iarwain has adopted no words, looked up 0 words, created 1 list, listed 2 words, written 12 comments, added 0 tags, and loved 0 words.
iarwain has adopted no words, looked up 0 words, created 1 list, listed 2 words, written 12 comments, added 0 tags, and loved 0 words.
Comments by iarwain
iarwain commented on the word drapetomania
Strange as in totally inconsistent with the understanding of the world that many of the slaveowners held--an experience of cognitive estrangement upon encountering the behavior.
June 5, 2009
iarwain commented on the word dysaethesia aethiopica
Samuel Cartwright used the term in 1851 to describe the disease of laziness among slaves.
June 1, 2009
iarwain commented on the word drapetomania
Coined by Samuel Cartwright in 1851 and used to describe slaves who felt the strange burning desire to escape from the condition of slavery.
June 1, 2009
iarwain commented on the word panchromatic
Evelyn the dog, having undergone further modification, pondered the significance of short person behavior in pedal-depressed, panchromatic resonance and other highly ambient domains. "Arf," she said. -- Frank Zappa
May 19, 2009
iarwain commented on the word doily
Evelyn, a modified dog, viewed the quivering fringe of a special doily, draped across the piano with some surprise. -- Frank Zappa
It's unclear as to whether or not there should be a comma after "piano." When Frank sings/says it, there is no comma, and while it is more accessible with a comma, it works somewhat without.
May 19, 2009
iarwain commented on the word toejam
Uhhh, I believe this is actually Earl's partner/companion.
May 19, 2009
iarwain commented on the word truculent
"Uhh, hey mate, uhhh . . . about that truck you lent me . . ."
The man stared truculently at the wall as the police officers asked him about the murder of the man he let borrow his vehicle.
May 15, 2009
iarwain commented on the word grease one's palm
I tried it. The same thing happened as when I greased my iPhone. It's another way of verbing "void one's warranty." I tried to . . . what's the phrase . . . I tried to . . . well, 'bribe' will work . . . I tried to bribe the guy at the repair shop to overlook the warranty situation, but he wasn't buying it. Indeed, I bought it. Well, I don't mean that I "bought it," but . . . oh nevermind!
May 15, 2009
iarwain commented on the word superbia
For a reader without much lexycle experience, this word is a regular semecopia. Actually, it sounds like a (even more) pumped-up version of the good ol' BIA.
May 15, 2009
iarwain commented on the word frisson
Sounds like something you want to get.
May 15, 2009
iarwain commented on the word vergaloo
Undoubtedly another name for "The Adhesive of Truth" one can obtain by rolling three straight 19s on a 20-sided die when encountering the Giftisch-Holbytla Horse on Mansker's Island in the Forgettable Realms campaign.
May 15, 2009
iarwain commented on the word acribia
Some English translations of Theodor Adorno's Negative Dialectics use acribia un-italicized. Context suggests the Italian.
It may, for no apparent reason and with no real evidence, mean the uncontrollable urge to run one's fingers up and down over one's extended lips while making a "buh" sound.
Sionnach's understanding makes more sense than any of this, though.
May 15, 2009