AWADmail Issue 231
October 15, 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: Scott Peterson (scottpeterson prodigy.net)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--panmixia
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/panmixia.html
I think that the word panmixia is indeed about "mixing things in a pan",
at least figuratively speaking. I don't go to singles bars, but I think
panmixia is exactly what one would find there. I do remember "mixers"
ages ago in college, and, well, a different Pan was in evidence there too.
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From: Joe Fleischman (jfleischman wbcm.com)
Subject: panmixia
My immediate thought upon learning this word was of its applicability for
owners of mixed breed dogs. It's far more lofty sounding than the oft-used
"Heinz" (57 varieties), and more prestigious than "mutt". When asked
henceforth of the lineage of my beloved mixed-breed pooch, I shall proudly
declare, "He's a Panmixian."
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From: Charles Plant (cplant dowco.com)
Subject: Words that don't mean what they appear to be
As anyone who has travelled between the lower mainland of British Columbia
and Vancouver Island knows, the main sea route goes through Active Pass,
between Galiano and Mayne islands. The pass has a couple of 'dog legs',
and as boaters know well, the current through it can be quite ferocious.
On a big tide it can be six or seven knots, with overfalls, back eddies,
and the lot. More than one vessel has come to grief here.
The pass was so named, not because of its behaviour, but after the American
steamer USS Active which made the pass in 1855.
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From: Scott Swanson (harview montana.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--officinal
Refer: http://wordsmith.org/words/officinal.html
One often encounters 'officinalis' (or 'officinale' or 'officinarum') in
the Latin ("scientific") names of plants, indicating that they are or
once were commonly used in medicine. 'Melilotus officinalis' (yellow
sweet clover) and 'Salvia officinalis' (common sage) spring immediately
to mind. As usual, of course, one can find a wealth of information online,
and the site http://www.piam.com/mms_garden/officinalis.htm lists all of
the 60 or so plants bearing this species name.
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From: Greg Higby (ghigby mailplus.wisc.edu)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--officinal
In the United States, the term "officinal" became conflated with "official"
after 1820 when the first Pharmacopoeia of the United States (USP) was
published. This book of drug standards established what medicines were
expected to be found in a fully stocked apothecary shop, i.e., officinals.
After this book was adopted as official by governmental units, officinal
and official became more and more interchangeable. Officinal continued to
be used into the twentieth century. In 1888, the American Pharmaceutical
Association published The National Formulary of Unofficinal Preparations
(NF), a collection of recipes for physicians to use in writing
prescriptions. After 1906, when the NF became an official standard under
the Food and Drugs Act, "officinal" was dropped from the book's title and
faded from common use among health practitioners.
Gregory J. Higby, Ph.D., R.Ph.
Executive Director
American Institute of the History of Pharmacy
University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
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From: George Singer (ashleybkco aol.com)
Subject: officinal
The Latin root "officina" has found an hospitable home in the fine
printing area in its original meaning of "workshop". In mid-18th century
London, Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill Press was also known as the
Officina Arbuteana. Arguably the best known private press of the 20th
century was the Officina Bodoni, founded in 1922 by a German expatriate
who took the Italian name of Giovanni Mardersteig.
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Words are chameleons, which reflect the color of their environment.
-Learned Hand, jurist (1872-1961)
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