Seldom-Used Words

Ogg, you are a wealth of information and I appreciate that very much. I agree courtly love is much too tame for LIT but I can use the term in my book without any trouble at all. The article on Worth was really wonderful as I actually subscribe to Vanity Fair and am interested in haute couture.

haute couture - the establishments or designers that create fashions for women; also, the fashions created

hauteur - HAUGHTINESS, ARROGANCE

AllardChardon said:

Ogg, you are a wealth of information and I appreciate that very much. I agree courtly love is much too tame for LIT but I can use the term in my book without any trouble at all. The article on Worth was really wonderful as I actually subscribe to Vanity Fair and am interested in haute couture.

haute couture - the establishments or designers that create fashions for women; also, the fashions created

hauteur - HAUGHTINESS, ARROGANCE

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There is a new museum here in Calais, France devoted to lace-making and fashion. Calais was the centre for machine made lace with machinery and workers imported from Nottingham in England. At one time there were so many Nottingham workers in Calais that a whole quarter of the town was occupied by them.

As me, not Og, I have given the museum a considerable library of books and pamphlets about machine-made lace and Nineteenth Century fashion that I had collected when running my bookshop. Most of the books were in English and complemented their French language library. The museum used to be "Lace and Fine Arts" including several wonderful maquettes by Rodin. The Fine Arts museum now has the whole of the old building and the Lace and Fashion Museum is in a renovated lace factory with operating machinery.

As a significant donor, I get invited to the opening of each new exhibition - with a personal letter from the Mayor of Calais. Unfortunately I missed the really interesting opening which was "The development of the use of lace on underwear". Originally lace was far too expensive not be to shown and was used on the outside of clothes. Machine lace made it possible for ordinary women to have lace trimmings on their underthings.

Why was it unfortunate that I missed the opening of that exhibition?

Because the garments were modelled by students from the local college who performed ballet and gymnastics wearing vintage underwear....

Og

Og, I would have loved to see that right along with you. Thanks so much for the information on lace. You are a wonder.

dally - 1. a. to act playfully, esp. to play amorously b. to deal lightly; TOY 2. a. to waste time b. LINGER, DAWDLE

Another word of French origin;

contretemps - an inopportune embarrassing occurrence: MISHAP

Stylomachy - War between pillars or columns of abstract concepts. e.x. The stylomachy of the 20th Century changed the idea of imperialism of nationality into an imperialism of thought.

AllardChardon said:

Og, I would have loved to see that right along with you. Thanks so much for the information on lace. You are a wonder.

dally - 1. a. to act playfully, esp. to play amorously b. to deal lightly; TOY 2. a. to waste time b. LINGER, DAWDLE

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The first sentence in my latest novel attempt uses dally in the sentence, in the form of 'dalliances.'

A paraprosdokian (from Greek "παρα-", meaning "beyond" and "προσδοκία", meaning "expectation") is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.
Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early phrase, but also play on the double meaning of a particular word, creating a syllepsis.


Subject: Paraprosdokian Sentences


Ø I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.


Ø Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.


Ø I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.


Ø Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.


Ø The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.


Ø Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.


Ø If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.


Ø We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.


Ø War does not determine who is right - only who is left.


Ø Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.


Ø The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.


Ø Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.


Ø To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.


Ø A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.


Ø How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?


Ø Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.


Ø Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.



Ø I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.


Ø A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it.


Ø Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "If an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR".


Ø I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.


Ø I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it...so I said "Implants?"


Ø Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?


Ø Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.


Ø Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America ?


Ø Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.


Ø A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.


Ø You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.


Ø The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!


Ø Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.


Ø A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.


Ø Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.


Ø Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.


Ø I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.


Ø Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.


Ø There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.


Ø I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.


Ø I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.


Ø When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.


Ø You're never too old to learn something stupid.


Ø To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.


Ø Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.


Ø Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.


Ø A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.


Ø If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?


Ø Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Very entertaining, squarejohn, and several are quite truthful as well as humorous.

snollygoster - prop. alter. of snallygaster (a mythical creature that preys on poultry and children): an unprincipled but shrewd person

Xelebes said:

Look up Insert Special Characters in Word Help. I don't have Word so I can't give you line by line. You can also use Character Map to look it up: type "long s" in search. Copy and paste the character into the document. There is no Alt Code for it.

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Thanks, muchly.

