WONT

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Dr. Goodword
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WONT

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:57 pm

• wont •

Pronunciation: wawnt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun, Verb

Meaning: 1. [Adjective] Accustomed, used to; inclined, likely to behave in a certain way. 2. [Noun] A habit or habitual way of doing things. 3. [Verb] To be in the habit of, to become accustomed to or to accustom someone to something.

Notes: The Good Word today is slipping from the lingual grip of many of us—maybe because of confusion with the contraction of "will not", won't. However, this word is definitely still in circulation, though less can be said for its family. The Oxford English Dictionary has declared wontless "unaccustomed, unusual", and the adverb wontly, obsolete. We won't argue with them.

In Play: We love to bring you lexical bargains and this word is a good one—three words for the price of one. Today's Good Word is very versatile, working as an adjective, noun, or verb without any doodads or dangles added to either end: "Gladys Friday is wont to come in late" (adjective), "It is Gladys's wont to come in late" (noun), or "Gladys wonts to come in late on Mondays"—not to be confused with wants.

Word History: This word is especially good, for it is purely English—not a drop of French or Latin blood in it. In Middle English it was the past participle of wonen "to dwell, to be used to", a cousin of German wohnen and Dutch wonen "to live in, dwell". The Proto-Indo-European root was won-/wen- "to desire", and probably underlies the name Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Sanskrit vanoti "he strives for" is also a distant relation. We find the same root at the bottom of Old English wenian "to accustom", which dribbled down to Modern English as wean "to accustom a baby to eating rather than nursing".
• The Good Dr. Goodword

Perry
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Postby Perry » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:08 pm

I am pretty certain that I'll won't want for wonts.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:09 pm

So it's true what the old song says-
you can't always get what you wont?
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

Perry
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Postby Perry » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:21 pm

But if you bake, sometimes you get what you knead.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous

skinem
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Postby skinem » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:19 am

But, will that truly give you satisfaction?

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:34 pm

Only if you're looking for high toads and green glass.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:03 pm

Three hits in a row?? Youse guys are out of your heads :o
Well done then- I had no expectations...

Sluggo (December's child)
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:35 pm

Three hits in a row?? Youse guys are out of your heads :o
Well done then- I had no expectations...

Sluggo (December's child)
Well, as for the string of hits, don't think it's all over now; it will not fade away. What a shame, but you know you're not off the hook yet. In the aftermath of our metamorphasis, leaving no stone unturned in our quest for milestones and more hot rocks, it beggars a question at this banquet of banality: as we strive for five, will this be the last time you play with fire?

"Your turn!" as my old TI-99/4A would say.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:53 pm

Say gzer that's hot stuff. I was replying to this earlier but something happened to me (yes, today) - lost my connection with a power outage. It was... complicated. But time was on my side; down the road apiece with one more try, she said yeah.

So on with the show... I'm sure there's another pun lurking all down the line if I try a little harder... rats, it's far away, I'se out of time, it's down to me, it just won't come. It's under my nose.

I'm happy to sway you got the sliver of what is still my favourite RS song as years go by- what a shame BJ is no more :cry:

(17)
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!


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