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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724 |
> I have a friend who speaks and writes using nonce words like this; words like 'contravivulated' and 'goofaglarbian' and 'slipshodderiness'
How would he use Goofaglarbian?
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
I like this word, and I cannot help myself from offering the Italian word Scombussolato which sounds so similar, and has also the same meaning... Scombussolato means - for example - someone which lost ( the way shown from ) the compass, since compass = bussola. Incidentally, I am always wondering if it is not confusing to use the same word compass in English in 2 ways compass (=Italian bussola) giving North compass (=italian compasso) drawing circles. Ciao Emanuela
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
it's a noun, used in the sense of a solecism. "I am perplexed by this apparent goofaglarbian." -jmh [John, not Jo]
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
if it is not confusing to use the same word compass in English in 2 ways
It sure can be, E.--For ex., the sentence, "I used a compass" requires some context in order for us to know which instrument was meant.
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724 |
"I am perplexed by this apparent goofaglarbian." Nice.
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
When I was a small boy, my English nanny used nonsense words which sounded German, e.g. when one was so tired as to fall asleep in the chair, one was gazor'nenpflap.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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Gazornen something or other, what was it? Gazornenplatz seems most likely but where did I hear it and what did it mean? Well, to be orthographically correct it should be Gesornenplatz
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
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Or more likely gesnorenplop???
TEd
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Isn't the hinged instrument for drawing circles a pair of compasses? Of course you could just draw round the rim of direction-finder.
Bingley
Bingley
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Isn't the hinged instrument for drawing circles a pair of compasses?
Not here. Both I and my children were told to buy a compass and protractor for math class.
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