crotchet

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eberntson
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crotchet

Postby eberntson » Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:55 pm

highly individual and eccentric (perverse) opinion or preference; a peculiar trick or device

Based on Mariam-Webster n OED

Found this in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold Bug"
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns

Perry Lassiter
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Re: crotchet

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Oct 30, 2013 4:57 pm

Thus we have crotchety people! I wonder if this relates to people, most often women, who crochet? (Croshay)
pl

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Slava
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Re: crotchet

Postby Slava » Wed Oct 30, 2013 6:51 pm

Thus we have crotchety people! I wonder if this relates to people, most often women, who crochet? (Croshay)
Yes.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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call_copse
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Re: crotchet

Postby call_copse » Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:32 am

I'd never heard this used in any context except a musical note - this is what the rest of the English speaking world (to the best of my knowledge) would call what the US knows as a 'quarter note'. I believe this is due to the 'hook' aspect of the rendering of the note.

We do have crotchety as an adjective of course.
Iain

Philip Hudson
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Re: crotchet

Postby Philip Hudson » Sun Nov 03, 2013 3:13 am

This word has never come to my attention before - similar words, but not this one. Once in a great while I learn something. Eight notes have hooks on their tops, not quarter notes. This is like a hemidemisemiquaver, but with fewer hooks.
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Re: crotchet

Postby Audiendus » Sun Nov 03, 2013 8:35 pm

Eighth notes have hooks on their tops, not quarter notes.
The quarter note (crotchet) developed from the medieval semiminima, which in its original (14th century) version had a hook:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation

The French word croche means an eighth note (quaver).

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Re: crotchet

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:37 am

Audiendus:
Thanks for the reference. Learning contemporary music theory was a challenge for me. I haven't gotten to much of the history. Some of this reference makes a good start.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.


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