I am listening to a series of lectures-on-CD by linguist John McWhorter, and am starting to think I am too hard on the peculiarities of spoken language. Most of the items on this list annoy me because they are dumb, but some are legitimate verbal English. But in revisiting these, almost every one of them makes me cringe.
Wow - this is a truly astounding list. However did you go about compiling it? It looks like the work of several years of eschewing the company of humanity as you spend each waking hour typing...typing...
I don't know what the deal is, but in Bloomington Indiana, wherein I doth make my humble abode, the term "Rubicon" is suddenly all over the place - there are businesses, an office park, a recurrent event - I think there is also a Jeep called this. I can only assume this is a fad word and I make it a point to automatically reject fads.
Now why must these legitimate music terms be called pretentious? I suppose opera fans are perceived as pretentious and perhaps rightly so in some cases, but I don't think of myself as pretentious simply because I take tremendous delight in the splendidpulchritudinousvirtuosity of coloraturaornamentation?
ruzuzu - no, Rush did a series of atheist/libertarian rants propounding the virtues of Godless science and white dogs fighting with mythical whatsits (spoiler: the doggie, personified by a bitchin' wah guitar solo, wins).
No, that was Styx (Come Sail Away, right?). Rush's Xanadu is just yet another rock ditty that draws on classic literature to create a morality play analyzing the balance we must all strive between our reckless desires and the inevitable, disastrous yet unforeseeable consequences of going too far in our quest for immortality. Really now I think about it, not too different from O N-J's "Xanadu"?
I think that is exactly what is happening. The chemicals are in the brains of the marketers/content providers for the movie, and also in the drug dealers who run McDonald's.
Hey kids! First ingest some toxic pop culture garbage, then go to McD's and directly consume more garbage. And then get a free marketing promotional tool to remind you to repeat the cycle.
Thanks Frog - that was a great interview (I got to hear the first few minutes before my boss scowled at me. Love that theme song too - that is exactly the kind of fiddle I aspire to play.
I like your comic style too - very eccentric and literate. Are you doing that full-time?
When I was a kid there was a very tough boy in the neighborhood with the last name Dudgeon. Adds credence to the idea that once's name can influence one's behavior.
For me it's easy. There are three things I like about the computer: Tom The Dancing Bug, Crayola Art Studio, and Wordnik. All other activities require sweet sweet loudness in order for them to be tolerable.
do you ever look at the Twitter feeds? This one was in with defuse: "Ok now I'm not saying I'm excited for MacGruber but I just tried to defuse a bomb with pantyhose, a lighter and some cat hair. Didn't work "
Good question. I think the difference is whether the tension is going to explode, in which case it is defused (bomb-like). But a less tangible tension would be diffused.
H - I am increasingly intrigued - can you describe your guitars and banjos? I have a gold tone 5-string banjo, which is kind of halfway betwixt bluegrass and old-timey, which is approximately what I do on the banjo. And I think you also have a tin whistle? does this imply a Celtic music interest?
Question - how do you focus on your work at the computer with all that fun within fifteen feet away? I usually keep mine in a locked shed and throw the key into a large pile of hay so I don't get distracted.
Actually, not true; I usually just get distracted.
Me too - mostly strings. But I am learning the piano a bit. I play guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, hammered dulcimer, bass, cello, ukulele, and a bit of piano. Nothing windy.
Forfend - interesting word, but I would not call it common. The four examples in Wordnik have it part of the "Heaven Forfend" expression or a variant thereof.
I was thinking about this word today - to me it is pretty interesting because in its atomic form it only exists in common usage as part of two idiomatic expressions ("Fend for yourself", "Fend off an attack"). Can anyone think of any more? It also lives as the core of the words "offend" and "defend", and the only other one I can think of is "fender". It sounds like it has a relationship with "fence".
CB, according to the timestamps, you have been gnoshing on Lit'l Smokies for almost two hours. How many packages do you have? Don't forget to drink some water too.
According to http://www.parlipro.org/table.htm, one could interpret it both ways. To place a question on the table means to introduce it for debate, but not necessarily immediately. However when it is on the table it must be debated at some point during the session.
I suggest we table this question. That way, those who interpret it to mean putting it aside can refrain from further comment for now, while those who see it the other way can continue the debate.
Cool - I love old-time style. I learned three-finger quasi-BG (using picks) a long time ago and have stubbornly refused to either become a bona-fide bluegrass player (I agree with you, the style is way too modern, too polished) or a bona-fide old-time player. I play a Gold Tone MM-150, which can swing to the old-time sound nicely by removing the resonator.
No offendment is intended. I have found however that it is perhaps more fun to hate words and phrases than it is to like them. It's that smug feeling you get, that lasts long after your shower.
I might add that Wordnik has the 'Add to favorites' feature but should also have 'Add to despised'. feature.
I appreciate this - can't tell you how many times I have had to search high and low for "bizarre confectionery dispenser dioramas" and its many variants.
Any connection for this word, in the distant past, with "red"? I know that the word "evil" is related to "village" and carries some kind of prejudice against those people who live outside of our zone, somewhere else. So is "rude" referring to some kind of "red" people?
I am talking about the stringed instrument harp. I love stringed instruments and the harp has got the most strings so it pleases me much of a muchness.
PossibleUnderscore, you said "if there were two 'other' instruments" - so what is the other other instrument? And what instrument/s do you already know?
So far I have read several different explanations on this phrase, including yarb and reesetee's (below). Another theory is that "goat" is here a corruption of "goad". More theories at http://www.zyra.org.uk/getgoat.htm. This could be a thesis in the making.
