|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4 |
I'd like to know if anyone knows the meaning and etymology of the word "anoctothorpe". I think it's the # sign but I'm not sure.
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." –Rudyard Kipling
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
Abigail, I would argue that if a cumbersome, obscure word like "anoctothorpe" or "octothorpe" has become supplanted in ordinary usage for decades by a term like "pound sign" or "number sign" or "hash mark" or "square", it is best not to disturb their remains.
Each has died a natural and entirely deserving death and whoever perturbed you by exhuming "anoctothorpe" is doing no-one a service.
Some obsolete words have interesting histories and some bear themselves in repose with grace and dignity.
These words are obscure both in usage and history and they are ungainly to boot.
So let's send these ghastly curmudgeons back to the grave, Abigail. Shall we? :)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
The assertion that "octothorpe" was made up by a guy working for Bell Labs named Don MacPherson. http://www.sigtel.com/tel_tech_octothorpe.htmlThis is one of the three source stories cited by Michael Quinion in his column on the subject.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
anoctothorpe..
I would have thought that this was pretty obviously a typo of "an octothorpe" -- I trust that this was pointed out by someone in Faldo's second link!?
-ron o.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4 |
Thanks everyone for the help. As to what tsuwm said, I think it's plausible but I have seen "anoctothorpe" around more often; does that make it an accepted alternative spelling (perhaps like "color" vs "colour")? Thank you wofahulicodoc, Father Steve and Faldage for those links, that was really interesting!
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." –Rudyard Kipling
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." –Rudyard Kipling
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273 |
> I think it's plausible but I have seen "anoctothorpe" around more often;
Really? You've seen "anoctothorpe" more often than "an octothorpe"? That would be very surprising, given their respective Google hit ratios, as quoted by Faldage above. I had never seen "anoctothorpe" until your initial post, and automatically assumed it to be a simple case of a missing space.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4 |
Maybe it is a case of a missing space. I think perhaps more people encounter the wrong spelling; I read from one of the links that it's a circulating email, "useless facts". So it's likely that the original was a typo and people like me assume that it's the right spelling.
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." –Rudyard Kipling
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273 |
Sorry, I must have failed to make myself clear. What surprised me was your statement that "perhaps more people encounter the wrong spelling". As Faldage's Google hit count shows, "anoctothorpe" is A LOT less common online than "octothorpe".
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
people like me assume that it's the right spelling.
Just a hint:
Don't assume that traveling emails, particularly those labeled "Useless Facts", bear any relation to reality.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4 |
Well I'm not sure about that, then. For myself, I've never encountered "octothorpe" before this, but have seen "anoctothorpe" several times.
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." –Rudyard Kipling
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 500
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 500 |
And all through this thread I've been thinking that an anoctothorpe could be an octothorpe with all its little thorpes missing - in other words, a teeny, tiny square.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
It could be one where all the little thorpes light up at night, a noctothorpe
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
little thorpes light up at night, a noctothorpe great!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
And a proctothorpe is ... well ...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 500
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 500 |
And a proctothorpe is ... well ...
haptic?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
And a proctothorpe is ....
the butt of all jokes.
*rimshot*
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Ohmigawd!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Don't assume that traveling emails, particularly those labeled "Useless Facts", bear any relation to reality.
Yup! I keep getting them, and posting them, and getting shot down. But I persist against the tide!
Those are some wildly good new definitions -- isn't there a contest for new definitions that they should be entered in, somewhere. One of those ones I post and then learn they are three years old and everybody has already heard them?
But I persist!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
But I persist!
Cost benefit ratio, good priestess.
|
|
|
|
|
