AWADmail Issue 188
November 26, 2005
A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day
and Other Interesting Tidbits about Words and Languages
----------------------------
From: Anu Garg (gargATwordsmith.org)
Subject: The gift of words
This holiday season, why not make a gift of words? Here are four suggestions:
Books:
Another Word A Day : http://wordsmith.org/awad/book2.html
A Word A Day : http://wordsmith.org/awad/book.html
Newsletters:
A.Word.A.Day Premium : http://wordsmith.org/awad/premium-gift.html
A.Word.A.Day : http://wordsmith.org/awad/gift-sub.html
----------------------------
From: Viktor Trukov (viktortrukovATgmail.com)
Subject: cold bight
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/bight.html
About the foreword on cold weather (-5C / 23F), guess that brought
association with frost "bight" ;-).
In Central Siberia (Divnogorsk city, 30 thousand people), Russia, where
I grew up, we have a "slightly" different perception of cold. Also we never
added wind chill factor, only saying "with wind, or "without wind". We loved
winter as much as other seasons, waiting anxiously for the first snow to
fall. In addition to regular winter activities, one of the fun things to do
was to build snow houses, making tunnels in deep snow and jumping into the
snow from roofs.
So, our Siberian cold scale would look like this:
-5C / 23F = considered very warm, comfortable winter temperature. Nobody
would put on two pairs or sets of any clothing to play outside for hours.
-10C / 14F = warm, comfortable, still not warranting double layers of
clothing. No restriction on time to play outside, except for completion of
school homework.
-15C / 5F = cool, some scared souls might put double layers, most mothers
would pressure kids to put on more clothes.
-20C / -4F = chilly, most kids go play outside double-layered.
-30C / -22F = cold ('moroz' in Russian), kids go outside double- and
triple-layered, and play only for short time, go home to warm up only when
absolutely necessary (it's dangerous - mothers might not allow you to
go out and play again.
-40C / -40F = very cold (strong 'moroz'), very few kids allowed by mothers
to go play outside, multi-layered, but you haven't many partners to play
with... School gets cancelled, but half of the kids will show up anyway and
will have fun on a school day.
-50C / -58F = ... Relax, I never had it :-) Never had it below -43C, on
which day, being an adult already, I set my personal record by jumping and
rolling over in the snow, bare na ked, after a sauna.
No level of cold prevented us from regular activities - movies, sport,
visits, etc. Ah, a beautiful time!
----------------------------
From: Larry Bulgier (lwsbulgierATcox.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--bight
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/bight.html
Those lucky enough to be Patrick O'Brien addicts have encountered "Beware
and take care of the Bight of Benin/ There's one comes out for forty go in."
(The jingle was popular in sailing days because of contrary winds.)
----------------------------
From: John Burbidge (burbidgeATcenturytel.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--bight
One of the more well-known bights is The Great Australian Bight, spanning
the southern shores of the Australian continent. Known for its stormy seas,
it has been the bane of many a passenger in the days of sea travel. In
recent years, an Australian confectionery company has promoted a popular
candy bar with the phrase "The Great Australian Bite", exploiting the
homophone for all it's worth.
----------------------------
From: Earl Whitner (earlbwATbigvalley.net)
Subject: bight
On board a ship, when the anchor is let go, "Don't stand in the bight" are
wisely heeded words of warning.
----------------------------
From: Linda Hamilton (njlindahATaol.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--bight
Elizabeth Bishop has a wonderful poem titled "The Bight", which has a lengthy
metaphor on the word "bight", comparing it to one's reaching middle age.
http://poetryconnection.net/poets/Elizabeth_Bishop/62
----------------------------
From: James Getaz (jamesgetazATverizon.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--copse
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/copse.html
A 60s' riddle using slang that is obsolete was:
Q. What did Lady Macbeth say to her husband when she saw Birnam Wood
approaching Dunsinane Castle?
A. Cheese it, the copse!
----------------------------
From: David Tuggy (david_tuggyATsil.org)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--succor
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/succor.html
I remember when I was a child hearing of an American millionaire who paid
for the restoration of an historic British church which had been damaged
in the Blitz. During the reconsecration ceremony, which the millionaire
attended, the vicar was expressing to God his gratitude for the American's
aid, but the words he chose were unfortunate: "Lord, how we thank Thee for
this succour from abroad." The American stood up and walked out of the
church, deeply offended.
Whether or not it actually happened just that way, it's a good story!
----------------------------
From: Ajit Thyagarajan (ajitATbrookmoor.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--succor
This word has been part of my vocabulary since my first grade, when I
joined the infamous Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (OLPS) High School in
Chembur, Bombay. You can well imagine the homophonic humiliation we had
to endure from kids at the other schools.
----------------------------
From: Christine Simm (christinesimmATcomcast.net)
Subject: succor
I'm in a drama club at my school, and we had just finished Shakespeare's
As You Like It. There's a scene in Act 2, Scene 4, where Rosalind
(disguised as Ganymede) introduces her cousin, Celia (disguised as Aliena),
as "a young maid with travel much oppressed. And faints for succor."
During one of the many rehearsals prior to our show, Celia threw in, just
before Corin's line, "You callin' me sucka?" Our director liked it so much,
we left it in.
----------------------------
From: William S. Haubrich, MD (willhaubATaol.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--auricle
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/auricle.html
It is true that the name for the auricular appendage of the cardiac atrium
is taken from the Latin word for "little ear". But the structure bears no
resemblance to the human ear. Rather, its shape is that of the small, floppy
ear of a puppy-dog; hence, the origin of the term.
----------------------------
From: James O. Kimmel (w8fejimATgo-concepts.com)
Subject: Re: Too many words?
When someone complains of "too many words" I can only recall the movie
"Amadeus", and the scene where a very young Mozart plays a composition for
the King of Prussia who fancies himself a great musician and music critic.
After an inspired performance by the young genius he tells Mozart that he
doesn't like it because it has "too many notes". It showed the difference
between an indulged hack who would be ignored save for the crown he wore,
and a genius whose notes were so perfectly counted by his talent.
----------------------------
From: Veronica St.Claire (glarpATearthlink.net)
Subject: Appreciation
My cousin Keith's daughter Laura who is 17 and about to enter Oxford next
year absolutely adores Wordsmith. Her Father tells me that she files each
day's word for reference. This is a young woman who has had enormous
academic success (was in the top five students, i.e. one of the five top
students, in the UK out of 363,368 students a year ago and then last year
achieved a near record for her entrance exams to Oxford). I don't have to
tell you that she craves challenge and your effort each day is just what she
loves. Thanks a lot!
............................................................................
Words strain, / Crack and sometimes break, under the burden, / Under the
tension, slip, slide, perish, / Decay with imprecision, will not stay in
place, / Will not stay still. -T.S. Eliot, poet (1888-1965)
Send your comments to wordsATwordsmith.org. To subscribe, unsubscribe, update
address, gift subscription, visit http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscriber.html
This message was sent to "[email protected]".
