Search found 137 matches

by Garzo
Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:55 am
Forum: Grammar
Topic: thrice subjunctive
Replies: 21
Views: 50562

The world without end is the traditional English of the Latin saecula saeculorum , which is not all that easy to translate in itself. I think the original is Greek, so we should think of it along the lines of aeons upon aeons . Of course, there is nothing in this that contradicts Big Bang theory unl...
by Garzo
Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:46 pm
Forum: Grammar
Topic: thrice subjunctive
Replies: 21
Views: 50562

Very nice, Dude! I bewail the change in my prayer book from: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen TO Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the begining, is now ...
by Garzo
Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:07 pm
Forum: Res Diversae
Topic: Take My Privacy, Please !
Replies: 33
Views: 60527

For those of you still struggling under the burden of Microsoft Windows, may I suggest you take a look at Calendar Magic . It has a conversion tool that will convert almost any units you can think of, and many you probably couldn't. It's got a scientific calculator and a time zone tool (so you can w...
by Garzo
Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:11 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: MOLLYCODDLE
Replies: 7
Views: 15482

I had always thought that Molly was short for Margaret rather than Mary. A molly happens to be a fish too: undercooked? Also, even though I know a few Jacks who are formally Johns, I thought that Jack, being short for Jacob, meant James. What's in a name?

-- Garzo.
by Garzo
Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:01 am
Forum: Res Diversae
Topic: Take My Privacy, Please !
Replies: 33
Views: 60527

We Brits, of course, are so good at arithmetic and algebra that we are brought up to speak of the discipline in the plural. To us, the singular suggests that one cannot count.

Double maths, anyone?

-- Garzos.
by Garzo
Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:09 pm
Forum: Grammar
Topic: main - intensifying adverb?
Replies: 25
Views: 51720

...When the majority of one's anger is intense, but a minority is not as intense, one could be mainly main angry. However, I think anger that is mulled for such time as to deliver itself of such interpretation is likely to have become frustration with age.

-- Garzo.
by Garzo
Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:36 pm
Forum: Grammar
Topic: main - intensifying adverb?
Replies: 25
Views: 51720

My dear Spiff, what shape are the monitors on your spacecraft? I only ask as my father used to say that watching too much telly would main make my eyes square.

-- Garzo.
by Garzo
Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:32 pm
Forum: Spelling
Topic: Semitically speaking
Replies: 11
Views: 47991

I like Semist -- thanks, Flam! It would probably ring the wrong bell in the hearts of most readers -- not that the bell is wrong, you see, but that it rings at wrongness -- it rings in the heart because I think that's where we know things are wrong -- so this bell is ringing wrongness. However, it's...
by Garzo
Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:27 am
Forum: Grammar
Topic: main - intensifying adverb?
Replies: 25
Views: 51720

People who watch too much North-American telly tend towards a state of moral purity. Let me give you an example: Garzo: How are you? Square-eyes: I am good. Garzo: Do you mean that you are in a state of moral purity? Square-eyes: No, I mean that I am well; I've just been watching too much North-Amer...
by Garzo
Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:04 am
Forum: Spelling
Topic: Semitically speaking
Replies: 11
Views: 47991

Semitically speaking

What do you call someone who studies Semitic languages? Joke answers are acceptable: would I try to stop you? However, a colleague wrote Semitist in a paper, and now we can't decide whether it's right or wrong. I think I would have written Semiticist . Then we'd decided to settle on Shemi until we c...
by Garzo
Sat May 14, 2005 6:44 pm
Forum: Languages of the World
Topic: Complicated arab word
Replies: 5
Views: 14147

Is the underlined d the letter dhaal or Daad?
by Garzo
Thu Apr 21, 2005 11:30 am
Forum: Idioms
Topic: Synaesthetic idiom formation
Replies: 15
Views: 65964

Synaesthetic idiom formation

A good friend of my is synaesthetic. Example: she looks at the horid swirls of greens and blues in my spare bedroom's curtains and says that they're in G minor! She has perfect pitch (or should that be a good eye for colour?) and relates musical pitch to colour: she sees a notes colour and hears a c...
by Garzo
Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:14 am
Forum: Res Diversae
Topic: Honesty Pot
Replies: 8
Views: 19051

Quid is the Latin word for what? . Therefore, it is generally used in the UK and Ireland by classically-trained paupers when confronted with money. The honesty pot is a place to put the money for a purchase when the seller is not present. Honesty pots are generally not found in the showrooms of BMW...
by Garzo
Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:00 am
Forum: Languages of the World
Topic: Shir Shishi shells shea shells on the shea shore
Replies: 18
Views: 38607

Shir Shishi shells shea shells on the shea shore

I know all you sinologists were probably reciting this at primary school, but I still think it's fun.

Take a look at 'The lion-eating poet in the stone den' for a very good reason not to romanise Chinese or eat lions!

-- Garzo.
by Garzo
Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:50 pm
Forum: Languages of the World
Topic: Habemus papam
Replies: 24
Views: 55693

I'm a little surprised at the curt nature of the Portuguese name. Maybe next time we'll have a Brazilian pope, and his name won't be Bento.

How about:

In Latin: Benedictus XVI

The Greeks might prefer:

In Greek: Μακάριος ο ΙϜ΄

That looks a little more patriarchal in Greek.

-- Garzo.

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