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 93 of 126 1 2 91 92 93 94 95 125 126
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
Welcome, AC! An excellent entry into Spateye's Game, if I may say so.

And I'm very glad to see another Brit posting - that makes three of us active at the moment.


I'm immortal until proven otherwise
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,554
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,554
Wait a minute. I thought the rules didn't allow more than two Brits here at a given moment. It's in the book.* shocked

*Three would be too many and one would be too few. laugh

Last edited by jenny jenny; 09/27/12 05:27 PM.
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
We should remember, jj, that it's their language we're wrecking here, so let's make an exception!

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,554
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,554
Well...if you say so, Tromboniator. But somebody ruined Elizabethan English and it sure a hell wasn't we'uns. frown

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
HISTRIONIC – HOARD

My good friends, whenever I’m Bored,
I come and examine this board
Where posts range from moronic
To quite histrionic
With new words - which I add to my hoard.


UDOMETER - ULTRAMARINE

(and the best of luck!)

Last edited by Rhubarb Commando; 09/28/12 10:59 AM.

I'm immortal until proven otherwise
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,554
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,554
The Grand Navy of Poland built a spy submarine
They painted it with water colors - ultramarine
But the test crew did fret
When the ubometer read "wet"
They drowned; either in or out of the ultramarine submarine

UDOMETER - ULTRAMARINE

Last edited by jenny jenny; 09/29/12 06:19 AM.
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
quote from Rhubarb Commando~
"UDOMETER - ULTRAMARINE

(and the best of luck!)"

Ha....I dont think jj needed it wink
super rhyming jenny...I love the idea of watercolour camourflage paint.

Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 14
stranger
Offline
stranger
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 14
Rhubarb Commando's quite right that the grey squirrel has been set to eliminate the native (and seemingly less agressive) red in the UK for many years, thwarted so far I guess mostly by mankind's benevolent intervention.

I heard relatively recently of a another European (Spanish?) mutant of 'our' grey squirrel appearing in the UK, which is even more aggressive, and threatens genetically to displace the existing greys by interbreeding. I have not heard if this enhances the threat to the native reds.

Isn't nature (by this I mean evolution, with its preference for the best fitting genetic variant) (literally) wonderful?

This obliquely leads me to a very personal 'bee in the bonnet', namely the woefully inadequate (and I think misleading) ways in which the harsh reality and impersonality of genetic selection that happens in the evolutionary process, has been explained by so-called experts in the media, even by our much admired uncle of evolution, David Attenborough. I personally deplore such dumbing down of vitally important concepts.

In general, it is often claimed that "such and such a species does this because it affords such and such an advantage", as though the individual creature can anticipate that such and such a behaviour will afford an advantage. This has to be nonsense, except in the instances of more 'intelligent' creatures - it can only be through many fortuitous iterations of a given behaviour, resulting in a statistically greater number of individuals surviving to pass on their genes, that the behaviour in question may become 'incorporated' in that species' genetic package to be passed on, and exhibited 'naturally'.

I'm sorry to wander off the central thrust of the thread, and step onto my own particular soap-box (a happily compatible conjunction of cliches), but I am hoping this may become a suitable point for discussion by comparison and contrast.

Views, anyone?

Sam


"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" - 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter'.
Dante (Durante degli) Alighieri, "La Divina Commedia", "Inferno", c 1308-1321
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Just a thought on your image "bee in a bonnet".
Back in the day I saw a nun with those medieval
starched wimples and headgear acquire a bee in hers.
She had to completely dismantle the thing to remove
the bee, and to much embarrassment I might add.


----please, draw me a sheep----
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
Sam says << ... it can only be through many fortuitous iterations of a given behaviour, resulting in a statistically greater number of individuals surviving to pass on their genes, that the behaviour in question may become 'incorporated' in that species' genetic package to be passed on, ...>>

True, but it is, of course these adventitious 'advantages' which make the individuals more likely to survive, prosper, and see off rivals in the mating process, which makes it more likely that those genetic advantages do get passed on.

Now - back to the thread!

What are your two words, jj?


I'm immortal until proven otherwise
Page 93 of 126 1 2 91 92 93 94 95 125 126

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
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