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 5 1 2 3 4 5
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
A
Pooh-Bah
OP Offline
Pooh-Bah
A
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
Gentle readers do peruse
The many different views
Offered from the pews
Of our esteemed congregation

Of yaks, and hawks and fish
Of goats' milk in a dish
Or perhaps, if you wish
Wedding songs from foreign nations

Or, arctic boats with outboard motors!
I ask as the promoter:
Which will deceive more voters?
(The mate-swapping has panache.)

To every taste they cater
Hats off to their creators!
I'm proud to be curator
Of this latest hog we wash!

From the Himalayas to the seas
Our liars aim to please
So pick one at your ease
The truth will come out later

Is it "jaundice"? Don't be yellow
Choose one bravely, proudly bellow!
It may be authored by your fellow
Don't blame me, I'm just the waiter.

******************************************

Will the real YARAK please stand up?

a) Jaundice (from Arabic yarqaan)
b) Dried buffalo dung
c) A shaman in training. From the Tungus yoraq, son-in-law
d) Anglicized from the Bedouin "uareg"; desert terrain where the wind moves shallow dunes across rock
e) A cross between a Camel and a Yak, these herbivores are known for their ability to make sounds that can be understood by most birds
f) A simple yet strong traditional tent structure, made from horse skin, used as housing by the nomadic peoples of the Mongolian steppes
g) The hood of a waterproof insulated jacket
h) A tent made of tanned goat skins and dried dung used as shelter by many nomadic North African tribes
i) From Bhutani yarkh'u, a broad track or path, hewed into the rock, that skirts an almost vertical mountainside
j) The song sung by the groom at a traditional Turkish wedding. The first verse extols the beauty of the bride. The second and third verses are fierce demands for lifelong fidelity, and describe possible penalties of banishment or death for transgression.
k) Aleut kayak with a flat stern for fitting an outboard motor
l) Inuit term for the custom of loaning one's mate to a guest
m) A falconry term describing a hawk in prime condition for hunting
n) A rare Armenian kirtle. See Kimono: a rare Asian yarak.
o) A fish found in the Persian Gulf the flesh of which is popularly believed to have curative powers
p) Cultured goats' milk, consumed in remoter regions of the Himalayas

Last edited by Alex Williams; 12/21/05 05:52 PM.
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Alex, you owe me a new keyboard!!

As soon as I stop laughing, I will try to separate the real from the armilsŪ (but are they?...)

Edit: {sufficiently recovered} Despite Logwood's thorough analysis, I vote for C

Last edited by AnnaStrophic; 12/21/05 07:31 PM.
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Alex:

If you keep this up, we are gonna have to petition for a whole new forum for Alex's hogwash. And then, sometime in the not too distant future: your own website, to be followed soon thereafter by offers of book contracts with huge 3 figure advances, and dare we say it, movie rights!

But right now I have to take a P.


TEd
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 270
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 270
Lovely presentation Alex!

a) Jaundice (from Arabic yarqaan)
My first insticts told me that's it. Because "yarak" does sounds it's from a language that is completely unrelated to English. And unlike all other definition this one's short & simple with a very reasonable etymology... BUT, as I thought about it more and ran through the other definitions I was beginning to doubt it. Besides, Alex wouldn't make it that bland right?
b) Dried buffalo dung
Eww! why would anyone come up with a name for that??
c) A shaman in training. From the Tungus yoraq, son-in-law
I don't know... "yarak" and "shaman" sounds like two different languages to me.
d) Anglicized from the Bedouin "uareg"; desert terrain where the wind moves shallow dunes across rock
From Bedouin? Bedouin is not an actual language is it? Truth be told, I also thought "desert" when I pondered to submit a definition, which is exactly why I'm voting no.
e) A cross between a Camel and a Yak, these herbivores are known for thier ability to make sounds that can be understood by most birds
Wherever I see "known for" I just KNOW someone made that up! I say no to that.
f) A simple yet strong traditional tent structure, made from horse skin, used as housing by the nomadic peoples of the Mongolian steppes
What? horse skin? for the sake of the horrible mental image, I'm voting no.
g) The hood of a waterproof insulated jacket
I fail to see why a waterproof jacket would need a different word to its hood. And if it had one, it probably wouldn't be "yarak"!
h) A tent made of tanned goat skins and dried dung used as shelter by many nomadic North African tribes
Let's see, in earlier definitions dried dung has been mentioned, tent has been mentioned and would be mentioned, and goats would be mentioned once again... I guess logic tells me that's the one. This is my pick.
i) From Bhutani yarkh'u, a broad track or path, hewed into the rock, that skirts an almost vertical mountainside
Nice try, Father Steve! whenever a definition starts with the etymology, I'm getting doubtful. But I doubt anyway such a small word would have that definition.
The song sung by the groom at a traditional Turkish wedding. The first verse extols the beauty of the bride. The second and third verses are fierce demands for lifelong fidelity, and describe possible penalties of banishment or death for transgression.
That's actually a good one, and I will read more about it if it's true, but I doubt it is.
k) Aleut kayak with a flat stern for fitting an outboard motor
I seriously doubt Alex would dish out a modern word. Kayak=Yarak... nah, this is just too obvious. No to that.
l) Inuit term for the custom of loaning one's mate to a guest
some people really dig too far in the cold for definitions. No no.
m) A falconry term describing a hawk in prime condition for hunting
That just doesn't sound like what I could imagine "yarak" to represent.
n) A rare Armenian kirtle. See Kimono: a rare Asian yarak.
"yarak" appears in the Kimono's definition? as if it is a known word? ... yea right!
o) A fish found in the Persian Gulf the flesh of which is popularly believed to have curative powers
"Popularly believed to have curative powers? that definition has "phony" written all over it.
p) Cultured goats' milk, consumed in remoter regions of the Himalayas
Right, the goats again. I think the person who submitted it probably knew the original definition and inflected it a bit to make a false one.

To reiterate, I pick H.

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
I like d.


formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
I like the whimsy of G.

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 427
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 427
Great poem, O B(o)ard Alex! [goggly eyes-e]

Good word, and brill definitions, everyone... have we ever had such an exotic collection of etymologies before?

I pick J .

Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Well done, Alex. By all means, Christmas plums for you.

I choose I (eye).

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
Perhaps I should be more wary of Military Intelligence, but I'll take G too. I mean, also.

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
I don't have an effin' clue, so I might as well take F

Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
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
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 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 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
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