Effable

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Slava
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Effable

Postby Slava » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:24 am

The Good Word for 8/1/13:

• effable •

Pronunciation: ef-ê-bêl • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. Utterable, pronounceable. 2. Which may be described or expressed in words. 3. Allowed or permitted to be uttered, as by a religion; the opposite of ineffable as the word for "god" is ineffable in many religions.

Notes: Today's Good Word belies the assumption that its antonym, ineffable, is an orphan negative. The problem with this word is that we find very few places to use it since most words we know are effable.

In Play: The most obvious situation in which today's Good Word fits is one involving profanity: "When the rocking chair pinched granddad's bare foot, he uttered a stream of words, few of which are effable in polite company." The more common negation of this word is used as a synonym of indescribable, as an ineffable view of the valley. The positive sense may also be used simply to imply that a word is pronounceable: "I'm afraid I can't say much about Imogene Ettasi's speech, because she used so few words that are even effable."

Word History: Today's Good Word comes pretty much straight from an Old French word derived from Latin ineffabilis. The Latin word is made up of in- "not" + effabilis "utterable". Effabilis was derived from the verb effari "to utter, express", and is itself a complex of ex "out (of)" + fari "to speak". The present participle of fari is fan(t)s "speaking". This word may be negated as infan(t)s "not speaking", one of the obvious characteristics of infants. The original root from which the Latin word derived was Proto-Indo-European bha-, which came to Old English as ben "prayer". Between Old English and Modern English this word became boon in the sense of a prayer answered, a great benefit. (We must now utter a completely effable word of gratitude to William Hupy for presenting us with the boon of today's Good Word.)

MTC
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby MTC » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:12 am

The Naming Of Cats

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

by T.S. Eliot

LukeJavan8
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby LukeJavan8 » Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:12 pm

I take it you have numerous cats. And their full names?
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Perry Lassiter
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby Perry Lassiter » Thu Aug 01, 2013 6:16 pm

The very effable influence of Dr Seuss. Can you find an illustrator?
pl

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gailr
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby gailr » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:31 pm

This word stretches from the sublime to the silly.

Shrinklits: Seventy of the World's Towering Classics Cut Down to Size includes a summary of Lolita. It includes the line, "She was ineffable and yet, as effable as she could get."

MTC
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby MTC » Thu Aug 01, 2013 11:37 pm

In reply to Luke, no cats, just found Eliot's poem amusing on "ineffable."

Gailr's use of "shrinklits" spurred me to investigate online. Here's a definition with an example:

"A shrinklit is a short piece of humorous prose that is a very brief synopsis of a major literary piece."

Ex: "The Raven", by Edgar Allan Poe

Raven lurches

In, perches

Over door.

Poet's bleary

Query -

"Where's Lenore?"

Creepy bird

Knows one word:

"Nevermore."

(http://www.amazon.com/ShrinkLits-Sevent ... 0894800795)

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Re: EFFABLE

Postby Philip Hudson » Thu Aug 01, 2013 11:54 pm

MTC: A very humorous take on "The Raven". Poe's poetry is superb. What do you of the Agora think of his mystery stories? Some are pretty gruesome. I like them, but they are more like horror stories. We can designate Stephen King along with Poe as horror story writers. As a teen I composed impromptu horror stories for the entertainment of my sibs and cousins. They cared not a whit for quality, they only relished the gore.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

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Re: EFFABLE

Postby MTC » Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:20 am

Philip, Poe wrote quite a few short stories, including The Gold Bug, The Fall of the House of Usher (my favorite), The Murder in the Rue Morgue, and many others I expect most of us have read at one time or another. It's great that you concocted gory tales for the family. Maybe the well hasn't dried up. Here's a primer:
"The day had been exceptionally hot, and the night brought little relief. Along the muddy river's edge willows bent to the water's cool flow, and here and there reflections of a blood-red moon danced in the eddies..." (You take it from here.)
Last edited by MTC on Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:46 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: EFFABLE

Postby Perry Lassiter » Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:03 pm

"danced in the current to ruddy the falling ghostly shadows among the moss-laden trees. A frog splashed into the stream, escaping the water mocassin that turned hissing in anger at the escape of its prey. Then came the soft sound of boots following a deer trail to the blood colored water..."
pl

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Re: EFFABLE

Postby MTC » Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:29 pm

"..to the blood-colored water.

