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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Ptomaine #105364 06/11/03 11:27 AM 06/11/03 11:27 AM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US C CarlAdler OP newbie CarlAdler   OP newbie C Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US I recently noted that everybody I know over the age of 55 knows the term "ptomaine poisoning" and regards it as a very common term. Two weeks ago it was one of the answers to NPR's Sunday weekly puzzle. Yet no one I know under the age of 45 as even heard of the term and that includes two nurses and a physician. I find this to be rather strange. P.S. When I checked the spelling "ptomaine" was flagged though it is spelled corectly. Re: Ptomaine #105365 06/11/03 11:32 AM 06/11/03 11:32 AM Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 742 Akina S sjm old hand sjm   old hand S Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 742 Akina Well, Carl I just want to say two things: I'm ten years shy of 45,edit: and know the phrase and WELCOME BACK! Re: Ptomaine #105366 06/11/03 11:51 AM 06/11/03 11:51 AM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of troy Carpal Tunnel of troy   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park ptomaine came up as a subject here last fall.. i stumbled across the word, -and while i too am shy of 55, i knew the word, and vaguely knew the meaning.. but when i looked it up, i had such delight in learning were it came from! we can continue here, but this thread will serve as a refresher. http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=81499 my other obsession Re: Ptomaine #105367 06/11/03 12:22 PM 06/11/03 12:22 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 W wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 My father had a patient some time in the twenties who called it "pantomime poisoning". Re: Ptomaine #105368 06/11/03 01:15 PM 06/11/03 01:15 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US C CarlAdler OP newbie CarlAdler   OP newbie C Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US And thank you. Glad to be back. Carl Re: Ptomaine #105369 06/11/03 01:48 PM 06/11/03 01:48 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US C CarlAdler OP newbie CarlAdler   OP newbie C Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US I thought that "ptomaine" had probably been discussed before but when I searched for it I got no results. What started this is that every Sunday morning I listen to and write down the NPR Quiz which comes on at 8:40 EDT. I then call my son-in-law and daughter and give it to them. The puzzle was to fine a "L" word for the first blank and change the "L" sound to a "T" sound to get the word for the second blank. The sentence was: By eating ____ in a Chinese restaurant you are not likely to get _____ poisoning. When my literate son-in-law guessed at lomein and was then stumped I was surprised and when my BSRN daughter also had not heard of "ptomaine" I was really surprised. I called others, the general result was those over 55 regarded the question "Have you heard of ptomaine poisoning" as absurd, of course, they have heard of it. While those under 45 including my personal physician drew a complete blank. Re: Ptomaine #105370 06/11/03 02:04 PM 06/11/03 02:04 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Reminds me of a Bloom County strip (there's probably an age thang there, too) where Bingley's dad, in a moment of utter frustration resulting form his advancing age, said, "I don't know whether to wind my watch or go blind!" His son, all innocence and bewilderment, asks, "Dad? What does it mean, 'to wind your watch'?" Re: Ptomaine #105371 06/11/03 02:43 PM 06/11/03 02:43 PM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of troy Carpal Tunnel of troy   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park a few years back, my son and i were watching The Third Man- (and just posting that, i am going to guess about half the board has never heard of the movie!- a thriller set in post war austria) and one of the characters makes a 'station to station call'-- which drew a puzzled blank from my son! i still remember when you had to schedule oversea's calls, (letters would be exchanged, to make sure the other party was home!) and even then we still opted for the cheaper station to station, rather than the more expensive person to person! odd bits of technology hang on in movie scripts, or Curious George illustrations, and in cryptic puzzles! my other obsession Re: Ptomaine #105372 06/11/03 02:53 PM 06/11/03 02:53 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US C CarlAdler OP newbie CarlAdler   OP newbie C Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 33 Eastern North Carolina, US But how does a very common term used in states as different as Minnesota, West Virginia and New York disappear so thoroughly in such a short period of time? Re: Ptomaine #105373 06/11/03 03:31 PM 06/11/03 03:31 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 how does a very common term … disappear so thoroughly in such a short period of time? When was the last reported case? Incidentally, three of the first ten google hits are for Prefix Taxonomy Ongoing Measurement & Inter Network Experiment Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. 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