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AWADmail Issue 742

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From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
Subject: Interesting stories from the Net

Humans May Speak a Universal Language, Say Scientists
The Daily Telegraph
Permalink

Russian Interior Ministry Urged To Create Language Police To Defend Russian Against Foreign Words
Eurasia Review
Permalink

From: Coralyn Kelly Sheridan (coralsh northwestern.edu)
Subject: boulevardier

I can’t even think of the word boulevardier without hearing Maurice Chevalier self-assuredly singing, “You can see zem wink ze ozair eye at ze man who broke ze bank at Monte Carlo!’ (Being old has some advantages).

From: Scott Eichel (seichel407 gmail.com)
Subject: Boulevardier

Boulevardier and its cousin flâneur are two expressive words which, with or without a knowledge of the French language, one cannot help but get the message and the concept. And for the English version, think of that wonderful piece of doggerel,

From: Steeve McCauley (steeve.mccauley+wordsmith gmail.com)
Subject: boulevardier

The nominal boulevardier, in English at least, is the cocktail cousin to the greatest cocktail, the negroni.

Illustration: Alex McCrae

From: Alex McCrae (mccrae7474 roadrunner.com)
Subject: pachyderm

Hmm... pretty tiny feet, no? Not only does The Donald exhibit the quintessential pachyderm personality, but one could argue that he could well be dubbed the 2016 Teflon presidential candidate. Nothing appears to stick to this bloviating ego-tripper.

From: Paul Varotsis (paul.varotsis.12 ucl.ac.uk)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--pachyderm

As its Greek origin may suggest, the word was created by 19th-century anatomist Georges Cuvier to describe the group made up of elephants, rhinos, and hippos.

In modern biology, however, the word is obsolete. Elephants are more closely related to manatees, rhinos to zebras, and hippos to dolphins than either are to each other! This fossil of a word has survived in common language as an insult. It sounds unlikely, however, that 22nd-century people would call each other proboscideans, perissodactyls, or artiodactyls. Maybe Captain Haddock of the Tintin series may help?

I first encountered this word ‘revenant’ in Seamus Heaney’s poem “Two Lorries”, about a truck bomb during the Irish troubles that took the life of the fictional narrator’s mother on an otherwise perfectly ordinary day. I have never encountered a more telling use of the word. The poem is worth reading in its entirety -- and to fully appreciate Heaney’s powerful use of the word. But here is the relevant excerpt:

From: Martha O’Kennon (mokennon albion.edu)
Subject: rhapsode

The underground etymology of the word “rap”.

From: Raphaele Malandain (raphaelesc aol.com)
Subject: Bon viveur

While I highly trust and respect your work and Wordsmith.org, I question your choosing “bon viveur” rather than the more commonly used “bon vivant”, which you mention is a synonym. But in my view, “viveur” is rather unusual and makes me wonder whether it might be a Lebanese expression. I was born and raised in France, if that gives me any credit. Would love to hear your take on this.

From: Dharam Khalsa (dharamkk2 gmail.com)
Subject: Anagrams of this week’s words

From: Robert Jordan (alfiesdad ymail.com)
Subject: This week’s words anagrammed

From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
Subject: Limericks

“At the wedding,” said Madame Thenardier,
“You’ll pose as a suave boulevardier.
At scams we’re a whiz
In this show called ‘Les Miz’
Stealing silver and drinking the Beaujolais.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

Sir Ralph, a suave boulevardier,
Wore spats and a red boutonniere.
He preferred to dine
On oysters and wine,
Though he snuck the occasional beer.
-Judith Marks-White, Westport, Connecticut (joodth snet.net)

There once was a young pachyderm,
Who thought she had picked up a germ.
With belly so thick
She assumed she was sick,
But the vet said, “You’re carrying full-term.”
-Judith Marks-White, Westport, Connecticut (joodth snet.net)

Of Donald Trump I can affirm,
A Republican, pachyderm,
Can insult everyone,
In the campaign he’s run.
Elected, he’ll do it long term.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

Homer writes of the Trojan War revenant,
homeward bound, slowed by many an incident.
Odysseus misses
Penelope’s kisses
til again he’s an Ithaca resident.
-Zelda Dvoretzky, Haifa, Israel (zeldahaifa gmail.com)

The ramifications were evident
When Jesus appeared as a revenant.
Most every apostle
Said “Dude, you’re colossal!”
But Thomas at first was more reticent.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

At the rest home, their guest, a young rhapsode,
too quickly slipped into the rap mode.
But ‘twas not as he feared,
for his audience cheered
as they tucked themselves up in their lap robes.
-Anne Thomas, Sedona, Arizona (antom earthlink.net)

When asked, “What he did?” He then told,
“I’m employed to be a rhapsode.”
Asked, “Does he make money?”
Replied, “Don’t be funny.
I can’t now for I have a cold.”
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“What gifts do you think he’d prefer?”
The three kings asked a young bon viveur.
Came the answer, “Don’t skimp,
He’s a special young imp.
I’d bring frankincense, maybe, and myrrh.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

I think if ever there were,
A candidate, bon viveur,
If Trump truly did want,
To be called bon vivant,
And most likely, emperor.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

From: Phil Graham (pgraham1946 cox.net)
Subject: Putrid puns to paint people

Ferdinand was the boulevardier children’s author, Munro Leaf.

If you’re so unhappy, why don’tcha pachyderm trunk and leave?

When you revenant, it makes that nant go faster.

Over the years, rhapsode much to legitimate poetry.

“In bonn viveur socialites,” said the expat German couple.