AWADmail Issue 140
October 24, 2004
A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day
and Other Interesting Tidbits about Words and Languages
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From: Patricia Smith (patriciassmith1ATcs.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--stump speech
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/stump_speech.html
In the frontier days of the US when the forests were being cleared, the
settlers gathered in a clearing and the politician stood on a tree stump
so he could be seen and heard. A lot of drawings are floating around of
Abraham Lincoln standing on stump. I think one of my early history books
had such a pix.
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From: John Ryan (johnryan4ATearthlink.net)
Subject: stump speech
When Ole Gene Talmadge campaigned for governor and senator in Georgia in
the 1930s and the 1940s, the woods had been so denuded that he had to
take a portable stump with him to some venues.
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From: Ronda McDiarmid-Reid (rmcdiarmidATshaw.ca)
Subject: Make your vote count
As a non-American - but a North American (yes, Canadian), I cannot
tell you how many people I have had political discussions with in the
previous four weeks about the American election - and how we all figure
that we should be allowed to vote in this election. This decision can
and will affect my life, just as much as it will affect the citizens
of the USA. Making an informed decision and voting is a precious
commodity that many do not understand the value.
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From: Marvant Duhon (mduhonATbluemarble.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--October surprise
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/october_surprise.html
I grew up in Louisiana, and my family paid considerable interest to
politics. The term "October Surprise" was in use for practices
throughout the South from the 1960's (I would not know about earlier)
onward. The commonest forms were the "Saturday Night Surprise" where
fliers were put in mail boxes and the "Sunday Morning Surprise" where
they were put on cars during church services, generally on the last
weekend or two before the election. Typically there would be a
revelation of a miscegenational nature, such as black ancestry or another
mixed race ancestry. It has not been that long since the Bush campaign
smashed John McCain (who did not realize that he had to make a prominent
denial to such trash) in a presidential primary by a "Sunday Morning
Surprise" that claimed his adopted daughter was a "mixed race love child".
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From: Macklin Smith (macklinsATumich.edu)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--heretic
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/heretic.html
I think of heresy, heretically, as the losing side in a religious
controversy. It is a good thing to be reminded of the etymology, from
Greek, in the verb "to choose".
Heretics have had their books--or even their bodies--burned for
promulgating such ideas as: we are born naturally good, not stained by
sin (Pelagius); the bread and wine of the Eucharist are symbolic, not
substantial (certain university professors); it is a worthy thing to
translate the Bible into English (John Wycliffe).
The orthodox opinion, of course, is that orthodoxy is divinely sanctioned.
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From: Lisa Aziz-zadeh (lsaATucla.edu)
Subject: anagram experts needed
We are doing a brain mapping (fMRI) study on anagrams and creativity and
need anagram experts to participate. The study is located in West Los
angeles, and starts immediately. You must be right handed and a native
English speaker to participate. you will be compensated $25/hr for your
time. If you live in los angeles and are interested, please let me know
if you are interested ASAP.
............................................................................
By words the mind is winged. -Aristophanes, dramatist (c. 448-385 BCE)
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