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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I should have known it, but didn't: "indigo - 1555, from Sp. indico, Port. endego, and Du. (via Port.) indigo, all from L. indicum, from Gk. indikon, lit. "Indian substance," neut. of indikos "Indian," from India (see India). "
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I should have known it, but didn't
If we'd've thought about everthang we could have known if we'd've thought about it we wouldn't've had time to look everthang up to find out that we were right.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
On knowing - albeit people rather than facts, I do like this:
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less that half of you half as well as you deserve." - Bilbo Baggins
dxb.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
strange coincidence, I found this strange word twice in the last hours. The other one was from a letter of Gustave Flaubert to his sister Caroline (1843), proposing a "mathematical"problem , making a joke about mathematics nonsense-ness
L'age du capitaine (Gustave Flaubert, Lettre à sa soeur Caroline, 1843) Puisque tu fais de la géométrie et de la trigonométrie, je vais te donner un problème: un navire est en mer, il est parti de Boston chargé d'indigo, il jauge deux cents tonneaux, fait voile vers Le Havre, le grand mât est cassé, il y a un mousse sur le gaillard d'avant, les passagers sont au nombre de douze, le vent souffle NNE, l'horloge marque trois heures un quart d'après-midi, on est au mois de mai... On demande l'âge du capitaine.
Since tu are studying geometry and trigonometry, I am going to give you a problem: a ship is in the sea, it left Boston with a load of indigo, the load is two hundreds barrels, it is going to Le Havre, the big mast is broken, there is moss on the prow scaffolding (??), the passengers are twelve, the wind comes from NNE, it is 15.15 in the afternoon, it is may... Which is the age of the captain?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear emanuela: I am completely ignorant of mathematics. But what little I do know suggests very strongly to me that all of the information given is irrelevant towards determining the age of the captain. It is similar to old joke about what time is it when one Ford passes another Ford. The answer to that one is ten past ten. (tin past tin, a sneer at the allegedly flimsy construction of the vehicles.)
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
(tin past tin, a sneer at the allegedly flimsy construction of the vehicles.)FORD F.ound O.n the R.oad D.ead or F.ixed O.r R.epaired D.aily (been hearin' those since I was a kid...some things never change! )
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