Search found 3352 matches
Re: Theory
Reviewing this ancient text, I note that no one juxtaposed thea with theater, which obviously relates to viewing more than to God or gods, though deus ex machina was popular in some ancient plays as well as in todays pyrotechnics.
- Mon Feb 05, 2018 12:39 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: New Verbing?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 25269
Re: New Verbing?
Whether to convert nouns to verbs is a long running argument. I remember first bumping into it in Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series. Wolfe has strong opinions about words. One that stands out is his repeated stance of abhoring the use of "contact" as a verb. Today, it's almost essential, as th...
Re: Ledef
I'm pretty sure "lead" as the introductory sentence for a news article comes from the idea of a leading sentence as the one that opens the first paragraph (aka "graph"). In coversation it can be expanded the opening paragraph or two as in "How do you propose to lead into the...
- Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:24 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: People named after colors.
- Replies: 3
- Views: 74279
People named after colors.
Surnames mostly evolved logically: John's son to Johnson, and Joe the blacksmith to Joe Smith. But whence come the last names that are also colors? White, Black, Green, Redd, Brown, an d any others that may come to mind? Anyone do research on these?
- Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:20 pm
- Forum: Idioms
- Topic: The man on the Clapham omnibus
- Replies: 4
- Views: 58652
Re: The man on the Clapham omnibus
Man on the street...
Flyover country (outside the DC Beltway, Midwest)
John Doe
Flyover country (outside the DC Beltway, Midwest)
John Doe
Lede
When did the opening sentence in a straight news article change from lead to lede, as in burying the lede?
- Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:37 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Gimcrack
- Replies: 5
- Views: 8934
Re: Gimcrack
I think it's not gimcrack corn, but Jim or Jimmy, or possibly Jimmie. The next line is "My Johnny's gone away." It's almost a nonsense rhyme with a catchy tune. I always heard it "Jimmy," probably to balance "and I." To word it "Jim" ignores the "and"...
- Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:16 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Moot
- Replies: 3
- Views: 6820
Re: Moot
Thanks, Doc. Clears up a lot.
- Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:06 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Mores
- Replies: 3
- Views: 5954
Re: Mores
Yet I understand that "s'mores" are among the most popular Girl Scout cookies...
- Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:15 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Harass
- Replies: 7
- Views: 23791
Re: Harass
Donded is a new one for me. I mostly read "seconded," but don't hear it...
- Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:05 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Interfulgent
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5350
Re: Interfulgent
Probably an in-law by marriage...
- Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:04 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Temulent
- Replies: 6
- Views: 11771
Re: Temulent
I'm too timid to be temulent...
- Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:02 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: kakistocracy
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5477
Re: kakistocracy
Following the prez's use ofthe word...
- Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:00 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Soloecal
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5590
Re: Soloecal
I at one point majored in speech at college. Both there and in high school speech classes, we were taught to develop the "midwestern" accent, which supposedly was neutral. The "southern" accent is very real, but no southerner I know thinks tv and movies get it right.
- Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:12 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Christmas-tree
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5269
Re: Christmas-tree
I have also seen the term applied as a noun in several contexts referring to an elaborate instrument display, as in an airliner cockpit. I believe I've also seen it in places like steam control or even nuclear control rooms. And doesn't it also show up in the space program?