Play of Words

Comment

Comment by Maricel Evasco on October 12, 2009 at 3:40pm

conjurer - noun. Date: 14th century.-one that practices magic arts : wizard

The conjurer didn't attend jury duty due to his spells.

Comment by Maricel Evasco on October 12, 2009 at 3:23pm

Antidisestablishmentarianism is a political position that originated in nineteenth-century Britain in opposition to proposals to remove the Church of England's status as the state church of Ireland and Wales.

Last week, I had my students try to figure this word out using morphemic analysis - which is finding out a meaning of a word though it's morphemes (prefix, root, suffix, etc)

Comment by Thomas William Farquhar on October 10, 2009 at 1:12am

Ne`er a truer word spoken - if only more people would remember this *sigh*

Comment by Maricel Evasco on October 9, 2009 at 4:54pm

Comment by Maricel Evasco on October 8, 2009 at 6:55pm

Minx= connotes endearment for the word mischievous
insolent= disobedient

insolent minx is usually said w/a tone of exasperation.

You insolent minx. You told him what I told you not to tell him.

Comment by Billy Wirth on October 8, 2009 at 2:39pm

I saw an interesting term recently, "Insolent Minx." Does anyone know what it might mean or imply? thanks.

Comment by Maricel Evasco on September 28, 2009 at 3:32am

phrontistery noun
an establishment for study and learning (sometimes including modern universities)

Have you been to a phrontistery lately?

Comment by Maricel Evasco on September 3, 2009 at 5:14am

When people lose their jobs they may be dismissed, sacked, fired or kicked out; they may be out on their ear or on their neck; they may be shown the door; or they may be given their cards, their marching orders, the push, the elbow, the old heave-ho or the order of the boot.

Some professions, however, have their own individual terminology for this situation: a clergyman may be defrocked, a lawyer disbarred


Ansecretary could be defiled.
A salesman could be disordered.
A writer could be described.
A journalist could be depressed.
A botanist could be deflowered.
A traffic warden could be defined.
A poet could be diversified.
A celebrity could be defamed.
A neurologist could be unnerved.
A gambler could be discarded.
A Chinese waiter could be disoriented.
A solicitor could be distorted.
A rabble-rouser could be demobbed.
A mathematician could be nonplussed.

http://thinks.com/words/

Comment by Maricel Evasco on August 26, 2009 at 5:18pm

Attic Greek, Basement English, Kitchen Italian, Bedroom French, Bathroom.....?
I think we could get into a lot of trouble filling in that last blank. lol

Thx Thomas. I learn so much about language from your posts.

Comment by Thomas William Farquhar on August 25, 2009 at 12:15am

`Attic Greek` is the variation of Greek spoken in the area in and around 5th century BC Athens. The area was called Attica hence Attic Greek.

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