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Dayvenkirq View Drop Down
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: The English language/vocabulary/verbal phrases
    Posted: August 13 2014 at 20:42
Preamble: I tried to jam in as many keywords as possible into the title of the thread, so there you have it. If you know a thread similar to this one (which I couldn't find), PM me, and I'll delete it (if no one else posts).

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This thread could be started on a more suitable forum of a different website. I just want to know if there are any souls out here interested to some extent or another in the English vocabulary (of any variant), its wealth and diversity. I don't personally consider myself a logophile, but more like an explorer who understands the necessity of filling in the gaps in my vocabulary, given that I've spent eight years in the States. Besides, maybe some of us are too lazy to register for an English language forum (you know who you are ) ... not me.

Any interesting (or boring) words that you've discovered or felt you need a refresher on?

Options:

 - You can just put a short annotation next to the word's entry whether it's a discovery or a refresher ... or something else.
 - Feel free to post however you want, a single word or a whole list of words per post, with or without links (though I'm sure some of us would like to see a source for them).
 - We can do "word of the day" here.
 - Terms with more than one word in them are welcome.
 - Don't be shy on the slang.
 - Vulgar words: ... eh ... that's an iffy one. I guess it depends on the word. As long as you can maintain an intelligent discussion on those, I won't mind. Let's see what the higher authority will say here. An admin ruled: no slurs.
 - Feel free to include verbal phrases (as indicated in the thread's title).


Edited by Dayvenkirq - November 05 2014 at 10:20
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dr wu23 View Drop Down
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Points: 20660 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 15:51
This sounds like an interesting thread, if only I knew what it meant...?
Wink
 
 
Ok....does this one count? I have always wondered why the phrase:  "Jump the shark".
I know it's origin but I never completely understood the reason why it's used .
 
Confused
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Points: 66588 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 15:57
Because the episode of the Happy Days where Fonzie jumped the shark is considered the turning point from where The Happy Days went from a great show to it being a not so great show.  Basically, a "snap. you didn't just go there moment". 

Ironically, without that strange turn of events on Happy Days, we may have never been introduced to Mork from Ork and his friend Mindy.
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 15:58
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

This sounds like an interesting thread, if only I knew what it meant...?
Wink
 
 
Ok....does this one count? I have always wondered why the phrase:  "Jump the shark".
I know it's origin but I never completely understood the reason why it's used .
 
Confused
Sounds like it evolved from a single reference, probably to add color to our language, make it richer.

Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 14 2014 at 15:59
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 16:01
Just looked up what "indirect metaphor" means. It appears that back in high school I was mistaught its meaning ... and that was in an Advanced Placement English class. [sigh] I was told that it's a metaphor that can only be understood only among a certain group of people (in the same way an in-joke works).

Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 14 2014 at 16:04
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Points: 20617 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 16:26
Here's something that's bugging me (slang). Words like jazz and gig were supposed to have been dirty at one time. I'm 62, and these words always had the same meaning. I think the deal (slang again) with English is that it goes back so far in time. Wasn't English derived from an old form of German back in the day? (slang one mo' time)

Edited by SteveG - August 14 2014 at 16:26
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Points: 8543 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 16:30
Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

Because the episode of the Happy Days where Fonzie jumped the shark is
considered the turning point from where The Happy Days went from a great
show to it being a not so great show.  Basically, a "snap. you didn't
just go there moment".  Ironically, without that strange turn of
events on Happy Days, we may have never been introduced to Mork from
Ork and his friend Mindy.



As a "salute" to that episode of Happy Days, there is an episode of the X-Files titled "Jump the Shark" where the X-Files does just that and kills off all three of the Lone Gunmen ticking off all X-Files fans.   
I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you?
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Points: 16449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 16:48
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Here's something that's bugging me (slang). Words like jazz and gig were supposed to have been dirty at one time. I'm 62, and these words always had the same meaning. I think the deal (slang again) with English is that it goes back so far in time. Wasn't English derived from an old form of German back in the day? (slang one mo' time)

Given our Anglo-Saxon heritage, thats quite likely, though we have a lot of words that are derived from French and it wouldn't surprise me to have some old Norse influence in there as well. Then of course there's plenty of words derived from old Latin and Greek. 
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 16:58
I've stretched my OP by a smidgen:
Quote - Terms with more than one word in them are welcome.
With that said, I've looked up something new: the term " 'Me' Decade". Good grief. Now I have to look up "atomized individualism" and "communitarianism". (Not sure why the software underlined (undercurved ) the latter as if it's misspelled.)

Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 14 2014 at 17:20
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Points: 5154 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 16:59
As a non-English native this thread may be hard to follow for me, but it could help me learning some interesting things.

I will start by asking where does the expression "it's raining cats and dogs" come from.
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Points: 66588 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 17:05
Originally posted by Gerinski Gerinski wrote:

As a non-English native this thread may be hard to follow for me, but it could help me learning some interesting things.

I will start by asking where does the expression "it's raining cats and dogs" come from.
Someone in history once stepped in a poodle. Wink
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 17:08
Originally posted by Gerinski Gerinski wrote:

As a non-English native this thread may be hard to follow for me, but it could help me learning some interesting things.

