Word For The Day

[Doolipalally]

hypselotimophobia

Hint: Tallys's shoppers

How about 'fear of missing a bargain due to being asleep'?

higgler

Hint: Tallys especially considering the GM uses English English. ;)

Totally stumped by this one, especially because of the hint :)



hirrient

Hint: Victorious catamaroks...

(Of felines) Irritated by a hairball?

humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Hint: That one just really got my attention and Taleria might be the only member that knows it.

That's got my attention too, but other than the hint telling me it might just be Hawaiian I'm guessing wildly. So, a wild guess: the noise made by a severely injured pumpkin when you attempt to put a lei over its head?


hellenomania

This thread might qualify.

This is the only one I think I might know: obsession with Greece or the Greek language?

[Chareos]

I know Hellenomania because I have just read a book by Harry Sidebottom (real name!) and he suffers terribly from this.

Someone who uses Greek phrases and words when more common English ones will do. Especially to show off how clever they are!

Higgler

Someone who higgles

I have just looked up Higgler and found myself surprisingly correct :)

http://www.theenglishdictionary.org/definition/higgler

[Oldschool]

Both Dooli and Chareos are right on hellenomania.

And I fouled up both ways regarding the higgler hint which seems to be an archaic not UK alternative of haggle which Tallys is not.

And it seems I dropped the 'a off of the longer of the following pair.

That leaves humuhumunukunukuapua'a and hirrient.

Another hint - a combo.... For hirrient think of catamaroks or thier r/l equivalents after a successful feast of humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

[thingirl]

The humuhumunukunukuapua'a is some sort of Hawkins fish. (It's also a song in High School Musical 2.... :))

[Oldschool]

Correct on both counts - repped. Again I stumbled across the first which specifically is the state fish of Hawaii and found out about the second on a second google.

[Badstench]

I was caught in the act of a mussitation the other day.

This is not the same as performing a murmuration, for one is silent whereas the other is merely inaudible.

I had started by seeking for the dictionary definition of 'murmuration', because the context in which I saw the word written actually had nothing to do with verbal communication.

So, all you clever clogs... what is a murmuration other than the act of murmuring?

[Oldschool]

Had to Google it - nice one.

And thanks as a bit of googling revealed some more word fun (some I knew, many I didn't).

This isn't just the answer, but it is listed in the following link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collective_nouns_for_birds

And here's some more, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collective_nouns

Repped for the education Badstench.

[texlaw1992]

...that you epidermis is not visible to others next time you are engaged in mussitation (lol).

[Chareos]

So, all you clever clogs... what is a murmuration other than the act of murmuring?

Isn't it a flock of Starlings? Or is that the answer you already have?

[Badstench]

It is, indeed, the name given to a flock of starlings, which, if you've ever seen in flight, creates that moving mosaic in the sky.

I'm not surprised Chareos knew the answer... murmurations occur mainly in England.

[Oldschool]

If you've never seen a murmuration :) of starlings in action it's truly a sight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-groCeKbE&feature=player_detailpage#t=124s

And if you think about it all that wind being displaced creates a murmuration of its own.

I'm guessing that's the "connection" as most of those collective nouns have some type of word play connection.

[Oldschool]

And so as not to further derail the CHR thread I'm not sure of the origin of fee-fi-fo-fum but according to Wikipedia it's probably either King Lear or Jack the Giant Killer.

But I did stumble across this, http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/136100.html

And considering the following from the above link I couldn't help but LOL at myself,

The source is anonymous and the date is unknown. It must have been before 1596. It is referred to by the English dramatist Thomas Nashe, in Have with you to Saffron-walden, 1596:

"O, tis a precious apothegmatical Pedant, who will find matter enough to dilate a whole day of the first invention of Fy, fa, fum, I smell the blood of an English-man".


But if folks, apothegmatical pedants or otherwise :), were "dilating" whole days as to it's origin around 1596 which was before King Lear that is indeed interesting.

[Oldschool]

Rhabdomancy

Capnomancy

Grammaticaster

[Young Ned]

Rhabdomancy
Could have sworn we had this word already, somewhere in the forum here, but I still can't recall its meaning. :(

Capnomancy
Divination by reading a goat's entrails? Whoops, wait, I could have sworn that said "capriomancy" when I first read it, but now I see it's "capnomancy". Dang, now I have no idea what that means.

Grammaticaster
One of the lesser-known Fender (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Musical_Instruments_Corporation#Instruments ) guitars. ;)

[Badstench]

Grammaticaster
I have come across this word before, but put it down to a Koriism, which is word made up by a writer to describe a person, object or occurrence in place of a lengthy explanation that no one really cares to hear.

This is different to a 'nonsense' word in the style of Lewis Carol, because a Koriism makes actual sense if you stop and think about it.

In fact, anyone who uses a Koriism is more likely to fall prey to a grammaticaster than be accused of clever invention.

But I did like Young Ned's answer!

[texlaw1992]

Now now, some of Lewis Carol's "nonsense" words have become part of ordinary english. "Jabberwocky" gave us the word "vorpal."

[Tetracapillactomist]

And the word 'chortle,' both verb and noun.

[Oldschool]

LOL.... thanks for the trip down memory lane Tex.

I recall a very heated juvenile "debate" during a D&D session whether a Vorpal Sword would and should go "snicker-snack" when it beheaded foes. :rolleyes:

[Young Ned]

I recall a very heated juvenile "debate" during a D&D session whether a Vorpal Sword would and should go "snicker-snack" when it beheaded foes. :rolleyes:
Well, I think it should. :cool: But I think it would be up to the player and/or the DM to decide it for any given campaign...