Two men made their way quietly down the shadowy trail, pausing long enough to speak.
'Seen her here near the bank bout noon yesterday.'
'Reckon she couldn't get far bleedin like that,' the second man offered, his profile outlined in the moon's weak light.
'Gators 'ud get her before long,' replied the first, shifting the strap on his rifle.
'And she probly cain't swim.'
'We'll track her ourselves. Dogs is useless down here.'
'No trail, no trail at all, that's what spooks me.'
'She oughta left a trail, somethin.'
'Repeating the mystery don't solve it. Let's get a move on. She's got to be round here somewhere,' the second man gestured ahead with his machete.

At that moment a strange rustling sound emanated from the path ahead.
'Hear that!?'
'Yeah.'
A powerful hand seemed to close in around the men, gripping them with fear.
'That ain't no gator.'
'No, too big. Lem, I'm for gettin outa here.'
The rustling sound intensified, and without speaking the men turned to run. A pungent smell enveloped them.
Out of the darkness appeared a pair of huge mandibles like sharpened ice tongs.
'Gaaah! No!'
The second man raised his rifle to fire, while the first ran blindly down the path.
'Ahhhhhhh! No!No!' There followed a horrible, unnatural sound like a slab of beef being pinned on a meat hook.
Down the trail the first man ran mindlessly, crashing into branches and trees, pulled back by vines, as if the jungle itself conspired to deliver him to those nightmare jaws.
He would never stop, though, he would never stop.

THE END

P.S. I have rewritten this to make it read better as a short, short story, (<300 words) but realize this is not the place to publish my creative efforts. Still working on that, and will let you know the results.

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Re: EFFABLE

Postby MTC » Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:48 am

OK, couldn't resist. Here's the latest edition of the short short story which I will continue to tweak:

THE RESCUE


The tropic sun had punished the small encampment, and the night brought little relief. Nearby a river insinuated itself through the jungle, and along its banks palm fronds bent to touch the muddy flow. Here and there reflections of a blood-red moon danced in the silent eddies.

Two men in sweat-stained fatigues hacked their way through the dense jungle toward the river, and finally paused momentarily to rest.
"We've been at it almost an hour," the first man said, glancing at the illuminated dial on his watch.
The second man took a sloppy swig from his canteen. "Should've found some trace of her by now. She couldn't get far bleedin' like that.''
"If she made it to the river crocs would likely get her,'' the first man said, shifting the strap on his rifle.
"But no trail, no trail at all. That's what spooks me. The jungle just swallowed her up."
A worried look crossed his face.
The first man pointed ahead with his machete. "Let's get a move on. She's gotta be around here somewhere.''

--Something thrashed through the jungle in the darkness behind the men.
"Hear that?"
"Yeah."
"Whadaya make of it?"
"Strange."
"Whatever it is, it's big and it's headin' this way."
"It'll be on us in a minute!"
A powerful hand seemed to grip the men and squeeze the air from their lungs. Their eyes widened and their hearts raced.

The strange thrashing sound grew louder, and without speaking the men turned to run. A pungent smell suddenly enveloped them. The darkness yawned, and a huge pair of mandibles appeared. Over the mandibles four black, expressionless eyes transfixed them.
"God, no!"
The second man raised his rifle to fire, while the first gasped, then ran.
"Gaaaah!"
A sickening sound followed like a slab of beef being pinned by meat hooks.

Down the trail the first man sprinted madly toward the river crashing headlong into branches and trees, struggling against a web of vegetation as if the jungle itself conspired against him.
But he would never stop running, he would never stop....

THE END


from the Apocrypha of MTC

(353 words including title and ending.)
Last edited by MTC on Wed Nov 13, 2013 11:55 pm, edited 6 times in total.

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gailr
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby gailr » Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:41 pm

Where is our 'like' button? :)

eberntson
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby eberntson » Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:26 am

Well done!
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

LukeJavan8
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Re: EFFABLE

Postby LukeJavan8 » Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:38 pm

Where is our 'like' button? :)


I'll piggyback on that!
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Perry Lassiter
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Re: Effable

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Nov 06, 2013 1:36 pm

We seem to be building a human pyramid with piggybacks. I will climb on top. Well done.
pl


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