What in the world does this mean? My guess is something along the lines of a wolf in sheep's clothing? Or perhaps the original moniker of my favorite British heavy metal band?
People use this expression in daily parlance and it is just totally without merit as far as I can tell. Example: "You just turn the knob to where the light is on." I suppose it is an abbreviation of "to the point at which". But it is dumb and I unlike it.
Thanks pterodactyl - it is passing absurd how many of these there are. I hope it does not imply that we as a culture lack the imagination to come up with new morphemes. I suppose one could look at it as a very long-running joke that was kind of funny at first and gets a little less funny each time it is used.
Interesting, ruzuzu, however, it is not clear from OED Online whether "suck eggs" is used as a put-down. I believe if "go suck eggs" is used in such a way today it is because it is a substitute for the more vulgar counterpart, and that its meaning has therefore changed in light of the newer (1928 according to OED) usage of the word "suck". Furthermore, the Tom Sawyer reference seems to imply sucking eggs is a good thing, implying one has the courage to run up and steal eggs. Thanks for the comment.
GrantBarrett: - I don't see your point at all. The USA Today article makes the vacuous statement that the word "sucks" has a non-sexual meaning - of course this is obvious. What I want to see is someone to provide a usage of the term "sucks" that can show a lineage to another sense of the word other than the homosexual oral sex provider sense, which also represents some negative association. I don't believe such a usage has ever existed outside the underlying denigration of homosexual male activity.
My chain of reasoning is solid - male homosexual behavior of the "receptive" or "passive" kind is given negative connotations by the majority of human societies throughout history; thus references to such acts are used as derogatory phrases used to put down another person (or oneself) by implying that the other person practices such behavior and is therefore of lower status. Similar linguistic connections are made when someone says "f*ck you" or "we are screwed".
I am open to new evidence and will concede the point if it appears to be valid, but I don't think it exists.
I did not mean to create such a controversy with this, but I must say I find this discussion most interesting - one of my favorite topics is swear words and their meaning. Also just swearing a lot, which unfortunately I do.
You cannot seriously mean that society does not frown on male homosexual behavior? The origin of these kind of terms is in the lower status of a man who played the passive role in male-male sexual encounters - this is historically documented. Hence "sucks" became a generic put-down for a man and from there evolved into a general term for anything bad.
It is always easier to criticize than to suggest a better alternative, so I must confess I did not get that far in my thinking. Perhaps what bothers me other than the gay-slam aspect of it is its inherent vulgarity - to me it belongs in the "not-said-on-TV" set of words and phrases. I enjoy a good cuss frequently and don't like to see the value of my profanity cheapened by its increasing acceptability in popular culture. If I can't be offensive what's the point of cussing?
It is derogatory against gay men because creates a connection with some bad thing (the thing that sucks) with a particular sex act, which in this context is between two men. It is a gay act because that is the kind of sex which we as a society put down. The same thing happens with "f*** you" and "a**hole". All of these things put down a homosexual act and are used in a negative way.
I am suck and tired of OOPS sick and tired of this expression. It is now widely accepted in normal conversation and print despite its ignominious definition, and to say nothing of the pejorative meaning (putting down homosexual men) that drives its usage.
No disrespect intended to women who are naturally concerned with the essence of this phrase - it is just one of those trite little expressions that I find amusing.
I am surprised no one else has listed this overused annoying phrase. Maybe they were afraid of making me angry. But I listed it and now I have made myself angry.
I am adding this phrase to Dumbisms because frankly I have had enough of it. Its usage has become so ingrained in the minds of to many people and at this moment I am having a hard time thinking of a time when I heard someone use it appropriately. Even when it is used correctly it is often in some context that makes me want to ask the speaker to please please stop talking now.
Great list in the making - I hope you get tons more spam so you can add more to it. (kidding)
I am particularly amused by the "from" names that are provided. Somehow the spam names are always just a bit off, and sometimes they are wildly off. Like "Fulgham Slager" or "Aurora Rushing".
Have you seen any of the sites featuring poetry constructed entirely of spam? Greatly amusing.
This is the name of a number of very different old-time fiddle tunes. I assume 'musk' refers to that delightful odor of greenbacks. If you'ns have more info on it please let us know.
wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toot_Sweets): "The English expression toot sweet derives from the French phrase tout de suite (which means "immediately"). It first appears in English after the First World War, when, according to Mavens' Word of the Day, "many French words and expressions were borrowed by English-speaking soldiers."
(Q) From -----: “Do you know where the phrase hurts like the dickens comes from?�?
(A) Let’s focus in on dickens as the important word here, since there are lots of different expressions with it in, such as what the dickens, where the dickens, the dickens you are!, and the dickens you say!
It goes back a lot further than Charles Dickens, though it does seem to have been borrowed from the English surname, most likely sometime in the sixteenth century or before. (The surname itself probably derives from Dickin or Dickon, familiar diminutive forms of Dick.) It was — and still is, though people hardly know it any more — a euphemism for the Devil. It’s very much in the same style as deuce, as in old oaths like what the deuce! which contains another name for the Devil.
The first person known to use it was that great recorder of Elizabethan expressions, William Shakespeare, in The Merry Wives of Windsor: “FORD: Where had you this pretty weathercock? MRS PAGE: I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of�?. That pun relied on the audience knowing that Dickens was a personal name and that what the dickens was a mild oath which called on the Devil.
From http://www.answers.com/topic/stomping-ground: "This term alludes to a traditional gathering place for horses or cattle, which stamp down the ground with their hooves. (Early 1800s)"
Comments by thtownse
thtownse commented on the word a ways to go
I am beginning to warm up to this one.
