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#182430 02/05/2009 4:39 PM
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stranger
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Of course, the reason 'sanguine' means cheerful or optimistic goes back to Plato's humoral theory of personality. Plato believed our personalities are dominated by one of four 'humors' (i.e., bodily fluids); blood, black bile, yellow bile or phlegm. Those dominated by blood were cheerful and optimistic. Similarly, we still have the word 'phlegmatic' as a personality descriptor.

rkeefer #182432 02/05/2009 6:21 PM
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And then there are people like JK Rowling who name the vampires "Sanguini" and give them a gloomy personality. :o)

Trident #182434 02/05/2009 7:19 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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Welcome
rkeefer and trident; hope you enjoy your stay.
When I was a boy, the local TV station had an after-school
special wherein the 'fright' show being broadcast was
introduced by a charachter called "Dr. Sanguinary".
He was anything but cheerful.


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #182436 02/05/2009 8:03 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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Sanguine is also a natural mineral (chalk) from which crayons are made.
Leonardo da Vinci made beautiful sanguines. wiki sanguine drawing


BranShea #182457 02/06/2009 9:37 PM
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Originally Posted By: BranShea
Sanguine is also a natural mineral (chalk) from which crayons are made.
Leonardo da Vinci made beautiful sanguines. wiki sanguine drawing





O, yes, I had forgotten that, but I remember the picture. Thanks.


----please, draw me a sheep----

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