Search found 31 matches
- Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:44 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Authority
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1914
Re: Authority
I believe Dr. Goodword should either confirm or deny with explanation what seems to be other related words in common use. In this case "auction" would seem reasonable from the Latin meaning given.
- Tue Jan 03, 2023 10:28 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Endue
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1902
Re: Endue
How could we discuss 'endue' without mention of 'endow' which is by far the version most commonly still in use?
- Wed Aug 31, 2022 10:09 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Garage
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1720
Re: Garage
When the lexical orphan garage is used to mean "to put in a garage" this second usage is as a verb rather than noun as stated in the text.
- Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:43 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Tittle
- Replies: 22
- Views: 26510
Re: Tittle
"Somewhere over the years that followed, "to a tittle" was apparently confused with the phrase, "cross all your Ts (and dot your Is)," which also referred to exactitude." Are you telling me now that "exactitude" allows you to omit the apostrophe in forming plu...
- Wed Aug 28, 2013 4:24 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Dystopia
- Replies: 16
- Views: 21201
Re: Dystopia
How do we determine that utopia is derived from ou = not rather than eu = good (as in euphemism, eugenics and eulogy)? If the word was made up in modern times I'd prefer a perfect concoction to retain the diphthong (eutopia) which would not change the pronunciation and mean 'perfect place' rather th...
three years
Three years have passed since this post but the Feb 1 2011 Good Word on "Theory" was not posted on the Alpha Agora by the time that the next day's word appeared so one has to wonder why. I have trouble seeing why Dr. Goodword would post anything on a word starting with 'theo' without menti...
- Sat Oct 09, 2010 9:09 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: ALREADY
- Replies: 7
- Views: 11397
We will have to disagree on this one. When you get a past due notice for a bill that you have previously paid and the notice requests another payment, you say that the bill was 'already' paid. No one is suggesting that the bill was paid early or late; the question is whether the bill has or has not ...
- Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:56 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Defenestrate
- Replies: 12
- Views: 30794
In 2007 when this thread was new a Google search produced 600 hits on the word. Today that number was 3890 including one on the first page discussing ventilation of basements, several medical uses and this page on which we discussed the word. While we are here revisiting the past, I disagree with th...
- Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:02 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: ALREADY
- Replies: 7
- Views: 11397
I either disagree with meaning one or need a fourth. I see 'already' as a way to emphasize the pluperfect rather than comment on expectations. When we say Marian Kine is already married we are saying she is off the market now but not how long it took her to get that way. Marian could have been singl...
- Tue Sep 07, 2010 4:44 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: LEEWAY
- Replies: 3
- Views: 6662
Lord Kelvin
One of the reasons some of us frequent the Alpha Agora is the opportunity to be reminded that language is 'kewl'. Allow me the leeway of honoring Lord Kelvin inventor and namesake of the system of temperature measurement defining absolute zero (and a few other things - he was an interesting guy): ht...
- Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:03 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: PHOTOSHOP
- Replies: 4
- Views: 7510
'not a verb'
Adobe is fighting this adoption of their trademark into the vulgar language: http://www.adobe.com/misc/trade.html Adobe has a better grasp on the concepts of photo editing than on those of language development. Note the section over halfway down the page: "Proper use of the Photoshop trademark ...
- Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:31 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VERMIFORM
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5532
- Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:17 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VICTORY
- Replies: 3
- Views: 6794
word spacing
The Romans were never convinced one way or another about spaces (or dots) between words. Sometimes they help; sometimes not. " It is present invanquish and invincible, which come ultimately from the present tense stem of vincere, but not in today's Good Word, which comes from the past participl...
- Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:51 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: SCROOCH
- Replies: 11
- Views: 16017
and scrunch
If we are to take the side trip to scooch might we not as well journey over to 'scrunch' which not only offers a meaning of make compact but allows a transitive option "scrunch the foil into a ball". If scrouge was a relatively new form in the day, what was Dickens saying when he named his...
- Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:15 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: inextricably
- Replies: 2
- Views: 6635
inextricably
Used in the Barack Obama acceptance speech 28 August...
or extricable, extricate as you see fit
While discussing this, it might be good to touch on a similar work 'inextirpable'
or extricable, extricate as you see fit
While discussing this, it might be good to touch on a similar work 'inextirpable'