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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819 |
chance medley
Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Don't shoot me, I'm just the piano player."
I wonder if it was originally melee, but got mis-typed as "meley" and then spell-check corrected in "medley." With the ascent of spell check programs, careful proof reading has become a lost art. I find multiple typos in novels and text books all the time, often repeated in subsequent editions.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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until recently, ass(not the animal) would have been considered inappropriate, so ass(the animal-stupid, stubborn) would have been the logical assumption. the relaxing of language rules on American TV reflect a general lowering of "polite" standards.
Onabi, I think you're right about this particular instance, and the duality of "ass" doesn't always work.
formerly known as etaoin...
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addict
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addict
Joined: Dec 2000
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misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance
Have heard malfeasance, but I haven't run across the other two before. So misfeasance is doing something wrong, but not necessarily illegal? And nonfeasance is failing to do something you're supposed to do?
I was hoping that nonfeasance was just a high-falutin' way of saying "Sittin' around not doing a thing," which would be a useful word ("I expect to be managing an unusually heavy load of nonfeasance and other related activities this weekend."), but it appears to be not so broadly applicable.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Or even an ass to be pernickety
Or a ass, if one is quoting Mr Bumble.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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veteran
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veteran
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I was hoping that nonfeasance was just a high-falutin' way of saying "Sittin' around not doing a thing," which would be a useful wordCouldn't agree more, Hyla. Now here's new thread material (certainly in terms of phrases)! Would you care to do the honours? Or are you, like me, busy nonfeasing?  "Nothing in particular is a particularly good thing to do"
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Joined: Jul 2002
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742 |
>I was hoping that nonfeasance was just a high-falutin' way of saying "Sittin' around not doing a thing," which would be a useful word ("I expect to be managing an unusually heavy load of nonfeasance and other related activities this weekend."), but it appears to be not so broadly applicable.
Pish-tosh!! In the case of so excellent an extended meaning as the one you suggest, I say, apply Humpty's glory rule. Nonfeasants of the world unite! or not, if that seems too energetic
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Joined: Oct 2000
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
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Nonfeasants of the world unite!Consider this ayleur on Board, sah
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dulce et decorum est dolce far niente.
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addict
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addict
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I'm in... actually, I have an advanced degree in nonfeasance, after my graduate work in procrastination. 
formerly known as etaoin...
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