July 27, 2012
thtownse commented on the list dumbisms
I am listening to a series of lectures-on-CD by linguist John McWhorter, and am starting to think I am too hard on the peculiarities of spoken language. Most of the items on this list annoy me because they are dumb, but some are legitimate verbal English. But in revisiting these, almost every one of them makes me cringe.
July 27, 2012
thtownse commented on the list b-adjectival-arcana-a
Wow - this is a truly astounding list. However did you go about compiling it? It looks like the work of several years of eschewing the company of humanity as you spend each waking hour typing...typing...
July 27, 2012
thtownse commented on the word 0xB16B00B5
It seems obvious who are the big boobs here.
July 20, 2012
thtownse commented on the word chamfer
Often found in National and State forests. More common in summer. Variable number of sleeping accommodations.
July 20, 2012
thtownse commented on the word cheeses of Nazareth
While I think it reasonable that cheese may be older than Jesus, I would not think that Nazareth is a big cheese area - too dry.
December 7, 2010
thtownse commented on the word rubicon
I do notice that a Wordnik denizen has chosen "rubicon" as a user identity, so I apologize if any offense is taken.
December 7, 2010
thtownse commented on the word rubicon
I don't know what the deal is, but in Bloomington Indiana, wherein I doth make my humble abode, the term "Rubicon" is suddenly all over the place - there are businesses, an office park, a recurrent event - I think there is also a Jeep called this. I can only assume this is a fad word and I make it a point to automatically reject fads.
December 7, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Bits Of Skylab
Love this one
December 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the list funny-fun-to-say
Wow - how can I say I have lived without knowing of this wonderful list! Every entry is an extravaganza of verbal vim!
December 2, 2010
thtownse commented on the list inky
Such a list! Wordnik paydirt!
December 1, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Hinky Dinky
See also the song Hinky Dinky Dee here - http://www.amazon.com/Bottle-Let-Me-Down-Songs/dp/B000066JE8
December 1, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to itch his own
sorry - had to do it.
November 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word love the feeling you get when you see a word or phrase listed on wordie for the first time
I live for this feeling!
November 23, 2010
thtownse commented on the word butte
Mesas are only found in Spain, whereas buttes are found in France and possibly Canada.
November 13, 2010
thtownse commented on the list eleven-eleven
11 has long been my favorite number.
November 12, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fenugreek
*chortle*
November 12, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fenugreek
Does it actually work?
November 12, 2010
thtownse commented on the list pretentious-words-i-have-used-or-hope-to-use-when-discussing-operas
Now why must these legitimate music terms be called pretentious? I suppose opera fans are perceived as pretentious and perhaps rightly so in some cases, but I don't think of myself as pretentious simply because I take tremendous delight in the splendid pulchritudinous virtuosity of coloratura ornamentation?
November 11, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fo reals
Take that, jwjarvis!
November 10, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The First Pancake
Enjoy your fennel, ruzuzu! HAHAHAHA!
November 10, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Team Building
This one is particularly horrid. Heard it the office, spoken in all seriousness. Had to leave the room.
November 10, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Hottentottenpotentatentantenattentat
Thanks, ruzuzu but can we have Elephant Ears instead?
November 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The First Pancake
*fires fuflun-loaded trebuchet*
November 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The First Pancake
ruzuzu - no, Rush did a series of atheist/libertarian rants propounding the virtues of Godless science and white dogs fighting with mythical whatsits (spoiler: the doggie, personified by a bitchin' wah guitar solo, wins).
November 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word diet of worms
This is a very funny unintentionally funny phrase.
November 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The First Pancake
Hmm - interesting combination of paprika and fennel. Asked for dionysus, and was redirected to a Rush album.
November 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The First Pancake
What is a fuflun, pray tell?
November 1, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The First Pancake
Do what I do - don't make the first; just start with the second.
October 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Punitive Vomit
Graphic!
October 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word advertorial
These are insidious web advertisements disguised as commentaries or articles.
October 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Recently viewed
I Recently viewed this.
October 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the word I Can Haz Rok Grup
Love it. For a good laugh, look up LOLMetal on the webs if you haven't already.
October 24, 2010
thtownse commented on the word On board, I'm the captain
ruzuzu - sure I guess. I mostly just like the awesome drum solo after the gamelan break.
October 23, 2010
thtownse commented on the word homosexuality
Thanks a lot, century dictionary. Why don't you go discriminate against someone your own size!
October 23, 2010
thtownse commented on the word trucker bomb
Most of my lists are bombs, Bil.
October 23, 2010
thtownse commented on the word On board, I'm the captain
I love this Rush song!
October 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the list most-favorite-words
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD BAND NAME
October 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Ronald Reagan
Perhaps the funniest of the US presidents. The ones I tend to agree with politically are all so serious.
October 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word ghosts of departed quantities
Wait - that guy looks just like Punky Meadows!
October 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word cockshy
not what I thought it meant...
October 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word philophile
totally meta dude
October 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Fagony
Love this one - it will play well at the bowling alley gigs.
October 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word xanadu
You will join my band. You will play the doubleneck guitar and you will enjoy the plethora of Rush songs - RUSH SONGS R U S H S O N G S!
I'm thinking a Rush cover band, called "Hurry" or something. You in?
October 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the user thtownse
I just saw "Them!" - talk about creepy bugs!
October 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the list pop-latin
vice versa? I'm scared to add this until someone smart tells me it is Latin.
October 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the list pop-latin
Great list!
October 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word subset
Bilby, I hope you get over your code.
October 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fin de siecle
I know a fiddle tune from Missouri called the "Findy Sickle Two-Step". I am guessing the title refers to 1899 and not 1999.
October 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word woo woo
Yes! - from The amazing Randi?
