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AWADmail Issue 193

A Weekly Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Interesting Tidbits about Words and Languages

From: Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
Subject: Interesting stories from the net

2006: Year of African Languages
news.bbc.co.uk

A Yellow Pages of aptronyms:
slate.com

Scottish Accent Better for Business Success:
eveningtimes.co.uk

From: Bruce Raup (braupATnsidc.org)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--moulin

To see a more frightening image of a moulin, see earthobservatory.nasa.gov

From: Bob Bunker (b2-bsquareATsbcglobal.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--moulin

The "blue" in the ice of a moulin indicates ice safe to drink. The white ice (at the arctic sea shore) contains salt and in a survival situation is not safe to drink. The blue ice is aged and the salt content is apparently gone from it. Melt it in your hand and drop the drops into your mouth. If you eat it as ice, it will help lower your body's core temperature which can hasten freezing to death.

I just thought you'd want to know to avoid hypothermia. (smile)

From: John Felix (jfelixbATaol.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--peneplain

By one of those odd synchronicities with which existence occasionally teases us, I have recently been reading here and there about a place in India called Ran or Rann of Kutch -- various other spellings also -- and I wonder whether it qualifies as a peneplain?

Reminds me: There used to be a series of cheap books with illustrations in England which were sold in two varieties -- a penny plain and twopence (tuppence) coloured. I surmise that such a book about the Rann of Cutch would be offered only as a penny plain.

Yours in plenny pain, John Felix

From: Susan Gawarecki (locATicx.net)
Subject: Earth words

The language of geology is a great love of mine. Although I have my doctorate in geology, I no longer work in the field, and how I miss it! The technical terms are like old friends. For true enjoyment, I refer you to writer John McPhee's series of books, "Annals of the Former World". He blends the poetry of the geological terms with a fascinating tour of the geology across the U.S. along Interstate 80.

From: Ellen Blackstone (ellenAT123imagine.net)
Subject: funny quotation to go with your philosophizing...

I have seen this tag-line on e-mail messages occasionally, and it always speaks to me .... every time I see it again!

"Go outside - the graphics are amazing!"

From: Eric Shackle (eshackleATozemail.com.au)
Subject: Words to describe the earth's features

If you had included "geodesic dome" in last week's earth words I could have linked it to a story about a marvellous golden dome surmounting California's quirky Quixote Winery. It's discussed in the January edition of my free e-book.

When I feel inclined to read poetry, I take down my dictionary. The poetry of words is quite as beautiful as the poetry of sentences. The author may arrange the gems effectively, but their shape and lustre have been given by the attrition of ages. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., writer and physician (1809-1894)