Search found 76 matches

by dsteve54
Fri Feb 22, 2013 7:05 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: origin of "to cock a snook"
Replies: 10
Views: 13912

Re: origin of "to cock a snook"

Your contributions are all appreciated, thanks. But note that I put my request in the section "Good Word 'Suggestions'" rather than "Discussions", simply as an idea for Dr. Beard. So I guess it would not have mattered to me if anybody other than Dr. Beard had wanted to entertain ...
by dsteve54
Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:11 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: origin of "to cock a snook"
Replies: 10
Views: 13912

origin of "to cock a snook"

origin of "to cock a snook".....ehhhhhh, okay, I am not even sure I can define it, much less think about origin, except to say it is some sort of derisive or defiant gesture and I can at least give a pointer to a picture http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/31/article-0-15C72D5C000005DC-...
by dsteve54
Fri Jun 29, 2012 10:32 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: buss
Replies: 2
Views: 5544

buss

"buss" in the sense of "a buss on the cheek"...like a quick or possibly somewhat impersonal kiss...
by dsteve54
Thu May 24, 2012 6:34 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: bric-a-brac
Replies: 2
Views: 6221

bric-a-brac

bric-a-brac: Oh, it could just be an interesting topic for Word of the Day. I can find the etymology online, so I have background on it, but it might be an interesting one to present. Also, I see you have an entry on "camp", with a reference to "kitsch", but I do not think "...
by dsteve54
Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:07 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: high-muck-a-muck
Replies: 2
Views: 6245

Oh, thank you for your response, but I am simply suggesting words that might be interesting for the Dr. to discuss in his column, per the forum index heading "Good Word **Suggestions**", words or phrases whose etymology might be interesting for general consumption. This category is for the...
by dsteve54
Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:48 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: high-muck-a-muck
Replies: 2
Views: 6245

high-muck-a-muck

high-muck-a-muck/high-mucky-muck/high-muckety-muck/, high muckamuck/muck-a-muck/muckety-muck, and such related phrases
.....Then there is Grand Poobah, Grand Pooh-bah, pooh-Bah other spellings.
by dsteve54
Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:23 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Obelus
Replies: 1
Views: 5057

by dsteve54
Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:19 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: Obelus
Replies: 1
Views: 5057

Obelus

Obelus...could be a good topic, not only as designator for a sign/symbol, but also etymology.
by dsteve54
Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:33 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: picayune/picayunish
Replies: 4
Views: 9234

....and it may be a springboard for the word "picky", which may or may not have been discussed; I did not check.
by dsteve54
Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:31 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: picayune/picayunish
Replies: 4
Views: 9234

picayune/picayunish

picayune/picayunish....I can look it up and all. It is just a word(s) that might make an interesting choice for Word of the Day discussion, and I did not seem to find it in the Good Word archive.

[ no reply needed....I can see it in dictionaries, etymology lists, etc. ]
by dsteve54
Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:26 am
Forum: Etymology
Topic: Origin of the word "Wow"
Replies: 11
Views: 61971

Origin of the word "Wow"

Can't find origin of the word "Wow" in order to explain it to a non-English speaker "why we say that". Unlike the word "oof " and the like, it does not seem to be an onomatopoeia, at least I am not sure I would on my own come up with such an expulsion of air by being am...
by dsteve54
Fri Aug 27, 2010 6:00 pm
Forum: Languages of the World
Topic: On this board, accent as diacritical above Cyrillic vowels
Replies: 5
Views: 20523

I'm surprised no one ever answered this one. I know we have a couple of members who have demonstrated a decent knowledge of the inner workings of word processing. Can it really be no one has a clue? I know I don't. I'm surprised no one ever answered this one. " plus Can it really be no one has...
by dsteve54
Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:10 pm
Forum: Etymology
Topic: Hmmm...crotch+ ending this and crotch+ ending that
Replies: 5
Views: 22744

Correct. However, upon lookup to find the Russian term in my dictionar[y/ies], the ones I used had neither an entry for "quarter note" per se, nor a melded entry like "~ note/quarter ~" under "quarter/note". I knew the Russian word for "one-quarter" and I knew...
by dsteve54
Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:33 pm
Forum: Etymology
Topic: Hmmm...crotch+ ending this and crotch+ ending that
Replies: 5
Views: 22744

Ok, good. At least "region where the body forks/'hooks", in a way" makes more sense than my lurid interpretation.
Thanks.
by dsteve54
Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:47 am
Forum: Etymology
Topic: Hmmm...crotch+ ending this and crotch+ ending that
Replies: 5
Views: 22744

Hmmm...crotch+ ending this and crotch+ ending that

I was trying to translate "quarter note" in music to Russian, and I ended up having to do it by way of the word crotchet . It made me wonder if there is any relationship between the following: crotchet crotchety and of course, the infamous word "crotch". Well, I do not know if an...

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