Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Phatic
In linguistics, a phatic expression is one whose only function is to perform a social task, as opposed to conveying information. An example might be the use of 'Eh' at the end of a sentence - "What do think, eh?"
Friday, 16 August 2013
Geek
A geek is a person with an eccentric devotion to a
particular interest. It is most
popularly used in the term ‘computer geek’.
Nowadays the word geek is a slang term originally used to
describe odd or non-mainstream people, with different connotations ranging from
"an expert or enthusiast" to "a person heavily interested in a
hobby", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise
socially inept person, especially one who is perceived to be overly
intellectual".
Although often considered as a pejorative, the term is also
often used self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride. Its
meaning has evolved to connote "someone who is interested in a subject
(usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake."
But in the early 20th Century a geek was a circus
freak and geekery meant bizarre physical acts performed by geeks. Amongst these were carnival performers, often
billed as wild men, whose act usually included biting the head off a live
chicken or snake. Gross!
The meaning changed to its more expert / eccentric one after
Robert Heinlein used the term geek to mean a maths freak in 1952.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Desiderium
Desiderium is an archaic word meaning a yearning for something one once had but has no more. I not only have a desiderium for my lost youth but also for many of the books which have passed through my hands over the years and been sold on or given away. If I won the lottery I would have a large house. Not for show or because I want the space for myself but in order to display all my books and pictures. I would then satisfy many of my desideriums (or is it desideria) by buying them all again.