AnnaStrophic's post abt 'caretaker' and 'caregiver' set me thinking abt this one...
Isn't it strange that 'carefree' has a positive connotation, while 'careless' has a negative one? In the gradation from 'careful' onto 'careless' and then finally 'carefree,' wouldn't one expect a similar gradation in their connotations too?
Any others like this one?

On second (actually additional) thoughts, '-less' is supposed to connote 'freedom' from something in certain cases... eg. clueless ;)

Priceless/worthless

valueless/invaluable

Isn't it strange that 'carefree' has a positive connotation, while 'careless' has a negative one?

What a breath of fresh air, anchita.

"Stangers" bring us the perspective that is so desperately wanting in this closed society.

No offence to the "closed society", but they are so protective of their 'own', they have little prolonged tolerance for "Strangers" like yourself.

"carefree" is what we all desire, yet how few of us achieve?

Thank you for visiting.

I hope you will find reason to stay ... for awhile.

the gradation from 'careful' onto 'careless' and then finally 'carefree,'
This is odd, yes. (Belated welcome aBoard.) If you think about it, careful ought to be the opposite of carefree! Full of cares, as opposed to being free of them. Hmm--maybe it's the singular/plural use that makes the difference; full of care (careful) is not the same at all as being full of cares. I feel sure something about this has been discussed here before, but I can't be bothered to look it up (LIU); I've only been here for flying visits this week, anyway.

You will find that threads sometimes (snort) go off-topic, here. Since that happened to a thread I started not too long ago, let me just quote myself; not much relevance in linking to the entire thread:
"I can certainly see where you and other new people might feel a little hesitant to "break in", as it were. That troubles me, but I don't quite know how to make it easier, either. I suppose it could be treated as though you were in a new job; all the others know each other, yet you have every right to be there. Some people may reach out to you, but no one is actually obligated to. You may need to find your own way. Yes, there are some inside jokes; there are pretty well bound to be, in an established group; but you'll learn many of them in time, and become part of others, yourself."

You may need to find your own way. Yes, there are some inside jokes; there are pretty well bound to be, in an established group; but you'll learn many of them in time, and become part of others, yourself."

Dear Jackie:

You are such a diplomat.

oiks, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, eh what?

self-enforced mediocrity
Could you clarify a bit, what you mean here, please? As to mediocrity monopolizing, I know I do post an awful lot. Other than me shutting up, do you have any suggestions on how to improve the level of postings here? As to your last question, as far as I know, no one can grant anyone the right to use any public space.

someone mentioned priceless and worthless...a local paper that had no cost went from putting "free" on it to "priceless" on it. some people got it...others didn't.

"priceless"

hehe. reminds me of those credit card ads.
sounds like less goes both ways...

welcome, krritter! enjoy the mediocre madness, or is that madless, or maybe mediofree...

Re: But AWADtalk is a closed preserve of self-enforced mediocrity.

could be true.. but it could just be a general statement, thrown out to put us on the defensive..

Dr Bill works hard to keep posting interesting words, some of us respond....

My dear Mr. Bingley, gives us even more interesting words in context.

first, since AWAD is not closed, (in any sort of general sense, and specifially has only once, band one person..(who might well have returned if it was done discretely..) that part of the statement is not true.

as for the charge of mediocrity-- what have you personally done to try to change things? and what has been done to thwart your efforts? can you even prove interesting words have been ignored and threads about them have died out?

as we say in NY --Put a plug in it.. (any one beside me know were that expression originates?)

But AWADtalk is a closed preserve of self-enforced mediocrity.

And whoever gave this mediocrity the right to monopolize this space?
I can't help it--I just feel so sad, reading that.

Don't sweat it, Jackie. As "Wordminstrel" knows full well there are plenty of other forums where language is to be discussed only in terms of itself, with no digression or personality thrown in for leavening. I'm a member of one of them, and they're all very well if all you want is linguistic discussion. I check in once a week, if that.

But this place can be fun as well. Mediocre? Yep, a lot of it is, and I'm as guilty as anyone else for that. Do I care, and will Wordminstrel's bad tempered bitching change the way I post here? Not a chance.

self-enforced mediocrity
Could you clarify a bit, what you mean here, please? As to mediocrity monopolizing, I know I do post an awful lot. Other than me shutting up, do you have any suggestions on how to improve the level of postings here?

Dear Jackie, all that is offered is generalised criticism. No suggestions for improvement, nor any explanation for the complainant's continued presence in this "closed preserve of mediocrity." If it really is such a waste of space, why doesn't the complainant go elsewhere? Just ignore the whinger.

