Showing posts with label Words / Language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Words / Language. Show all posts

Sunday, 25 October 2015

Supination, pronation, sunwise, clockwise, anticlockwise and counterclockwise

A clockwise (typically abbreviated as CW) motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite sense of rotation or revolution is (in Commonwealth English) anticlockwise (ACW), or (in North American English) counterclockwise (CCW).

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clockwise

 

Supination. Rotation of the hand or forearm so that the palmar surface is facing upward

From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/supination

 

Pronation. Rotation of the hand or forearm so that the surface of the palm is facing downward or toward the back

From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pronation

 

From the anatomical position, with the arms fully extended to the sides of the trunk and the palms facing forward, pronation is the movement of the hands to turn the palms posteriorly. In other words, pronation involves placing the palms into the prone (face-down) position, like someone would do when looking at the backs of their hands....

See http://www.innerbody.com/image/musc03.html

 

The reason for the clockwise orientation of most screws and bolts is that supination of the arm, which is used by a right-handed person to turn a screw clockwise, is generally stronger than pronation. Also, it was wise to adopt a single standard version for most screws and bolts – in order to eliminate endless confusion.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clockwise

 

Why do screws tighten clockwise?

This is because the biceps muscle - the strongest muscle in our arm - actually has two functions:

1) flexion of the arm and

2) supination (which is the motion used when screwing in a screw clockwise).

From https://www.quora.com/Why-do-screws-tighten-clockwise

 

Why do clocks go clockwise?

The clock that we use today was originally developed from the sundial, which used the sun to cast a shadow that would tell what the time was. In fact, before clocks had become popular the term wasn’t “clockwise,” it was “sunwise,” because that’s the way the rotation went.

From http://www.omgfacts.com/throwback/9524/Clocks-go-clockwise-because-sundials-were-originally-used-in-the-Northern-Hemisphere-ab911-0

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

What is the difference between loosen and unloosen?

None, or almost none.

 

There are two different prefixes here.

 

The familiar one means "not": unhappy, unfair, unusual, unseen.

 

The other prefix is rarer. I'll quote the American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition:

1. To reverse or undo the result of a specified action: unbind.

2a. To deprive of or remove a specified thing: unfrock.

b. To release, free, or remove from: unyoke.

3. Used as an intensive: unloose.

 

from https://www.quora.com/Semantics/What-is-the-difference-between-loosen-and-unloosen

Thursday, 25 June 2015

Parts of Hammers

Hammers have two parts--the hammer handle and hammer head.

Many hammers have handles of hickory or ash.

Use the face of the hammerhead for most work.

Some hammerheads have two identical faces, e.g. sledge hammers

Most hammerheads have only one face; the opposite side of the hammerhead is called the peen.

Machinists' hammers have round or ball peen.

Carpenters' hammers include a claw peen for pulling nails.

See more at http://www.ehow.com/about_5367760_parts-hammer.html

See also a Hammer Buying Guide at http://www.ebay.com/gds/Hammer-Buying-Guide-/10000000177630279/g.html

Sunday, 21 June 2015

Minced Oath

A minced oath is a euphemistic expression formed by misspelling, mispronouncing, or replacing a part of a profane, blasphemous, or taboo term to reduce the original term's objectionable characteristics.

Some examples include gosh, darn, dang, and heck.

See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minced_oath

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Homonyms and Consecutive Homonyms

Two words are homonyms if they are pronounced or spelled the same way but have different meanings

From www.wordweb.info

 

Examples -

Joe always pares his pears in pairs

Jared didn't know if the correct answer on his Oceanography homework was choice A, B, or C. His friend said, "Look. It's Sea C -- see?"

Wendy wanted to shop at the new store called "Buy." She said, "I have to hang up now. I'm going by Buy. Bye."

The English teacher asks one of his foreign students: "What time do you have?", and he answers : "Two to two". So the teacher asks another student : 'And you?'... the other student says "Two to two too"

From https://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140121195516AA6Mfyr

 

More examples-

Because of living in days of yore, you're your own worst enemy.

I don't carry cash because it's too easy to lose loose change.

The horse could not only count to one, but could count to two, too.

Did the mill wright write right on the left side by mistake?

From http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?208303-Write-a-sentence-with-successive-homonyms-(-quot-You-re-your-own-worst-enemy-quot-)

Friday, 12 June 2015

Jumper, pullover or sweater?

Jumper:

In the UK this just refers to an garment you wear over your shirt for warmth. It doesn't have buttons, and it pulled over your head.

In the US this has a completely different meaning. It is a type of girl's dress, a top, with attached shorts basically. (Google will be happy to show you images.) It has a kind of "little girl" sense to it kind of like pinafore, however, for sure adult women wear them too.

