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 4 of 4 1 2 3 4
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 631
Hydra Offline OP
addict
OP Offline
addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 631
 Originally Posted By: BranShea
"a dream-wide street with droshkies all awry under incredibly blue skies, which, farther away, melt automatically into a pink flush of memorous banality".

And never needed no better word.


It still feels like a last resort to me, but perhaps that's because mnemonics is a little hobby of mine. I can't read the word without thinking of such things as the Master Peg System, or the loci method of Simonides, and whathaveyou.

Who knows. Perhaps Nabokov would have preferred tswum's memorous. (He was no stranger to obscure words!)

Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Mnemonic is about the odd object, perfumes, shreds of music that bring back strong, unexpected and complex memories. I think an old postcard, a madelaine biscuit, a passing little breath (breeze?)of air, a sound - can do that wonderfully.
I like that word mnemonic since I came to know it.

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
an old fart

In Bog Latin mayhaps, and that was my intention. Latin flatus 'breathing; wind; snorting' is one of those medical Latin euphemisms.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
a madelaine biscuit

"Proust, in his first book, wrote about, wrote about ..." (A script and a video.)


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
It's allright.

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
 Originally Posted By: BranShea
("a dream-wide street with droshkies all awry under incredibly blue skies, which, farther away, melt automatically into a pink flush of mnemonic banality"),

And never needed no better word.


To this native speaker it clashes too harshly with the more common noun meaning of mnemonic that Hydra and others speak of.

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
I think it would unclash with rapidic sonority.


formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 155
M
member
Offline
member
M
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 155
“Rapidic” sonority? Is that the sound of one hand clapping fast?

Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
 Originally Posted By: etaoin
I think it would unclash with rapidic sonority.


But does it clash with rabinic seniority? rabidic slobberity? raponic salacinority?

Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 631
Hydra Offline OP
addict
OP Offline
addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 631
 Originally Posted By: zmjezhd
a madelaine biscuit

"Proust, in his first book, wrote about, wrote about ..." (A script and a video.)


That's for sending me off on a two hour Monty Python viewing marathon zmjezhd!

(Curse YouTube's related videos window).

Page 4 of 4 1 2 3 4

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,317
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 (), 583 guests, and 1 robot.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,534
LukeJavan8 9,916
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