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 2 1 2
#204948 02/28/12 02:01 PM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1
M
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
M
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1
Also derived from "bous" is the endearing nickname Bossie for a cow.

MitchellB #204955 03/01/12 03:47 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
I like that! Thanks, and welcome aBoard.

MitchellB #205032 03/05/12 03:12 PM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5
stranger
Offline
stranger
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5
I liked finding out that buos was the actual word for ox. It helps make sense of boustrophedon, as the ox plows. I teach typography, and boustrophedic is how we describe the way ancient scripts were written in times before most cultures decided on a regular way to put down words on paper (such as we do, from left to right, and then down to the next line, and then from left to right again). Many cultures wrote in boustrophedic fashion.

Bezerkazoid #205035 03/05/12 03:34 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,917
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,917
Likes: 2
Interesting fact, yes, one which I had placed on the
back burner until you brought it up. Thanks.


----please, draw me a sheep----
MitchellB #205043 03/06/12 02:38 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
tsuwm! One more time, please? [batting eyelashes e]

Bezerkazoid #205044 03/06/12 03:54 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Originally Posted By: Bezerkazoid
Many cultures wrote in boustrophedic fashion.


or perhaps, better, boustrophedonic

(I don't suppose I addressed your question, J.)

tsuwm #205054 03/07/12 02:41 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Oh, don't you remember it? Or are you going to make me LIU?

Jackie #205055 03/07/12 04:07 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
oh..
you must be thinking of this (although I don't know what made me think of it, given your vague reference..)

Strange new words I relish,
Like nectar or tonic.
I now know my line printer
Is boustrophedonic.


and I also recall that, when this was posted wayback in 2002 (or so), we hashed out that line printers didn't really print boustrophedonically. (they had to reverse the letters in the reversed path so you could actually read them! but still..)

tsuwm #205056 03/07/12 12:48 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Originally Posted By: tsuwm
we hashed out that line printers didn't really print boustrophedonically. (they had to reverse the letters in the reversed path so you could actually read them! but still..)


Back when I was a kid, when line printers were line printers, they didn't print anything like boustrophedonically. They printed a whole line at once. They had 80 type wheels that lined up to the characters that were to be printed and then, Wham! they printed the whole line. Kids these days don't know what it was like back in the Golden Age.

tsuwm #205063 03/08/12 03:45 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Ohh-hhh, thank you! And gosh, yes, if I see boustro- anything, I have to see/hear the rhythm of that little verse!

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,338
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 (), 651 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 10,544
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,917
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