AWADmail Issue 214
June 18, 2006
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: Anu Garg (gargATwordsmith.org)
Subject: Interesting stories from the net
Linguistics, Anybody?
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?article_class=5&no=298224&rel_no=1
http://tinyurl.com/hevq9
God is in the Translation:
http://nytimes.com/2006/06/16/us/16mass.html?ex=1308110400&en=7e2e24f40bea0480&ei=5090
http://tinyurl.com/htz7q
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From: Tim Kreider (timothykreiderATaol.com)
Subject: Fear and Desire
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/erythrophobia.html
"Fear and Desire" is, in fact, the title of Stanley Kubrick's first,
impossible-to-see, feature-length film.
----------------------------
From: Lee Anne Bowie (bowie.laATgmail.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--erythrophobia
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/erythrophobia.html
Don't forget red herring, and red light districts, and red marks on
school papers, and the color of blood and inflammation, and "seeing
red", and red tide, and "red sky in morning, sailors take warning...."
And to think that in some languages red is equated with beautiful, as
in red lips, and red roses, and "red sky at night, sailors'
delight...."
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From: Lori Renner (lrennerATarcca.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--nostomania
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/nostomania.html
Otherwise known as Friday at 3:00 p.m.
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From: (petershapiroATcomcast.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--theomania
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/theomania.html
My father, a psychiatrist, used to tell me about a study called The Three
Christs of Ypsilanti, in which three inmates at the Michigan State asylum,
all of whom suffered from this particular syndrome, were placed in a room
together to see how they would interact. Unfortunately he never did tell
me what happened. Maybe someday I'll get hold of the book and find out.
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From: Jonathan Jackson (accountantATtotalfitness.org)
Subject: theomania
For one moment I thought that word-a-day had got caught up in the fantastic
spectacle that is the FIFA World Cup currently taking place in Germany.
We in England were subjected to a brief period of 'Theomania' when 17
year old Theo Walcott was selected to play for England at the World Cup
before even playing a senior game for his own club, Arsenal.
However, this has now been replaced by an unhealthy obsession with another
player, Wayne Rooney, in what has been described as 'Roo-fever' and the
latest football inspired-dance craze ; the 'crouchbop'. (don't ask!)
I guess in America this makes no sense at all but confirms that language
continues to grow everyday.
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From: Pedra Diaz (pedro.diazATlecroy.com)
Subject: phobia
Phobaphobia is the fear of acquiring a phobia.
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From: Rhana Bazzini (rhanaATatt.net)
Subject: Words and meanings
I've been meaning to tell this story for ages and am just getting
around to it.
Many years ago when I was teaching first grade in a small town in
CT. I had an epiphany......I think I can call it that. It was a time
when Julie Andrews's movie "Mary Poppins" came out and everyone was
fascinated with the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. My first
graders just loved to say it. I thought this a great opportunity to
introduce new words to the children.
Toward the end of each day when the children were a bit tired and
restless I'd put a new word on the board, show then a picture
illustrating the word and ask them what they thought it meant. I was
introducing the word grotesque with a picture of an angler fish,
very grotesque to most people :-) The hands went up with words like
ugly, horrible, scary etc. I noticed one of my brightest students
sitting at her desk with a very puzzled expression on her face.
Cynthia, what's the matter I asked. Well, Mrs Bazzini everyone is
saying such mean things about him and I think he's beautiful.
The eye of the beholder. One of those priceless "teacher" moments.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
............................................................................
A man who uses a great many words to express his meaning is like a bad
marksman who, instead of aiming a single stone at an object, takes up
a handful and throws at it in hopes he may hit. -Samuel Johnson,
lexicographer (1709-1784)
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