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Source: (consider it) Thread: Interesting Words
bib
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# 13074

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I have a fascination with words and delight in collecting ones that particularly appeal. My latest gem is BUMFUZZLE which means to confuse. I'm wondering what words appeal to shipmates.

[ 17. September 2017, 22:45: Message edited by: Trudy Scrumptious ]

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"My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring"

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Meconopsis
Apprentice
# 18146

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Clusterf***
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Patdys
Iron Wannabe
RooK-Annoyer
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discombobulate is rather nice.
I like the way it rolls off the tongue.

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Marathon run. Next Dream. Australian this time.

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anoesis
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* defenestrate

* philtrum

* pelagic

* estuary

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The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

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Brenda Clough
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# 18061

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We have a long0running feature at the Book View Cafe blog, titled The Languaage Attic. Ol words are turned up an iscussed. I have one 'fistiana' an 'ovine'.

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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page

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MaryLouise
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My latest words-I-like-and-can't-stop-using are 'torque' and 'high-octane' as an adjective.

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“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”

-- Ivy Compton-Burnett

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anoesis
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quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
We have a long0running feature at the Book View Cafe blog, titled The Languaage Attic. Ol words are turned up an iscussed. I have one 'fistiana' an 'ovine'.

I flirted with the idea of putting 'corvine' in my list - as a matter of fact, I like all the 'ines' and sort of collect them...

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The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

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la vie en rouge
Parisienne
# 10688

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If you like interesting words, I highly recommend Mark Forsyth's book The Horologicon where he gives a whole tour de force of the delights of the English language. Start your day with the thrumbling of the kettle, and go on from there.

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Rent my holiday home in the South of France

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Bishops Finger
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'Concatenation', as in 'a concatenation of events leading up to the murder....' [Two face]

'Dumbledore' - a lovely onomatopoeic old English dialect word for 'bumblebee' [Big Grin]

'Lustrum' - as in a period of five years, pace Ancient Rome, but used (IIRC) by some sci-fi/horror writers to signify immeasurable periods of time... [Help]

That'll do for now. I LURVE words!

IJ

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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)

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Curiosity killed ...

Ship's Mug
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Serendipity, first encountered as the name of a boat sailed by friends of my parents when I was a child, so named because it was acquired serendipitously.

Crepuscular and pulchritudinous for the sounds of the words, and because they both bring me up short when i read them. The sounds of the words summon up images of encrusted or seeping diseases, not evening twilight and outstanding beauty.

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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat

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Bishops Finger
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Likewise, 'pusillanimous' always sounds more aggressive than its actual meaning, to wit, showing a lack of courage or determination.

IJ

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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)

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Galilit
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# 16470

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"distilled"
"contrast"
"concommitant"
"sunrise" and "sunset"
"kingfisher"

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She who does Her Son's will in all things can rely on me to do Hers.

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Baptist Trainfan
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# 15128

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A chap on the BBC News this evening used "mendacious". [Cool]
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Curiosity killed ...

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Which brings us to prevarication and procrastination.

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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat

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Bene Gesserit
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# 14718

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Rebarbative.

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Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus

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anoesis
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# 14189

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Catastrophe.

Though you've got to say it right for the best effect - leaning on the second syllable.

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The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

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Baptist Trainfan
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# 15128

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Hmm ... do you mean "ca-TAS-trofe"? (Perhaps not).

"Sesquipedalian".

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MaryLouise
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# 18697

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Lay half-sleep in bed on Sunday morning and a crowd of much-loved words came to me.

vertiginous

viridian

The title of Joseph Massey's poetry collection, a word he found in Emily Dickinson: Illocality

petrichor, the smell of the earth after rain

ambient

temenos, from the Greek, meaning sanctuary

liminal

oneiromancy, the art of deciphering dreams

parataxis

clairvoyant

papillon (masc) from the French for butterfly

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“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”

-- Ivy Compton-Burnett

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Baptist Trainfan
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quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Which brings us to prevarication and procrastination.

Are you absolutely sure about that? If I were you, I'd take a long time making up my mind, and leave all my options open.
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gustava
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# 15593

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Borborygmi and discohesive
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anoesis
Shipmate
# 14189

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quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Hmm ... do you mean "ca-TAS-trofe"? (Perhaps not).

"Sesquipedalian".