In reply to:

---

Dear Jackie:

You are such a diplomat.

But AWADtalk is a closed preserve of self-enforced mediocrity.

And whoever gave this mediocrity the right to monopolize this space?

---

1. "AWAD talk is a closed preserve..." Not true. It's not a private board; some people join in and remain; others leave; but the board is not closed. It might not appeal to every person who visits here, but I haven't seen evidence of chasing newcomers off in the year and a half I've been here.

The 'closed' characteristics of the board might be the topics that are eschewed to some degree here: politics, religion, food and sports.

2. "Self-enforced"--I do not know what wordminstrel is writing about here. The board covers topics related to questions people have about definitions, derivations, and applications of words; humorous observations about word use; occasional development of puns. But I don't get the sense that these topics, mediocre-seeming as they are to wordminstrel, are enforced other than by than what wordminstrel would evaluate as the mediocre interests of the writers.

3. On the subject of mediocrity: The people who do write here fairly often or those who read these threads with interest and occasionally post return here because they are interested in word use. We begin often with individual words. Words may have been misused and abused, and the may have been put to soaring use. But we begin often by examining these words--their beginnings and their applications in various situations. It's a fascination, a love affair, and, like a lover who can see little fault in the beloved, any aspect of the beloved becomes cause for celebration. If wordminstrel doesn't share this kind of fascination with word exploration--if wordminstrel would prefer moving away from the individual words we examine here in our hunger to caress every hair on the head of our Golden Darling Language, then perhaps wordminstrel could suggest to Anu that there should be a forum here called something like:

1. Beyond the Mediocre
2. Exquisite Debates
3. Publishable Arguments
4. Scholarly Treatises
5. Thoroughly Academic

Jackie, I'm not bothered a twit by what wordminstrel wrote. In fact, I've enjoyed thinking about his viewpoint. I thought, "Well, is there a problem with wordminstrel's viewing what I enjoy as mediocre?" And I concluded that there was no problem. This place has seemed to me to be a safe haven to explore words with like-minded people--and it was a relief to find it a year and a half ago because no one in my 3D world could understand how I could spend hours reading (and become excited by reading) dictionaries.

So, wordminstrel, I sincerely thank you for your observations. This is the sort of mediocrity I enjoy--altough I disagree to some extent that it is enforced, other than the eschewing of political, religious, food and sports topics. Perhaps you find that eschewing in itself a mark of the mediocre.

Interesting topic here, however. It could end up being a full one and I hope a free one, and nothing less.

1)we would say
scendere dal letto col piede sinistro
to go down from the bed (starting) with the left foot (pretending that it is wrong, bringing bad luck... apologizing to all the left people)

2) this is an example of one among the millions things I learnt here: and, a place to learn, something every day, is not mediocre at all for me

so desperately wanting in this closed society

Anchita is definitely one I would have included in this list
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=announcements&Number=101680
had I not posted it ten days before she blossomed into our "closed society."

>But AWADtalk is a closed preserve of self-enforced mediocrity.

[censor's note: The previous has been deleted in the original. please ignore all previous and future references to this. TYVM. -The MGMT]

mired in my own mediocrity, I can only respond with a worn-out and sorry culch (I would have put cliché, but I couldn't remember the proper accent key-sequence): if the shoe fits...
-joe (middlin') friday

Damn it, Tina! I'm always last to the party...

... and I was gonna add something like "*Those words could only come from someone who is bannished to the surface or is choking in the depths"

I guess I missed the chance.

- Johnny, come lately?

Re:1)we would say
scendere dal letto col piede sinistro
to go down from the bed (starting) with the left foot (pretending that it is wrong, bringing bad luck... apologizing to all the left people)

In the Maid-en Voyage thread, "footmen" came up-- and i know that footmen were originally servants (in ancient Rome) who assisted/monitored people entering a house, since it was considered bad luck to cross a threshold with your left foot..(almost no one has footmen any more)

We still use the express, Best foot forward or Starting out on the right foot when we want to say we are starting something, and want to show our selves off to the best advantage.

someone who is clumsy, or not very good at dancing will be described as "having 2 left feet"

i think this idea of left feet being unlucky is very old!

Sorry Helen, but are you trying to say that some people only open their mouths to change feet? Just askin', like.

Isn't the equivalent phrase in English "getting out of bed on the wrong side" ? No handed-ness (or footedness) needed.

