My sister's pony has marked geophagistic tendencies... but my only weak spot for earthen meals is the dessert known affectionately as mud pie!

-Tim

While I was on the subject of "plot", I decided to search a little on another favorite four-letter word. ploy 1722, "anything with which one amuses oneself," Scottish and northern England dialect, possibly a shortened form of employ or deploy . Popularized in the sense "move...

We hear the word "plot" almost every day, especially since the World Trade Center towers came down. A Google search for the phrase "terrorist plot" yields over a million hits. My favorite etymology site says: plot O.E. plot "small piece of ground," of unknown origin. Se...

My nephews, aged 2, 3, and 5, are extremely fond of the McGriddles. It's quite the site watching those young toddlers shovel down their breakfast.

As for me, I'd rather suffer through fits of oscitation than consume one of those unnatural morsels.

-Tim

Which reminds me of a certain synonym for 'subterranean', catachthonic...

-Tim

Weak was borrowed from Old Norse veikr "pliant, bendable" while week came from Old Germanic *wikon- "a turn". I always wondered what was at the root (ah ha, a chance for a pun) of the word wicker ... wicker 1336, "wickerwork," from a Scand. source (cf. M.Swed. viker &q...

My kids love the PBS kids' show, Zoboomafoo.

Zoboo is always saying how he feels in relationship to how other animals behave, using the infamous -ish suffix. Then he launches into song.

It's so cute watching my little ones dance and sing with the muppet on the show... lol.

-Tim

Doh! Of course I meant Douglas Adams.

This one's too long, I'll just float the bait... The 'herring' comment reminds me... We have a local office called 'TOTAL HEARING SOLUTIONS', and the font they chose to print the sign makes the A in 'hearing' look like another R. Every time we drive by it my brain tries to read the dern thing as 'T...

Mark, sorry I just got around to reading this thread. Loved all the links!

Now, which post was it needed translating...?

-Tim

Trust me, Perry, you are probably as happy about those suburbial prospects as I am. I don't live in Charlotte proper, but the city limits have consumed almost the entire county. And yes, the reference to types of pain is certainly a valid one. I would say in that case you can actually feel the pain ...

I expect everyone here knows the meaning of this word, but I was wondering if there were possible semantical connotations of transitory versus temporary . In common usage, it seems most people use them interchangeably. I was struck by the Online Etymology Dictionary's implied physical aspect in the ...

Now, I would've expected tin to be related, but apparently it isn't! tin O.E. tin, from P.Gmc. * tinom (cf. M.Du., Du. tin , O.H.G. zin , Ger. Zinn , O.N. tin ), of unknown origin, not found outside Gmc. Tinny is first recorded 1552; used figuratively (of sounds, etc.) since 1877; tin-type in photog...

Yes, to add credence to the 'compound' action of mega-, here are some Google hits:

about 249 for mega-embarrassed

about 163 for mega-thrilled

about 282 for mega-amazed

about 4,710 for mega-impressed

-Tim

Yup. Asheville is practically a 'burb of Charlotte these days.

I'm sure my wife wouldn't mind if I head off to the bar with the fellas one of these Friday nights...

-Tim