Procrustean

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Palewriter
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Procrustean

Postby Palewriter » Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:07 am

Procrustean (adj)

Meaning: forcing somthing to fit into a pre-conceived concept/idea/solution.

Use: The idea that all cars in California ought to get 42 miles-per-gallon before receiving a tax sticker seems rather procrustean to me.

Procrustean bed: Any concept that forces a solution into a pre-defined theory.

Procrustean string: a computer term describing a sting that can be shortened or extended to meet the needs of a certain $string parameter...let's say eight digits.

Origin: In Greek mythology, the character Procrustes was an innkeeper who invited folks to sleep in his on-size-fits-all bed. Once in said bed, however, guests who were too large would be trimmed (heads, feet cut off, etc); those who were too small would be stretched on a rack until they fit. Procrustes was killed by Theseus.


-- PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Sat Jul 29, 2006 11:54 am

wow, that is a great word PW, I must have missed it before, it has the sound of an age of earth's history, rather than mythos, or are they the same?

mark

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Perry
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Postby Perry » Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:40 pm

PW, Procrustes was lucky to have existed long before the internet. Can you just imagine the chain letter emails that would fly through the ether to warn people away from his inn?

Maybe the chain letters did fly: "Send this pigeon to everyone you know..."

But seriously folks, we don't want the conclusion of the chaos thread to be a procrustean solution.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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Postby Palewriter » Sat Jul 29, 2006 3:44 pm

wow, that is a great word PW, I must have missed it before, it has the sound of an age of earth's history, rather than mythos, or are they the same?

mark
Indeed it is a great word. I find myself using it all the time when evaluating forced solutions to everyday problems. I'm still not certain whether folks understand, but what the hey.

-- PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:13 pm

PW, the advantages of a large vocabulary is no one can look up all the big words you use, so the opportunities for outrageous bullshipping are multiplied, not that you'd ever engage in that. of course.

mark
but I have been known to. :D

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
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Palewriter
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Postby Palewriter » Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:21 pm

PW, the advantages of a large vocabulary is no one can look up all the big words you use, so the opportunities for outrageous bullshipping are multiplied, not that you'd ever engage in that. of course.

mark
but I have been known to. :D
I've been know to wax outrageous in my day. :wink:

I do think, though, that it's a shame that most people seem to be able to get through the day with a vocabulary of about 300 words or less.

I'm, like, dude....better get your word on! Words be the bomb...and I be fly lika a mother. Canya diggit?

-- PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"

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Postby gailr » Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:26 pm

Gentlemen:

It has been brought to our attention that you aren't taking seriously past warnings concerning management's commitment to supporting the self-esteem of its employees. There is no reason to use vocabulary beyond the fourth-grade level in a business setting. Please control your language or we will be forced to take immediate corrective action.

cc:
personnel file of Mr. Bailey
personnel file of Mr. Palewriter

skinem
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Postby skinem » Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:32 pm

Gentlemen:

It has been brought to our attention that you aren't taking seriously past warnings concerning management's commitment to supporting the self-esteem of its employees. There is no reason to use vocabulary beyond the fourth-grade level in a business setting. Please control your language or we will be forced to take immediate corrective action.

cc:
personnel file of Mr. Bailey
personnel file of Mr. Palewriter
You wrote this like you've seen this before! :)

It is a shame when a normal vocabulary is used and people think you're "putting on airs"...or being pretentious.
The vocabulary page feature in Reader's Digest is a sign of how far the average vocabulary in this country has fallen. Compare today's with one from 40-50 years ago.

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Postby Bailey » Sat Jul 29, 2006 11:08 pm

For me it was High School and the very real threat of Mayhem upon my very person.
Now I don't have the big corner office of the ad Exec, PW, I lack his talent for putting le bon mot in the correct order to inspire wallet opening.
I i'm just the third cubicle from the right, but I do not have to dumb down my speech, I'm just looked at askance at times, but no memos in my permanent record. YET!

mark again-just-my-chop, Bailey
there are more dictionaries around lately and many look well-thumbed.

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Perry
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Postby Perry » Sun Jul 30, 2006 3:23 pm

Oddly (since it was a second language for me) I used to sometimes get comments on my Hebrew vocabulary from native born Israelis. I would always reply, that it is a wonderfully rich language and I enjoy having choices as to what synonym to employ in any given sentence.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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Re: Procrustean

Postby sluggo » Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:01 pm

Gentlemen:

... There is no reason to use vocabulary beyond the fourth-grade level in a business setting. Please control your language or we will be forced to take immediate corrective action.

cc:
personnel file of Mr. Bailey
personnel file of Mr. Palewriter
Addendumdum- ...corrective action commensuratewith the crime, of curse!
Procrustean (adj)
...
Origin: In Greek mythology, the character Procrustes was an innkeeper who invited folks to sleep in his on-size-fits-all bed. Once in said bed, however, guests who were too large would be trimmed (heads, feet cut off, etc); those who were too small would be stretched on a rack until they fit. Procrustes was killed by Theseus.

-- PW
Ah, here be the inspiration for Motel Hell.

So considering the definition, I would like to be The Anticrust, please :o
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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gailr
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Re: Procrustean

Postby gailr » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:05 pm

So considering the definition, I would like to be The Anticrust, please :o
Excellent!
-gailr

sluggo
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Re: Procrustean

Postby sluggo » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:08 pm

So considering the definition, I would like to be The Anticrust, please :o
Excellent!
-gailr
hee hee. I thought you in particular would like that one.
Note: offer does not apply to pizza
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby Huny » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:59 pm

I i'm just the third cubicle from the right, but I do not have to dumb down my speech, I'm just looked at askance at times, but no memos in my permanent record. YET
Shortly after I moved to GA, a friend of mine commented on my vocabulary ergo she felt the need to keep a dictionary handy for when I'm around. I used the word facetious to describe one of her goofy friends. I got that blank look from everyone present during the conversation, so I moved on to the next subject. Later, she told me she ran to get a dictionary to look the word up. She has used the word ever since. She asked me what gives with the words? I told her my vocabulary makes up for my poor spelling skills and that I had to create a diversion somehow. One of my former bosses actually did ask me to dumb down my vocabulary. He said big words are indicative (my word, not his) of being raised to be a snob. :shock: I thought I had really overstepped my bounds there for a second. After I recovered from the tongue lashing, I realized ignorance comes in a walks of life...so I held my own tongue then blew him off...Shortly after that, I found another job.
"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compaired to what lies inside us." R.W.E.

Bailey
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Re: Procrustean

Postby Bailey » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:31 pm

Gentlemen:

... There is no reason to use vocabulary beyond the fourth-grade level in a business setting. Please control your language or we will be forced to take immediate corrective action.

cc:
personnel file of Mr. Bailey
personnel file of Mr. Palewriter
Addendumdum- ...corrective action commensuratewith the crime, of curse!
Procrustean (adj)
...
Origin: In Greek mythology, the character Procrustes was an innkeeper who invited folks to sleep in his on-size-fits-all bed. Once in said bed, however, guests who were too large would be trimmed (heads, feet cut off, etc); those who were too small would be stretched on a rack until they fit. Procrustes was killed by Theseus.

-- PW
Ah, here be the inspiration for Motel Hell.

So considering the definition, I would like to be The Anticrust, please :o
but procrusty was the author of the bed games not the recipient, I'd rather be the author, but then I suffer from a gentleness of disposition, usually, so it'd be hard to maintain, I think.

mark stayin'-away-from-bates Bailey

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
kb










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