Search found 2786 matches
- Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:56 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: MISTLETOE
- Replies: 13
- Views: 12531
Re: MISTLETOE
Luke: Unfortunately there are few written guidelines. If you do not know the person, offer to shake hands. Whether the hand is taken or ignored, smile and say welcome. If you know the person, never greet more heartily than is the custom of the one being greeted. Air kisses are expected from many lad...
- Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:17 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VULGAR
- Replies: 21
- Views: 22205
Re: VULGAR
If the King James Version was good enough for Peter and Paul, it's good enough for me.
- Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:38 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: pantry
- Replies: 2
- Views: 4404
Re: pantry
A Hoosier pantry is a free-standing cabinet used as a pantry. The Hoosier Company of (where else) Indiana attached its name to it. Hoosier models aside, these items were once ubiquitous. My Grannies called them kitchen safes. Some were quite elaborate with a flour bin that had a sifter at the bottom...
- Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:23 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: mash
- Replies: 9
- Views: 10580
Re: mash
After the holidays I may write a long scholarly treatise on the word mash. Right now I am too busy eating Christmas tamales (masa and a filling, usually pork, steamed in a corn shuck). La Navidad es una época del año especialmente alegre y divertida, y'all.
- Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:06 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: MISTLETOE
- Replies: 13
- Views: 12531
Re: MISTLETOE
When one works in a multicultural environment as I do, one must not only watch the occasion, and non-occasion for osculation; one must be wary of phalangeal interdigitation customs and even friendly pats on the shoulder. As a greeter at my church, I have to carefully catalog worshipers as osculators...
- Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:37 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: MERRY
- Replies: 11
- Views: 13089
Re: MERRY
I haven't found a satisfactory reason why this Christmas carol has a comma between merry and gentleman:
"God rest ye merry, gentlemen...."
Given the comma, merry is not an adjective modifying gentlemen. So what is it?
Does anyone know or even have an idea?
"God rest ye merry, gentlemen...."
Given the comma, merry is not an adjective modifying gentlemen. So what is it?
Does anyone know or even have an idea?
- Sun Dec 23, 2012 4:06 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: CHRISTMAS-TREE
- Replies: 6
- Views: 6841
Re: CHRISTMAS-TREE
The noun Christmas tree, as an oil or gas well control and distribution assembly, has been around for years. Thanks for the reminder MTC. This Texan, from the home of the oil well Chritmas tree, should have been more alert. As for the Christmas tree verbs. Let's push them out as quickly as possible,...
- Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:52 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: snaffle
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5189
Re: snaffle
Perry: At first I thought you were doodling. Then I realized you were cleverly drawing a snaffle. But why two? One for each side of the bridle? Snaffle has synonyms. As a verb, snaffle synonyms are grab, snap up and take. As a noun, snaffle is usually used in "snaffle bit" which, though it...
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:11 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: mash
- Replies: 9
- Views: 10580
Re: mash
We have what I thought was an English like pub near my home, and I intended to visit it until I was warned that it was really only a front for illegal gambling. Someone quipped, "Did you ever hear anyone say, let's get some English food?" Some Americans may dis English food but, having spe...
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:06 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: mash
- Replies: 9
- Views: 10580
Re: mash
Since mash and masher have such non-literal meanings as you have discussed, what could one of a mind to create slang do with the famous British lunch of bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes)? I blush to imagine.
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:35 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: punctuate / punctuation
- Replies: 6
- Views: 8672
Re: punctuate / punctuation
Right, Perry. I guess they would be called cuneums instead of punctums. I know, I am just making up words.
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:27 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VULGAR
- Replies: 21
- Views: 22205
Re: VULGAR
Right, Luke. Then the Douay-Challoner version was modernized into the Douay-Rheims version which I believe was the standard English Catholic Bible for much of my life. I don't have a newer English Catholic version. Does anyone know the English Bible used in Catholic Churches today? Protestants seem ...
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:15 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VULGAR
- Replies: 21
- Views: 22205
Re: VULGAR
So everyone is punning in Latin, much to the consternation of us non-Latin scholars. I never took Latin in school since German and Spanish were required courses. Through the years, I have learned a lot of Latin words. But Latin grammar? Nil, nada, nichts. Well, machts nichts.
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:01 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VULGAR
- Replies: 21
- Views: 22205
Re: VULGAR
Has anyone mentioned St, Jerome's magnificant translation of the Bible into ordinary Latin? It is called the versio vulgata, or Vulgate in English.
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:18 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: VULGAR
- Replies: 21
- Views: 22205
Re: VULGAR
Help! I am drowning in Latin. Does "Semper ubi sub ubi" really mean "always wear underwear"? A literal translation seems to be "Always where under where." Perhaps someone is making a Latin pun.