Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 6 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
#62271 04/01/02 03:08 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
gump comes from a Scandinavian word for buttocks or rump and is low cant for a complete nitwit.
Thank you, tsuwm. Reckon it was appropriate, then. I must be about the only person who didn't like that movie. Maybe it's just that I don't like Tom Hanks--I didn't like Sleepless in Seattle, either. Though maybe it's that I'm a bit hypersensitive to insults to people who are 'different'. I HATED The Waterboy!




#62272 04/01/02 06:16 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Josh:

There's actually a more technical definition for pyxing. At one time quality control at a mint required that a certain percentage of the coins produced be examined for quality (and not incidentally for content of precious metal.) The assayer would randomly go through the output and put the required number into a pyx, a locked strongbox with a slot for dropping the coins into. It was later transferred under seal to the assayer's office where the contents were tested for quality of stamping, metal content, and weight. Pyxing is thus a random sampling process.

I add my welcome in echo of those before me.

TEd



TEd
#62273 04/10/02 04:54 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 18
J
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
J
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 18
Ted,
That's great - thanks for the expanded definition. So the Word Browser itself could almost be called a "Word Pyxer" ;-) It sure 'picks' fascinating ones sometimes. ;-)

-Josh

Ted wrote:
>There's actually a more technical definition for pyxing.
>[...] Pyxing is thus a random sampling process."


Page 6 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 332 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,713
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,931
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5