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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
This isn't strictly word-related, but I think most/all of us on here are avid readers, so here goes.
Is "Ologies" some kind of new genre of books? I was just looking on a web site and thought one book was worth a closer look. It was described as being "an astonishing guide that takes the 'Ologies to a new level." At the bottom of the page was a listing of similar books, all with --ology in the title but all by different authors, so it can't be just a series. And I believe they were fiction, not scientific.
If anyone can enlighten me I'd appreciate it.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
ology is, like, a word? and not just a suffix. ology - ( informal or humorous usage) a branch of learning link
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
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I've certainly heard it spoken, this side of the pond, as a generic name for 'branches of knowledge,' but I've never seen it written
I'm immortal until proven otherwise
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
here's two I used at wwftd..
"Ologies of all kinds, from morning to night. If there is any
Ology left, of any description, that has not been worn to
rags in this house.. I hope I shall never hear its name."
- Charles Dickens, Hard Times For These Times (1854)
"One's doing a thesis on geology now, and the other's
writing a book on meteorology. Ology is about the only
thing they have in common. "
- Anthony Price, War Game (1976)
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
ology is, like, a word? Like, not as such, afaik. The quote has 'Ologies. The capitalization adds to my puzzlement--that makes it seem as though it's the title of something. [shrug]
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963 |
It seems, from a quick check of four or five online sources, to be generally regarded as informal, humorous, facetious.
Any science or branch of study or knowledge.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
ology is, like, a word? Like, not as such, afaik. The quote has 'Ologies. The capitalization adds to my puzzlement--that makes it seem as though it's the title of something. [shrug] yes, well ology has a OLi of twenty-seven(27!)*, and can be found in OED[online] and W3. but you're probly right - it's not really a word.  I'd venture a guess that many of the capitalized instances came early in the word's informal history [see Dickens quote above] to distinguish it from the suffix form, -ology. here's another: "The days of the ‘ologies’ (be they zoo- or entomo-) were giving way to a single science, and he had not noticed." - Daily Telegraph 26 May, 1999 *from a closer inspection, it looks like two(2!) of these are really the suffix only.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Just read the word 'aromachology'. I add some I expect soo to follow; art collectionology, coacholy, feelgoodology.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 10,542 |
OL lists 537 'common word' ologies. one on the first page that called out to me was carpology - probly isn't what you'd first think of.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
I have two guesses before I will look.
The study of carpooling.
The study of carps.
Now I'll have a look at your link and won't give comment. Maybe others would like to make a guess.
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old hand
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old hand
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The study of whining and complaining.
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Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Peterrrr--you took my guess! [harrumph mumble grumble]
Edit: just looked it up; no, it certainly isn't what I'd have thought. Cool. Thanks.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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My guess was the study of wrist bones.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Carpal, yeah; I can see that.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
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The study of carpets
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 10,542 |
I would *never foist an ology word on the hogwash crowd, but this one might have worked out.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963 |
Peterrrr--you took my guess! [harrumph mumble grumble] Ah! A specimen!
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