|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Orrery An astronomical toy to show the relative movements of the planets, etc., invented by George Graham, who sent his model to Rowley, an instrument maker, to make one for Prince Eugéne. Rowley made a copy of it for Charles Boyle, third Earl of Orrery, and Sir Richard Steele named it an orrery out of compliment to the earl. One of the best is Fulton's, in Kelvin Grove Museum, West End Park, Glasgow.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Orts Crumbs; refuse. (Low German, ort- i.e. what is left after eating.) I shall not eat your orts- i.e. your leavings.
On Boston radio there used to be ads for "Ort's Grille" I was not tempted to patronize it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Osprey or Ospray (a corruption of Latin Ossifragus the bone-breaker). The fish-eagle, or fishing hawk (Pandion haeliaetis).
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
A famous literary hoax.
Ossian The son of Fingal, a Scottish warrior-bard who lived in the third century. The poems called Ossian's Pooms were first published by James M'Pherson in 1760, and professed to be translations from Erse manuscripts collected in the Highlands. This is not true. M'Pherson no doubt based the poems on traditions, but not one of them is a translation of an Erse manuscript; and so far as they are Ossianic at all, they are Irish, and not Scotch
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
A contradiction
Ostler jocosely said to be derived from oat-stealer, but actually from the French hostelier, an innkeeper.
hos[tler 7h9s4l!r, 9s$38 n. 5contr. of HOSTELER6 1 a person who takes care of horses at an inn, stable, etc.; groom >2 a person who services a truck or a railroad engine at the end of a run 3 [Obs.] an innkeeper
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Ostracis'm Oyster-shelling, black-balling, or expelling. Clisthenes gave the people of Attica the power of removing from the state, without making a definite charge, any leader of the people likely to subvert the government. Each citizen wrote his vote on an earthen. ware table (ostracon), whence the term.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I wonder how Brewer a hundred years ago would repeat this stupid hoax:
Ostrich When hunted the ostrich is said to run a certain distance and then thrust its head into a bush, thinking, because it cannot see, that it cannot be seen by the hunters. (See Crocodile. )
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Brewer's take on retirement:
O'tium cum Dig [dignitate ]. Retirement after a person has given up business and has saved enough to live upon in comfort. The words are Latin, and mean “retirement with honour.” They are more frequently used in jest, familiarity, and ridicule.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Oui (French for “yes”). A contraction of Hoc illud. Thus, hoc-ill', ho'-il, o'il, oïl, oï, oui.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Outis (Greek, nobody). A name assumed by Odysseus in the cave of Polyphemos. When the monster roared with the pain from the loss of his eye, his brother giants demanded from a distance who was hurting him: “Nobody,” thundered out Polyphemos, and his companions went their way. Odysseus in Latin is Ulysses.
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,345
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
718
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|