AIRCRAFT CUTAWAYS—A VARIETY OF STYLES
THE PURPOSE OF A CUTAWAY, of course, is to reveal inner aspects of something by selectively omitting outer elements. The intent, though, depends on the audience: Is it a technical … Continue reading
NOW WE’VE GOT A WORD FOR THAT
THE WEBSITE DICTIONARY.COM ANNOUNCES ITS “New Words Drop! Get the First Look at Our Fall 2023 Collection of Dictionary Additions,” September 5, 2023. Wishing to be au courant on matters … Continue reading
“AS THE BISHOP SAID TO THE ACTRESS….”
BACK IN “One Thing Leading to Another,” I said I’d get back to you about Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable citing “As the Bishop Said to the Actress.” Pause … Continue reading
ONE THING LEADING TO ANOTHER
IT’S GOOD FUN FOLLOWING UP on this and that. For instance, there I was leafing through Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (yet again!) when Moddey Dhoo caught my attention. … Continue reading
“ALRIGHT, MESSR. MERRIAM AND WEBSTER, I’M READY FOR MY CLOSEUP”
MOVIES GIVE RISE TO INTERESTING ETYMOLOGIES, as described May 12, 2023 at wordgenius.com. Here are tidbits about words originating “in Old Hollywood.” Not Mr. DeMille This Time. First, the title … Continue reading
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM—BUT WHAT ABOUT LAGAN, RES NULLIUS, WRECCUM MARIS, AND SURVIVING DOGS?
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE to learn new stuff, even about shipwrecks. Like, for instance, I knew that things floating were flotsam; things deliberately thrown overboard were jetsam. However, Tom Johnson … Continue reading
VIVE LES LOANWORDS FRANÇAIS!
WE HAVE LOTS OF WORDS inherited from the French, at least in part because of the 1066 Norman Conquest. A bunch have been added later as well: pococurante, from Voltaire’s … Continue reading
POCOCURANTE—THE CLASSICAL MEH
I SEEM TO BE ON A RUN with learning new words for familiar things: “amphibology” for ambiguous phrases and, today, “pococurante” for apathetic indifference, a classical “meh.” Word Genius describes … Continue reading
THE AMPHIBOLOGIST WILL SEE YOU NOW
THE WORD GENIUS website introduced me to a new word, amphibology, the meaning of which has given me much linguistic pleasure. “Amphibology” describes a phrase or sentence that is grammatically … Continue reading
THE O.S.S. AND RUBE GOLDBERG
NOT TO DISPARAGE THE HEROIC WORK of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, but several of its false starts make for entertaining reading. My source of this … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 