Pictures of the skirt

I am cursed with a memory that retains odd words and phrases that I've
heard or read over the years and can never find a reason to bring into a
conversation. How can you weave a conversation around 'chalybeate' or
'omphaloskepsis'. Actually that last one does occasionally get used in the
odd NG discussion from time to time! I could go on but that would be
boring.

My home page is 'one look' dictionary search http://www.onelook.com/ How
sad is that! :-)

--
Richard - The older I get, the better I used to be!

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Posted by Kathleen on February 27, 2008, 10:27 am

The Wanderer wrote:

> On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:39:41 -0800, BEI Design wrote:

>>Liz wrote:

> <snip>

>>IMHO, all of the text messaging, Instant Messaging, and the

>>like are damaging *written* English, i.e. "My smmr hols wr

>>CWOT. B4, we used 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :- kids

>>FTF. ILNY, it's a gr8 plc." (In translation: "My summer

>>holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to

>>go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend and their

>>three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. It's a

>>great place.")

> Yeah, wot she said! OTOH, word shorthand is spreading it's tentacles far

> and wide, IYSWIM! :-)

>>I still actually "talk" on the phone, I don't for the life

>>of me understand the need for "texting".

> Whilst I am reasonably techno-literate (now there's a neologism!), I have

> no idea how to send a text from my mobile 'phone!

>>>(BTW, I DO like the word

>>>"neologism" and wish I could have the opportunity to use

>>>it!)

>>You may have it! I could not instantly recall the word I

>>wanted to use. It took me several minutes of accessing my

>>"RAM" (my brain) to remember it. The older I get,

> I am cursed with a memory that retains odd words and phrases that I've

> heard or read over the years and can never find a reason to bring into a

> conversation. How can you weave a conversation around 'chalybeate' or

> 'omphaloskepsis'. Actually that last one does occasionally get used in the

> odd NG discussion from time to time! I could go on but that would be

> boring.

> My home page is 'one look' dictionary search http://www.onelook.com/ How

> sad is that! :-)

As a substitute teacher I sometimes get asked, "Why do you use such
weird words?"

I tell them it's like the difference between the eight-pack of fat
crayons and the sixty four-pack. If I have something I'm trying to
convey and there's a word that means exactly what I want, why wouldn't I
use that one word instead of getting halfway there with a whole string
of sentences? And even if you're not sure what I mean you can always
ask and I'll explain it and you'll have a brand new crayon in your box.

Posted by Ursula Schrader on February 28, 2008, 3:59 am

"Kathleen" wrote...

> As a substitute teacher I sometimes get asked, "Why do you use such weird

> words?"

> I tell them it's like the difference between the eight-pack of fat crayons

> and the sixty four-pack. If I have something I'm trying to convey and

> there's a word that means exactly what I want, why wouldn't I use that one

> word instead of getting halfway there with a whole string of sentences?

> And even if you're not sure what I mean you can always ask and I'll

> explain it and you'll have a brand new crayon in your box.

Wow, that's great idea to get children interested in language! I'll have to
remember that if my DD ever comes up with a question like that. Fortunately,
she seems quite interested in speaking, yesterday she had a spoon in her
little fist, stuffed it into her little mouth and - I swear she said
'spoon'! (In German it's 'Löffel', easier to say perhaps, but anyway, she's
still so young and is 'telling stories' all the time.)

However, I'm well aware that at home is the place where education starts and
therefore my husband and I are trying to use better language in her
presence. Since my husband is in the construction business (and I don't mean
architect ;-)) he uses sometimes rather crude language. Moreover, he never
was too good at spelling or grammar (maths and science, that's his scene).
On the other hand, my parents are both teachers, so I didn't even speak the
regional slang/dialect until some of my high school friends encouraged me to
do so, to fit in better, you know. ;-) I remind him to speak properly
whenever he uses a particularly bad phrase, but I find that my speach has
'deteriorated' a good deal, too, since my days in the cabinetmaker's
workshop. Gotta try, and try again, hasn't one? ;-)

U.

Posted by Pogonip on February 28, 2008, 4:55 am

Ursula Schrader wrote:

> However, I'm well aware that at home is the place where education starts and

> therefore my husband and I are trying to use better language in her

> presence. Since my husband is in the construction business (and I don't mean

> architect ;-)) he uses sometimes rather crude language. Moreover, he never

> was too good at spelling or grammar (maths and science, that's his scene).

> On the other hand, my parents are both teachers, so I didn't even speak the

> regional slang/dialect until some of my high school friends encouraged me to

> do so, to fit in better, you know. ;-) I remind him to speak properly

> whenever he uses a particularly bad phrase, but I find that my speach has

> 'deteriorated' a good deal, too, since my days in the cabinetmaker's

> workshop. Gotta try, and try again, hasn't one? ;-)

> U.

You can rely on your angelic daughter repeating the worst phrase your
husband (or you) ever utter. It might take that to convince your
husband to clean up his act around the little one. ;-) They're great
little mimics, and unerringly choose just what you don't want them to
copy, and repeat it over and over. They love the reaction. It makes
for great anecdotes, especially when the little one gets to be about 17
or 18 years old, and can be embarrassed by such family tales.
--
Joanne
stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us.earth.milky-way.com
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/

Posted by Kathleen on February 28, 2008, 5:16 am

Ursula Schrader wrote:

> "Kathleen" wrote...

>>As a substitute teacher I sometimes get asked, "Why do you use such weird

>>words?"

>>I tell them it's like the difference between the eight-pack of fat crayons

>>and the sixty four-pack. If I have something I'm trying to convey and

>>there's a word that means exactly what I want, why wouldn't I use that one

>>word instead of getting halfway there with a whole string of sentences?

>>And even if you're not sure what I mean you can always ask and I'll

>>explain it and you'll have a brand new crayon in your box.

> Wow, that's great idea to get children interested in language! I'll have to

> remember that if my DD ever comes up with a question like that. Fortunately,

> she seems quite interested in speaking, yesterday she had a spoon in her

> little fist, stuffed it into her little mouth and - I swear she said

> 'spoon'! (In German it's 'Löffel', easier to say perhaps, but anyway, she's

> still so young and is 'telling stories' all the time.)