October 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The Roustabouts
A friend of mine has a band called this.
October 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word xanadu
No, that was Styx (Come Sail Away, right?). Rush's Xanadu is just yet another rock ditty that draws on classic literature to create a morality play analyzing the balance we must all strive between our reckless desires and the inevitable, disastrous yet unforeseeable consequences of going too far in our quest for immortality. Really now I think about it, not too different from O N-J's "Xanadu"?
October 16, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Stolperstein
Thanks for sharing this - it is interesting.
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word xanadu
No dude, it's based on an awesome Rush song.
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Smear Me In Vegemite And Feed Me To Cats With Furballs
Gross - I like it.
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Smear Me In Vegemite And Feed Me To Cats With Furballs
This seems too - how shall I say this delicately - too "Australian" - a band with this name would never go viral.
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Unfriend
Thet's a good'un
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word remarkable link
Has anybody seen my pinking shears?
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word People With Chairs Up Their Noses
Don't know ruzuzu but that would surely be a fun list.
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Hubert Haydn
I am currently using this one, so nobody steal it, KTHXBAI
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word boneless, skinless violin
OK, what is this???
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the user rhite41
SPAM
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the list band-names--1
OMG - you guys are absolutely prolific! Some of these are gold. Anybody want to start a band (need at least 50 people)?
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word thnik
I ma what I ma and that's all that I ma.
October 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Sanctimommy
Why do you never hear about sanctidaddies?
October 14, 2010
thtownse commented on the list gums-and-resins
Isn't this a band from the eighties?
September 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list end-in-kin
madmouth - what does "Meatkin" mean?
September 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word p.o.q.
No mention of "Precambrian Oolitic Quartz"?
September 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word what the living fuck is THAT
sarra - isn't "living daylights" merely a politenessy version of "God" in this context?
September 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Frank Sinatra has a cold
Dis is weewy funny
September 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list misspoken
Actually now you mention it I really like the word "jibe".
September 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the list misspoken
"reckful" LOL
September 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the word I'm a frayed knot
That joke made okra nifty.
August 12, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Julius Caesar on an Aldis Lamp
Yay - one of my favorite productions of all time.
August 12, 2010
thtownse commented on the list funny---derogatory
I do get tired of hearing the many varieties of "Gay men are bad".
July 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word 10 ways people have gotten rich exploiting bilby power
I wanna get rich using Bilby power? Where do I sign up?
July 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the list thats-what-she-said-and-other-spoken-earworms
Nice list, I mean it rocks.
June 4, 2010
thtownse commented on the list everything-i-hate-about-me
How about a list of things you LOVE about yourself?
June 4, 2010
thtownse commented on the word toxic paint
I think that is exactly what is happening. The chemicals are in the brains of the marketers/content providers for the movie, and also in the drug dealers who run McDonald's.
Hey kids! First ingest some toxic pop culture garbage, then go to McD's and directly consume more garbage. And then get a free marketing promotional tool to remind you to repeat the cycle.
June 4, 2010
thtownse commented on the list you-dont-say
"You don't say" - funny name for the list!
June 2, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Cuthbert Girdlestone
Who is this who knows of Cuthbert Girdlestone? You must be a musicologist?
June 2, 2010
thtownse commented on the list for-me-not-to-overuse-when-public-speaking
This actually reads like a transcript of any one of my public speaking engagements. Oddly, demand for them has dropped off somewhat.
May 28, 2010
thtownse commented on the user thtownse
Thanks Frog - that was a great interview (I got to hear the first few minutes before my boss scowled at me. Love that theme song too - that is exactly the kind of fiddle I aspire to play.
I like your comic style too - very eccentric and literate. Are you doing that full-time?
May 28, 2010
thtownse commented on the list lexiplasia
These are quite nice!
May 26, 2010
thtownse commented on the word snowbilly
LOL
May 26, 2010
thtownse commented on the word reference Cheetos
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/process_cheetos
May 26, 2010
thtownse commented on the word dudgeon
When I was a kid there was a very tough boy in the neighborhood with the last name Dudgeon. Adds credence to the idea that once's name can influence one's behavior.
May 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the list hold-my-place
So are these nouns? Their subject or object is really not defined, kind of a quantum mechanical entity, a probability.
May 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the word dogsbody
Good word. Lie down.
May 24, 2010
thtownse commented on the list boys
At least you don't have ants - they might get trodden upon. Which could hurt. Because of what is in many people's pants.
May 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word The Happy Pan
One small step for pan, one giant leap for all fried eggs.
May 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word anal thermometer, Runts®, green tea all-day moisture body lotion (infused with peony petals)
Wow - there is a comic called Frog applause! And it looks w-e-i-r-d! Excellent
May 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the list boys
Well! *blushing*
May 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word accordion, autoharp, birdseye maple banjo ukulele
For me it's easy. There are three things I like about the computer: Tom The Dancing Bug, Crayola Art Studio, and Wordnik. All other activities require sweet sweet loudness in order for them to be tolerable.
May 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word yessireebob
Also as in "Yassir's rebab"
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word defuse
do you ever look at the Twitter feeds? This one was in with defuse: "Ok now I'm not saying I'm excited for MacGruber but I just tried to defuse a bomb with pantyhose, a lighter and some cat hair. Didn't work "
Other people lead such interesting lives.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word defuse
That makes sense.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word 4 guitars, 6 banjos, 1 fiddle
* drools over antique banjos *
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word defuse
Good question. I think the difference is whether the tension is going to explode, in which case it is defused (bomb-like). But a less tangible tension would be diffused.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word anal thermometer, Runts®, green tea all-day moisture body lotion (infused with peony petals)
Anyone want frogapplause to provide more info on the anal thermometer? I for one do not.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word 4 guitars, 6 banjos, 1 fiddle
H - I am increasingly intrigued - can you describe your guitars and banjos? I have a gold tone 5-string banjo, which is kind of halfway betwixt bluegrass and old-timey, which is approximately what I do on the banjo. And I think you also have a tin whistle? does this imply a Celtic music interest?
