Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Find the subtext (I won't post the answer for a few days... anyone who read M. vos Savant's [is her name for real?] column this past weekend is automatically disqualified):

Sir, I send a rhyme excelling
In sacred truth and rigid spelling
Numerical sprites elucidate
For me the lexicon's dull* weight.

~~~
*also "full"


Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Okay; "subtext" means The implicit meaning or theme of a literary text. In other words, what's she talking about, right?
Sounds like a dictionary to me. No, no, wait--it has to be a rhyme. "Numerical sprites"--sounds like footnote indicators... ?? Oh! The Bible? Agh, that's not a rhyme either. Though parts of it are songs or poems...The Song of Solomon, perhaps?


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
I'd go with dictionary.



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
I guess "subtext" is the wrong word. Sorry to mislead, though you were quite creative there, Jackie.This is much better:

What's the poem's structure based on?


Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
I keep going around in circles.
I'm stumpt.

k



Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
going around in circles.

That's perty funny, Fall.


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
making me hungry...



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
hungry

Have you some cornbread, cygne.


Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 67
G
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
G
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 67
it's all greek to me...


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
you clud make a guess...

edit:dang typing...



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
OK, y'all boys are squarely (as it were) on to it. Anybody want me to post the answer?


Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Yes, please. I haven't a clue.


Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,557
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,557
Likes: 1
...leaves me pie-eyed (and I'm pleased to say I figured it out all by my lonesome, without having to look at the end of the MvS column).

How I want a drink - alcoholic, of course - after the heavy chapters involving Quantum Mechanics.

Here's a VERY heavy hint, if you want: http://members.chello.nl/r.kuijt/pi_onthouden.htm. Even if it is in Dutch.

Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Does wofa's link do it for you, Jackie?


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
we should try our own. either separately, or as a group?

I'll start a group:

the



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
R
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
R
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
the "P" ...


Ha!! thought you'd fox us by ensuring that the second word must be a noun, did you???

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
the "P" will

So, Rhuby, since when is the name of a letter not a noun?



Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
R
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
R
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
My point being, not that letter names are not nouns, but that the only 'normal' or usual single letter words are 'a' and 'I' and neither are really nouns - you couldn't say, "The I" or "The a.".
('X' could be allowable, if you stretch credibility just a bit. But you might as well also use letters that are used as an abbreviation for something.)



Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
I thought the "P" was might going to be an adjective...



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
R
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
R
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
not so very many one-letter adjectives, for that matter, but I'll admit the potential.


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
I was thinking of like the A Team...



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
I think Russian is probably the champeen of languages with one letter words, some of which, e.g., ya, don't look like one letter words when you transliterate them. But we have S, V, and YI as well, and, IIRC, several more.


Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
the "P" will I


nothing possible but anastrophe here


Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
the "P" will I avoid



formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Oh, go on, have a P. You'll feel much better afterwards!


Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,361
Members9,182
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 674 guests, and 1 robot.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,557
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,919
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5