AWADmail Issue 220
July 30, 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: Catherine Bolton (translationsATbolton.it)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--roscian
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/roscian.html
Interestingly enough, I recently finished a translation (Italian-to-English)
about the city of Amelia (Roman Ameria, in central Italy) and one of its
citizens, Sextus Roscius, who was defended by Cicero. (The oration is
"Pro Sex. Roscio Amerino M. Tulli Ciceronis Oratio".)
Sextus Roscius was wrongly accused of parricide by one of Sulla's favorite
freedmen. The case became famous because Cicero not only managed to get
Roscius acquitted, but during the trial he also refused to be intimidated
by the fact that one of Sulla's men was involved.
This was Cicero's very first "causa publica" or criminal case, and he became
an overnight success because of it.
It seems that the name Roscius brought him luck!
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From: Dave Zobel (zobeldaveATaol.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--hermeneutic
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/hermeneutic.html
In Woody Allen's short story "The UFO Menace" (anthologized in Side Effects,
1981), a Louisiana factory worker uses this word to describe his close
encounter of the third kind: "Roy and I was catfishing in the bog. I enjoy
the bog, as does Roy. We was not drinking..." A glowing spacecraft appears
and is mistaken by Roy for a whooping crane. "I said, 'Roy, that ain't no
crane, 'cause it's got no beak.'" Aliens lure the speaker onboard and
subject him to a physical examination. "I went along with it, as I had not
had a checkup in two years. By now they had mastered my own language, but
they still made simple mistakes like using 'hermeneutics', when they meant
'heuristic'."
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From: Daniel Eisenberg (daniel.eisenbergATbigfoot.com)
Subject: Re: AWADmail Issue 219 - Charles V quotation
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/awad/awadmail219.html
As a Hispanist who has done a lot of work on the Spanish sixteenth century,
I very much suspect that the quotation attributed to Charles V is apocryphal.
It doesn't sound like him (or any king) at all. Also, "asuntos de hombres"
is not something a Spanish speaker would say; it sounds like a translation
from the French "affaires des hommes". There were very few if any
Italian-speaking "damas" in Charles V's court.
There is a similar proverb or saying in French: "l'italien on chant, le
français on parle, l'anglais on crache, l'allemand on vomite."
"Italian is sung, French is spoken, English is spit, and German is vomited."
(Not positive of the spelling, French isn't my primary language.)
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From: Saralee Etter (setterATreadingrecovery.org)
Subject: schlub vs. slub
In AWADmail Issue 219, Tracey Johnston called the lumps on yarn "schlubs".
I believe she means "slubs".
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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 Julia 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 them a picture
illustrating the word and ask 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.
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From: Linda Scott (asleepyheadATyahoo.com)
Subject: AWAD...creative ideas wanted
I have enjoyed receiving AWAD very much, but at times been perplexed as to
the best way to use the words. At times I have inserted the words into a
word processing document, printed them and made up a list I use to test
myself later. This morning, before coffee, no less, I was wondering, how
about throwing the question out to the other readers... "How do you use AWAD?"
I would love to read some creative ideas, wouldn't you?
Now, for some coffee...and my AWAD list!
There are many ongoing works based on words from AWAD. There is
an ongoing serial soap-opera, a limerick list, games, and more.
See http://wordsmith.org/awad/derivatives.html
Also, chat on the bulletin board: http://wordsmith.org/board
-Anu Garg
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From: Eric Shackle (eshackleATozemail.com.au)
Subject: Eponyms
Another eponym is Helenism (not to be confused with Hellenism with two Ls),
a word coined by witty New York computer guru, Steve R. White, to describe
his wife Helen's hilarious mixed metaphors. A list of Helenisms is featured
in the August edition of my free e-book, http://bdb.co.za/shackle
............................................................................
A word has its use, / Or, like a man, it will soon have a grave. -Edwin
Arlington Robinson, poet (1869-1935)
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