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word accordion, autoharp, birdseye maple banjo ukulele
What things do you play, chained?
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word accordion, autoharp, birdseye maple banjo ukulele
Question - how do you focus on your work at the computer with all that fun within fifteen feet away? I usually keep mine in a locked shed and throw the key into a large pile of hay so I don't get distracted.
Actually, not true; I usually just get distracted.
May 19, 2010
thtownse commented on the word accordion, autoharp, birdseye maple banjo ukulele
Me too - mostly strings. But I am learning the piano a bit. I play guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, hammered dulcimer, bass, cello, ukulele, and a bit of piano. Nothing windy.
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word accordion, autoharp, birdseye maple banjo ukulele
Nice collection - you play them all?
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word 4 guitars, 6 banjos, 1 fiddle
A musician? Excellent.
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word babbitt
Just know that forming alloys used in bearing surfaces in machinery bearings can be babbitt forming.
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fashion frump-off
"“It appears to be a fashion frump-off. Who can have the highest neckline?” –Rusty"
-Comment by a reader to this comic strip:
http://joshreads.com/images/10/05/i100510a3g.jpg
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the list rock--paper--scissors--rubber-ducky--pink-flamingo--emmy
All makes sense until Donald Trump rubs your doorkey.
Ina ll seriousness though, this is a really cool list.
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the list rock--paper--scissors--rubber-ducky--pink-flamingo--emmy
OK, what now?
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the word rock, paper, scissors
Are you commenting about commenting? That's a meta-comment. There's nothing the meta with that.
May 18, 2010
thtownse commented on the list palin-drones
Nice!
May 17, 2010
thtownse commented on the word waltzing matilda
I had always thought it was about waltzing with a woman named Matilda?!
May 7, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to table a question
There's a squeeze-resistant cover?! That changes the whole juice-box equation.
May 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fend
Forfend - interesting word, but I would not call it common. The four examples in Wordnik have it part of the "Heaven Forfend" expression or a variant thereof.
May 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to table a question
To save time cb you should try new "Strained Lit'l Smokies" - they are packaged like a juice box, each with its own straw.
May 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fend
I was thinking about this word today - to me it is pretty interesting because in its atomic form it only exists in common usage as part of two idiomatic expressions ("Fend for yourself", "Fend off an attack"). Can anyone think of any more? It also lives as the core of the words "offend" and "defend", and the only other one I can think of is "fender". It sounds like it has a relationship with "fence".
May 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word hot dog etiquette
I feel really good knowing there is actually a National Hot Dog and Sausage council. Safer, somehow.
May 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to table a question
CB, according to the timestamps, you have been gnoshing on Lit'l Smokies for almost two hours. How many packages do you have? Don't forget to drink some water too.
May 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to table a question
According to http://www.parlipro.org/table.htm, one could interpret it both ways. To place a question on the table means to introduce it for debate, but not necessarily immediately. However when it is on the table it must be debated at some point during the session.
May 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the list furniture-verbs
Stonewall is certainly a fit, but in what sense do you verb "gaslight"?
May 5, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to table a question
I suggest we table this question. That way, those who interpret it to mean putting it aside can refrain from further comment for now, while those who see it the other way can continue the debate.
May 4, 2010
thtownse commented on the list gci
But what is meant by "GCI"?
April 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to table a question
I had thought this meant to "put the question aside for now"? Not really sure though.
April 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word like water off a duck's back
Stays crunchy. Even in milk.
April 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word like water off a duck's back
I agree with chained bear. It is easy because water does not absorb into a duck's feathers - thus they dry, even in milk!
April 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word kicking it old school
Now that Sarah Palin has used this phrase, please join me in hating it. Of course, I hated it before.
April 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the list things-that-can-and-should-be-set-on-fire-and-hurled-out-of-a-trebuchet
"extra lemurs" - big funny
April 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list words-waiting-in-the-wings
This is one wondertabulous list!
April 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word bluegrass banjos
Cool - I love old-time style. I learned three-finger quasi-BG (using picks) a long time ago and have stubbornly refused to either become a bona-fide bluegrass player (I agree with you, the style is way too modern, too polished) or a bona-fide old-time player. I play a Gold Tone MM-150, which can swing to the old-time sound nicely by removing the resonator.
April 24, 2010
thtownse commented on the list wordniks-who-proudly-contribute-worthless-stuff--a-lot-of-dumb-comments--and-useless-words-to-the-zeitgeist-page
FIRST!
Oh, nuts.
April 23, 2010
thtownse commented on the word bluegrass banjos
Hey! - on behalf of banjo players everywhere I am umbraged!
April 23, 2010
thtownse commented on the list the-character-analysis
Great list!
April 22, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mad props
I keep my "Dumbisms" list myself. What I need though is one-click access to put words there.
April 22, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mad props
No offendment is intended. I have found however that it is perhaps more fun to hate words and phrases than it is to like them. It's that smug feeling you get, that lasts long after your shower.
I might add that Wordnik has the 'Add to favorites' feature but should also have 'Add to despised'. feature.
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word take our survey
No problem. I'll just write my own survey and take it.
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word beazlebub
Just don't say it three times while looking into a mirror.
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mad props
Aye em spatial
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word take our survey
How do you get to the survey?
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the list bluzonia
Cyan?