There is also the related expression "to get off on the wrong foot", usually describing a situation where we might say, "look, we've misunderstood each other here, let's back up and start again".

There is also the well known, "I know you think you understood what I said, but what you don't understand is that what I said is not what I meant."

I wanted to know where this phrase "self-enforced mediocrity" has originally come from? I couldn't see any post/reply which contained it as its primary text...

where this phrase "self-enforced mediocrity" has originally come from

He deleted it.

He deleted it for whatever good reasons he may have had.

However, I quoted his statement in full in my response above if you're curious about what he originally wrote before his deletion.

to anchita (and cross threaded welcome to Krzysztof,who found the volume of new words difficult)
Welcome, please don't get scared away.
On the original topic: why should operable and inoperable be opposites if flammable and inflammable mean the same.

A Spanish friend once described English as "messy". There ain't a rule we don't break, we have smooshed together two (or possibly more) grammatical systems and words can shift from noun to verb at the drop of a hat. And we make up new words whenever necessary,convenient or just when we get bored with the ones we have.

Oh well if English was neat and rule-abiding it wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

why should operable and inoperable be opposites if flammable and inflammable mean the same

The answer is in the roots, Zed. The 'in', in inflammable, is not a prefix. The word itself is derived from the Latin root, inflammare, which itself means to burn easily. Whereas, the 'in', in inoperable is a prefix, signifying 'not'. (I don't know the root for operable; our Latin guru, faldage, will check in in the morning I hope, with more on this)

Off the top of my head, I can think of two other such words wherein, the 'in' is not a prefix, but part of a root: inchoate and indict

Not always can we divide a word and conquer it, eh!

inflammare is clearly in + flammare ( that I recognize, since fiamma is fire in Italian). It seems to me, better, to my ears, that "in" is a prefix, but meaning here "starting to..."

Emanuela, I do beleive you are right, but with a BUT! The in + flammare is the break up of the LATIN word and the 'in' is therefore the prefix in Latin, albeit in the 'starting to' or 'into' context. The Latin word thus becomes inflammare and the ENGLISH word inflammable is derived from this word. Whereas, with inobservable, the division is, in = observable and the prefix is an english one.

The in- in inflammable is a Latin prefix meaning into, as has been noted by several people. The in- in inoperable is also ultimately from Latin, meaning not. the -oper- part is from the Latin operari, to work, related to opus.

...and words can shift from noun to verb at the drop of a hat.

What hat?

---------

...we make up new words whenever necessary,convenient or just when we get bored...

I suspeck Ingrish ain't da only onez.

A couple of years ago, we toyed with the idea of handing out awaRds (funniest, most original, most arcane, &c). I don't think much came of that, but maybe this year we could be on the look-out for Most Mediocre Post? Surely there'll be a lot of contendahs.

Wonder what the precise verb would be to aspire to mediocrity? Certainly not aspire. What is it when you want to fall a lower level of achievement? Seems there would be a useful verb for that.

De-aspire to mediocrity?
Certainly not despair to mediocrity...

This is, of course, assuming the starting point (or even the goal, for that matter) is *higher than mediocrity.

I realize there are technical reasons but it still looks funny to my ESL friends. Plus I am easily amused.
As for aspiring to mediocrity, I thought the accusation was that we conspire to it.[finger laid alongside the nose e]

[finger laid alongside the nose e]
My education in this ^ has been lacking, one might even say...mediocre. What does it mean?

http://us.imdb.com/Title?Sting,+The+(1973)
http://www.film.u-net.com/Movies/Reviews/Sting.html

D'oh! Now I remember! Thanks

Wonder what the precise verb would be to aspire to mediocrity ~ Wordwind

With a quick cross-thread - how about 'downshifting'?

D'oh!

Funny. I had an image of a right jolly old elf about to ascend the chimney.

right jolly old elf about to ascend the chimney

ah, the old Santa Conspiracy Clause...

the accusation was that we conspire to it

We must breathe together or we shall certainly breathe separately.
    - B. Franklin

Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent respiration. -- Thomas Alva Edison

Yikes! I thought that was Einstein? .... and I also thought the other 99% was perspiration. Another cherished belief dashed to smithereens.

Einstein

Naw. Einstein said, "Half this game is 90% breathing."

Oh, I see. This is a joke y'all have made.

~apologies to Madonna and the apocryphal Blikk interview.

"Ya can't fool me! There ain't no sanity clause!"

- A Night at the Opera