imron Posted November 26, 2014 at 12:43 PM Report Posted November 26, 2014 at 12:43 PM In the enchanted wood and the magic faraway tree there was also plenty of mention of boughs. Quote
li3wei1 Posted November 26, 2014 at 01:42 PM Report Posted November 26, 2014 at 01:42 PM There's also The Golden Bough, by James Frazer, a comparative study of religions. Never read it, but it was name-checked a lot in university courses. Quote
liuzhou Posted November 27, 2014 at 10:17 AM Report Posted November 27, 2014 at 10:17 AM I, too, thought that 'bough' was commonly known. I've even met Chinese people who know it. That may come from their knowledge of Jane Eyre, the only English book they seem to have heard of. 'Bough' is used frequently in the novel. Quote
tooironic Posted November 28, 2014 at 03:02 AM Report Posted November 28, 2014 at 03:02 AM My Chinese history professor knew it from The Golden Bough. But it was new to me. Quote
imron Posted December 30, 2014 at 12:36 AM Report Posted December 30, 2014 at 12:36 AM Hypnic jerk - when you suddenly jerk wide awake just as you were about to fall asleep. Quote
Demonic_Duck Posted December 30, 2014 at 04:38 AM Report Posted December 30, 2014 at 04:38 AM Ugh, I hate those jerks. Quote
liuzhou Posted December 30, 2014 at 08:17 AM Report Posted December 30, 2014 at 08:17 AM I'm rather fond of the recently discovered "cataglottism" [a. F. cataglottisme ‘a kisse or kissing with the tongue’ (Cotgr.), ad. Gr. καταγλώττισµα, -ισµός ‘a lascivious kiss’.] (I wish to point out that I recently discovered the word, not the concept. Oh, where is she now?) Quote
Kobo-Daishi Posted February 1, 2015 at 01:48 AM Report Posted February 1, 2015 at 01:48 AM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxonian I've been listening to audiobooks of Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn series of mysteries and that's a word they mention in the first of the series, A Man Lay Dead. Being American, I'd never heard the word before. Read the Wikipedia article for the Cambridge equivalent. Kobo. Quote
Shelley Posted February 1, 2015 at 03:43 PM Report Posted February 1, 2015 at 03:43 PM You probably won't have heard of Oxbridge then, which is a term to cover both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxbridge Quote
roddy Posted April 21, 2015 at 08:40 PM Author Report Posted April 21, 2015 at 08:40 PM Sardiniously. A word so rare it has seven results on Google. It originates (as far as I can tell) in the diaries of Frank Hurley, photographer on Ernest Shackleton's unsuccesful trip South. Quote
Melanie1989 Posted April 22, 2015 at 10:09 PM Report Posted April 22, 2015 at 10:09 PM Indubitably - a word i recently discovered (i won't even admit to where) and cracked up laughing at. It means certainly, unquestionable. Eg, "It was indubitably apparent he was lying". It sounds so funny to me, but i don't think it's commonly used -correct me if i'm mistaken. Inspired by Clerks, i think i'll "bring it back". 1 Quote
Shelley Posted April 22, 2015 at 11:40 PM Report Posted April 22, 2015 at 11:40 PM There was a famous character that used indubitably as a catch phrase almost. There was also a cartoon dog that wore a scarf, a top hat and a monocle that used it. Now you have jogged my memory and I can't quite put my finger on it, its on the tip of my brain as it were. Its going to bug me til I remember Edit: Goofy gophers - The pair's dialogue is peppered with such over politeness as "Indubitably!", "You first, my dear," and "But, no, no, no. It must be you who goes first!" Also Sherlock Holmes used it a lot. So it wasn't a dog but two goofy gophers. 1 Quote
imron Posted April 26, 2015 at 09:30 AM Report Posted April 26, 2015 at 09:30 AM phlebotomist - someone who draws blood from veins, e.g. for doing blood tests. Quote
Guest realmayo Posted May 5, 2015 at 09:23 AM Report Posted May 5, 2015 at 09:23 AM mondegreen - a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near-homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning e.g. 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy (from a lyric in the song "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky"). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen Quote
tooironic Posted May 5, 2015 at 12:13 PM Report Posted May 5, 2015 at 12:13 PM I knew the last two words. Guess my English is not as bad as I originally thought... Quote
roddy Posted May 5, 2015 at 01:24 PM Author Report Posted May 5, 2015 at 01:24 PM I had a really good one, but I've forgotten it. I can remember the literal meaning was a flow of water from snowmelt. Anyone know it? Quote
Shelley Posted May 5, 2015 at 01:59 PM Report Posted May 5, 2015 at 01:59 PM water from melting snow that flows over the surface of the ground into streams and rivers = snow melt That was all i could find in the dictionary, would be keen to know what you were thinking of cos now my interest has been piqued. And there's another one people may not be familiar with, pique - to excite, arouse interest. Quote
imron Posted May 5, 2015 at 02:56 PM Report Posted May 5, 2015 at 02:56 PM pique - to excite, arouse interest. An excellent word and one of my pet peeves to see people write it as peak e.g. 'peaked my interest' instead of 'piqued my interested'. Quote
Shelley Posted May 14, 2015 at 08:41 PM Report Posted May 14, 2015 at 08:41 PM One i learnt today - Psychopomp Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός - psuchopompos, literally meaning the "guide of souls")[1] are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply to provide safe passage. Classical examples of a psychopomp in Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology are Charon, Hermes, Mercury and Anubis. Had to look it up. Quote
Shelley Posted October 29, 2015 at 10:19 AM Report Posted October 29, 2015 at 10:19 AM Inspired by the so now there's a thirteenth 5 year plan song thread, it was mentioned that the song was Also, this song is mad addictive. It reminded me of the word for songs that get stuck in your head, they are earworms. Quote
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