A.Word.A.Day -- AWADmail Issue 1149

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AWADmail Issue 1149

A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language

Sponsor’s Message: “Scrabble on steroids, with a thieving twist.” One Up! -- where stealing is the name of the game. “Darwinian fun.” A wicked smart gift. Game on.

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

Babbling Scouse Youngster Shows Babies Can Have Accents, Say Scientists
The Guardian
Permalink

What Is Language For?
MIT News
Permalink

From: Jon von Gunten (jon globescope.us)
Subject: cracker-barrel

LOVE that old ad! Also noticed it was the earliest use I’ve seen of what’s now SOP in ads: Sowing FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) about the safety, reliability, etc., of competitors’ products! Look for it from now till November!

Jon von Gunten, Los Angeles, California

From: Wendy watkins (watkwen yahoo.ca)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--cracker-barrel/Canada Day

Good morning and Happy Canada Day. How about something for us northerners? There’s a reason we didn’t move to the US. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who is a Canadian subscriber.

Enjoy your 4th of Jul but don’t forget us in the less-than-frozen North these days. 😉 ❤️

Wendy Watkins, Co-founder of the Canadian Data Liberation Initiative, Ottawa, Canada

Email of the Week -- Brought to you buy One Up! -- Perfectly-horrible travel fun.

From: Stannous Flouride (stanflouride yahoo.com)
Subject: Lickety-Split

San Francisco once had an all-women bicycle messenger service called Lickety Split.

Lickety Split, bicycle messenger service, San Francisco

Stan Flouride, San Francisco, California

From: John D. Laskowski (john.laskowski mothman.org)
Subject: Lickety-split

My pet snake flicks his tongue out stickety-split!

John D. Laskowski, Carsonville, Pennsylvania

From: Lucy Kashangaki (lkashangaki gmail.com)
Subject: hunky-dory

Thanks for allowing me to retrieve a sweet memory of my mother, who died in 2005 aged 92. That was one of her favorite expressions.

Lucy Kashangaki, Princeton, New Jersey

Anagrams


This week’s theme: Americanisms 1. Cracker-barrel 2. Jamboree 3. Lickety-split 4. Ripstaver 5. Hunky-dory	=	1. Hick, backblocker, settler 2. Merriment 3. With speed, yes as in real hurry 4. Is rare majestic MVP 5. Okay
		-Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz)

=	1. Rustic, plain rhythm 2. Carnival, assembly 3. Speedy trekker... Mr. streaker! 5. I/we ok 4. Be heroic, majestic	=	1. Homespun, as his tale 2. Merry time 3. Be brisk (okay, will try) 4. Impressive, crackerjack 5. Rather decent
	-Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com)		-Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com)

Make your own anagrams and animations.

Limericks

cracker-barrel

Here’s some real cracker-barrel advice --
It always is best to be nice.
You might seethe underneath;
Then you must grit your teeth,
For a smile that’s forced will suffice.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

The people who live in the sticks
Are sometimes disparaged as hicks.
But they’re good country folks
Whose cracker-barrel jokes
Amuse me and add to the mix!
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

Said Alice, “I’m NOT cracker-barrel!
I’m ALWAYS in fancy apparel!
Should you not believe me,
You can ask Tweedledee
Or my author; his name’s Lewis Carroll.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

jamboree

I’m awaiting with anticipation
King Donald the First’s coronation.
I expect it will be
A fun jamboree,
And his reign’s sure to be a sensation.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

The Brits held a big jamboree,
As grand as could possibly be!
Said Charles, the new king,
“What a marvelous thing!
How nice that you celebrate me!”
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

Oh boy! I’m excited to be
A big part of our school jamboree!
There’s a dance (with a band!)
School-wide spelling bee AND
Best of all: a crowned king and queen (me!)
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

We go berry picking, you see,
My hubby, my children, and me.
With all that’s collected,
It’s highly suspected,
We’ll have us a fine jamboree.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

Said the king, “Zees ees no jamboree!
Zey weel chop off our ‘eads! Damn, Marie!
Saying ‘Let zem eat cake’
When zey wanted a steak
Made zem mad at your bad manners, see?”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

lickety-split

Said the bully, while having a fit,
“I can lick you with one single hit.
So, don’t argue with me,
Or I’ll make you see,
How wrong you are, lickety-split.”
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

He stepped on the gas quite a bit,
And off they drove lickety-split.
I know that my neighbor
Has gone into labor --
The haste of her husband’s legit!
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

His nickname is Lickety-Split
Want lightning-fast? This guy is it!
He’ll rob and then run,
His speed’ll just stun
The police! Boy, he gives ‘em a fit!
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

“I’m leaving here lickety-split,
For you’re such a persnickety Brit,”
Said Eliza. “The rain
In Spain gives me a pain,
And you always belittle me, twit!”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

ripstaver

A ripstaver-skier I know
Went skiing one year up to Stowe.
He got very upset.
How could he forget?
It was August, and there was no snow.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

A super go-getter you are,
A ripstaver bound to go far!
I’m feeling your aura
And think that, dear Laura,
Undoubtedly you’ll be a star!
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

She loved the great ice cream he gave her,
For she was a frozen treat craver.
The mint chocolate chip,
It did make her flip.
“What a flavor!” she cried, “a ripstaver!”
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

Said Sir Edmund, “I need a lip saver.”
“Try this ChapStick, sir, quite a ripstaver,”
the Sherpa replied.
“This is great!” the boss cried,
“I can now this whole climbing trip savor!”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

hunky-dory

You can not assume a priori,
That your life’s gonna be hunky-dory.
Put your dreams on a shelf.
Have a look at yourself.
Self-knowledge is better than glory.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

Each night fairy tales she will tell,
With characters going through hell.
The end of the story
Leaves all hunky-dory,
Which means that her son will sleep well.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

That garden of yours is a glory!
Sure, nothing is easy -- old story.
Takes time and hard labor
(And some helpful neighbor?)
Till everything’s all hunky-dory!
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

If everything’s not hunky-dory,
Canadians tell you, “I’m sorry.”
The way that they talk,
It’s a rhyme, so don’t balk,
For I’m sticking to that as my story.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

Puns

The ambitious cowgirl wanted to cracker-barrel racing time in half.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“She makes great ones. Let’s cracker-barrel open and take some,” said the pickle thieves.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Just coffee and toast, please. I find blueberry jamboree-ng, I’ll take apricot,” the diner said.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“I have the best dad. When I want to buy an ice cream cone and lickety-split-s the cost with me if my allowance won’t cover it,” the little boy bragged to his friends.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Get a g-ripstaver off!” yelled the women’s wrestling coach.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“What type of man do you like to date?” Nemo asked his friend. “Hunky-Dory?”
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

People’s souls are like gardens. You can’t turn your back on someone because his garden’s full of weeds. You have to give him water and lots of sunshine. -Nancy Farmer, author (b. 7 Jul 1941)

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