The (not MS) Word Thread

[StevieM]

Following @DaveP's delight at discovering the word 'gruntled' and @ModeratelyGruntled's suggestion regarding how one may feel when one is neither over nor underwhelmed, I thought it was about time that there was a place for such etymological musings.

 

And so the (not MS) Word was born!

 

Here's one to start things off.

 

If there are many teeth but only one tooth, and there are many geese but only one goose, why isn't one sheep called a shoop?

[Seb1780]

why isn't one sheep called a shoop?

 

Because Cher got the copyright?

 

I often try to appear hevelled

[StevieM]

Because Cher got the copyright?

 

 

But there are lots of shoops, so surely she should be singing The Sheep Sheep Song.

[jinnantonnixx]

This piece of literature turbs and gusts me:

 

 

 

It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very

chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate.

 

I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her

standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a

state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and

she moved in a gainly way.

 

I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to make bones

about it since I was travelling cognito. Beknownst to me, the hostess,

whom I could see both hide and hair of, was very proper, so it would be

skin off my nose if anything bad happened. And even though I had only

swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn't be peccable. Only toward

and heard-of behavior would do.

 

Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause

was evitable. There were two ways about it, but the chances that someone

as flappable as I would be ept enough to become persona grata or a sung

hero were slim. I was, after all, something to sneeze at, someone you

could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled

passion.

 

So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for some apparent

reason, she looked in my direction and smiled in a way that I could make

heads and tails of.

 

I was plussed. It was concerting to see that she was communicado, and it

nerved me that she was interested in a pareil like me, sight seen.

Normally, I had a domitable spirit, but, being corrigible, I felt

capacitated - as if this were something I was great shakes at - and

forgot that I had succeeded in situations like this only a told number

of times. So, after a terminable delay, I acted with mitigated gall and

made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.

 

Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to

prepare a promptu speech, I was petuous. Wanting to make only called-for

remarks, I started talking about the hors d'oeuvres, trying to abuse her

of the notion that I was sipid, and perhaps even bunk a few myths about

myself.

 

She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savory

character who was up to some good. She told me who she was. "What a

perfect nomer," I said, advertently. The conversation become more and

more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail. But I was

defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour. I asked if she wanted to

come with me. To my delight, she was committal. We left the party

together and have been together ever since. I have given her my love,

and she has requited it.

[witch]

Well, that stops the thread dead - because it has every one of those odd words in it - so what is left to discuss

[jinnantonnixx]

Well, that stops the thread dead - because it has every one of those odd words in it - so what is left to discuss

 

You should be more spondent. I can think of many more words

Edited February 11, 2016 by jinnantonnixx

[StevieM]

Well, that stops the thread dead - because it has every one of those odd words in it - so what is left to discuss

 

Then we'd better start cussing things instead.

 

The thread doesn't have to be entirely prefix-related, though. It can about anything (not MS) word related that makes you think, 'I wonder why/what/where/when/who/how/if...' I refer you to my original question about sheep/shoop.

[jinnantonnixx]

I had some builders round to molish a wall.

[Jawloms]

I got home from work once and my son (who was 7 at the time) wasn't wearing his glasses. I asked him why and he said "I'm waiting for them to steam down". I knew exactly what he meant.

[DJ-1701]

Then we'd better start cussing things instead.

 

The thread doesn't have to be entirely prefix-related, though. It can about anything (not MS) word related that makes you think, 'I wonder why/what/where/when/who/how/if...' I refer you to my original question about sheep/shoop.

 

Eye no, wright?

[jinnantonnixx]

This perplexed me - 'flammable' vs 'inflammable'.

 

Flammable vs. inflammable - Grammarist

[6Foot2]

This perplexed me - 'flammable' vs 'inflammable'.

 

Flammable vs. inflammable - Grammarist

 

As it says the use of flammable is probably clearer and avoid inflammable altogether. It gets even more confusing when you add 'highly' to make highly inflammable [very flame retardant?]

