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If like me you a) read, and b) have not yet achieved lexical omniscience, chances are you stumble across a lot of new words. The purpose of this thread is to showcase some of your recent favourites; because sometimes, there's no question to be asked, no etymology to be queried, not usage controversy: just a cool word that you'd like to share. Or perhaps this logovore is really just looking for a free lunch?
sitzmark n. an impression made in the snow by a skier falling backward.
wittol n. a man who is aware and tolerant of his wife's infidelity; an acquiescent cuckold.
palpebral adj. of or relating to the eyelids.
handbag vb. to wallop with a woman's purse: "They were very formidible women who handbagged their way to the top."
mizzle n. light rain; drizzle.
I also think something of this description would make an ideal Sticky Thread; a kind of AWADtalk Hall of Fame (though every nomination would simultaneously be an induction).
Jackie?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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it reminds me of Old Bill's (wwh) lists...
some good words, Hy!
my suggestion (which I think is implied) would be for anyone that wants to grab one of these words for discussion should open a new thread.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Must the word or usage be of recent origin, or can it merely be new to the reader?
Last edited by morphememedley; 06/19/08 01:52 PM.
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Must the word or usage be of recent origin, or can it merely be new to the reader?
New to the reader, most assuredly!
my suggestion (which I think is implied) would be for anyone that wants to grab one of these words for discussion should open a new thread.
I guess; but if there were a Sticky Thread for it, I know I'd cruise it for tasty titbits.
Let's say Poster B stumbles across a strange word, looks it up, reads with pleasure its unexpected definition. He decides to post it in the Hall of Fame. While doing so, he discovers another four, five, six weird and wonderful new words.
It would be, in other words, a kind of word pool. John Doe, who might not feel justified in devoting a whole new thread to his cryptomnesia ("Eh? How about this word?") would certainly be comfortable popping it into an existing Sticky.
Obviously, this idea would never work with any old Internet community (you can just imagine the uncontrollable pullulation of five-penny words like, "genuflect", and, "interregnum" and, "pullulation") but with a bunch of Word Mavens like yourselves...
But just a suggestion.
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Carpal Tunnel
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my suggestion (which I think is implied) would be for anyone that wants to grab one of these words for discussion should open a new thread.
I guess; but if there were a Sticky Thread for it, I know I'd cruise it for tasty titbits.
Just a suggestion. the initial posting of a word or words would be in this Sticky thread; discussion of one or more of those words should happen in another thread, so as not to fill the Sticky with pages of discussion.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Oh, I see what you mean.
That's a good proviso.
Of course, this thread wouldn't have to be the Sticky. Admin could word that all-important first post, with the requisite terms and conditions.
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old hand
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Although I am not one of them, there are some people who will never need to post on such a thread, because they know ALL the words. But it would be nice for the rest of us if commentary were restrained to only the overtly, blazingly positive, impossible-to-be-interpreted-as-sarcastic. In other words, very few comments! Those who are linguistically perfect can privately smugificate. I think more people will post, and you'll get a much more interesting thread to visit, if it's "safe".
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they know ALL the words
I don't believe that for a minute.
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As your stock of known knowns grows linearly your stock of known unknowns grows exponentially but your stock of unknown unknowns remains constant. The size of your stock of unknown knowns remains unknown.
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old hand
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hmmm... i dunno 'bout that...
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