Search found 5 matches
- Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:27 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Petrify
- Replies: 1
- Views: 3370
Re: Petrify
Overheard at a national convention of academics: department chairman: "You complain about deadwood in your department. But I've got a whole petrified forest!"
- Tue Dec 26, 2017 1:40 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Noel
- Replies: 1
- Views: 3677
Noel
I remember that in England (1968, East Sussex) the spelling "Nowell" was not uncommon.
- Mon Nov 06, 2017 1:33 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Kakistocracy
- Replies: 1
- Views: 3193
Re: Kakistocracy
That also explains cacophony for me: bad sound. Thanks.
- Sun Feb 26, 2017 12:55 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Defenestrate
- Replies: 12
- Views: 30654
Re: Defenestrate
Historical note: The act described happened in 1618 and started the Thirty Year's War according to the Wiki, and was the second defenestration of Prague. The first was in 1419 and occurred when a demonstration of early protestant religious reformers--Hussites--had a stone thrown at them, and under t...
- Thu Feb 16, 2017 1:39 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Hypotenuse
- Replies: 3
- Views: 5767
Re: Hypotenuse
Just a note about the mathematics: Neither the hypotenuse of a right triangle nor its area determine the other. The data given: hypotenuse = 25, area =150 imply that the other two sides of the triangle are of length 20 and 15. However, in general, a triangle with hypotenuse 25 may have any area betw...