Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

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

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#188824 01/19/2010 8:18 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
..for retracing the myriad paths of a conversation.

any ideas?

(yes, dale, we all know about the reverse dictionary.)

Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Reconstruct?

Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
I was thinking confabulation/confabulating, but that may be only a medical usage.

Last edited by tsuwm; 01/20/2010 3:43 AM. Reason: spelling
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
There is fabulation, but that's not quite it. It was a tendency in th Nouveaux Roman, especially the early ones of Robbe-Grillet.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Um--I think confabulation is just to talk. The other def. seems to be to fill in memory gaps with imagination.

retracing the myriad paths of a conversation
to me would be something like this: you told me how good I look, then I said my hairstylist is a wonder, and then you said speaking of wonders, my daughter's getting straight A's in school...etc.

Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542

Main Entry: con·fab·u·la·tion
1 a : familiar talk : CONVERSATION ; also : CHAT b : CONFERENCE, DISCUSSION
2 : a filling in of gaps in memory by free fabrication (as in Korsakoff's syndrome) [W3]

but as I said, 2) is more of a medical usage.

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Originally Posted By: tsuwm

2 : a filling in of gaps in memory by free fabrication (as in Korsakoff's syndrome) [W3]

but as I said, 2) is more of a medical usage.


Plus it sounds like it means making things up to make sense of seemingly disparate memories.

Edit:

Yup. Or something like that.

Last edited by Faldage; 01/20/2010 11:42 AM.
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 35
newbie
newbie
Offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 35
I read a book once on mind maps - the myriads paths of thought.

Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Mind mazes, labyrinths.

Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Avy! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!! How are you?

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 35
newbie
newbie
Offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 35
smile I'm fine Jackie. Thanks

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 35
newbie
newbie
Offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 35
smile I'm fine Jackie. Thanks ---- ooops! .

Last edited by Avyy; 01/21/2010 11:31 AM.

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,915
Posts230,285
Members9,208
Most Online4,606
Sep 17th, 2025
Newest Members
JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery, Forix Richard
9,208 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
JerryC 1
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 11,140
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,974
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

© 1994-2026 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.1