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Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 2002
Location: Lewisburg, PA
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 Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:19 pm
Post subject: PAROXYSM |
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• paroxysm •
Pronunciation: pær-êk-si-zêm • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. (Medicine) A sudden attack of a disease or symptom, as a paroxysm of coughing. 2. Any sudden and violent emotion or action, an outburst, a spasm, or fit.
Notes: The plural of today's word is paroxysms, probably the form most often used: to be in paroxysms of laughter or pain. There is an adjective, paroxysmal and an adverb, paroxysmally, though some prefer paroxysmic and paroxysmically.
In Play: Everyone has seen paroxysms of laughter, coughing, and the like. But paroxysms pop up in wondrous places: "The discovery of the missing funds was followed by paroxysms of finger-pointing in and around the finance office." Now, that is a useful use of this Good Word. Here is another: "The company is staggering under a large debt load brought on by a paroxysm of buying undertaken by the new president."
Word History: In Middle English today's word was paroxism "an attack of illness". It came from Medieval Latin paroxysmus, a word borrowed by the Romans from Greek paroxusmos "irritation; paroxysm". This word is the noun from the verb paroxunein "to stimulate, irritate", based on para- "thoroughly" + oxunein "to sharpen, goad, irritate", from oxus "sharp". The root of oxus is the same as that in English edge, which came from Old English ecg "sharp". In Latin, the same root emerged in acer "sharp", which underlies our word acrid. Oh, yes, acme is based on this root, too, from a related Greek word, akme "point". (Today we thank Katy Brezger, who is very sharp with Good Words like this one and is at the acme of her activity in the Alpha Agora.)
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KatyBr
Senior Lexiterian
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 959
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:05 pm
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What can I say, it's just downhill from here on....
Kt |
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Brazilian dude
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 1463
Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:20 am
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| Quote: | | Today we thank Katy Brezger, who is very sharp with Good Words like this one and is at the acme of her activity in the Alpha Agora.) |
For a while I was under the impression you were referring to her whelks.
Brazilian dude
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Stargzer
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 2486
Location: Crownsville, MD
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 1:43 pm
Post subject: Re: PAROXYSM |
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| Dr. Goodword wrote: | | . . . (Today we thank Katy Brezger, who is very sharp with Good Words like this one and is at the acme of her activity in the Alpha Agora.) |
| Quote: | The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
sharp
ADJECTIVE: Inflected forms: sharp·er, sharp·est
. . . 4a. Intellectually penetrating; astute. b. Marked by keenness and accuracy of perception: sharp hearing. . . .
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Yes . . .
| Quote: | | . . . 5. Crafty or deceitful, as in business dealings: sharp selling practices. |
No, let's hope not . . .
| Quote: | | . . . 7b. Harsh or biting in tone or character: sharp criticism. 8. Fierce or impetuous; violent: a sharp temper; a sharp assault. . . . |
Nah, she's never had a harsh word for a GoodWord . . .
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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."
-- Richard Henry Lee |
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KatyBr
Senior Lexiterian
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 959
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 2:53 pm
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It's the 'acme' that bothers me...no where to go from there but down.
Kt
(sharp as a marble!) |
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Stargzer
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 2486
Location: Crownsville, MD
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 3:21 pm
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| KatyBr wrote: | It's the 'acme' that bothers me...no where to go from there but down.
Kt
(sharp as a marble!) |
Well, maybe it's just a localized peak. In the long run, it could still be all uphill.
Or has your doctor told you you were looking a little peaked lately? 
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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."
-- Richard Henry Lee |
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M. Henri Day
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 1142
Location: Stockholm, SVERIGE
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:59 pm
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| KatyBr wrote: | | It's the 'acme' that bothers me...no where to go from there but down. |
Upward and onward, Katy ! We shall not allow a little acme to get in our way - nor give in to acrimony !...
Henri
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曾记否，到中流击水，浪遏飞舟？ |
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tcward
Senior Lexiterian
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 789
Location: The Old North State
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:17 pm
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| KatyBr wrote: | | (sharp as a marble!) |
[...in my best Henri impersonation...]
Caution, Katy! A cracked marble can be dangerously sharp!
[/Henri]
-Tim
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KatyBr
Senior Lexiterian
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 959
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:16 pm
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now, you're saying I'm cracked as well? Hurumph!
Kt |
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Spiff
Junior Lexiterian
Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 74
Location: Lubbeek, BE
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 9:12 am
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My marbles were all spheres. How can a marble be sharp?
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Spaceman Spiff
"The capacity for humankind to centralize its importance in the grand scheme of things is quite impressive."
- Tim Ward |
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M. Henri Day
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 1142
Location: Stockholm, SVERIGE
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 4:45 pm
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I think, dear Spaceman, that that was precisely Katy's point. In any event, nice to see you back from your interplanetary adventures and posting again !...
Henri
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曾记否，到中流击水，浪遏飞舟？ |
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Spiff
Junior Lexiterian
Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 74
Location: Lubbeek, BE
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:06 am
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Yes, after I posted I realised what it meant. I guess I was pretty slow yesterday, but what do you expect after two months of holidays and intergalactic travel. 
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Spaceman Spiff
"The capacity for humankind to centralize its importance in the grand scheme of things is quite impressive."
- Tim Ward |
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tcward
Senior Lexiterian
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 789
Location: The Old North State
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 1:45 pm
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| Spiff wrote: | | ...but what do you expect after two months of holidays and intergalactic travel. |
Many tales!
-Tim
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Stargzer
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 2486
Location: Crownsville, MD
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:46 pm
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| tcward wrote: | | Spiff wrote: | | ...but what do you expect after two months of holidays and intergalactic travel. |
Many tales!
-Tim |
Or, should he have been on safari, many tails!
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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."
-- Richard Henry Lee |
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M. Henri Day
Grand Panjandrum
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 1142
Location: Stockholm, SVERIGE
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Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 2:16 pm
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Ponytails ?...
Henri
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曾记否，到中流击水，浪遏飞舟？ |
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