|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 197
member
|
member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 197 |
Grok may have cultural implications, but not only the ones you suggest. My husband's computer-geek friends are extremely fond of the word. My first contact with it was on one of his daily websites (slashdot) where the word is used and understood by most of the users. I believe that I would be correct to say that most (but not all) of the slashdot readers are approximately my age (20-30ish) and were not available to read it during your flower power revolution. (i'm not a regular reader of slashdot, correct me if I have the demographic wrong.) Perhaps the word isn't quite as dated as you say, though still only used by a select cultural group.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Driving around doing errands today. Radio on Maine Public Radio broadcast of address to National Press Club. I just caught a bit of it. Who was speaking heaven knows but he sounded authoritative. Anyway he was saying that words we take for granted as being around since time began are not really that old. He cited "Hello." According to speaker the word "hello" was made up as a telephone greeting that would be non-specific and neutral....after all what if a gentleman called on the phone and a lady answered ! Heavens! Remember that was the 1890s. The alternate proposed was "Ahoy!" The two men involved were Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. I am unclear on exactly which man proposed which word but I think it was Bell for Hello and Edison for Ahoy!
Anyone have more? WOW
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094 |
Ou resident etymythologist, Jazzoctopus, came up with a very good story regarding the origin of "hello."I think I have to add that title to by profile.  I liked my more recent essay on the origin of "point blank" more, but no one seemed to have anything to say about it.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
Got it, xara. The dictionary entry should read "Grok, v., (colloq. use limited to geeks and aged freaks)."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
coined by Heinlein in 1961, grok actually found its way into the 2nd edition of the OED, marked as U.S. slang:
a. trans. (also with obj. clause) To understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with. b. intr. To empathize or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment.
therein are some fine citations, but I really enjoyed the last: 1984 InfoWorld 21 May 32 "There isn't any software! Only different internal states of hardware. It's all hardware! It's a shame programmers don't grok that better."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
|
|
OP
veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
the word "hello" was made up as a telephone greeting
I am totally gobsmacked by this, and am going for a little lie down.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289 |
Maybe one of my wife's favorites comes into this category. If I'm going to bed before her, she will say, "Pull out the clock for (time)." This means, of course, pull out the little doohickey which turns on the alarm.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289 |
To get back to the original subject of this thread, I propose a 4th category for what might be called "temporizing" words; i.e., some sound, if not a real word, which allows the speaker to gather his wits. Some illustrations:
1. Major Hoople, in the immortal comic "our Boarding House", was fond of "Fap!"
2. In a Dorothy Sayers novel set in Scotland, there is a Scottish policeman who is fond of "Aye, imphm."
3. In a detective novel, I forget which one, there is a character whose use of "Mmmf" constitutes half his dialog.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
In reply to:
If I'm going to bed before her, she will say, "Pull out the clock for (time)." This means, of course, pull out the little doohickey which turns on the alarm.
I think this is an example of synecdoche (using the part to refer to the whole or vice versa) than ellipsis.
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,656
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
138
guests, and
3
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
