Wordsmith.org
Much in the same vein as Steve Wright's classic..
"What’s is another word for a thesaurus?"
... here are some similar titbits which I've either pinched, invented, or assimilated.

Why is ‘phonetically’ not spelt the way its pronounced?
Is it possible to be totally partial?
Can you give me a description for the word 'dictionary'?
Is there another word for synonym?
Why is dyslexia so hard to spell?
Why is abbreviation such a long word?
How is it that all the most salient abstract nouns are such short words? Love, life, hate etc.
What is acronym short for?
Is using big words like, say pretentious being exactly that?
If the only people who use the word sesquipedalian are, by definition sesquipedalian, what is the point in having the word? (Same goes for lexiphane)
How come the word intonation is hard to intonate?
How does a person with a stutter say 'stutter', never mind 'stammer' or 'spasmodic repetition'?
How come the word lisp is nigh on impossible for someone with one to pronounce?

I know there are many similar... so let's 'ave 'em ...
Fire at will [glee]

Is using big words like, say pretentious being exactly that?

"The downside of being better than everyone else is that people tend to assume you're pretentious."


Posted By: wwh Re: starting to wind down the week here.... - 02/28/01 03:13 PM
nice list. But please don't be so belligerent as to fire at this will!

This pastime of punning, is quickly becoming a compulsive preoccupation round here!

Posted By: Jackie Registrating - 03/01/01 12:21 PM
by., I was delighted to see this thread, since I have a question, but it's too silly for Q&A.

At the hospital yesterday, I was struck by the thought that the sign I have seen so many times is actually rather odd:
Registration and Admitting.
Why isn't it either: Registrating and Admitting, or
Registration and Admissions? And for that matter, why isn't registrating a word? Or is it, Tsuwm?


Posted By: belligerentyouth Re: Registrating - 03/01/01 01:00 PM
I'd be very surprised if one could go 'registrating at the towen hall'. 'She hasn't been admitting to much lately' sounds pretty awful too. Your suggestion of using the nouns 'Registration and Admissions' is definitely preferable. My bet is they don't (or didn't) exist :-)

Posted By: wow Re: Registrating - 03/01/01 02:59 PM
Registration and Admittance.
wow

Posted By: wwh Re: Registrating - 03/01/01 03:07 PM
All your Cash in the Register, or no Admission

Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: Registrating - 03/02/01 12:53 AM
I admit, it doesn't register.

Posted By: Bridget Re: Registrating - 03/02/01 07:26 AM
why isn't registrating a word?
Because we already have 'registering'?

Posted By: belligerentyouth Re: Registrating - 03/02/01 11:24 AM
good point! ban these erroneous banners which flout the sky..


Have a good weekend people

[expectantly waiting for someone to remember (and perhaps add) to the admittedly vague topic of the thread]

Posted By: Bobyoungbalt Re: Registrating - 03/02/01 04:59 PM
Registrate
"Registrate" is a word. It's used by organists, and means to choose the combinations of stops, couplers, and pistons to be used in playing a selection, also to fix them in the instrument's memory by means of the stop-setting mechanism, if there is one. "Registration" is the arrangement so chosen. This is not a new word. It's used by Albert Schweitzer in his book on J.S. Bach, written before 1905.

Posted By: tsuwm Re: Registrating - 03/02/01 05:11 PM
oh, it's older than that...

registrate - Obs. Chiefly Sc.
[f. ppl. stem of med.L. registrare: see prec.]
trans. To register (in lit. and fig. uses).

1570 in Westm. Gaz. (1897) 16 June 10/2 Fame shall registrate her princelie deeds. 1574 Reg. Privy Council Scot. II. 359 Commanding our clerkis+to registrate the samyn. 1617 Sc. Acts Jas. VI (1816) IV. 546/2 To receave fra the pairties thair euidentis* and to registrat þe same. 1676 W. Row Contn. Blair's Autobiog. xii. (1848) 372 They would registrate that sense of it in the books of Parliament. 1776 J. Neill 23 Serm. 60 These and other Young Saints God hath registrated in his book.

*evidence

-joe bfstplk

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