Monthly Archives: March 2011

Noodling around

Posted on March 28, 2011 by lexiekahn

Thanks to once more to Steven Schwartzman of wordconnections.wordpress.com for suggesting a mnemonic for the order of the planets without Pluto: “My very educated mother just served us noodles.” That’s using the old noodle, Steven. Hmm…how did the word for … Continue reading →

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My very educated mother forgot to remember.

Posted on March 22, 2011 by lexiekahn

Thanks to Steven Schwartzman of wordconnections.wordpress.com for explaining that when English words have their origin in Greek words with consonant blends that don’t occur in English, like the pt- in helicopter, we tend to break them up incorrectly. For example, … Continue reading →

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helicopter, helix, pterodactyl

Posted on March 16, 2011 by lexiekahn

Police use helicopters, but the etymology of helicopter has nothing to do with cops, but rather with fliers of the Jurassic period. It’s helico – pter, from the Greek ἕλικος (elikos) ‘spiral’ + πτερόν (pteron) ‘wing.’ In 1861    G. … Continue reading →

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clement, inclement, clemency

Posted on March 7, 2011 by lexiekahn

Fill in the blank: “inclement ________.”  That’s right “weather.” Inclement is one of those unusual adjectives used only to describe one thing. Even the OED gives as its first definition, “Of climate or weather: Not mild or temperate; extreme; severe. … Continue reading →

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