"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."
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Geodesic
The geodesic is the shortest line between two points on a mathematically defined surface (such as a straight line on a plane or an arc of a great circle on a sphere); the "straightest path" in a curved space or curved spacetime.
Great one, Jinksy. They do say that we learn words best if we use them. I have to be honest and admit that I have already forgotten the meaning of some of the early words about which I blogged. Perhaps I should discipline myself to refresh my memory by using them in the occasional sentence. Or run a competition for fitting the most in one sentence.
My daughter Helen commented in November 2008 in her Blog that she was now keeping a notebook of new words that she came across during her reading. "This week I bought a lovely little leather bound book to write new words in as I read them . I've added a few from "1984", but my favourite has to be persiflage (from the French persifler) which means banter." I later discovered that my older daughter, Bryony, also kept a similar notebook.
This inspired me to create a Word blog. This will include both new words, favourite words and the origins of phrases that we commonly use. A definition and some comment, perhaps even a relevant quotation, will acompany the word or phrase.
“I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words bother me.” - Winnie the Pooh
I reckon I've been waiting to write this sentence:-
ReplyDeleteI am lucifugous; I follow a geodesic path in a caprine manner.
Thank you - now I feel much better!
Heavens to Betsy. One I knew!
ReplyDeleteGreat one, Jinksy. They do say that we learn words best if we use them. I have to be honest and admit that I have already forgotten the meaning of some of the early words about which I blogged. Perhaps I should discipline myself to refresh my memory by using them in the occasional sentence. Or run a competition for fitting the most in one sentence.
ReplyDelete