No, I mean ca-TAS-tro-fee (four syllables) [Biased]

Sesquipedalian is a fantastic word. I first came across it reading the marvellous "Moab is my Washpot" - Stephen Fry is clearly an avid collector of words, as well. He pairs it with 'pleonastic'.

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The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

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MaryLouise
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# 18697

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quote:
Originally posted by gustava:
Borborygmi and discohesive

There's a word for this? Stomach rumble or urble-burble never seemed expressive enough.

Borborygmi (pl) rumbling or gurgling noises made by the movement of fluid and gas in the intestines.

'Their tender interlude, lying together in wordless silence in the deep swaying hammock, was only a little marred by her post-prandial borborygmi.'

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“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”

-- Ivy Compton-Burnett

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Baptist Trainfan
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Now, Graham Greene wrote an excellent short story about that ...
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anoesis
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# 14189

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quote:
Originally posted by MaryLouise:
petrichor, the smell of the earth after rain

This is a thing I much love - and now I know there's a word for it! Thank you!

In line with the slightly science-y nature of that one, I like 'podsol'.

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The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

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Eirenist
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# 13343

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How about 'inspissated'?

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'I think I think, therefore I think I am'

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Amanda B. Reckondwythe

Dressed for Church
# 5521

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Turpitude. Also flummox.

My favorite Spanish word is romper (to break, from the Latin rumpere).

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"I take prayer too seriously to use it as an excuse for avoiding work and responsibility." -- The Revd Martin Luther King Jr.

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Urfshyne
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# 17834

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Oh how I love a bit of osculation - with my wife, of course.
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leo
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# 1458

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Quotidian

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My Jewish-positive lectionary blog is at http://recognisingjewishrootsinthelectionary.wordpress.com/
My reviews at http://layreadersbookreviews.wordpress.com

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no prophet's flag is set so...

Proceed to see sea
# 15560

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drumlin

onomatopoeia

inchoate

skookum

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Stercus Tauri
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# 16668

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quote:
Originally posted by Urfshyne:
Oh how I love a bit of osculation - with my wife, of course.

I once abused that in an engineering report to find out if anyone read it. I am pretty sure they didn't. (The two objects being investigated made osculatory contact). A good word.

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Thay haif said. Quhat say thay, Lat thame say (George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal)

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anoesis
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# 14189

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Driving several miles northward from my place this morning, I came around a corner and was - as always - delighted by the blue-grey mountain that suddenly pops into view. What a lovely massif, I thought. Then I thought, what a lovely word 'massif' is.

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The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

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Piglet
Islander
# 11803

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Cruciverbalist. As I'm a rather keen one, I quite frequently discover new and often delightful words.

I occasionally make them up to fit the clue, and find to my pleasure that they were there all along.

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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music

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wild haggis
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# 15555

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Hebbie gebbies.
Stramash
Stooshie
Scummer
Shuggle
Skoosh
Cluggie

A'd better haud ma wheesht noo!

A visit to Glasgow will help you translate the above.

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wild haggis

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no prophet's flag is set so...

Proceed to see sea
# 15560

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We have "heebie jeebies" here, and also:
- shinny
- slough (it's said slew!)
- kybo
- gotchies

All said to be Scottishisms, but from when this area was Rupert's Land (they ignored the indigenous peoples) which means 17th-19th centuries.

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bib
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# 13074

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I'm enjoying the offerings and have added some of them to my little black book.

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"My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring"

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Carex
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# 9643

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My former manager had sesquipedalian tendencies, so while working late one Saturday night in the lab I sent him a note that I was going to leave before I cucurbitified.

I took great pleasure in the fact that he apparently had to look it up to discover it meant "turn into a pumpkin".

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Baptist Trainfan
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And did you depart in a cabriolet, a barouche or a simple Hansom cab?
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Bishops Finger
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Or perhaps a landau, a chaise, or a brougham?

'Curcurbitified' has go to be The Word Of The Week, though!

[Overused]

IJ

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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)

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Stercus Tauri
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# 16668

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I often misuse crapulous, though it really means over indulgence; gluttony. In Finnish krapula means a hangover, which I have good reason to remember (I was much younger). Crapulent has the same appealing sound, but also means consumption to excess.

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Thay haif said. Quhat say thay, Lat thame say (George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal)

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ArachnidinElmet
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# 17346

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A couple of Susie Dent specials:
Gigglemug: someone who is unnecessarily cheerful, especially in the morning.
Testiculate:a man who talks a load of cobblers.
and if I can borrow a Scottishism, dreich which describes 70% of the weather at the moment.

