|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
Heard on the news a few days ago about this new poison found in London (UK) - rizin? reisin? risin? - dunno how it's spelled coz I gets most of my news from the radio. Anyway, the news report had a sound byte of someone saying the new scary thing isn't toooo scary because it's not easy to "weaponize." O God. MUST we?! Anyone else besides me prefer the longer, but less hip and trendy and new, "less easy to turn into an instrument of biological warfare"? or similar....
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear MG: about twenty years ago the KGB arranged murder of an anticommunist by having him jabbed in back with umbrella of which the hollow tip carried a pellet of ricin, which is a derivative of Castor bean, and easy to make. And in that case easy to use. The victim did not realize his skin had been penetrated, and would have had no way of knowing he needed special treatment very quickly. So "weaphizing" an extract from a common plant sounds very easy and feasible to me. Of course there would be limits on how easy it might be to get intended victim into right place at the right time. Good only in limited circumstances. As far as I know the Russians used it only once for that reason. Here's URL about the Cold War episode in London. http://asia.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/01/07/terror.poison.bulgarian/
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Geesh! First y'all prescritivists are running around complaining about single words being replaced by long drawn out phrases, like metropolitan sanitation engineers for dustmen; next thang y'all are weeping and wailing and gnashing your teeth about long drawn out phrases being replaced by single words. Problem is y'all got no respeck for the language. It's fine as long as it does what y'all want it to, but y'all cain't take it on its own terms.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
The word makes perfect sense and is easily understandable.
The other word is 'ricin.'
k
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Problem is y'all got no respeck for the language. It's fine as long as it does what y'all want it to, but y'all cain't take it on its own terms. – Faldage - pathetic fallacy? The word seems fine, y’all just need to spell it right: weaponise.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 872
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 872 |
. Problem is y'all got no respeck for the language. It's fine as long as it does what y'all want it to, but y'all cain't take it on its own terms. ~ Faldage The problem Faldage, is that your precious "language" has no "terms". Language has nothing. It is a mindless system of people-sanctioned words that tip-toe, spin, and dance at people's slightest whim. We are only whiming. Humph! And you call us prescriptivists.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
We are only whiming.
There you go again. Weeping and whiming and gnashing your teeth.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
My additional whime (yes, I'd like cheese and crackers with that, maybe some grapes too): I just miss the good ol' days, when people weren't in such a hurry, and talked longer sentences that were often fluid and elegant and had a certain ring to them and a cadence and rhythm and je ne sais quois. (Unlike the foregoing. ) "Weaponise" and other short and nasty expressions are hastening the demise of sweet speech. IMHO...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
The word seems fine, y’all just need to spell it right: weaponise. ~ dxb*rimshot*
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
often fluid and elegant and had a certain ring to them and a cadence and rhythm and je ne sais quoisFor preference I agree with all you say MG, but if those who prefer to hurtle through time feel a need to use newspaper headline language to speed their passage, who are we to deny them? Those fluid and elegant words and sentence constructions are still there for us to use and be sure others will also continue to use them for us to read and savour (I have to allow *you to write savor no doubt, but I won't comment ). Then again those slow descriptive passages such as you find in James Fennimore Cooper's writing take some stamina to work through these days. Fine in their day no doubt... I'm thinking particularly of The Deerslayer which we 'did' at school for some strange reason. Purgatory on a hot summer afternoon .
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
I have to allow *you to write savor no doubt, but I won't commentforget *rimshot*, that was a *cheap shot*! I pop in plenty of youse in my colours, favours, flavours, savours and others and I spell theatre and centre kerreckly, too. Must confess to being a bit of a wild card when it comes to esses and zeds, though - I shamelessly switch between 'em with no rhyme nor reason, nor method to my madness. Then I excuse myself by telling myself that I'm trans-Atlantic (not just in word, but in thought and deed too, apparently). Works for me.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122
member
|
member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122 |
weaponise = wane poise? or whatever..
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
...and savour (I have to allow *you to write savor no doubt, but I won't comment...That's what we have the Asp for! Problem is y'all got no respeck for the language. It's fine as long as it does what y'all want it to, but y'all cain't take it on its own terms.Warning... danger, Will Robinson... ----------------------------------- MG - That's spelt 'kerreck tly'.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
I sit kerreckted. Thanks musick....
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
forget *rimshot*, that was a *cheap shot*!
I guess it was at that. Sorry, just couldn't resist it!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
thatsokay, dxb - I luuurve you anyway!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
thatsokay, dxb - I luuurve you anyway Paws off, woman--I saw him first!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
OK. I thought I found him first but I'll let y'all mud-rassle it out.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
|
OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
Paws off, woman--I saw him first!BRING IT ON, BABY! (cat fight, cat fight!) I like the mud idea, but jello might be more palatable.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Who's staring? I'm a-grabbin'!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
[stealing quietly out the door-e]
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Somewhere there are more proto-gutter police. I just know it. And we need them. Because our original gutter police got corrupted real quick. Things are completely outta control.
- Pfranz
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
our original gutter police got corrupted real quick. You should see the post I just made on your apostrophic point!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
weaponise = wane poise? or whatever.. I pose anew (!!!)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636 |
Somewhere there are more proto-gutter police I know, I volunteered for that job, but. our original gutter police got corrupted real quick. I guess I had a hand in that one, didn't I? You should see the post I just made on your apostrophic point! Harumph®! Until you post something as bad as I did on the Demented Dic thread, you are rated GP-13 <EG>
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
I guess I had a hand in that one, didn't I? You most certainly did NOT! I mean, I like you and all, but! Really!! [mock outrage e] Demented Dic I am NOT touching that one!
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,347
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
818
guests, and
1
robot. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|