There should totally be a Full English keyboard where you can type the æ, œ, ð, þ, ƿ, ȝ, ſ, the macron, the grave, the accent, the diæresis, tilde, and cedilla with ease. Using the multilingual, I am missing the macron, the wynn, yogh and the long s.

When I have trouble with accents and the like, I go to a free translation site and once I get the word I want, I copy cut and paste it into my doc as a last ditch effort.

This word has an interesting definition that is rarely employed anymore;

broad-minded - 1. tolerant of varied views: CATHOLIC 2. inclined to condone minor departures from orthodox behavior

I guess it would be redundant to say Catholics are broad-minded.

catholic adj 1. universal. 2. of wide sympathies or interests (catholic tastes) 3. (Catholic) [Og's comment: note upper case C] a. of the Roman Catholic religion. b. including all Christians. c. including all of the Western Church.

n (Catholic) a. Roman Catholic. [from Greek katholios 'universal']


From the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (Royal Warrant 26th July 1958), Saint Athanasius' Creed: "Whosoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith."

Saint Athanasius' Creed (with the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds) were specifically approved in the Articles of Religion by assent and consent of our Sovereign Lady ELIZABETH [that is Elizabeth the First] in the Year of our Lord 1571.

No wonder catholics are confused...

Og

Og, I knew catholic meant universal but I did not know it meant broad-minded.

Isn't a broad-minded man constantly thinking of women and how to have sex with one, or is that a different definition for the word broad? hehehe

AllardChardon said:

Og, I knew catholic meant universal but I did not know it meant broad-minded.

Isn't a broad-minded man constantly thinking of women and how to have sex with one, or is that a different definition for the word broad? hehehe

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A modern broad-minded man would be thinking of women, men and transgendered and how to have sex with one or several...

Og

Even a broad-minded Catholic man might entertain such thoughts...

When was broad first used to describe a woman, I wonder?

AllardChardon said:

Even a broad-minded Catholic man might entertain such thoughts...

When was broad first used to describe a woman, I wonder?

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According to the full Oxford English Dictionary:

1914 US usage for woman (slang) also = prostitute [which changed later...]

Og

I think it must be older than that, but who know for sure.

Here is an interesting side-bit that started my curiosity with the word broad.

In a gambling game from the 1850s called Three-card Monte, basically the pea and three walnut shells game played with cards, the cards were called 'broads' and the dealer was called either broad pitcher or broad tosser.

AllardChardon said:

I think it must be older than that, but who know for sure.

Here is an interesting side-bit that started my curiosity with the word broad.

In a gambling game from the 1850s called Three-card Monte, basically the pea and three walnut shells game played with cards, the cards were called 'broads' and the dealer was called either broad pitcher or broad tosser.

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According to my OED there are about 14 definitions for the word broad. The use of broad to describe a woman, according to the OED, doesn't precede 1914. In the UK it was almost unknown until WWII GIs and then the show and film of "South Pacific".

Og

Well, "South Pacific" is one of my favs and a very early influence on me. I cannot tell you how many men I have washed right out of my hair. HAHAHAHA

How about this one;

fink - 1. slang INFORMER 2. slang STRIKEBREAKER 3. slang - an objectionable person (used as a generalized term of abuse)

In my day, we added rat to the front to call the tattle-telling teacher's pets by the name 'ratfinks'. A double whammy!

An Allard: not really a word definition but I thought it might raise a smile.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allard

ishtat said:

An Allard: not really a word definition but I thought it might raise a smile.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allard

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An Allard J2X was a very potent car when fitted with a Cadillac engine (which we couldn't get in the UK at the time). It was faster than almost any other car and its acceleration was fantastic.

Fuel consumption? Don't ask. If you could afford an Allard J2X you wouldn't worry about emptying a tanker.

Og

This is proof that you can learn something new every day, especially with a little help from your friends. Thanks, I never knew about Sidney Allard and his racing cars.

rathe - early

So does the rathe bird get the worm?

We've done Allard, how about Chardon?

But not the place in Ohio.

This place in Chardonnay.

Og

AllardChardon said:

...

rathe - early

So does the rathe bird get the worm?

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Lewis Carrol used rathe in one of his Alice books.

They didn't believe in writing down to children then.

But were the Alice in Wonderland books actually for children?

Discuss at length with the Red Queen.

Og