Word of the day

[cj]

Hooray!! a) because it's about Renaissance music and b) it's such a cool word.

"... the term survives in numerous English spelling variations including sacbut, sagbut, shagbolt and shakbusshe." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sackbut
These other names just lend themselves to punning and innuendo. Will J.R. be the first to succumb, I wonder?

[Richard Ruck]

torii

noun (pl. same) the gateway of a Shinto shrine, with two uprights and two crosspieces.

— origin Japanese, from tori ‘bird’ + i ‘sit, perch’

Here's a nice one:

[J.R.]

So if the Japanese ever enter a religious war, the'yy go into battle shouting........

Torii Torii Torii !

[Tim_MaA_MidB]

flibbertigibbet – a silly woman

Surely a paradoxical word!??

[Richard Ruck]

A truly horrible word today:


learnfare

• noun [mass noun] N. Amer. a welfare system in which attendance at school, college, or a training programme is necessary in order to receive benefits.

— origin 1980s : from learn, on the pattern of workfare

Probably belongs in the management bollox-speak thread.....

[Katharine]

Learnfare reminds me of the term Shellfare used in Brunei to describe all the welfare etc that the Government provided funded by Brunei's oil wealth, all exploited by Royal Brunei Shell.

[cj]

A truly horrible word today:


learnfare

• noun [mass noun] N. Amer. a welfare system in which attendance at school, college, or a training programme is necessary in order to receive benefits.

— origin 1980s : from learn, on the pattern of workfare

Probably belongs in the management bollox-speak thread.....

It must be where Dubya gets his awful vocabulary from.

[Richard Ruck]

Today, by special request, we have:

eke

verb (eked, eking)

1. To make (a supply) last longer, eg by adding something else to it or by careful use. - stretch, make do with, husband, etc.

2. To manage with difficulty to make (eke out a living, etc).

from Anglo-Saxon eacan - to increase

adverb

archaic term for also - from Old English

This appears to be the root of nickname , a corruption of an eke name

[Katharine]

This appears to be the root of nickname , a corruption of an eke name

Well, you learn something every day! I never knew that!

[Angela Woodford]

archaic term for also - from Old English

We used to have at CH a weird old Christmas Carol; something about the offerings a shepherd could make - amongst other things "and eke his pipe".

Another thing explained! Thanks, RR

Munch

(I also liked "Stretch, make do with husband" )

[J.R.]

Eke.

Surely, also a word exclamed by a woman on encountering a mouse ?

[englishangel]

Eke.

Surely, also a word exclamed by a woman on encountering a mouse ?

Sexist.

Even if I did say it you wouldn't hear me, I would be running away so fast.

[J.R.]

Eke.

Surely, also a word exclamed by a woman on encountering a mouse ?

Sexist.

Even if I did say it you wouldn't hear me, I would be running away so fast.

No it's not !

I have a Son-in-Law that's pertrified of spiders ?

Is that sexist too ??

[englishangel]

Eke.

Surely, also a word exclamed by a woman on encountering a mouse ?

Sexist.

Even if I did say it you wouldn't hear me, I would be running away so fast.

No it's not !

I have a Son-in-Law that's pertrified of spiders ?

Is that sexist too ??

so what does a man say then?

[Richard Ruck]

Morning, all!

Here's today's word:

caubeen

• noun - an Irish beret, typically dark green in colour.

— origin early 19th cent. : Irish, literally ‘old hat’, from cáibín ‘little cape’, diminutive of cába ‘cape’.