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 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
#144344 06/22/05 04:02 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
Two little used and great descriptive words:

phthisis (pronounced alternately: ti’sis, te’sis, thi’sis, and the’sis; from Greek: phth- a wasting) obsolete medical term for consumption, most typically tuberculosis. A wasted (consumed) person is ‘phthisic’



Note: I prefer the ‘thi’ sounding pronunciation for the noun, but the hard ‘t’ for the adjective (my own strangeness). Also, I have seen it spelled with a ‘y’ instead of the ‘i’, but both Dorland’s and Stedman’s medical dictionaries list it with the ‘i’. I have also (old medical journals/articles) seen the adjective spelled ‘phthitic’ and ‘phthytic’.

Another favorite of mine:

wizened (wiz’ end; Old English wisnian – to dry up) to dry up, wither, or shrivel


Thus a very sickly person can be described (I love documenting this in the charts and few people have any idea what I am saying…) as: “phthisic and wizened” – so much more colorful than “wasted and dehydrated”!!

AND:
Same root/meaning as ‘phthisis’ leads to two other lovely words:

phthisiophobic – intense, morbid fear of tuberculosis

phthisiotherapeutic – of or related to the treatment of tuberculosis




#144345 06/26/05 01:12 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 1
Christopher Robin had wheezles and sneezles
They bundled him into his bed.
They gave him what goes with cold in the nose,
And some more for cold in the head.

They wondered if wheezles could turn into measles,
If sneezles would turn into mumps;
They examined his chest for a rash, and the rest
Of his body for swelling and lumps.

They sent for some doctors in sneezles and wheezles
To tell them what ought to be done.
All sorts and conditions of famous physicians
Came hurrying round at a run.

They all made a note of state of his throat,
They asked if he suffered from thirst;
They asked if the sneezles came after the wheezles,
Or if the first sneezles came first.

They say “If you teasle a sneezle or wheezle,
A measle may easily grow.
But humour or pleazle the wheezle or sneezle,
The measle will certainly go.”

They expounded the reazles for sneezles and wheezles,
The manner of measles when new.
They said, “If he freezles in draughts and in breezles,
Then PHTHEEZLES may even ensue.”

Christopher Robin got up in the morning,
The sneezles had vanished away.
And the look of his eye seemed to say to the sky,
"Now, how to amuse them today?"

-- from Now We Are Six, by A.A. Milne
(music by H. Frasier-Simpson, sung by Frank Luther - optional)


#144346 06/27/05 02:14 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
Wonderful!

I wonder if Alan Alexander pronounced this as 'theezles' or 'teezles'??

Goes to show modern hip-hop (or is it rap?) has nothin' on Milne, fo' shizzle...

Rm


#144347 06/28/05 12:37 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,502
Likes: 1
I wonder if Alan Alexander pronounced this as 'theezles' or 'teezles'?

Well, Frank Luther sang it as "theezles," and since Milne has alreay used up the "tea" sound in warning us not to teasle a sneezle or wheezle I suspect he meant it to be a real th, not a Germanic one...anyone around from Britian who might know the range of pronunciation? (Darn, where's that Henry Higgins when you need him?)


#144348 06/29/05 11:06 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Z
Zed Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Z
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
doncher mean 'Enry 'Iggins?


#144349 06/29/05 11:42 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
And I thought it was Enery Iggins.


#144350 06/30/05 01:56 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
"I'm 'er eyeth ol' man nymed 'Enery. 'Enery the eyeth I am!"

Hermans Hermits 1965, ne 1910 by Fred Murry and RP Weston (wickipedia).


#144351 06/30/05 02:00 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 124
While were on like this - how's a bloke to 'write' a glottal stop? Glot'al?


Rainmaker #181815 01/17/09 02:19 AM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2


This thread has become wizened.


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #181819 01/17/09 08:18 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Z
Zed Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Z
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
That's why we have our own Rainmaker.

Page 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,271
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
1 members (A C Bowden), 285 guests, and 4 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,502
LukeJavan8 9,915
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