I will start by asking where does the expression "it's raining cats and dogs" come from.
How about "it's raining men"?

This web-page suggests a rather "blurry" etymological history behind the expression. There are some Norse roots, some Greek roots. Quite a few theories there.



Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 14 2014 at 17:26
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Points: 65603 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 22:41
As for phrases (or metaphors), their origins are always interesting; e.g. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop" has become symbology, but if you've ever lived with someone who loudly drops their hard-sole shoes on a wood floor, you cringe when the first one drops because you know the second one is coming.   A small human reality of day-to-day life becomes a representation of something more.

As for individual words, they continuously fascinate me.   Use of the best single word to describe what you mean can be a real challenge but very rewarding.   As the Beatles said, "Indicate precisely what you mean to say".   Better advice never given.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 22:48
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

As for phrases (or metaphors), their origins are always interesting; e.g. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop" has become symbology, but if you've ever lived with someone who loudly drops their hard-sole shoes on a wood floor, you cringe when the first one drops because you know the second one is coming.   A small human reality of day-to-day life becomes a representation of something more.
One of the things I like about ideas, not words - creative thinking.

Here's another one I've never heard: ephebophile. Another word underlined with read by the software as if it doesn't exist. Exactly how many -philes are there out there?


Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 14 2014 at 22:51
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Points: 65760 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 22:55
Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

As for phrases (or metaphors), their origins are always interesting; e.g. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop" has become symbology, but if you've ever lived with someone who loudly drops their hard-sole shoes on a wood floor, you cringe when the first one drops because you know the second one is coming.   A small human reality of day-to-day life becomes a representation of something more.
One of the things I like about ideas, not words - creative thinking.

Here's another one I've never heard: ephebophile. Another word underlined with read by the software as if it doesn't exist. Exactly how many -philes are there out there?
As far as age goes, there are in order of age: nepiophilia (infant to toddler), pedophilia (prepubscent children), hebephilia (pubescent children), ephebophilia (postpubscent children), teleiophilia (adults), and gerontophilia (elderly). Ones I put in italics are ones I didn't know of until I looked them up.


Edited by A Person - August 14 2014 at 23:00
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 23:03
^ Oh, there are more than that! ... I bet there are many more than that, not just people as objects. I guess that just as long as you are allowed to be creative with the language, there has to be a myriad of -philes one could come up with. E.g., musicaphile/musicophile. How could I forget about the postfix? Embarrassed

One more word from me for today: quixotic. (I've never read Don Quixote, but I'd only guess what its protagonist is like.) I don't want to add "prerogative"; we all should know that one.


Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 14 2014 at 23:06
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Points: 770 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2014 at 23:38
A good English word of debated/unknown etymology(another good one) is copacetic. Meaning; fine, alright, excellent, all good. Most used in when asking someone or a group of people if they understand or are alright to continue...

Also this website is right up this threads alley http://www.worldwidewords.org/index.htm
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2014 at 00:17
^ Nice. Thumbs Up ... Though I have to say that, strangely, I've never heard anyone use the word "copacetic". Geek

Two more based on what I've seen on that page (at this moment): stratum and epilimnion. Sometimes my brain functions so poorly that to get an idea of what the word means, I have to go to Google Images: http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/graphics/photos0506/lakelayers.jpg


Edited by Dayvenkirq - August 15 2014 at 00:28
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2014 at 03:19
Originally posted by zachfive zachfive wrote:

A good English word of debated/unknown etymology(another good one) is copacetic. Meaning; fine, alright, excellent, all good. Most used in when asking someone or a group of people if they understand or are alright to continue...

Also this website is right up this threads alley http://www.worldwidewords.org/index.htm
copacetic ... it's certainly an odd one (and a word I've never heard before) - the word certainly looks English but acetic means sour or like vinegar and "cop" isn't a negating prefix. Since it is of wholly North American origin my guess is its origin is based in street slang and has no etymological derivation.
What?
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Points: 5154 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2014 at 03:34
Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

^ Oh, there are more than that! ... I bet there are many more than that, not just people as objects. I guess that just as long as you are allowed to be creative with the language, there has to be a myriad of -philes one could come up with. E.g., musicaphile/musicophile.

I have this book Musicophilia (Tales of Music and the Brain) by neurologist Oliver Sacks, in which he discusses several quite amazing cases of people who's neurological condition has profound effects in their musicality. It's quite some time ago that I read it but I remember for example one man in his 40's who never had any particular interest in music, then was stuck by a lightning and suddenly had an urge to learn playing piano. Or people who after having suffered a seizure or brain damage have musical hallucinations, or become suddenly musical, or the opposite. Or an orquestra conductor who after suffering brain damage suffers severe amnesia and can not remember anything further than 7 seconds except for the music, he can still conduct full symphonies. And stories like that. 



Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

 
One more word from me for today: quixotic. (I've never read Don Quixote, but I'd only guess what its protagonist is like.) I don't want to add "prerogative"; we all should know that one.
Quixotic is a frequently used word in Spanish (not surprising as this book is considered one of the main works of classic Spanish literature).
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