Word of the day

[Richard Ruck]

Another one which might be a little difficult to drop into a conversation :

glyptodont

• noun a fossil South American mammal of the Cenozoic era, related to armadillos but much larger. Glyptodonts had fluted teeth and a body covered in a thick bony carapace.
Family Glyptodontidae, order Xenarthra (or Edentata): several genera, including Glyptodon.

— origin mid 19th cent.: from Greek gluptos ‘carved’ (from gluphein ‘carve’) + odous, odont- ‘tooth’.

[Katharine]

I actually read laconicum yesterday in a description of a spa complex at Center Parks; had it not been for this forum I wouldn't have known what it was. I thonk that is serendipity isn't it?

[englishangel]

I actually read laconicum yesterday in a description of a spa complex at Center Parks; had it not been for this forum I wouldn't have known what it was. I thonk that is serendipity isn't it?

Not often you get to use serendipity either is it?

[englishangel]

I actually read laconicum yesterday in a description of a spa complex at Center Parks; had it not been for this forum I wouldn't have known what it was. I thonk that is serendipity isn't it?

Not often you get to use serendipity either is it?

I feel a new thread coming on

[Katharine]

I actually read laconicum yesterday in a description of a spa complex at Center Parks; had it not been for this forum I wouldn't have known what it was. I thonk that is serendipity isn't it?

Not often you get to use serendipity either is it?

I feel a new thread coming on

I felt that it was time to prove that I am human and prone to human error!!

I used to be bottom of the form in English, DR told me the computer must have made a mistake to give me a B in O level English. I know why, in my 'Channel Crossing' essay I crossed from Fishguard to Rosslare, the marker must have been so happy to have got away from Calais!

[englishangel]

Me too, I got a C, I can speak it (talked at 10 months), read it(reading age of 12 at 7years old), write it and my spelling is excellent, why do I have to take an exam in it?

[Richard Ruck]

A word from the colonies today :

racon

• noun chiefly US - a radar beacon that can be identified and located by its response to a specific radar signal.

— origin 1940s: blend of radar and beacon.

[AKAP]

Me too, I got a C, I can speak it (talked at 10 months)

More evidence of an incredible memory

[englishangel]

Me too, I got a C, I can speak it (talked at 10 months)

More evidence of an incredible memory

I don't remember, I was told

[jhopgood]

My brother, Richard, only uttered monosyllables until he was well over 3 years old.
My mother took him to the doctors in case he was deaf or had some other disabilty, to be told that he was bone idle and would speak when he was ready.
He went on to get a first at Oxford, in English, I think, so I'm not sure of the relevance of late or early speaking to later life.

[englishangel]

My brother, Richard, only uttered monosyllables until he was well over 3 years old.
My mother took him to the doctors in case he was deaf or had some other disabilty, to be told that he was bone idle and would speak when he was ready.
He went on to get a first at Oxford, in English, I think, so I'm not sure of the relevance of late or early speaking to later life.

My younger son did everything late, walking, talking, reading. It is almost as though he won't do anything until he can do it perfectly.

He was 18 months before he walked. One day he walked 5 steps, the next he was walking properly.

We alsohad him checked for deafness etc. but once he got talking he was like Eliza Doolittle, he soinded as though English was a foreign language to him he spoke so correctly. Even tody (aged 17) he won't use a word of one syllable if there is one of 3 or 4.

Not an English whiz as he has dyspraxia, he is a chemistry whiz, but I don't think he will get a first, except in being charming.

[Katharine]

Mary, my elder son sounds much the same, severely dyslexic, but with a PhD in Chemistry. We thought he suffered from being exposed to 3 languages English, Welsh & Malay until we knew. Taxi is Tacsi in Welsh and Teksi in Malay, ice cream in Malay is ais krim.

[englishangel]

Another early riser Katharine!

Both my sons had difficulty with reading, at age 10 had reading ages of 7, then over the next 3 years took off and by 13 were reading adult books.

They still have trouble with spelling but I think that is more psychological as if you ask them how they would spell a word they usually get it correct.

The younger one has/had a very competeent twin sister who always knew what he wanted so he would sit still while she ran around getting things for him.

The situation is now reversed and she bosses him terribly. He is going to make some lucky girl a wonderful husband.

[jhopgood]

Taxi is Tacsi in Welsh and Teksi in Malay, ice cream in Malay is ais krim.

It's amazing how words travel around the world.
Seeing Malaysian ais krim, which is perfectly understandable, reminds me of Aply Pay in Panama (Apple Pie), except that you could get Aply Pay de Manzana (Apple "apple" Pie), Aply Pay de melocoton (Peach Pie), etc.
In El Salvador the Night watchman was known an reported in the newspaper as guatchiman.
And so it goes on.

[Richard Ruck]

woonerf

• noun (pl. woonerven or woonerfs) a road in which devices for reducing or slowing the flow of traffic have been installed.

— origin 1970s: from Dutch, from wonen ‘reside’ + erf ‘premises, ground’.