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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Re: cromulent nonce words dalehileman #186254 08/01/2009 4:19 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh Taser is from the acronym Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle coined from a Tom Swift novel of 1911 Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle (link). I wonder if Tom's electric rifle was based on Captain Nemo's electric weapon. Back formations are quite common in English. They help to fill gaps in the lexicon and grow the language. Tase, liaise, burgle, orientate, babysit, etc. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) tsuwm 07/31/2009 10:24 PM a potential winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Bad Metaphor Contest tsuwm 07/31/2009 10:29 PM Re: a potential winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Bad Metaphor Contest Buffalo Shrdlu 07/31/2009 10:46 PM Re: a potential winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Bad Metaphor Contest dalehileman 08/01/2009 3:51 PM Re: cromulent nonce words zmjezhd 08/01/2009 4:19 PM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) Faldage 07/31/2009 11:17 PM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) olly 07/31/2009 11:52 PM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) BranShea 08/02/2009 9:58 AM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) Faldage 08/02/2009 11:52 AM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) Jackie 08/03/2009 3:04 AM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) BranShea 08/03/2009 2:35 PM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) latishya 08/03/2009 8:26 PM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) HalDavis 08/03/2009 8:55 PM Re: noosed zmjezhd 08/03/2009 9:10 PM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) Jackie 08/04/2009 2:25 AM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) Jackie 08/01/2009 3:36 AM Re: speaking of over-thinking (and weren't we just) BranShea 08/01/2009 9:40 AM Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Flat Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,917 Posts230,508 Members9,211 Most Online17,319 Apr 8th, 2026 Newest Members Boo boo kitty fu, peterreineck, Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd 9,211 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 17 A C Bowden 10 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,302 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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