August 2012
76 posts
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So following suit of some others that I’ve seen here is a link to a pseudo publication of my major work for anyone interested in reading the final product, for what that’s worth.
~enjoy~
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So I just comprehensively beat the parents at a game of scrabble by securing a triple-word-scoring, full-hand-using masterpiece of a word and then backing it up with some general brilliance. I also got to enlighten them about the inheritance of ‘roan’ coat colour on cows as a product of codominant alleles. Well played Oliver, word games AND biology.
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Moribund:
“about to die”
From Latin moribundus (dying, at the point of death)and mori (to die)
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I tried to research the etymological origins of the phrase sick as a dog because I feel it’s appropriate to my current state but all I could find was information about dogs eating repulsive things and vomiting and now I feel much worse. Good one Oliver.
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I feel like telling you a story
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The other day I accidentally took a raw egg to school in my pocket by a series of forgetful coincidences. It provided a good talking point, particularly after I drew it a couple of faces. It endured an assembly but at recess I decided to toss it into the drain next to where we sit. Unfortunately I kind of threw it with too much force and it crossed the...
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Today I was full of bitterness and spite.
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* * *
16 Quotes From Tony Abbott to Remind You Why He... →
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How is the political world so tremendously backward right now? I keep expecting it all to be some hideous and delayed April Fool’s Day joke.
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This weather is perfect and the best.
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summerofscience asked: Am I the only one that would read the heck out of an oliversetymology blog?
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GUYS so etymologically, I just found out why just desserts is actually just deserts, as a derivative of “deserves” which has fallen out of common usage and aren’t words NEAT!
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Tomorrow I am going to sleep in and then eat bacon and make pancakes and drive lovely people to a picnic and my family get back with gifts and I am absolutely not going to even look at a writing implement and it’s going to be perfect and I don’t care what you think.
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Guys can we just:
“Black Forest Foxes are a breed of horse, previously indispensable for heavy field work.”
Who names these things??
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To celebrate the end of studying Germany I have quite appropriately equipped myself with some Black Forest chocolate and I promise never to study again just like I promise not to binge on junk food.
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To summarise, a lot of people did dumb shit in the past and from examining it we learn nothing except that humans are awful and we shouldn’t study history because it is evil. Thank you.
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Well that exam was slightly less akin to a bullet in the brain than I expected. Perhaps only so that I can endure the infinitely more painful trial by Modern History tomorrow. That will certainly be my demise.
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My attitude toward life is very similar to my attitude toward the lottery: that I should win without even having bought a ticket.
What is the German word for the fear of accidentally liking someone’s instagram selfie as you scroll through on your touch phone?
Anonymous asked: Are you ok? :(
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So you’re confused, you say.
Well welcome to wonderland.
The only ones who understand
are mad, or blind,
or dead.
You’re a little old to be playing dress-ups now, Alice.
That shade of blue doesn’t suit you any more.
It isn’t cute and
there’s a cynicism in your eyes
that says: you’re a little old to still believe
that confusion can be left behind.
...
I just want to live on a farm with alpacas and never do English exams again.
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Wow, my brother made me bacon.
This is deliciously novel.
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And the award for single most god-awful exam goes to Extension English with bonus points for requesting students to write a monologue.
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Okay so, this week I made a new friend after my family deserted me. This scary looking bird with dangly red things on its head and a tendency to make alarming guttural noises at random intervals has moved into the tree just outside. He and I are best buds. Because of our study sessions we know equally as much about biology, that is, nothing at all.
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"Red Herring" Etymology
“smoked herring” early 15c. (they turn red when cured), as opposed to white herring ”fresh herring.” Supposedly used by fugitives to put bloodhounds off their scent (1680s), hence metaphoric sense (1864) of “something used to divert attention from the basic issue;” earlier simply “a false lead”:
Though I have not the honour of being one of those...
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“ for Ros Krauss
Tell yourself
as it gets cold and gray falls from...”
– Mark Strand, “Lines for Winter” from New Selected Poems (via heliophobus)
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I am actually devastated that the origination of the scotch finger biscuit’s name is just that they were biscuits based on Scottish recipes that mildly resembled a finger. That is so disappointing.
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Etymology of Etymology
etymology (n.) late 14c.,
ethimolegia ”facts of the origin and development of a word,”
etymologia, properly “study of the true sense (of a word),” from etymon ”true sense”
In classical times, of meanings; later, of histories. Latinized by Cicero as veriloquium. As a branch of linguistic science, from 1640s. Related: Etymological;etymologically.
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“The phrase home and hosed was originally used of a horse which had completed a race, was back in its box, and had been hosed down; thus a horse which is described as being home and hosed during a race is a certain winner - it will be back in its box before the rest of the field has finished.”
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“I deserve a break,” I tell myself after having done nothing at all to earn even a moment of relaxation.
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“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”
– Markus Zusak, The Book Theif
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After 6 hours of legal study and an exam from hell, my study routine has now degenerated into screaming “NOPE” at my legal textbook sobbing uncontrollably.
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New Tag: texts from Lily
12.30PM
“Good luck and knock them dead. Literally. Kill everyone.”
“Then you can only come first.”
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“Our memory is made up of collective memories and individual memories. The two...”
– Haruki Murakami, 1Q84
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By the fireplace twelve silent witnesses awaited execution. A dozen paper prisoners of war. One by one, they too would burn. When turned to ash and strewn in myriad bits, it would be so simple to forget.
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Okay so seeing as my ext 2 is about burning the past to recreate or redefine the present I’ve decided on the title
In·cin·er·ate
To turn to ashes, to burn completely.
What do you guys think?
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Helping other people study and writing them super witty poetry to reinforce my social value:
I definitely am the best
good luck with that test
I can rhyme too
another reason for you
to worship me buddy
good luck with the study