 

Sweater:

In the UK this is the same as a jumper, a garment you wear over your shirt, with no buttons, and is pulled over your head.

In the US this is a similar item, however, a cardigan with buttons can also be called a sweater in the US.

 

Pullover:

Again is a garment you wear over your shirt, pulled over your head. The meaning is the same in the US and UK, but it is a pretty uncommon word in the US.

So in the UK it all means pretty much the same, however there are considerable semantic variations in the US.

 

From http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/27568/whats-the-difference-between-a-jumper-a-pullover-and-a-sweater

 

Also see http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/jumpers-sweaters-and-like.html

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Avast there, ye landlubbers!

landlubber / lubber. Noun: An inexperienced sailor; a sailor on the first voyage

lubber's line / lubber's mark / lubber's point. Noun: A fixed line on a ship's compass indicating its heading

lubber's hole. Noun: Hole in a platform on a mast through which a sailor can climb without going out on the shrouds

Avast. Interjection: (nautical) cease; stop

From www.wordweb.info

 

Avast, ye landlubbers! (parody of pirate slang) listen!, pay attention!.

From http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/avast

 

A sailor is expected to keep hauling until the mate hollers ‘Avast!’

From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/avast

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

The Clothes Peg

The first patented clothes peg issued in March 1832, described a bent strip of hickory held together with a wooden screw which proved to be totally impractical. Rain or even dampness would cause the screw to swell, rendering the pin inoperable

From http://www.ecoforce.co.uk/history-of-clothes-peg.htm

 

The (modern) clothes peg design was invented by David M. Smith of Springfield, Vermont (USA) in 1853 by creating two interlocking plastic or wooden prongs in between which is often wedged a small spring.

From http://www.dryingforfreedom.com/general-laundry-news/clothes-pegs-make-history/

 

Other Names for the clothes peg

  • Clothespin – America
  • C47 – film industry
  • Clothes peg or Dolly peg- UK

From http://www.heritageandhistory.com/contents1a/2010/04/wooden-pegs-c47-or-a-clothespin/

 

Mini Matchstick Gun - The Clothespin Pocket Pistol

See http://www.instructables.com/id/Mini-Matchstick-Gun-The-Clothespin-Pocket-Pistol/

 

33 Crafty Things To Make With Clothespins

http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/crafty-things-to-make/

Monday, 25 May 2015

Story, storey, stories and storeys

A storey (Australian English, British English, Canadian English, Indian English, New Zealand English) or story (American English) is any level part of a building that could be used by people (for living, work, storage, recreation, etc.). The plurals are "storeys" and "stories" respectively.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storey

 

Story, a recounting of a sequence of events

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story

 

Story, plural stories also storeys

The space in a building between two adjacent floor levels or between a floor and the roof

From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/story

 

Story, plural stories

An account of incidents or events

A statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question

From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/story

Friday, 15 May 2015

Keep the rubber on the road, and look out for squirrels and turkeys

Keep the rubber on the road: A cyclist’s way of saying “ride smart” (or “you better not be a turkey and crash because I want to jam hard today”).

Squirrels and turkeys: Some cycling lingo is just plain fuzzy. Squirrels are panicky or unstable riders who can't maintain a steady line, while turkeys are inexperienced riders. Be cautious around this wildlife to stay safe on the road.

See more cycling lingo at

http://www.bicyclesource.com/bicycling_glossary

http://greatist.com/fitness/ultimate-guide-cycling-lingo

http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2010/03/dictionary-of-bike-commuter-slang.html

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Fall between / through / the cracks / two stools

fall/slip through the cracks

to get lost or be forgotten, especially within a system

'It seems that important information given to the police may have fallen through the cracks'

See more at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/fall+through+the+cracks

fall between the cracks / fall through the cracks

to fail to fit into a given agenda or program

'Some things fall between the cracks - like the value of an anaerobic adhesive at GE'

See more at http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/american/fall-between-the-cracks

 

fall between two stools

to come somewhere between two possibilities and so fail to meet the requirements of either.

'The material is not suitable for an academic book or for a popular one. It falls between two stools. He tries to be both teacher and friend, but falls between two stools.'

See more at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/fall+between+two+stools

 

the idea that anything can “fall between the cracks” just doesn’t make sense to me.

I picture two parallel cracks. Wouldn’t the space between them be the surface?

