Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
#103703 05/20/03 06:02 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
nor are we necessarily constrained

No, we aren't, but my point is that, while it may be sufficient to explain the traffic tie-ups, it is not necessary. Therefore, we need not wonder--with astonishment--at the soul of one for whom this crawl brought pleasure.


This is not to say that we may not take the pleasure of so wondering.

#103704 05/20/03 06:10 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
tsuwm Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
>The Traffic Check Wallahs on my local radio station frequently make judgmental remarks about "onlooker delays" causing significant slowing of traffic.

perhaps; or often they'll say that the accident has been cleared but to expect continued delays, in both directions!


#103705 05/20/03 06:16 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
And if the accident has been cleared, how can it be blamed for the delays? I remember many times I would encounter traffic jams that cleared up with no rational explanation after passing some point in the road that had no evidence of anything untoward having happened. Could it be a case of self-perpetuation?


#103706 05/20/03 06:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
years ago, in Scientific American, the mathmatical recreations column, there was a mathmatical explaintion of the residual effect of a traffic jam.. the effect can last up to 4 hours, and it travels, not unlike the waves caused by a stone thrown into a pond.. except the pattern is linear (just a slice of the 'pond' is seen.)

and the ripple effect of slowed traffic travels in both directions, moving away from the sourse (at a speed relitive to the highway speed, and traffic volumne.

so the next time you are driving along, and suddenly traffic slows for a few hundred feet, and then resumes, with no obvious reason, you 'll recognize you have just past through a ripple left over from an accident, several miles up the road, and several hours in the past!


Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
a mathmatical explaintion of the residual effect of a traffic jam

Reminds me of another item, also from Scientific American, if I remember correctly, that a wave of brake lights travels backwards at some ungodly speed in traffic that exceeds a critical density.


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
like cells in the veins of society...



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
WaddidIsay? WaddidIsay?


Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
WaddidIsay?

I dunno, what *did you say?


#103711 05/21/03 01:34 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Back to the opening post; when I saw this word in another thread before seeing this thread, my reaction was, "I wish they'd use English!" I still don't trust that Mrs. Byrne.


#103712 05/21/03 02:40 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
I wonder if it is a misprint for epicuricacy? Somebody's attempt to coin a word from epicurean and cacos meaning bad? So somebody treats bad events as a source of epicurean pleasure?

Edit. I take that back. From a clue in one of the pieces on Julian Burnside's site linked to by Dr. Bill, I have found in LSJ (http://makeashorterlink.com/?P229134A4 the Greek word epikairos meaning seasonable, opportune, advantageous. Kakos is the Greek for bad (cacophany). So epicaricacy could be a coinage for finding bad things opportune.

Bingley


Bingley
Page 2 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 332 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,713
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,931
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5