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Sahara
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 Posted: 07/14/04 - 12:37 Post subject: New Words I've Learned
I commented to someone yesterday that I try to make a point of teaching new words to my kids. Yes it's forced but it's almost comically so at this point. Yesterday at lunch I taught my daughter, garish. I told her I was wearing garish nailpolish then proceeded to give a long silly list of other garish things that she had fun continuing.
One of my favorite words to have taught them is oxymoron. They love it too if only because it has "moron" in it. They listen for someone to say an oxymoron and always seem to catch it, comment on it, and giggle.
So, anyway... I commented about me doing this yesterday and some people in our publications department told me some of their favorite words. First let me tell you that I don't have a great vocabulary but as I've begun reading again (about 2 years ago) I'm not afraid to use the dictionary to look words up. I didn't know these words... very heard of them. I already like them...
googolplex... I was aghast that there is a reason google is google.com! I feel like a dolt.
defenestration... that's what I felt like doing to someone in particular yesterday
australopithecine... much better than referring to someone as a Neanderthal
garrulous... hmm, I know nothing about this 
Last edited by Sahara on 07/14/04 - 12:55; edited 1 time in total
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 12:42 Post subject:
Troglodyte is always fun when meeting new people.
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HYPERASHEL
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Location: The South's Sauna, Atlanta
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 12:53 Post subject: Re: New Words I've Learned
googolplex... I was aghast that there is a reason google is google.com! I feel like a dolt. I didn't realize that Google owned the multi-plex movie theaters.
defenestration... that's what I felt like doing to someone in particular yesterday defenestration for deforrsetation. sounds like a good Green Party campaign slogan
australopithecine... much better than referring to someone as a Neanderthal. ok i knew this one 
garrulout... hmm, I know nothing about this can't find this one? spelling or typo maybe? 
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Sahara
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 12:55 Post subject: Re: New Words I've Learned
| HYPERASHEL wrote: |
garrulous... hmm, I know nothing about this can't find this one? spelling or typo maybe? |
oh poo, fixed it
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 13:26 Post subject:
hemiola
it's a musical term, not a medical term. First time I used it at choir practice, they decided I should have a doctor take a look at it.
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bonobo
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 13:33 Post subject:
hirsute
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keltic63
the kilted one
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 13:41 Post subject:
that's a good one! and actually pretty easy to remember when you think "hair suit" : a hirsute man is wearing a "hair suit."
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 14:07 Post subject:
| keltic63 wrote: | hemiola
it's a musical term, not a medical term. First time I used it at choir practice, they decided I should have a doctor take a look at it. |
Sounds like what you'd call a huge growth. With a hair or two sticking out of it.
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elkid
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 15:34 Post subject:
I am amazed at how many people do not know the meaning of BERSERKER!
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omega lambda
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Posted: 07/14/04 - 15:55 Post subject: Re: New Words I've Learned
| Sahara wrote: |
googolplex... I was aghast that there is a reason google is google.com! I feel like a dolt.
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I think this was one of Carl Sagan's favorite words too.
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andydp
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Posted: 07/15/04 - 07:20 Post subject:
Defenestration Means to remove a window. Please allow me to provide a little background about the "Defenestration of Prague"
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) was touched off by an incident called "The Defenestration of Prague". The Bohemian nobility was in more or less open revolt against the Emperor. At a meeting of the Bohemian Estates at the Hrdcany Castle in Prague on 23 May 1618, the assembled Bohemian nobles took the two Imperial governors present at the meeting, namely Wilhelm Graf Slavata and Jaroslav Borzita Graf von Martinicz, and threw them out of a window of the castle and into a ditch.
Neither man was seriously injured as a result of being defenestrated
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