My guess is that the current illogical form came from a blending of the established metaphors “fall through the cracks” (as small objects might fall through the gaps between floorboards) and “fall between the stools”

See more at http://www.word-detective.com/2008/11/fall-between-the-cracks/

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Stile

Stile. A series of steps or rungs by means of which a person may pass over a wall or fence that remains a barrier to sheep or cattle.

www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/stile

 

The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or rails (US) or stiles (UK).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder

 

Stile. A vertical member of a panel or frame, as in a door or window sash. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stile

Monday, 6 April 2015

Roll Eyes

The action of rolling one’s eyes, typically as an expression of exasperation, disbelief, or disapproval:

From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/eye-rolling

 

Looking upward with an expression of contempt, often combined with a sigh. Used to indicate frustration and annoyance with the stupidity of a person or thing.

From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Rolls+eyes

 

To move your eyes upwards as a way of showing that you are annoyed or bored after someone has done or said something

From http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/roll-your-eyes

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Zeugma

A zeugma is an interesting device that can cause confusion in sentences, while also adding some flavor. Let's take a famous example from Star Trek: The Next Generation: "You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit." In this sentence, the word "execute" applies to both laws and citizens, and as a result, has a shocking effect.

Therefore, a zeugma is a figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence. In the above example, it has a dramatic effect. However, sometimes the attempted use of a zeugma can be confusing.

See lots more examples at
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-zeugma.html

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Morton's fork

A Morton's Fork is a specious piece of reasoning in which contradictory arguments lead to the same (unpleasant) conclusion. It is said to originate with the collecting of taxes by John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury in the late 15th century, who held that a man living modestly must be saving money and could therefore afford taxes, whereas if he was living extravagantly then he was obviously rich and could still afford them.

See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton's_fork

 

A character is presented two alternatives, A and B. If the character chooses A, then something bad happens. If they choose B, a similar or identical bad thing happens — but for a different reason. The Many Questions Fallacy is often a form of this, where a loaded question ("Have you stopped beating your wife lately?") precludes a "safe" answer (since, in this case, by deigning to answer the question, you are essentially admitting that suspicions about you beating your wife are legitimate).

Also see mentioned Hobson's choice, Xanatos Gambit, Sadistic Choice, Contrast Sweet and Sour Grapes, etc, etc

See more at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MortonsFork

Thursday, 19 March 2015

It's not over until the fat lady sings

Q:Who is the fat lady?

 
Q:Why is it not over until she sings?
 
A: Kate Smith, a large lady, used to sing the 'Star Spangled Banner' at the end of American football matches in the 1950s. Thus one knew the game was over when she sang.
 
A:The phrase "It's not over until the fat lady sings" is actually a mis-quote. The correct phrase is "It's not over until the fat lady sinks" and has its origins in the game of billiards. The black eight ball was commonly referred to as the "fat lady" so no matter how bad the game was for a competitor it wasn't over until the "fat lady" sank.!!
 

Monday, 16 March 2015

A jag

To me, a jag is still a short brass finger on the end of a cleaning rod that is wrapped in four-by-two before being shoved up a rifle barrel with a cry of "up yours!", sar-major.

To anyone in Scotland, a jag is a needle injection, usually preceded by a verbal warning "just a tiny prick". When the person offering just a tiny prick is male, polite patients suppress a smile. Fully-vaccinated children are referred to as having "had all their jags".

from alt.usage.english

Thursday, 12 March 2015

Chclobirie

The practice of chclobirie (literally beating one's forehead on the ground) was adopted as part of Russian court etiquette ...

From Russia: A 1,000-Year Chronicle of the Wild East, By Martin Sixsmith

Sunday, 8 March 2015

Doxing

Doxing, sometimes spelled as Doxxing, refers to the practice of investigating and revealing a target subject’s personally identifiable information, such as home address, workplace information and credit card numbers, without consent. The word is derived from “docs,” which is a shortened term for “documents.”

See more at http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/doxing

Saturday, 21 February 2015

Sailors Superstitions

Bringers of Bad Fortune -

  • Beginning a voyage on Friday or on the 13th of the month.
  • Losing a bucket at sea brings ill fortune.
  • Sailing on a green boat.
  • Killing an albatross or a dolphin.

See more like this at http://www.vacation-lists.com/salty-superstition.html

 

If you encounter a red-haired person en-route to your boat, speak to them before they speak to you or prepare for a disastrous voyage.

Shaving, cutting hair, trimming nails is bad luck.

See more like this at http://uk.boats.com/boat-content/2013/04/ten-top-seafaring-superstitions-for-sailors-and-boaters/

 

Never step onto or off a boat with your left foot first.

Tattoos and piercing are said to ward off evil spirits, hence sailors’ love for ink.

See more like this at http://www.dockwalk.com/Essentials/HotTopics.aspx?id=23170

 

See also http://www.dtmag.com/Stories/Weird%20Stuff/08-06-feature.htm

And http://www.shipwreck.net/oid/Nov12-maritimesuperstitions.php