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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I think oligopoly is the only one that onelook has to offer where the -poly is from the root in question.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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veteran
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veteran
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Bill's coinage inspired me. I took two Greek words for 'brothel-keeper', pornoboskos 'herder of whores' and pornotrophos 'rearer of whores' and came up with pornoboscan and pornotrophic as adjectives meaning pimpish.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Oligopoly, for oneWouldn't that be: oligopoly, for several? 
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old hand
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old hand
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
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Dear jheem: your "pornoboskos" made me wonder about the etymology of "boss", the guy who gives you orders. I didn't find a good site. Here's an old one:
To ornament with bosses; to stud.
Origin: OE. Bocen, fr. OF. Bocier. See the preceding word.
Origin: OE. Boce, bose, boche, OF. Boce, boche, bosse, F. Bosse, of G. Origin; cf. OHG. Bozo tuft, bunch, OHG. Bozan, MHG. Bozen, to beat. See Beat, and cf. Botch a swelling.
1. Any protuberant part; a round, swelling part or body; a knoblike process; as, a boss of wood.
2. A protuberant ornament on any work, either of different material from that of the work or of the same, as upon a buckler or bridle; a stud; a knob; the central projection of a shield. See Umbilicus.
3. A projecting ornament placed at the intersection of the ribs of ceilings, whether vaulted or flat, and in other situations.
4. [Cf. D. Bus box, Dan. Bosse] A wooden vessel for the mortar used in tiling or masonry, hung by a hook from the laths, or from the rounds of a ladder.
5. <mechanics> The enlarged part of a shaft, on which a wheel is keyed, or at the end, where it is coupled to another. A swage or die used for shaping metals.
6. A head or reservoir of water.
Source: Websters Dictionary
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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the etymology of "boss", the guy who gives you ordersI'd allus heard it was from the Afrikaans, baas. AHD4 says it's Dutch, not Afrikaans. http://www.bartleby.com/61/86/B0408600.html
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Joined: Jan 2004
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veteran
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veteran
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I seem to remember that boss in the sense of 'the guy with the pointy hair' is supposed to be from a Dutch word. I always liked the sound, but not the meaning, of Boss Tweed. Another boscus, unrelated, is Sanctoboscus 'holywood'. I wonder if Hollywood is from the holly tree?
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Joined: Jan 2004
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veteran
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veteran
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It's a fine line between Dutch, Flemish, and Afrikaans. 
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addict
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addict
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Oligopoly, for one
Wouldn't that be: oligopoly, for several?
I knew there was a reason I came back.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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And is "bos-" meaning protuberant part also seen in "proboscis" ? Or is that redundant? or parallel evolution?
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