"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Saturday 21 November 2009

A Word Imp is not Digitigrade

 
I have mentioned before - and will probably mention again - Word Imp a.k.a. Sharon in New Zealand who chooses an obscure dictionary word each day. She invites her readers to invent a wacky meaning and puts 3 invented meanings on the voting poll and lists the true meaning. There are no prizes, just lots of fun! Not only do I enjoy inventing meanings but I also enjoy seeing if I know the true one. I'm running at about 50% most of the time. One one occasion I embarassed myself when I don't know it and my invention turned out to be near the truth! Nowadays I avoid this by looking it up before oposting my invention.

Yesterday's word was digitigrade. I didn't know it. But being interested in natural history I should have done. A digitigrade mammal is one that walks on the toes with the posterior part of the foot raised - such as dogs and cats and horses.
 
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous21 November 2009 at 01:22

    Oh.
    I thought a digitigrade what my score on the typing test. :0)
    (In the bad old days when we still used typewriters, I was actually pretty fast.)
    Canadian Chickadee

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  2. Ian21 November 2009 at 15:50

    Apparently otters can be plantigrade or digitigrade. I guess we'll learn that on our otter survey in a couple of weeks time.

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  3. shabby girl22 November 2009 at 01:41

    Never in a bizillion years would I have gotten that one!
    Good one, SS!

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