Details:
palter (PAWL-tuhr) verb intr.
- To talk or act in an insincere or deceitful manner.
- To haggle.
A.Word.A.Day email.
References:
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Palter
Category: Vocabulary
Details:
palter (PAWL-tuhr) verb intr.
A.Word.A.Day email.
References:
Details:
palter (PAWL-tuhr) verb intr.
A.Word.A.Day email.
References:
Friday, April 29, 2005
Dribbling in Netball
Category: Sport Rules
Details:
You cannot dribble in netball, however there are allowances for bouncing the ball once to gain control. Several variations seem to exist on this rule, however, mostly regarding whether you are allowed to bounce when already in controlled possession of the ball. The 'official rules' are unavailable online without purchase, but variations seem to imply that, officially, bouncing when in controlled possession is legal. Other variations state that you cannot retake possession immediately after bouncing, although another team-mate can.
Where I learned it:
Assisting a netball session in Physical Education class.
References:
Details:
You cannot dribble in netball, however there are allowances for bouncing the ball once to gain control. Several variations seem to exist on this rule, however, mostly regarding whether you are allowed to bounce when already in controlled possession of the ball. The 'official rules' are unavailable online without purchase, but variations seem to imply that, officially, bouncing when in controlled possession is legal. Other variations state that you cannot retake possession immediately after bouncing, although another team-mate can.
Where I learned it:
Assisting a netball session in Physical Education class.
References:
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Velarization
Category: Linguistics
Details:
velarization: tr. verb
"To articulate (a sound) by retracting the back of the tongue toward the soft palate."
Examples: The l sound in bell or milk.
Non-Examples: The l sound in lip or please.
Where I learned it:
A conversation with an English teacher/linguist friend during a game of squash.
References:
Details:
velarization: tr. verb
"To articulate (a sound) by retracting the back of the tongue toward the soft palate."
Examples: The l sound in bell or milk.
Non-Examples: The l sound in lip or please.
Where I learned it:
A conversation with an English teacher/linguist friend during a game of squash.
References:
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The three great virtues of a programmer
Category: Quote
Details:
"...the three great virtues of a programmer: laziness, impatience, and hubris."
- Larry Wall, Programming Perl (1st Edition), O'Rielly & Associates
Where I learned it:
Used by a programmer in self-defence on a product mailing list.
Sources:
Details:
"...the three great virtues of a programmer: laziness, impatience, and hubris."
- Larry Wall, Programming Perl (1st Edition), O'Rielly & Associates
Where I learned it:
Used by a programmer in self-defence on a product mailing list.
Sources:
Monday, April 25, 2005
The Doctor gets 13 lives
Category: TV Trivia
Details:
I was aware that "The Doctor" of the "Dr Who" TV series gets to 'regenerate', thus extending his lifespan and allowing the producers to cast a new Doctor when necessary. I didn't know that he only gets to do it 12 times (thus, 13 incarnations). The current Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston) is number 9, meaning he only has 4 lives left. And there will be a new one this time next year (played by David Tennant). Hopefully the next version survives more than one season...
Where I learned it:
An IM conversation about the state of sci-fi on television.
Sources:
Details:
I was aware that "The Doctor" of the "Dr Who" TV series gets to 'regenerate', thus extending his lifespan and allowing the producers to cast a new Doctor when necessary. I didn't know that he only gets to do it 12 times (thus, 13 incarnations). The current Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston) is number 9, meaning he only has 4 lives left. And there will be a new one this time next year (played by David Tennant). Hopefully the next version survives more than one season...
Where I learned it:
An IM conversation about the state of sci-fi on television.
Sources:
- Andrew Meredith (Doctor Who fan)
- Wikipedia - The Doctor (Doctor Who) (Encyclopaedia)
And So It Begins...
This blog is as much personal challenge as anything else. It has been said that you learn something new every day. My goal is to record that new piece of knowledge that I acquire here for posterity. One new thing every day.
In aid of this, I have created a new word - circadianoesis - the title of this blog. Its definition is above, so I won't repeat it, but for the etymologically curious, it is a combination of two existing words: circadian (recurring every 24 hours) and noesis (understanding/learning). Yes, this is a combination of Latin- and Greek-rooted words, but I like 'noesis' better than any of the Latin equivalents.
Now, we all hear a lot of stuff every day, be it from friends, books, TV or the Internet. So, here are the ground rules for what is considered to be circadianoesis.
In aid of this, I have created a new word - circadianoesis - the title of this blog. Its definition is above, so I won't repeat it, but for the etymologically curious, it is a combination of two existing words: circadian (recurring every 24 hours) and noesis (understanding/learning). Yes, this is a combination of Latin- and Greek-rooted words, but I like 'noesis' better than any of the Latin equivalents.
Now, we all hear a lot of stuff every day, be it from friends, books, TV or the Internet. So, here are the ground rules for what is considered to be circadianoesis.
- No News is Circadianoesis. Current events can lead to new knowledge, but do not count in and of themselves. Finding out the name of the new pope does not qualify. Digging around and finding out the electoral procedure for selecting a new pope would count.
- Veritas, Veritas! The new knowledge must be verifiable truth. Within a week of being posted, the circadianoesis must have at least two reliable sources to back it up. Sources include:
- Reference texts (encyclopaedia, dictionaries, etc)
- Physical evidence
- Research data
- Quotes from experts in an appropriate field
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)