Search found 33 matches

by amandel
Mon Mar 04, 2024 2:09 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Gargantuan
Replies: 3
Views: 187

Re: Gargantuan

Among all those language references you missed the Portuguese garganta (throat) which seems to be the closest to the GW.
by amandel
Thu Feb 08, 2024 3:36 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Ad-lib
Replies: 0
Views: 296

Ad-lib

When I read the Quodlibet item, I wondered if it was related to ad-lib. Anyway, it looks like a good suggestion.
by amandel
Thu Feb 08, 2024 3:32 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Secular
Replies: 2
Views: 59503

Re: Secular

Thanks. In my native Portuguese, século means century, so the word secular (written as in English) points more clearly to the temporal meaning.
by amandel
Wed Feb 07, 2024 8:05 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Quodlibet
Replies: 2
Views: 375

Re: Quodlibet

Is this word related to ad lib?
by amandel
Tue Feb 06, 2024 12:23 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Amber
Replies: 1
Views: 419

Amber

I was going to suggest electricity, but found electrolyte among the Good Words, and the origin is the same. This suggestion piggybacks on those two, as most people would react with a "WTF is amber, anyway?".
by amandel
Fri Jan 12, 2024 7:07 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Kvetch
Replies: 3
Views: 12579

Kvetch

I was asked about this word, and I was sure there would be a WOTD entry to support my explanations. There wasn't, how come, I never seem to find one...

Never mind, I was only kvetching for fun, not really complaining.
by amandel
Sun Nov 26, 2023 7:30 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Secular
Replies: 2
Views: 59503

Secular

The religious meaning, and the temporal count meaning are probably related, but it beats me how.
by amandel
Sat Jul 01, 2023 8:16 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Mulligan
Replies: 1
Views: 1540

Mulligan

As I watched a series starring an actress with that name, I remembered seeing the word as a common noun. My guess is that the latter use came later.
by amandel
Tue Apr 25, 2023 8:30 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Battery
Replies: 2
Views: 2091

Battery

When my Kindle popped up the message "Battery level is low" today, I thought it was celebrating the absence of sexual violence in the neighbourhood.
by amandel
Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:37 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Zigzag
Replies: 2
Views: 2033

Re: Zigzag

There is a more disciplined form of zigzag that goes by the name boustrophedonic. Boustrophredon has already been a Good Word, but the item does not connect to zigzag.
by amandel
Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:00 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Levy
Replies: 1
Views: 2891

Levy

Is it a funny coincidence that this verb/noun is also a name/surname of biblical origin? I cannot find a metaphorical connection.
by amandel
Mon Apr 04, 2022 9:38 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Lariat
Replies: 2
Views: 5598

Lariat

Like lanyard and lasso, it begins with "la", and there is some sort of chord involved. Probably this is just a coincidence.
by amandel
Mon Apr 04, 2022 9:34 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Yard
Replies: 1
Views: 2613

Yard

As an area of land immediately adjacent to a building, it is a suffix to several words. However, it is not a suffix in "lanyard". And what about the measure length?
by amandel
Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:00 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Lanyard
Replies: 1
Views: 2967

Lanyard

I am somehow fascinated by the looks of this word, even though (perhaps because) it refers to such a trivial object. Maybe the fact that in my native Portuguese we have to make do with the awkward composite cordão de crachá has something to do with it. The synonym boondoggle has shown up as a GW a l...
by amandel
Sat Mar 19, 2022 4:46 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Loggerheads
Replies: 1
Views: 3117

Re: Loggerheads

Actually, I read this term quite close to an occurrence of wrangling (wrangle has been a Good Word already), which seem to have a close meaning. I wonder if they can be substituted for each other in some contexts, or if there is some subtle distinction.

Go to advanced search