6, 2007
stpeter commented on the word don
A contraction of "do on". Contrast with doff.
Jan 5, 2007
stpeter commented on the word doff
A contraction of "do off". Contrast with don.
Jan 5, 2007
stpeter commented on the word frith
From the same root as friend and free.
Jan 5, 2007
stpeter commented on the word supercede
Usually I ain't a pedant, but I guess about supersede I am! :-)
Jan 3, 2007
stpeter commented on the list collective-nouns
I once wrote a poem about collective nouns -- http://www.saint-andre.com/poems/problem.html :-)
Jan 1, 2007
stpeter commented on the word bredth
I think you mean breadth.
Dec 31, 2006
stpeter commented on the word supercede
I think you mean supersede, no? From Latin super (over) and sedere (to sit).
Dec 31, 2006
stpeter commented on the word aphrodesiac
I think you mean aphrodisiac, no?
Dec 31, 2006
stpeter commented on the word fubsy
There's a building Manhattan that I used to call the fubs building -- for "fat, ugly, big, squat". Imagine my surprise when I discovered the meaning of fubsy. :-)
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word atramentous
Inky black. What a cool word!
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word aporia
A fine Aristotelian word -- The Philosopher often introduced aporiai as a way of motivating the discussion.
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word autochthonous
Contrast with allochthonous, naturally.
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word autochtonous
I think it's autochthonous.
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word skosh
The source seems to be the Japanese word sukoshi.
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word scoatch
I thought the spelling was skosh.
Dec 29, 2006
stpeter commented on the word smoot
I learned this term from IBM Fellow Jerry Woodall, who went to school with Oliver Smoot at MIT. If I recall correctly, he may even have been involved in the original measurement process. :-)
Dec 28, 2006
stpeter commented on the user stpeter
Erk, haven't checked out this page in a while...
Colleen: There were two words a high school English teacher of mine never let us use: "very" and "nice". I guess that stuck with me.
Oroboros: That's an error, will fix.
Dec 27, 2006
stpeter commented on the word zyzygy
Did you mean syzygy?
Dec 27, 2006
stpeter commented on the word purile
Did you mean puerile?
Dec 27, 2006
stpeter commented on the word linament
Did you mean lineament?
Dec 27, 2006
stpeter commented on the word brook
I quite like this word as a verb -- as in sentences like "John will brook no dissent around here." (Not true.)
Dec 27, 2006
stpeter commented on the user john
What does it mean to "handle plurals better"? Some folks might simply prefer the plural form. Example: I prefer interstices to interstice because that final "s" adds further sibilance. Why discourage folks from listing one form over the other? And why does the "root" word get preferential treatment in the first place? Sounds like wordism to me. ;-)
BTW, the WSJ story is cool (through which I find yet another parallel between us -- we're both Columbia grads).
Dec 27, 2006
stpeter commented on the word wonk
Know spelled backwards.
Dec 17, 2006
stpeter commented on the word dwindle
Only three? In what dwarfish world do the West Wing writers dwell? Have they been drinking too much dwale? And what kind of dwelling is the White House, anyway? Is the current dweller a mental dwarf (as some allege) or merely a dweeb? Etc.
Dec 15, 2006
stpeter commented on the word tumnescent
I think you folks mean tumescent no?
Dec 15, 2006
stpeter commented on the user papageno
Yet another member of the 2000 club! :-)
Dec 15, 2006
stpeter commented on the word truck
This word is great as a verb (I feel the same about brook).
Dec 11, 2006
stpeter commented on the word schlepp
Right, I think the spelling is schlep.
Dec 10, 2006
stpeter commented on the word hapax legomenon
Those of us who are on a first-name basis just call this one hapax. :-)
Dec 10, 2006
stpeter commented on the user brandelion
Another pseudonym seeking a patronym, eh? Welcome to the 2000 club! :-)
Dec 10, 2006
stpeter commented on the user colleen
Thanks for the return comment; I'm happy to have brought a smile to your face. Sadly, you and I seem to be diametric opposites when it comes to nice. :(
Dec 10, 2006
stpeter commented on the word fubar
F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word snafu
Situation Normal, All F***ed Up. Beyond snafu is fubar. :-)
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the list jabberwordie
Just added another: sonofabitch. As in "he's a helluva sonofabitch"... :-)
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word nocturne
The opposite of aubade.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the user john
Hey John, I just discovered that you're a fellow maineiac. :-)
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word cunt
Yet this shocking word is cognate with quaint. Odd, eh?
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word ain't
Poor ain't. So universally reviled by Latin-loving prescriptivist grammar Nazis. Yet so wonderfully Anglo-Saxon.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word amok
Frenzied. Not to be confused with amuck.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word amuck
Getting stuck in the muck. Not to be confused with amok.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word logorrhea
A tendency to extreme loquacity. Not to be confused with blogorrhea.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the word blogorrhea
A tendency to extremes of blogging. Not to be confused with logorrhea.
Dec 9, 2006
stpeter commented on the user colleen
Welcome to the 2000 club! :-)
Dec 8, 2006
stpeter commented on the word gezellig
A notoriously untranslatable Dutch word meaning the combination of cozy, warm, comfortable, enjoyable, sociable, pleasant, et alia.
Dec 8, 2006
stpeter commented on the word natch
Aw, I find it quite fun, myself! And do you mean retch? :-)
Dec 8, 2006
stpeter commented on the word anarchitect
This is an idiologism meaning an architect of emergent order (if there can be such a thing).
Dec 8, 2006
stpeter commented on the word unctious
Did you mean unctuous?
Dec 7, 2006
stpeter commented on the user john
Oh, and how about a Jabber bot that enables you to add a word via IM? I could probably hack one up for you...
Dec 4, 2006
stpeter commented on the user john
Here's another techie suggestion -- enable ClaimID support (it's easy!) so that Wordies can proudly say "yes, this really is my very own Wordie page" (or list). Thanks for the great service!
Dec 4, 2006
stpeter commented on the user john
Hey John, since you use Jabber, how about adding it to the service dropdown list on the profile page? :-)
Dec 4, 2006
stpeter commented on the user john
Count me addicted. I blogged it here.
Dec 4, 2006