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word take our survey
I wanna take the survey too *sniff* - where is it *snuffle*? C'mon guys tell me!
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the list words-good
How so?
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the list the-bizarre-confectionery-dispenser-diorama-list
I appreciate this - can't tell you how many times I have had to search high and low for "bizarre confectionery dispenser dioramas" and its many variants.
April 21, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mad props
I get it emailed to me.
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the list do-not-say-these-words-in-my-presence
This is a fine list of hate-able words. You and me clearly share some values. Maybe we're soul mates? Oh, there goes another one!
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word progressive
Ooh, I hate this one too.
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mad skillz
Ick. Yuck. Go away, bad word.
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mad props
Just read this in the Wordie blog! I hate it! H. A. T. E. I. T.
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word pharaoh
That is a classic! Thank you! Additional praise!
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word re-up
I'd just like to repeat, having seen this word in a news headline, that it is a Dumb word!
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word re-up
I'd just like to repeat, having seen this word in a news headline, that it is a Dumb word!
April 20, 2010
thtownse commented on the word my garland shall be
Need info - does anybody know what is meant by this phrase? What is the significance of the garland? Is it a grave decoration or something?
April 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Scunthorpe effect
What about the poor folks in Asstown?
April 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word heterozygosity
Back in school they used to say "A-E-I-O-U-and sometimes Y". Who am I to argue with school?
April 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the list a-long-strange-trip
Nice - scrolling through them several tunes jump out at me - it's like rolling a radio dial.
April 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word true bug
I suppose for this one instead of "etymologies" we need a link for "Entomologies".
Ha.
Ha ha.
April 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word true bug
There is something about this that I really like. It has a noble kind of sound. A noble, and true bug.
April 2, 2010
thtownse commented on the list words-i-hate--11
Icky words!
April 1, 2010
thtownse commented on the word LGBTT2IQQAA
Needs to be a TLA* to be effective.
*acronym of "Three Letter Acronym"
April 1, 2010
thtownse commented on the word rude
Any connection for this word, in the distant past, with "red"? I know that the word "evil" is related to "village" and carries some kind of prejudice against those people who live outside of our zone, somewhere else. So is "rude" referring to some kind of "red" people?
March 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the list hottest-guys-names
Cuthbert Girdlestone
March 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the list hottest-guys-names
Narcissus
March 25, 2010
thtownse commented on the word homosexuality
"Fly, lesbian seagull..."
March 24, 2010
thtownse commented on the word Animalcule
This is a very cute-sounding word!
March 16, 2010
thtownse commented on the word cupola
Now take "The Godfather", or "Apocalypse Now" - there's a good cupola movies.
March 9, 2010
thtownse commented on the list self-portrait-with-seven-fingers
Tremendits - I am a fan of surrealism, and you prob'ly are too?
February 24, 2010
thtownse commented on the word azure
Thet's purty, azure as ah'm settin' hayr.
February 11, 2010
thtownse commented on the list palinisms
Be sure to check out fruitful ambiguity - an excellent larf!
February 9, 2010
thtownse commented on the word fruitful ambiguity
This is fabulous!
February 9, 2010
thtownse commented on the list palinisms
OMG, this is the easiest list to add to. It's fun - try it!
February 9, 2010
thtownse commented on the user alincarman
Your name is really "A mandolin"? Musi-cool.
January 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word moist towelette
Be sure to visit the museum: http://www.moist-towelette.com/
January 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the user mollusque
Thanks for being a B Kliban fan.
January 30, 2010
thtownse commented on the word ignominy
Love this word!
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word lepadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphiotyromelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptokephaliokinklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetragalopterygon
Belongs in a commonly-misspelt words list in the Sunday paper.
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list to-parryphrase-the-porkmeister-as-it-were
Hey, my name is Townsend.
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word iFul Tower
with special thanks to gangerh
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list favorite-words-that-are-really-more-like-phrases
chained_bear, you are totally A-list at my grammys.
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list favorite-words-that-arent-really-words
chained_bear, you are the wind beneath my wings.
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the user pterodactyl
Ptotally, dude
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the word mountebank
There was an early silent comedian called Monty Banks.
January 29, 2010
thtownse commented on the list cool-sounding-words
these are way cool
January 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the word runcible spoon
There is a restaurant in my town called Runcible Spoon.
January 15, 2010
thtownse commented on the user thtownse
I am talking about the stringed instrument harp. I love stringed instruments and the harp has got the most strings so it pleases me much of a muchness.
PossibleUnderscore, you said "if there were two 'other' instruments" - so what is the other other instrument? And what instrument/s do you already know?
January 14, 2010
thtownse commented on the word slug-a-bed
This word belongs in sionacch's (sp -1) That's Just Beastly! list.
January 14, 2010
thtownse commented on the word my harp
ow!
January 14, 2010
thtownse commented on the word get my goat
So far I have read several different explanations on this phrase, including yarb and reesetee's (below). Another theory is that "goat" is here a corruption of "goad". More theories at http://www.zyra.org.uk/getgoat.htm. This could be a thesis in the making.
January 12, 2010
thtownse commented on the word judas sheep
What in the world does this mean? My guess is something along the lines of a wolf in sheep's clothing? Or perhaps the original moniker of my favorite British heavy metal band?
January 8, 2010
thtownse commented on the list word-bunnies
Nice list - why "word bunnies"?
January 8, 2010
thtownse commented on the word get my goat
Does anyone know about the origin of this phrase? It is one of my favorites.
January 8, 2010
thtownse commented on the word to where
People use this expression in daily parlance and it is just totally without merit as far as I can tell. Example: "You just turn the knob to where the light is on." I suppose it is an abbreviation of "to the point at which". But it is dumb and I unlike it.
