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#76794 07/25/02 05:24 PM
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Overture A piece of music for the opening of a concert. To “make an overture to a person” is to be the
first to make an advance either towards a reconciliation or an acquaintance. (French, ouverture, opening.)



#76795 07/25/02 05:29 PM
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Owen Meredith Robert Bulwer Lytton."It was a dark and srormy night......."


#76796 07/25/02 05:39 PM
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Owen Meredith Robert Bulwer Lytton."It was a dark and srormy night......."


Why? Why Bulwer Lytton? Why does this Meredith get this credit? What am I missing here, Dr. Bill?


#76797 07/25/02 06:02 PM
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Dear WW: AnnaStrophic dearly loves Bulwer-Lytton. She goes into raptures every time
she hears "it was a dark and stormy night...." Don't you, AS?

Well, actually, she loathes him. I guess the Owen Meredith might have been a pen-name.
But the guy inherited big, and made a name change I am hazy about now.

http://www.bartleby.com/100/559.html

http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/


#76798 07/26/02 10:04 AM
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>>....soldiers and sailors may simply declare their wish by word of mouth.
British soldiers who go on a tour of Northern Ireland must make out a written will.


I would have expected a written will to be very strongly recommended, if not obligatory, for all servicemen. Same applies to any high-risk job.

The nunccupative option is mostly of historical value I expect, as employers (including the armed forces) have legal obligations for the welfare of their employees these days.



#76799 07/26/02 10:13 AM
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A contraction of Hoc illud. Thus, hoc-ill', ho'-il, o'il, oïl, oï, oui

So Hoc illud is simply an overlong way of saying "yes"?

Could one of our resident Latin scholars translate, please?

And what's "yes" a shortening of, then?

It seems very strange that simple affirmation should ever require more than one word, especially when one of them has more than one syllable.




#76800 07/26/02 10:17 AM
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A foolish child or dolt is so called from the notion that all idiots are changelings, left by the fairies in the place of the stolen ones

Yeah, it would be nice if they just left one or two real children, wouldn't it?





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