Search found 2580 matches
- Wed Sep 12, 2018 3:25 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Celerity
- Replies: 3
- Views: 25470
Re: Celerity
I remember this from high School Latin I: "magna cum celeritate (mahn-ya koom che-ler-ee-ta-tay (Ecclesiastical Latin)). Literally, "great with speed" meaning "with great speed." The "gn" in "magna" and other words was pronounced "*n-y," pronoun...
- Thu May 12, 2016 9:24 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Elf
- Replies: 12
- Views: 53528
Re: Elfin
El fin, Spanish for a piscine part, or the announcement of the conclusion of a film?
- Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:19 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: scot-free
- Replies: 15
- Views: 117467
Re: scot-free
I live in the Commonwealth of Taxachusetts, plenty of Scottish pay there fair share. I spent 4 years there long ago in Worcester. I've been back home in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Maryland long since. Maryland, once known as the Free State is now known as the Fee State, and the Revolutionar...
- Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:02 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: churchkey
- Replies: 1
- Views: 21347
Re: churchkey
Not only bottle openers in the pre-twist-top days, but also beer can openers in the pre-pop-top days (and remember, there were two versions of pop-tops -- the first was a tab one pulled off that was either thrown out (to the detriment of aluminum recycling, used for a fishing lure, or, most popular,...
- Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:48 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: scot-free
- Replies: 15
- Views: 117467
Re: scot-free
The term is not related to the denizens north of Hadrian's Wall. (I'm sure they were taxed to the hilts of their Claymores!) From my long-time favorite etymology source: scot-free (adj.) Old English scotfreo "exempt from royal tax," from scot "royal tax," from Old Norse skot &quo...
- Mon Apr 04, 2016 4:11 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Mayhem
- Replies: 4
- Views: 28209
Re: MAYHEM
The Normans (so called because they originated in Normandy, France) Um, isn't that backwards? :? Wasn't Normandy named after the Normans (called something like " nortmanner " in the various Scandinavian languages at the time) when they settled in that area of France? :? I wanted to provid...
- Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:51 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Dorsaloquy
- Replies: 2
- Views: 22820
Re: Dorsaloquy
Actually, dorsum was a Roman clerk's word describing the number of doors stored in the back of the storehouse.
In use:
Quantitudo foris?
Dorsum XXIII.
In use:
Quantitudo foris?
Dorsum XXIII.
- Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:31 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Logorrhea
- Replies: 7
- Views: 34749
Re: Logorrhea
In the old days we would describe some people as having constipation of thought and diarrhea of the mouth.
- Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:27 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Usufruct
- Replies: 4
- Views: 27342
Re: Usufruct
Online Etymology Dictionary usurp (v.) early 14c., from Old French usurper "to (wrongfully) appropriate" (14c.), from Latin usurpare "make use of, seize for use," in later Latin "to assume unlawfully, trespass on," from usus "a use" (see use (v.)) + rapere &q...
- Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:38 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Cayuse
- Replies: 16
- Views: 85099
Re: Cayuse
In other words, a real Mensch!When I was there, the answer I was given was that anyone could be "hopi" or "Hopi", because it meant to be an upstanding person, one who would always try to do the right thing for others and the world as well as themselves. ...
- Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:25 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Skosh
- Replies: 2
- Views: 23988
Skosh
I see that this one is not in the Goodword Dictionary. I'm surprised it was never suggested. Then again, why didn't I suggest it many years ago? I'm reminded of it now because I'm watching The Invisible Man on Svengoolie and they did a "commercial" for a ficticious drink named Skōshe! -- a...
- Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:48 pm
- Forum: Res Diversae
- Topic: Special characters
- Replies: 3
- Views: 32125
Re: Special characters
In Windows, click the Start button and type "charmap" in the search box. It should find "charmap.exe" which is the character map, so when it does hit the Enter key. When you click on a special character (like an accented character or any non-standard character), if there is a key...
- Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:25 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Nincompoop
- Replies: 14
- Views: 95813
Re:
My father was a Gunny. He never talked in his sleep; he swore!... My father was a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps. When he swore, there were no euphemisms involved! ...
I learned from the best!
- Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:23 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Nincompoop
- Replies: 14
- Views: 95813
Re: NINCOMPOOP
This sounds like Dr. Smith on Lost in Space!
English playwright William Wycherley, however, let its use get out of hand in his 1676 play, The Plain Dealer: "Thou senseless, impertinent, quibbling, drivelling, feeble, paralytic, impotent, fumbling, frigid nincompoop".
- Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:03 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Dunderhead
- Replies: 1
- Views: 22029
Dunderhead
Here's one that I'm surprised is not already in the Goodword Dictionary. dun·der·head (dŭndər-hĕd′) n. A dunce. [Perhaps Dutch donder, thunder (from Middle Dutch doner; see (s)tenə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + HEAD.] dunder·head′ed adj. dunderhead (n.) 1620s, from head (n.); the firs...