January 6, 2010
thtownse commented on the word jugum penis
Usually necessity is the mother of invention, so who decided that this was something to make?
December 18, 2009
thtownse commented on the word squamish
What's the connection to the game (43-man Squamish)?
December 18, 2009
thtownse commented on the word all told
Why isn't the correct form of this "All tolled" if the meaning is "all counted"?
December 18, 2009
thtownse commented on the list thats-what-she-said-and-other-spoken-earworms
I keep saying "Awesome!" I wish I could stop.
December 17, 2009
thtownse commented on the word 25cm X 40cm piece of glass
Darn - I need a 24cm X 41cm piece of glass.
December 16, 2009
thtownse commented on the word frick and frack
Frequently heard on Battlestar Galactica?
December 16, 2009
thtownse commented on the word passing strange
Can anyone find a definition for this? I read it as "more than (passing) strange", which is to me a nice turn of phrase.
December 15, 2009
thtownse commented on the word [anything] - gate
Thanks pterodactyl - it is passing absurd how many of these there are. I hope it does not imply that we as a culture lack the imagination to come up with new morphemes. I suppose one could look at it as a very long-running joke that was kind of funny at first and gets a little less funny each time it is used.
December 15, 2009
thtownse commented on the list gate
Good Golly Gracious. (see the list referenced below) Why is it so enduringly popular?
December 15, 2009
thtownse commented on the word [anything] - gate
Has anyone attempted a list of -gates? I am about to, in fifteen seconds.
December 11, 2009
thtownse commented on the word Wordnik
Like peacenik, sputnik, no-goodnik, clinnik.
December 11, 2009
thtownse commented on the word [anything] - gate
wordnikgate - nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
December 11, 2009
thtownse commented on the word [anything] - gate
Aren't people sick of labeling every new political scandal whatever"-gate"? Cuz I sure am.
December 11, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
Interesting, ruzuzu, however, it is not clear from OED Online whether "suck eggs" is used as a put-down. I believe if "go suck eggs" is used in such a way today it is because it is a substitute for the more vulgar counterpart, and that its meaning has therefore changed in light of the newer (1928 according to OED) usage of the word "suck". Furthermore, the Tom Sawyer reference seems to imply sucking eggs is a good thing, implying one has the courage to run up and steal eggs. Thanks for the comment.
December 11, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
GrantBarrett: - I don't see your point at all. The USA Today article makes the vacuous statement that the word "sucks" has a non-sexual meaning - of course this is obvious. What I want to see is someone to provide a usage of the term "sucks" that can show a lineage to another sense of the word other than the homosexual oral sex provider sense, which also represents some negative association. I don't believe such a usage has ever existed outside the underlying denigration of homosexual male activity.
My chain of reasoning is solid - male homosexual behavior of the "receptive" or "passive" kind is given negative connotations by the majority of human societies throughout history; thus references to such acts are used as derogatory phrases used to put down another person (or oneself) by implying that the other person practices such behavior and is therefore of lower status. Similar linguistic connections are made when someone says "f*ck you" or "we are screwed".
I am open to new evidence and will concede the point if it appears to be valid, but I don't think it exists.
I did not mean to create such a controversy with this, but I must say I find this discussion most interesting - one of my favorite topics is swear words and their meaning. Also just swearing a lot, which unfortunately I do.
December 11, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
You cannot seriously mean that society does not frown on male homosexual behavior? The origin of these kind of terms is in the lower status of a man who played the passive role in male-male sexual encounters - this is historically documented. Hence "sucks" became a generic put-down for a man and from there evolved into a general term for anything bad.
December 10, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
Actually, this is an interesting word-related issue; I'd like to know what other people think about this.
December 10, 2009
thtownse commented on the list seen-on-craigslist
This list has a lot of potential!
December 10, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
But it is never used to condemn women, only men. Society proscribes the passive role in sex when men do it; surely you would agree with that?
December 10, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
It is always easier to criticize than to suggest a better alternative, so I must confess I did not get that far in my thinking. Perhaps what bothers me other than the gay-slam aspect of it is its inherent vulgarity - to me it belongs in the "not-said-on-TV" set of words and phrases. I enjoy a good cuss frequently and don't like to see the value of my profanity cheapened by its increasing acceptability in popular culture. If I can't be offensive what's the point of cussing?
It is derogatory against gay men because creates a connection with some bad thing (the thing that sucks) with a particular sex act, which in this context is between two men. It is a gay act because that is the kind of sex which we as a society put down. The same thing happens with "f*** you" and "a**hole". All of these things put down a homosexual act and are used in a negative way.
December 10, 2009
thtownse commented on the word It sucks
I am suck and tired of OOPS sick and tired of this expression. It is now widely accepted in normal conversation and print despite its ignominious definition, and to say nothing of the pejorative meaning (putting down homosexual men) that drives its usage.
December 9, 2009
thtownse commented on the word savvy
This is one of my most hated words.
December 4, 2009
thtownse commented on the word opensourcefood
Er, wha'?
November 17, 2009
thtownse commented on the word The Wisdom of Our Ancestors
Excellent - clearly he did not want to live in a bleak house.
November 17, 2009
thtownse commented on the word reason being
This phrase is one I have never heard or read in a non-dumb context, hence its inclusion as a dumbism.
October 9, 2008
thtownse commented on the word toward
I like this word in its adjectival usage.
September 4, 2008
thtownse commented on the word rumoured
Also interesting considering how words are often expanded in today's usage, such as the dreaded "leveraging" or even worse, "visioning".
August 29, 2008
thtownse commented on the word gossip
Fantastic! That is why I love etymology.
