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#95136 02/10/03 03:36 PM
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habanera My dictionary does not give "n tilda" sound, which is ignorant.
n.
5Sp, lit., of Habana, Havana6
1 a slow Cuban dance similar to the tango



#95137 02/10/03 03:42 PM
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habitus
n.,
pl. 3tus 73t!s8 5ModL < L, HABIT6
1 HABIT (n. 5 & 7)
2 general physical appearance and body build, sometimes related to a predisposition to certain diseases



#95138 02/12/03 01:16 PM
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So, you could have grunions having a go at it on the shore, and later having a little post-coital repast of grout, but, if not on the qui vive [cross-thread ref.] for fish nets, could end up as gurry at the cannery?

Hmmmm.....sounds grotesquely fishy to me.

*Edit: I will continue to edit this today, wwh, to work in all your g-words.


#95139 02/12/03 02:02 PM
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Dear WW: Thank you for your interest, but remember the words came from Scripps-Howard.


#95140 02/12/03 03:13 PM
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Dear wwh, I hadn't appreciated that grotesque stemmed from grotto. Thanks for that insight - it gives me a whole new feel for the word. It seems there is more of fear and less of fantastic there.


#95141 02/12/03 03:23 PM
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I have only heard the last two meanings of this word.

I agree, the second two meanings are everyday usage, but the first two must be very rare even though they are placed first. The OED gives a further meaning: of a pig - (vt) to turn up earth with the snout. Can't say I've come across that either!


#95142 02/12/03 03:52 PM
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When is a grotto not "grotesque"? When it's the famous blue grotto of Capri, where one
of the late Roman emperors had a hideaway, can't remember his name.
"The Blue Grotto is accessible only by sea and is known for
its incredible iridescent blue water and reflections on the
cave walls caused by refracted sunlight penetrating
through a large opening beneath the water. You may be
taken in by independently operated boats or swim in.
However, swimming in the Blue Grotto is only allowed
before or after the independently operated boat tours'
hours of operation.

Edit: I found the Emperor's name. Tiberius. Here is a advertisement that does have a lot
of descriptive material"
http://www.hotelolimpico.it/downcapri.htm

#95143 02/12/03 04:38 PM
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What Tiberius got up to on Capri doesn't bear recounting here, but it was certainly grotesque.


#95144 02/12/03 04:54 PM
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Maybe Tacitus fibbed about Tiberius.
http://www.incor.it/capri2002/venue/

#95145 02/12/03 05:15 PM
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Well I hope so. It is always pleasing to have calumny against leaders exposed for what it is. Leaders are very likely to suffer from people rewriting history for their own ends and it renews my faith in humanity when they turn out not to have been so bad after all.

And of course: The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interred with their bones.

Thanks for the link.



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