Search found 2580 matches

by Stargzer
Wed Sep 12, 2018 3:25 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Celerity
Replies: 3
Views: 15618

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...
by Stargzer
Thu May 12, 2016 9:24 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Elf
Replies: 12
Views: 34761

Re: Elfin

El fin, Spanish for a piscine part, or the announcement of the conclusion of a film? :lol:
by Stargzer
Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:19 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: scot-free
Replies: 15
Views: 69718

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...
by Stargzer
Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:02 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: churchkey
Replies: 1
Views: 13002

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,...
by Stargzer
Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:48 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: scot-free
Replies: 15
Views: 69718

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...
by Stargzer
Mon Apr 04, 2016 4:11 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Mayhem
Replies: 4
Views: 18339

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...
by Stargzer
Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:51 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Dorsaloquy
Replies: 2
Views: 14077

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.
by Stargzer
Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:31 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Logorrhea
Replies: 7
Views: 22246

Re: Logorrhea

In the old days we would describe some people as having constipation of thought and diarrhea of the mouth.
by Stargzer
Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:27 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Usufruct
Replies: 4
Views: 17541

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...
by Stargzer
Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:38 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Cayuse
Replies: 16
Views: 48282

Re: Cayuse

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. ...
In other words, a real Mensch!
by Stargzer
Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:25 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Skosh
Replies: 2
Views: 15073

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...
by Stargzer
Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:48 pm
Forum: Res Diversae
Topic: Special characters
Replies: 3
Views: 22426

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...
by Stargzer
Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:25 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Nincompoop
Replies: 14
Views: 55981

Re:

... My father was a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps. When he swore, there were no euphemisms involved! ...
My father was a Gunny. He never talked in his sleep; he swore!

I learned from the best!
by Stargzer
Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:23 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Nincompoop
Replies: 14
Views: 55981

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".
by Stargzer
Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:03 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Dunderhead
Replies: 1
Views: 13720

Dunderhead

Here's one that I'm surprised is not already in the Goodword Dictionary. dun·der·head (dŭndər-hĕd′) n. A dunce. [Perhaps Dutch donder, thunder (from Middle Dutch doner; see (s)tenə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + HEAD.] dunder·head′ed adj. dunderhead (n.) 1620s, from head (n.); the firs...

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