August 13, 2008
thtownse commented on the word post-baby body
No disrespect intended to women who are naturally concerned with the essence of this phrase - it is just one of those trite little expressions that I find amusing.
August 13, 2008
thtownse commented on the word celeb
Ugh.
August 13, 2008
thtownse commented on the word panties
"covers the subject" - ha!
August 13, 2008
thtownse commented on the word palaver
This word was used by Rudyard Kipling to refer to a meeting or gathering. One can see the relationship with its 'current' meaning.
August 13, 2008
thtownse commented on the list chromatic-phrases
Cool list sionnach. It really shows a way we like to combine concepts into phrases.
August 13, 2008
thtownse commented on the word frenemy
What a dum word.
August 12, 2008
thtownse commented on the word part and parcel
I really hate this phrase - makes me cringe.
August 11, 2008
thtownse commented on the word on the cheap
I am surprised no one else has listed this overused annoying phrase. Maybe they were afraid of making me angry. But I listed it and now I have made myself angry.
August 8, 2008
thtownse commented on the word diddy wah diddy
An article about this tune:
http://www.hawkeyeherman.com/pdf/diddie_wa_diddie.pdf
July 1, 2008
thtownse commented on the word acrost
These citations may well be authentic, but this word in common usage is still bad English. I second the ARGH.
June 30, 2008
thtownse commented on the word diddy wah diddy
YAY! I love this tune (Blind Blake, Leon Redbone) But do you know what Diddy Wah Diddy means?
June 30, 2008
thtownse commented on the word gas music from jupiter
This is such an excellent phrase when you compare the composition of the planet Jupiter with that of earth.
June 30, 2008
thtownse commented on the word meet and greet
Yuck - I hate this one, and hear it all the time.
June 30, 2008
thtownse commented on the word powder-monkey
Awesome - this phrase is used in "March of the Black Queen" by Queen, written by the late great Freddie Mercury. What does it mean though?
June 30, 2008
thtownse commented on the word had had
I love it when people say this in a sentence: "she had had enough of his tomfoolery"
June 26, 2008
thtownse commented on the word boob
At the risk of being sexist I just think it is so great that we use the word 'boob' for a body part - it's funny!
June 26, 2008
thtownse commented on the word genitalia
This is the only word that sounds worse than 'genitals'.
June 26, 2008
thtownse commented on the word genitals
Almost any known euphemism is better-sounding that the actual word - come on people, that's why we have euphemisms in the first place!
June 26, 2008
thtownse commented on the word riding herd
Not as in "Little Red Riding Herd"
June 26, 2008
thtownse commented on the word politically correct
I am adding this phrase to Dumbisms because frankly I have had enough of it. Its usage has become so ingrained in the minds of to many people and at this moment I am having a hard time thinking of a time when I heard someone use it appropriately. Even when it is used correctly it is often in some context that makes me want to ask the speaker to please please stop talking now.
June 20, 2008
thtownse commented on the list spam--2
Great list in the making - I hope you get tons more spam so you can add more to it. (kidding)
I am particularly amused by the "from" names that are provided. Somehow the spam names are always just a bit off, and sometimes they are wildly off. Like "Fulgham Slager" or "Aurora Rushing".
Have you seen any of the sites featuring poetry constructed entirely of spam? Greatly amusing.
June 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word money musk
This is the name of a number of very different old-time fiddle tunes. I assume 'musk' refers to that delightful odor of greenbacks. If you'ns have more info on it please let us know.
Although according to this (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=money%20musk) 'musk' has a different derivation (check it out chortle chortle)
June 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word blankety-blank
Thanks for listing - I love this 'word'!
June 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word curse of 27
Of course, an extremely unhealthy lifestyle centered around drugs and booze is also unlucky.
June 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word all intensive purposes
I mean, like, come on now?
June 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word toot sweet
wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toot_Sweets): "The English expression toot sweet derives from the French phrase tout de suite (which means "immediately"). It first appears in English after the First World War, when, according to Mavens' Word of the Day, "many French words and expressions were borrowed by English-speaking soldiers."
May 9, 2008
thtownse commented on the word cupola
I'm glad this word has been listed a cupola times.
May 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word surf the web
I just think the use of the term 'surf' when speaking about the internet is dumb. Don't know why, it just is.
April 18, 2008
thtownse commented on the word the deuce
See the dickens
April 15, 2008
thtownse commented on the word the dickens
From http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-dic3.htm:
(Q) From -----: “Do you know where the phrase hurts like the dickens comes from?�?
(A) Let’s focus in on dickens as the important word here, since there are lots of different expressions with it in, such as what the dickens, where the dickens, the dickens you are!, and the dickens you say!
It goes back a lot further than Charles Dickens, though it does seem to have been borrowed from the English surname, most likely sometime in the sixteenth century or before. (The surname itself probably derives from Dickin or Dickon, familiar diminutive forms of Dick.) It was — and still is, though people hardly know it any more — a euphemism for the Devil. It’s very much in the same style as deuce, as in old oaths like what the deuce! which contains another name for the Devil.
The first person known to use it was that great recorder of Elizabethan expressions, William Shakespeare, in The Merry Wives of Windsor: “FORD: Where had you this pretty weathercock? MRS PAGE: I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of�?. That pun relied on the audience knowing that Dickens was a personal name and that what the dickens was a mild oath which called on the Devil.
April 15, 2008
thtownse commented on the word stomping ground
From http://www.answers.com/topic/stomping-ground: "This term alludes to a traditional gathering place for horses or cattle, which stamp down the ground with their hooves. (Early 1800s)"
April 14, 2008
Show 79 more comments...