Broken bone - Wordsmith.org

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Anu wrote: "I wish I had a heroic tale to
tell, ... such as I broke it skydiving."
Well, I can do so. I broke my right humerus and my right scapula (which actually was shattered into 30 or so pieces) skydiving. Never have your parachute accidentally open at 270 km/h...
(Have a look at: [url=http://www.thur.de/~carsten/Fallschirm/zerfetztes_gurtzeug.html]Torn rig[/url] or here: [url=http://www.thur.de/~carsten/Fallschirm/rechter_oberarm.html]X-rays[/url]

So I can understand the aches and pains you have to bear. I hope your surgeon did a better job so your collar bone will heal pretty fast.

BTW: There are two words for almost any bone of the body. A Latin and a Germanic one (sternum = breast bone etc) Anyone can tell me the corresponding term for "humerus"? "Upper arm bone" doesn't look smart and is too long a term for being widely used.

BlueS, Carsten

Quote:

There are two words for almost any bone of the body. A Latin and a Germanic one

I think your thesis may need a little work - almost (nearly all?) is certainly too strong. For example, the common name in English for the clavicle is the collarbone - both Latin. Phalanx (finger and toe bone) is Greek. Etc.

People would usually say "He broke his upper arm" if they wanted to be specific - bone is an understood part of "He broke his arm".

Just a few that I can remember from my anthro days:

Navicular, hamate, pisiform, lunate and a bunch more that I don't off hand remember. No common name for these beyond ankle and wrist bones.

from wikipedia:

Since 'Humerus' is the homonym of 'humorous', the bone is almost always referred to in popular culture as 'the funny bone'.

Parm my beg to differmints: I've always conceived of the funny bone as the elbow, not expicitly a bone but a conjucntion of bones. Or either that or just the distal end of the humerus. AHD identifies it as the point where the ulnar nerve runs close to the surface. Derivation is from the tingling sensation resulting from a blow received there. Anybody gets whacked sharply on the triceps would not make any reference to a funny bone.

So the solution is elegant. Go into wikipedia and change it. That's what wikipedia is all about, innit?

Quote:

Navicular, hamate, pisiform, lunate and a bunch more that I don't off hand remember. No common name for these beyond ankle and wrist bones.

Carpals and tarsals.

oh, common not collective.

What is the origin of that odd expression: "I have a bone to pick with you"?
Anyone have an idea?

according to the AHD of idioms, it's got to do with a dog worrying a bone.

Thanks for the reference.
I am confused, though.

"A dog worrying a bone" - is that a fight by two over the same bone? Is it, the bone being worried[/] by the dog's presence?
How does that relate to the definition?

Am I jest plain stew-pid?

Posted By: tsuwm Re: A bone to pick... - 12/22/06 08:17 PM

Quote:

Thanks for the reference.
I am confused, though.
"A dog worrying a bone" - is that a fight by two over the same bone? Is it, the bone being worried by the dog's presence?
How does that relate to the definition?

Am I jest plain stew-pid?

more like you've never had a dog!

2 a : to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping especially at the throat <wolves worry the sheep> <the dog is worrying a bone> [W3]

edit:
Etymology: Middle English wirien, werien, worien to strangle, worry with the teeth, from Old English wyrgan to strangle [W3]

Posted By: ParkinT Re: A bone to pick... - 12/28/06 05:32 PM

Thank you for the clarification.
That makes sense now. It is similar to the (common) expression, "..tell YOU me" when acknowledging something that is obvious.
The syntax seems inverted (perverted?) to me.

Posted By: Zed Re: A bone to pick... - 01/04/07 12:38 AM

the (common) expression,"..tell YOU me"
ummm - not common around here. Is it the same as "You're telling me!" ?

Posted By: Faldage Re: A bone to pick... - 01/04/07 02:53 AM

Quote:

the (common) expression,"..tell YOU me"
ummm - not common around here. Is it the same as "You're telling me!" ?

Or either "believe you me," one.

Posted By: CarstenKruse Re: Funny bone - 01/05/07 08:49 AM

Quote:

Anybody gets whacked sharply on the triceps would not make any reference to a funny bone.

I do agree: It isn't funny at all. But I thought the nerve involved here is the nervus radialis
Do to some complications I had to have a second operation. The doctor who did it could really help me (thus enabling me to skydive again and a lotta more things :-) ) but one side effect is that just a mild blow, provided you hit the "correct" location, can make me cringe.
But hey, I can predict the weather fairly well, so I won't complain too much ;-)

Posted By: Aramis Re: A bone to pick... - 01/05/07 07:52 PM

Quote:

the (common) expression,"..tell YOU me"
ummm - not common around here. Is it the same as "You're telling me!" ?

It sounds like Jackie Gleason.