A.Word.A.Day -- AWADmail Issue 1200

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AWADmail Issue 1200

A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language

Sponsor’s Message: “I had a love-hate relationship with the Army. We both loved it before I joined. And we both hated it when I was in.” Johnny Mustard, Yuk, Retired is a highly-fictionalized account of our hero’s ignominious and thankfully brief time as a West Point cadet. Buy Now.

From: Peter Wigley (wigleygrandparents hotmail.com)
Subject: Kerf

Kerf cuts are an alternative to steaming a piece of wood to allow it to be bent. For example, this can be achieved by making a number of shallow closely spaced vertical cuts through the back of a length of skirting board (baseboard in American English) to enable it to be fitted round the base of a curved wall.

Peter Wigley, Chester, UK

From: Jude Anne Cassidy (jcassidy umd.edu)
Subject: Suffering

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own? Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation. Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing. Do you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but MORE merciless as it refines itself. Progress in our world will be progress towards more pain. The old civilizations claimed that they were founded on love or justice. Ours is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy -- everything. -George Orwell in 1984, writer (25 Jun 1903-1950)

Wowzer. I sent today’s quote to a couple of researchers with whom I work on empathy, compassion, suffering. One responded that this should be on every billboard in the country. These are senior scientists; I couldn’t bear to send it to the young ones.

Jude Cassidy, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology, Director, Maryland Child and Family Development Laboratory, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland

Email of the Week -- Brought to you buy Johnny Mustard, Yuk, Retired. The Corps Has!

From: Grahame Young (gyoung francisburt.com.au)
Subject: leal

The Land of the Leal is a Scottish lament, originally thought to be written by Robbie Burns but now known to have been written by Lady Nairne. It has been performed by a number of artists.

The lyrics contain the repeated phrase “The day is aye fair in the land o’ the leal” referring to heaven.

The word brought back poignant memories as the family arranged a piper to play the tune as my father was buried.

(video, 5 min.)

Grahame Young, Wembley, Australia

From: Halina Czerniejewski (halczerniejewski gmail.com)
Subject: Using the words

You answered someone’s question about whether you use the words that you define on this great site. You said you do, when appropriate.

Just have to say that a writer’s workshop leader took me to task, rather offensively and repeatedly for using the word “garrulous” in my short story. In the workshop, the rule was the writer could not speak until all the others had voiced their thoughts about what I had written. Wish I had broken that rule and said, “That’s enough. I heard you the first time.”

Halina Czerniejewski, Scottsdale, Arizona

From: Kenneth Kirste (kkkirste sbcglobal.net)
Subject: AWADmail Issue 1200

I was recently introduced to the word apophenia which is the tendency of our mind to make meaningful connections between unrelated things or random data. For example, in numerology there are “angel numbers”. These are number sequences of three or four repetitive digits (such as 222 or 7777) or numerals in a pattern (such as 321 or 8787) which are considered by some to be messages from a mystical source that provide direction or understanding. A few of these “angel numbers” are not patterned, but are still considered to hold significant meaning and one of these is 1200. This number is said to signify guidance and hope.

I point this out as we reach AWADmail Issue 1200 and I find your work is filled with guidance on accurately using language and with hope for a better world through better communication. In addition, of course, the link between Issue 1200 and the numerological significance of this number is itself an excellent example of apophenia.

Ken Kirste, Sunnyvale, California

From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com)
Subject: leal and oik

Both president Lincoln and president Washington were praised for their strength of character, courage, moral fiber, ethics, and honesty. Whereas Trump continues to solidify his moniker as Prevaricator-in-Chief. Let’s face it, Trump and the word honest should hardly belong in the same sentence.

In the public sphere there are certain behaviors that are just plain gross, or uncouth. They would include spitting, grabbing one’s crotch (seemingly a male quirk), picking the back of one’s pants out of one’s butt crack, or picking one’s nose. (Hmm... “picking” seems to be a common thread here.) Curiously, if we add the letter “n” to our word “oik”, we arrive at the word “oink”. Just sayin’.

Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California

Anagrams


This week’s theme: Short words Vuln Oik Kerf Leal Erst	=	Weak flesh Think dorks Re: Slot-sets Ever true Whilom	=	Risk Lout Dirk slash Honest The former twelve weeks
		-Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com)		-Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com)


This theme: Short words Vuln Oik Kerf Leal Erst	=	To harm Krud folks Slit Ever honest Erstwhile
		-Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz)

Make your own anagrams and animations.

Limericks

vuln

You use words with malevolent tones,
That can’t break, it is said, any bones.
So, it should be quite clear,
You can’t vuln me, my dear.
To that end you would need sticks and stones.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

A vuln has some hacker detected,
And now my computer’s infected.
It’s a virus, they say.
What a nuisance -- oy vey!
Such “illness” I never expected.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

“Jawohl, I confess,” said the German,
“I’m a human in love vith a merman.
I haf svum here from Köln
Just to show my great vuln
To your charms; let me kiss you. Qvit sqvirmin’!”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

oik

She married an oik who’s uncouth,
A most reprehensible youth.
Though most folks deplore him,
She seems to adore him --
I find it peculiar, in truth.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

There once was a Brooklyn-born youth,
Who others would say was uncouth.
Said pals of this oik,
“He acts like a joik.”
And he would agree, “Dat’s da truth.”
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“If ya bloody well think me an oik,
Try this on, Guv - I’m goin’ on stroik,”
Said the dockworker. “Trips
To the stars on yer ships
Need longshoremen like me, Cap’n Koik.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

kerf

“Whenever you’re using a saw,
In pencil some marks you should draw.
Your kerfs in the wood
Will go where they should,”
Instructed my father-in-law.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

“Though I’m little and blue,” said the smurf,
“You big people are now on my turf.
See this badge on my heart?
So if trouble you start,
On my belt I will notch one more kerf.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

leal

My heart once a woman did steal.
She loved me, she said, a great deal.
But after a week
A new lover she’d seek.
It seemed that she couldn’t be leal.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

Advisors Trump picks must be leal
And back all his actions with zeal.
Photogenic and fair
With a nice head of hair --
Such qualities make them ideal!
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

A desire that never will end
Is our hope for one truly leal friend
They’re hard to access,
But try, nonetheless.
If you have one, you’ve got a godsend.
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

Said the Liberty Bell, “Let’s get real;
To the rule of law Donald’s not leal.
So despite being cracked,
When he’s finally sacked,
I will once again happily peal.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

erst

The leaders who led this land erst
In public would never have cursed.
But it’s foul words Trump chooses,
And f-bombs he uses --
In so many ways he’s the worst!
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

Said the baby, “By Mommy I’m nursed;
I’m so happy about it I’ll burst!
For the taste of her milk
Is so smooth it’s like silk;
And my diaper’s now clean, unlike erst!”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

Puns

“I vuln-ever let ze Democrats get you, Donald,” Vlad promised.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Oik oik,” said the pig suffering from a bad cold.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

She called her new pet pig Annie Oik-ley.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“Why is there such a kerf-uffle about me doing away with democracy?” wondered Donald.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Don’t stay out past your kerf-few!” warned the girl’s father.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“You got the corrupt tyrant al-leal on your leadership gene,” said Donald’s DNA report.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Come on out, you leal-ly livered varmint!” the gunfighter shouted to the man hiding in the saloon.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“They were fooled at f-erst, but within months, the bubble b-erst and Americans c-erst the day they had re-elected their w-erst leader ever,” said the history books.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Who’s on f-erst” is my favorite Abbott and Costello comedy routine.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

And the fox said to the little prince: men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944)

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