[Badstench]

:p @ Oldschool:
And just kidding Badstench before you dismantle my grammatically obscene posts. There's just so few chances to take a "writing" shot at you - I couldn't resist.
Yes, I did mispell it. The word is actually "donator", and has a subtle difference to "donor".

You'll have to get up earlier if you want to catch me out, Grasshopper!

[Oldschool]

Touche! And I'll be a monkey's uncle.

Good one Badstench and I definitely had that one coming, lol.

And since it's been awhile since anyone's answered my posers.... Actually I forgot about 'em.... :rolleyes:

Rhabdomancy - divination with a rod or wand. Think of water witching or dowsing (looking for water). I have a friend that does that with two L shaped metal rods.

Capnomancy - divination using smoke.

Grammaticaster - I figured if someone knew either of the first two or better yet both the "caster" would throw 'em off. :)

Considering the donator incident the timing of this one should elicit a smile - even if it's at my "expense". I know I got a smile and a chuckle out of it, lol.:rolleyes: :)

Anyhoo... Grammicaster -
n. 1. A petty grammarian; a grammatical pedant or pretender.
My noble Neophite, my little grammaticaster.
- B. Jonson.


http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Grammaticaster

[Oldschool]

Ramsons

Verisimilitude (thank goodness for spellcheck :rolleyes:)

Gelid

[Young Ned]

Ramsons
Not a clue.

Verisimilitude (thank goodness for spellcheck :rolleyes:)
Having the appearance of truth or actuality. A movie set of a Parisian sidewalk cafe would have great verisimilitude if it looked good enough to fool people who'd actually been to Paris.

Gelid

Hmm... I've really only seen this word used to describe horrible eldritch monsters such as those found in H.P. Lovecraft's works. Having a texture or consistency like that of gelatin?

[Oldschool]

Hint - could go in the weird food thread and 'tis the season and I've mentioned them before, but not by that name.
Correct - repped.
Not exactly, but they're related and I hadn't thought of the gelatin/gelatinous or even gel (hint) "connection".


Edit: Nice example YN as I think that's a French import. Not sure if they imported it first (or where from though)? My high school French is rusty, but it's one of those that don't need translated.

[Young Ned]

I probably should have put my guesses in spoilers, shouldn't I? :rolleyes: Just fixed it; hopefully not too many people have been spoiled yet...

[Badstench]

It use to be that fat people were fat.

Examine those three letters. F.A.T. You could rearrange them to spell AFT, as in "That fat person has a big aft", meaning, you've got a big arse.

When my son was 4 years old, we were walking along a sidewalk and being approached by a large woman. I nearly died when my son said out loud, "Look dad, she's got a big arse!"

When did 'fat' become obese? This is one of those catch-phrases that categorizes people into... erm... categories. Apparently, if you're not the ideal weight for your height and muscle index, you're obese.

I'm obese. My muscle-to-fat indeces tell me so. I'm fat because I take sugar in my coffee, along with full-cream milk, and I eat the occassional meat pie.

I happen to like crisps. I don't need to be told that crisps are potatos fried to death. 2 minute noodles are a dangerous meal.

Okay, I'll agree that KFC isn't good for you, but it tastes good, doesn't it? (Actually, it doesn't, but I eat it anyway.)

My favourite take-out food is sourced from a local Chinese place. They have a faded newspaper clipping from 1990-something that acclaimed them as having the best Chinese food in Auckland, so it must be good. I regularly order Chicken Chow Mein.

Chicken Chow Mein, for God's sake! Let's examine the ingredients...

1) Chicken.
2) Broccoli
3) Onion
4) Carrot
5) Cauliflower
6) Caschew nuts (if requested)
7) Egg noodles

all cooked in vegetable oil.

Okay, so I follow that with a can of coke and a slice of strawberry cheesecake...

My point is this...

Erm... Jeez, I'm hungry.

[texlaw1992]

The modern term is "horizontally-challenged."

Similarly, if you are of limited stature, you are "vertically-challenged."

PC tip of the day.

[Oldschool]

Ramsons - ramps basically or the larger "family" - leeks, wild garlic, etc...

Gelid - Very cold or icy. Gel comes to mind as in things that gel in cold weather. Diesel fuel comes to mind though the new blends are a bit more resistant, don't need to cut it with kerosene to keep it from jelling up.



profligate

proliferate

profligacy

prolixity

[Young Ned]

Ramsons - ramps basically or the larger "family" - leeks, wild garlic, etc...

Gelid - Very cold or icy. Gel comes to mind as in things that gel in cold weather. Diesel fuel comes to mind though the new blends are a bit more resistant, don't need to cut it with kerosene to keep it from jelling up.
Oh, yeah, I do think I remember you mentioning ramsons a long time ago. Interesting. Nice to know what gelid means finally, after seeing it in so much pulp horror fiction. :)

profligate
Extravagant, wasteful; a spendthrift.

proliferate
To multiply, grow, increase in population.

profligacy
The condition or act of being profligate.

prolixity
Verbosity, wordiness.

[Oldschool]

Further proof not to lay a wager against Ned in a Scrabble game.

Correct x4 - duly repped.

[Young Ned]

Further proof not to lay a wager against Ned in a Scrabble game.
:) Actually, I don't do particularly well at Scrabble. The trick for getting really high scores in Scrabble is to learn all the valid two-letter words -- and there are a bunch of them in the Scrabble dictionary that don't even sound like words -- so that you can lay a word down parallel to another word, not crossing it, with each of the resulting two-letter combinations being a legitimate word. My brain just doesn't process patterns that way, or at least I was never willing to put in the practice to learn how. Too much like work for what's supposed to be a game...

Correct x4 - duly repped.
Thank you very kindly. :cool: