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 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,713
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,713
Likes: 2
It looks to me as if all the interested parties have been heard from, so here's the scoop:

UMAMI might be ( -- barring clerical error in my part):

a) the distaff side of an Imam's family
-- submitted by consuelo
-- chosen by Jackie

b) Gullah word for soul
-- submitted by TEd Remington
-- chosen by Elizabeth Creith, AnnaStrophic, themilum and (with some cajoling) Alex Williams

c) (chiefly veterinary) state of excitation or increased metabolism preceding labor -- submitted by Alex Williams

d) a philosophical concept in Islam in which the parts of a whole are distinct and have their own complete being apart from the whole they compose
-- submitted by Father Steve
-- chosen by themilum at first, but he reconsidered

e) a short shift, or wrap-around dress
-- submitted by belMarduk
-- chosen by Ted Remington

f) African thumb piano made of 22 to 28 metal keys mounted on a hardwood soundboard; also known as mbira
-- submitted by AnnaStrophic

g) a cooked combination of ground mixed grains, made into small balls and dipped into sauces
-- submitted by Elizabeth Creith
-- chosen by belMarduk and WhitmanONeill

h) the fifth fundamental taste, after sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, sometimes called “savory;” identified in 1908 by the Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda
-- the real McCoy.
-- chosen by Owlbow.
See this link. I was surprised to learn it was that old! The paradigm of the taste is mono-sodium glutamate, marketed a while back as Ac’cent, and supposed to be the cause of what was in the late 1960s known as the “Chinese Restaurant syndrome.”

i) adj. SW US dialect: vacant as the wind
-- submitted by WhitmnONeill
-- chosen by tsuwm, consuelo

j) a West African dish made from lentils
-- submitted by Jackie
-- chosen by musick

k) a style of West African headdress
-- also submitted by Jackie and she changed it at my suggestion but I forgot to delete the original

l) the box-like device worn in the small of the back by geishas when dressed full kimono and obi
-- submitted by Faldage
-- chosen by Father Steve and Bingley

m) what the Ubangi answered when asked by an orangantangi the name of the only river that drains Lake Victoria in Ugandi
-- submitted by themilum

n) a deathbed promise to exact revenge
-- submitted by musick

o) Swahili word meaning "glorious"
-- submitted by etaoin
-- chosen by Faldage and etaoin

A shibbloeth shattered, or at least battered: the real definition sounds like an armil (see TEd Remington’s comment) and it’s neither short nor dictionary-sounding. At least it’s trying not to be.

Recognized in 1907! Imagine that! Ninety-nine years ago!

edit: Oops, Only 98 years ago. 1908. [Sosumi-sound-effect]

Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Woohoo. Four votes. Best I've ever done.


TEd
#156531 03/04/06 01:24 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Congrats, TEd!
I studied a little Gullah in a college course on creoles (a million years ago) and you still fooled me.

Great word, Dr Woofy! I have heard of a fifth taste before but never associated it with that or any other name. Now we need a Japanese scholar to tell us what it means (err, "fifth taste"?).

#156532 03/04/06 01:43 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
T
veteran
Offline
veteran
T
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
Well if umami or monosodium glutamate is basic to our human tastebuds why did it take so long for humans (who eat every day) to distinquish the savor?

I still think that a "umami" is something more inconsequential.

#156533 03/04/06 06:41 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
There was an edifying discussion of this topic on the original television program "Iron Chef" -- the one shot in Japan, not the re-make mimic in the US of A. The commentator patiently explained that the Japanese, who have refined palates, are able to discern the fifth taste, while most Westerners, who have not such sophisticated palates, are not. Easy.

#156534 03/04/06 10:05 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Well, I was nearly a-flutter with excitement at finally getting someone to vote for my creation, but TEd burst my bubble by adding... I'm gonna guess E, for no reason other than that I need to vote.

#156535 03/05/06 12:34 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Well, I got Bingley's vote again and I consider that worth at least three normal votes.

#156536 03/05/06 03:20 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Oh, yeah? Well, I got themilum's vote, at first, until he reconsidered, so that oughta be worth at least a half a point!

#156537 03/05/06 03:24 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
As long as we're begging for points, I think the fact that tsuwm backed me on my choice should be worthless...for the day...

Thanks for your vote, Jackie.

[visions of Ali J'olson running through my brain-e]

#156538 03/05/06 04:11 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
.

-joe vacant as the wind friday

Page 1 of 2 1 2

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