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'If a pleasant, straight-forward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle manoeuvres' - Kafka

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Baptist Trainfan
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# 15128

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It can be dreich in Wales too, but they've probably got a different name for it ...

I'm sure the comedian Lenny Henry coined the word spondilious to mean "great" or "terrific".

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Bishops Finger
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# 5430

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Runcible.

Invented IIRC by Edward Lear (1812-1888), and applicable as an adjective to just about anything you fancy!

[Big Grin]

IJ

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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)

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HCH
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# 14313

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My family at one time referred to a small bit of random fluff one might find on a carpet as a "peem".
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keibat
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# 5287

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2017 is the 150th anniversary of the British North America Act which created the Dominion of Canada, and there have been many celebrations of this going on in Canada and elsewhere, including a symposium in London which I was at - where I learnt the gloriously opaque (even with some knowledge of Latin) adjective sesquicentennial which means '150th'.

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keibat from the finnish north and the lincs east rim

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no prophet's flag is set so...

Proceed to see sea
# 15560

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quote:
Originally posted by keibat:
2017 is the 150th anniversary of the British North America Act which created the Dominion of Canada, and there have been many celebrations of this going on in Canada and elsewhere, including a symposium in London which I was at - where I learnt the gloriously opaque (even with some knowledge of Latin) adjective sesquicentennial which means '150th'.

If you want to go on like that, I wore one of my toques today because it was cold. I didn't wear a bunnyhug. Nor a siwash. Nor pantoufles.

--------------------
Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.
\_(ツ)_/

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Higgs Bosun
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# 16582

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quote:


- slough (it's said slew!)

The pronunciation interested me, so I did some digging. From this there are two main definitions:

- a swamp, pronounced to rhyme with 'now', as in Bunyan's "slough of despond"

- a verb to shed, pronounced 'sluff' (c.f. 'rough').

The town of Slough, near Windsor, is presumably named for its swamp. Betjeman did not think much of the place:
quote:

Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!


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Carex
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# 9643

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In common US usage, "slough" is always pronounced "slew" when referring to water features. It is most commonly used for a part of a river that has very little current, such when the water breaks through the narrow part at a bend and leaves the former main channel with water in it, but with little actual flow. It may also refer to a stream that only has significant flow in the rainy season, but stays wet the rest of the year. We have a lot of them around here.
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no prophet's flag is set so...

Proceed to see sea
# 15560

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Western Canada: slough (slew) is a pond with soft edges such that bullrushes and reed etc grow on its edges. Habitat for waterfowl (ducks, geese, herons, cranes etc). A pothole to us is a slough with hard edges, i.e., you can walk up the edge easily. It may have reeds and bullrushes too. They are post-glacial features. We talk of prairie pothole country.

We'd call Carex's sloughs "oxbows".

A bluff here is a patch of trees on the prairie, without a slough. There's no hill involved.

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MaryLouise
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peely-wally

(used by my Scottish grandmother whenever she saw teenaged me looking what I called soulful)

scintilla, scintillate

(shine on you crazy diamond)

--------------------
“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”

-- Ivy Compton-Burnett

Posts: 646 | From: Cape Town | Registered: Nov 2016  |  IP: Logged
Leaf
Shipmate
# 14169

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quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
Western Canada: slough (slew) is a pond with soft edges such that bullrushes and reed etc grow on its edges. Habitat for waterfowl (ducks, geese, herons, cranes etc). A pothole to us is a slough with hard edges, i.e., you can walk up the edge easily. It may have reeds and bullrushes too. They are post-glacial features. We talk of prairie pothole country.

We'd call Carex's sloughs "oxbows".

A bluff here is a patch of trees on the prairie, without a slough. There's no hill involved.

This is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike accuracy.

Although this shipmate makes frequent claims about how "we" "here" in Western Canada use language, I can say that most of these claims about vocabulary are unknown to me. I have lived across Western Canada and in rural, urban, and small town settings. The claims being made about a huge and diverse landscape actually pertain to a small area of one province, and often the usage is not current usage.

I advise that when reading these claims, one ought to understand that "we" refers to this shipmate and partner (or possibly the majestic plural) and "here" to mean the area immediately surrounding the shipmate's residence.

The moral of this story: Don't incorporate. We don't like it here.

Posts: 2786 | From: the electrical field | Registered: Oct 2008  |  IP: Logged



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