Unusual or unfamilar word or phrase?

Taylor514ce · 05-08-2008, 06:55 PM

If you're anything like me (well, for starters, may God have mercy on your soul, and how do you mitigate the Carbatrol side effects?), you've read so much that coming across a word or phrase you've never seen before is a rare delight.

So that's the thread, folks. What word or phrase in your recent reading (and let's except this site itself, or we'll all be quoting Cthulu and montsnmags) did you have to look up, or divine the denotation from context?

I'll start:

1. Freudian katzenjammer
2. ...her usual cryptomammary suits...

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 06:56 PM

and what are you reading, exactly ?

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 06:58 PM

floccinaucinihilipilification.
no lie. i wrote it down and promised myself i would memorize it.

i've got a few excellent new words (as well as thrillingly brilliant turns of phrases) in the book i'm reading at the moment (l'élégance du hérisson), but they are in french, so i suppose they don't count.

badgoodDeb · 05-08-2008, 07:00 PM

AHEM!!! I think we should be required to post the definitions too.

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 07:00 PM

oh sorry, was that a bit abstruse ?

floccinaucinihilipilification
"action or habit of estimating as worthless," 1741, a combination of four Latin words (flocci, nauci, nihili, pilifi) all signifying "at a small price" or "for nothing," which were listed together in a rule of the well-known Eton Latin Grammar. The kind of jocular formation that was possible among educated men in Britain in those days. Just so, as in praesenti, the opening words of mnemonic lines on conjugation in Lilley's 16c. Latin grammar, could stand alone as late as 19c. and be understood to mean "rudiments of Latin."

Taylor514ce · 05-08-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

and what are you reading, exactly ?

The Book of Air and Shadows, from which both of my contributions were taken. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, as not only is it relevant to so much here (one of the protagonists is an IP lawyer, another a clerk at a rare book store), but it's very well-written, witty, and well, though I might be revealing too much, the IP lawyer's reactions to and thoughts on women might be taken from my own mind.

Taylor514ce · 05-08-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

AHEM!!! I think we should be required to post the definitions too.

Oh, I disagree! Where's the fun in that?

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 07:06 PM

aha ! well now i'm convinced. it looked good when you first mentioned it and if you like it now that you're reading it it's on my list (in a good way).

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Oh, I disagree! Where's the fun in that?

sorry ! should i go back and edit mine out ?

Taylor514ce · 05-08-2008, 07:09 PM

When have I ever been able to exert any control over "my" threads? Look what's happened with my "naming" thread. No, just go ahead and do your thing, and I'll try to keep up, as always.

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 07:11 PM

see, now you should have been more precise about the rules in your first post. i may have trouble with "authority figures", but i respect my equals.

Patricia · 05-08-2008, 07:12 PM

I keep having to look up 'Syzygy' because it has so many meanings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygy

Isn't it a pretty word? I believe that it and 'rhythm' are the longest English words without vowels. And I like z's.

zelda_pinwheel · 05-08-2008, 07:14 PM

i'm a fan of the letter "z" as well. must be my slavic ancestry.

Taylor514ce · 05-08-2008, 07:15 PM

Wonderful! Yes, I admit a fondness for Z as well. (Dang, she beat me to it... let it stand, though, let it stand.) Now children, I must be gone for approximately the next 18 hours. Listen to NatCh, he's in charge. Do not feed the squirrels.

badgoodDeb · 05-08-2008, 07:23 PM

Nor feed the guerillas or the gorrillas (Marc!)

So, planethead --- are you goin through ORD this time???

05-08-2008, 06:55 PM	#1
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Unusual or unfamilar word or phrase? If you're anything like me (well, for starters, may God have mercy on your soul, and how do you mitigate the Carbatrol side effects?), you've read so much that coming across a word or phrase you've never seen before is a rare delight. So that's the thread, folks. What word or phrase in your recent reading (and let's except this site itself, or we'll all be quoting Cthulu and montsnmags) did you have to look up, or divine the denotation from context? I'll start: 1. Freudian katzenjammer 2. ...her usual cryptomammary suits...

05-08-2008, 07:00 PM	#5
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	oh sorry, was that a bit abstruse ? floccinaucinihilipilification "action or habit of estimating as worthless," 1741, a combination of four Latin words (flocci, nauci, nihili, pilifi) all signifying "at a small price" or "for nothing," which were listed together in a rule of the well-known Eton Latin Grammar. The kind of jocular formation that was possible among educated men in Britain in those days. Just so, as in praesenti, the opening words of mnemonic lines on conjugation in Lilley's 16c. Latin grammar, could stand alone as late as 19c. and be understood to mean "rudiments of Latin." Last edited by zelda_pinwheel; 05-08-2008 at 07:07 PM.

05-08-2008, 07:15 PM	#14
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Wonderful! Yes, I admit a fondness for Z as well. (Dang, she beat me to it... let it stand, though, let it stand.) Now children, I must be gone for approximately the next 18 hours. Listen to NatCh, he's in charge. Do not feed the squirrels. Last edited by Taylor514ce; 05-08-2008 at 07:19 PM.

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05-08-2008, 06:56 PM	#2
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	and what are you reading, exactly ?

05-08-2008, 06:58 PM	#3
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	floccinaucinihilipilification. no lie. i wrote it down and promised myself i would memorize it. i've got a few excellent new words (as well as thrillingly brilliant turns of phrases) in the book i'm reading at the moment (l'élégance du hérisson), but they are in french, so i suppose they don't count.

05-08-2008, 07:00 PM	#4
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,539 Karma: 64201357 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	AHEM!!! I think we should be required to post the definitions too.

05-08-2008, 07:06 PM	#8
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	aha ! well now i'm convinced. it looked good when you first mentioned it and if you like it now that you're reading it it's on my list (in a good way).

05-08-2008, 07:09 PM	#10
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	When have I ever been able to exert any control over "my" threads? Look what's happened with my "naming" thread. No, just go ahead and do your thing, and I'll try to keep up, as always.

05-08-2008, 07:11 PM	#11
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	see, now you should have been more precise about the rules in your first post. i may have trouble with "authority figures", but i respect my equals.

05-08-2008, 07:12 PM	#12
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I keep having to look up 'Syzygy' because it has so many meanings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygy Isn't it a pretty word? I believe that it and 'rhythm' are the longest English words without vowels. And I like z's.

05-08-2008, 07:14 PM	#13
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	i'm a fan of the letter "z" as well. must be my slavic ancestry.

05-08-2008, 07:23 PM	#15
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,539 Karma: 64201357 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Nor feed the guerillas or the gorrillas (Marc!) So, planethead --- are you goin through ORD this time???

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