05-09-2008, 09:44 AM | #31 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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heh. i thought it was "vestigial virgins" for a long time too.
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05-09-2008, 09:52 AM | #32 |
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I have for a very long time used defenestrate to test dictionaries.
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05-09-2008, 09:54 AM | #33 |
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05-09-2008, 09:54 AM | #34 |
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Any dictionary that survives the action must be hefty enough to contain all the words you need? Hopefully you haven't killed any passing cats.
Back to task, a word I found in "Chaos" by James Gleick I loved well enough to use it whenever I can (even previously on MR): quasiperiodicity Last edited by Taylor514ce; 05-09-2008 at 10:23 AM. |
05-09-2008, 09:58 AM | #35 | |
Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah!
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Quote:
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05-09-2008, 10:03 AM | #36 |
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Syzygy is a german new media agency!
http://www.syzygy.de/ Katzenjammer? Miau Actually I just wanted to subscribe to this thread Last edited by mores; 05-09-2008 at 10:03 AM. Reason: missed a "a" |
05-09-2008, 10:04 AM | #37 |
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I am laughing at my own joke (again). I picture tompe sitting at his desk with a large stack of ponderous dictionaries, methodically "testing" them... cut to the scene outside the building, the scattering passerby, the screech of an unfortunate cat (katzenjammer!), the taxi run into the fire hydrant, and the one young man holding a test victim and saying, "so that's what that means".
Do we have any cartoonists in the house? The above, with the caption quoting tompe, "I have for a very long time used defenestrate to test dictionaries.". My spleen aches. Last edited by Taylor514ce; 05-09-2008 at 10:35 AM. |
05-09-2008, 10:06 AM | #38 |
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Knowledge of Latin is a huge help in understanding words. The other day, for example, I came across a word that I'd never seen before: "adjuvant". Thanks to my knowledge of Latin, though, I knew immediately what it meant.
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05-09-2008, 10:06 AM | #39 |
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I have always wondered if "arachibutyrophobia" is a real word or just contructed from parts for one book (which book?).
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05-09-2008, 10:08 AM | #40 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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05-09-2008, 10:12 AM | #41 | |
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Quote:
- Mandelbrot set - strange attractor - bifurcation parameters and best of all - Brownian motion Phew! Is it hot in here? I think I need to have a sit down and a nice cup of tea. Cheers, Marc |
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05-09-2008, 10:13 AM | #42 |
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Well, arachibutyrophobia is not an actual phobia, but I came across anachrophobia and anoraknophobia whilst wikiing it, so that's all right, then.
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05-09-2008, 10:15 AM | #43 |
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Marc, you're obviously suffering from sensitive dependence on initial conditions.
HarryT, it can be a mixed blessing. For example, the word "dependence" above. It usually brings mental images of the unfortunately named "Depends" adult diapers. Seriously, no one on that product marketing team ever took Latin? Last edited by Taylor514ce; 05-09-2008 at 10:17 AM. |
05-09-2008, 10:22 AM | #44 |
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05-09-2008, 10:26 AM | #45 |
Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah!
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Wait! Update on arachibutyrophobia : It does exist, from the Modesty Blaise series. Talk about recursive allocutions.
Last edited by pshrynk; 05-09-2008 at 10:52 AM. |
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hugo and lefty, words |
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