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Rupert #198861 04/07/11 10:46 AM
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Nuncle used google intransitively!

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Nuncle used google intransitively!

Valency (link) is one of the more slippery terms in linguistics.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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ambitransitive verbs

heh.

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I thought at first a riff on "gusset," but that seems too far a stretch.

Given the context, a play on "gossamer" is sensical, even appropriate. The guys are walking through a "jungle" or very dense growth and then come to a mere "forest" with very little undergrowth which is compared to gossamer which is very light or insubstantial - but not quite gossamer, because it's not entirely "delicate."


Last edited by TheFallibleFiend; 04/07/11 01:52 PM.
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>a play on "gossamer"

maybe. but to use the same 'play' nine times? that's a tad self-indulgent.

tsuwm #198877 04/07/11 04:07 PM
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Maybe he was trying to start a new trend? Or mayhaps it was a personal idiosyncrasy (rather like myn wink ) and he just enjoyed using the word


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A Play on Gussed up as in dressed up?

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Trees goussied up in their spring (or fall) finery? Why not?

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Originally Posted By: Jackie
Trees goussied up in their spring (or fall) finery? Why not?


Now that you put it that way, I remember my grandmother
saying that when a person was all dressed up.
I don't know how it was spelled, gussied or goussied.
But gussied up, fit to kill.


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This is from Pantagruel chapter IX : (partly)


"Jona andie guaussa goussy etan beharda er remedio beharde versela ysser landa. Anbat es otoy y es nausu ey nessassust gourray proposian ordine den. Non yssena bayta facheria egabe gen herassy badia sadassu noura assia. Aran hondavan gualde cydassu naydassuna. Estou oussyc eg vinan soury hien er darstura eguy harm. Genicoa plasar vadu.' Are you there, said Eudemon, Genicoa? To this said Carpalim, St. Trinian's rammer unstitch your bum, for I had almost understood it. Then answered Panurge:"

"I think we need our olde Franche specialist for this"

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