IWL Word of the Day

[muddy250]

I like the etymology of the elements.

Zinc oxide was created by burning zinc in air and collecting the woolly residue, it was called Philosophers Wool.
The old name for sulphuric acid was Oil of Vitriol.

They don't make 'em like that any more... :-)

[Nokie]

I just got done watching the talking news chimps on TV so-

"Bloviate" - To talk endlessly with little meaning or focus.........

[Spooky]

Travel. Coming from the word "Travail" which more or less means "to suffer".

[Statius]

Praeteritio (known by many other names, such as parelepsis and apophasis....and then relatedly, proslepsis). One of my favourite rhetorical devices. Basically commenting on something (usually an ad hominem attack) by saying you won't comment on it. For example, "I shall not mention my esteemed friend's alcoholism; nor shall I comment on his libidinous attitude. Indeed, I shall pass over entirely his wretched wantonness."

Subtle differences between the above words, but basically the same idea.

[M. Montaigne]

The word edit is interesting in that unlike most root words, it was "made up" from the word editar.

An editar was someone who put forth things (i.e., publish), which turned into editor. However, the word edit was created when people attributed the task of edit-ing to the editar. It was argued that the word edit did not really exist, but that was pointless because the word had already come into being.

[Chronopolitano]

I remember seeing both, but syllepsis a lot more in that incomparable epistolary novel Les Liaisons Dangereuse.

I read that for fun my 2nd year in college and that's when I got to really see them in action.
Maybe it was a standard trope back in those days.

Y'all are fishing for compliments and likes. This is called a zeugma, which, along with syllepsis, are figures of speech that join two parts of a sentence.

And no post is complete without quoting both Star Trek and Cicero.

"You are free to execute your laws and your citizens as you see fit."
- William Riker, Star Trek: TNG

Vicit pudorem libido timorem audacia rationem amentia. ("Lust conquered shame; audacity, fear; madness, reason.")
- Cicero, Pro Cluentio, VI.15

[popoki nui]

Syzygy. It even looks cool.

Among its many meanings, two of my favourites;

In poetry: a combination of two metrical feet into one unit, such as an elision.

In astronomy: the alignment of at least three celestial (usually solar system) bodies.


~S.

[M. Montaigne]

Hahaha! I used this very word with Mrs. M the other day in the context of, ahem, celestial bodies.

I'll leave it at that.

Syzygy. It even looks cool.

Among its many meanings, two of my favourites;

In poetry: a combination of two metrical feet into one unit, such as an elision.

In astronomy: the alignment of at least three celestial (usually solar system) bodies.


~S.