 

When I worked in a lab with lots of flammable solvents around clarity was a requirement.

 

http://www.paragonstl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SS2008.png

Edited February 11, 2016 by 6Foot2
Phrasing.

[LincolnE]

I've always been confused with.

 

Four... Fourteen, Twenty-four and the like..... up until forty. Why does the U suddenly decide to distance itself from the word...

[6Foot2]

I've always been confused with.

 

Four... Fourteen, Twenty-four and the like..... up until forty. Why does the U suddenly decide to distance itself from the word...

 

No reason, it seems:

 

Link: Forty vs. fourty - Grammarist

[jinnantonnixx]

Confusion between -ible and -able is understandible. Or should that be understandable?

 

Do you know your -ibles from your -ables? | OxfordWords blog

 

My rule of thumb is if the word is complete, use -able, otherwise -ible.

[sted]

why does terrific mean good rather than as would seem more appropriate be related to terror/terrible

[sparkeh]

My three year old said her tea was too hot and asked me to "warm is down a bit" which I really liked

[6Foot2]

why does terrific mean good rather than as would seem more appropriate be related to terror/terrible

 

An explanation:

 

Link: Online Etymology Dictionary [Terrific]

[Duranis]

The English language really is a mess. One thing that has always got me is words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently depending on context.

 

Wind - Either I forgot to do it to the clock or I have it really badly after eating an extra large portion of sprouts?

Bass - An instrument or a fish?

Polish - Someone from Poland or something to rub on my table?

[jinnantonnixx]

The English language really is a mess.

 

It's a mongrel language, a mix of many languages over the years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_English

 

I have a fondness for old fashioned fonts, and If I may refer you to one of my more lowbrow posts, you'll be the better for it.

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/jokes-interweb-things/79442-perils-medieval-fonts.html

Edited February 11, 2016 by jinnantonnixx

[elsiegee40]

I find etymology fascinating. Between the family we have a smattering of French, German, Spanish and Latin studied at school.

 

Those languages seem to be enough for us to have educated guesses at translations in many countries.

 

Combined with all 4 of us having done Maths A Level and thus learning greek alphabet letters we can even have a crack at Greek when the English translation makes no sense. It was a cinema poster that led me to learn that beta isn't B in Greek. The characters used to spell Robert Redford translated as Rompert Redford; mu and pi used together are pronounced as B

Edited February 11, 2016 by elsiegee40

[StevieM]

Confusion between -ible and -able is understandible. Or should that be understandable?

 

Do you know your -ibles from your -ables? | OxfordWords blog

 

My rule of thumb is if the word is complete, use -able, otherwise -ible.

 

Contemptible - The ception that disproves the rule.

 

I'm glad to find that I'm not the only one who finds themselves playing about with words in their head*. There have been some great posts so far.

 

'As well' - That's another one for me. I understand it in the context of comparison, e.g. 'I can swim as well as my brother', but not when it's used to mean 'in addition to', e.g. 'I'm going to have a starter as well as a dessert.'

 

Also, when did people start saying 'aswell' as one word, with the emphasis on the 'as' - 'I'm going to the cinema, aswell.'?

 

 

*Should that be head or heads? Collectively, they will have more than one head; individually, they will only have head.

Edited February 11, 2016 by StevieM

[witch]

Did you know that "..en" used to be used as a plural?

 

We still say "children" and "oxen" but other useage such as "housen" has gone

[Jawloms]

Did you know that "..en" used to be used as a plural?

 

We still say "children" and "oxen" but other useage such as "housen" has gone

 

'en' is how you plural in Dutch. There's a couple of rules guiding it, but that's basically it.

[StevieM]

Did you know that "..en" used to be used as a plural?

 

We still say "children" and "oxen" but other useage such as "housen" has gone

 

I wonder why we say still say oxen, but not foxen or boxen?