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AWADmail Issue 466

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

Run: A Verb for Our Frantic Times
The New York Times
WebCite

Funny or Die: Groupon's Fate Hinges on Words
The New York Times
WebCite

An Unspeakable Word Is the Word That Has to Be Spoken
The New York Times
WebCite

The Bilingual Advantage
The New York Times
WebCite

The Magic of Words (by Yours Truly)
Think magazine
WebCite

From: Verna Rollins (ladysteak aol.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--logorrhea
Def: Excessive flow of words, especially when incoherent.

We always called this diarrhea of the mouth. When I was young my parents told us that having diarrhea of the mouth is bad enough but when one has brain constipation, everyone suffers.

Leads to the logical extension blogorrhea, for those with a keyboard grafted onto their hands.

From: John Nunnikhoven (john4ns fastmail.fm)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--logorrhea

My reservation management system for our inn had a section to record comments about a guest to help recall that guest. It was a big help in getting the room set up for that guest, ensuring that their favorite foods were on the menu, and remembering who they were. One of the codes used was BVS (biblio-vomatis syndrome) for those individuals who had developed the capability of continuing the flow of words on both the inhale and exhale portions of the breathing cycle. Logorrhea is much more elegant.

From: Mike Turbine-Hamilton (mike.turbinehamilton gmail.com)
Subject: Necro-

You may not have come across the word necrophilately. This is the collecting and study of stamps from dead countries. East Germany and the Soviet Union are recent examples but many necrophilatelic favourites such as the Baltic states, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, and so on are now "zombie" states: formerly dead but now resurrected.

From: Peter Bingham-Pankratz (petermbp gmail.com)
Subject: Phycology
Def: The branch of botany dealing with algae. Also known as algology.

This is not the first time I've encountered phycology. I see many used books every day in my job at a bookstore, and some months ago I came across Robert Edward Lee's Phycology. At first I thought the title was a misspelling of Psychology, but after leafing through the book realized this was a resource dealing with the depths of the ocean, not the mind.

From: Adam Fuqua (ambrosetallis yahoo.com)
Subject: Re: Hagiocracy
Def: A government by holy persons. Also a place thus governed.

Once Magellan founded the first church in the Philippines, it became a true hagiocracy. One of the King's governors was even shot by the Catholic monks in Manila's walled city upon his arrival for carrying an edict the monks didn't like. At that time, the city housed no less than seven Catholic cathedrals surrounding the town square.

From: Brett Beiles (brettb hardyboys.co.za)
Subject: Hagiocracy

This sparks a new word -- hajiocracy: government by hajis (those who have been on a haj).

From: Christopher Zimny (christhezimny gmail.com)
Subject: Hagiocracy
I love the word hagiocracy. It expands my lexicon dealing with descriptions of Middle Eastern sadist governments and ostentatious, pious, sexist, racist democracies, monarchies, oligarchies, and any other form of dictatorship in the region.

From: Liana Lupas (llupas americanbible.org)
Subject: Paleography
Def: 1. The study of ancient writings and inscriptions, dating, deciphering, and interpreting them. 2. Ancient forms of writing: documents, inscriptions, etc. 3. An ancient style or method of writing.

As a former classicist, I would like to point out that in technical parlance paleography refers to manuscripts and epigraphy to the the study of inscriptions.

From: Eric Shackle (ericshackle bigpond.com)
Subject: Paleography

You say this word derives from Greek paleo (old, ancient). It's appropriate, then that the name of the world's oldest blogger is Bernando la Polla, who will be 110 on August 17. For more about him, see Open Writing.

From: Linda McCall (kauaimc yahoo.com)
Subject: Thank you

I have been a volunteer reader with the Santa Barbara, California unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) for over 10 years.

RFB&D is a non-profit organization that provides textbooks for print-disabled students, from 4th grade arithmetic to post-graduate texts in the sciences, law, and literature. The organization was formed in 1948 to help veterans who had lost their sight in the war reclaim their lives by continuing their education.

We read "cold" some sessions; that is, we read whatever is in the queue and we may or may not be familiar with the material. AWAD has been invaluable to me, as I've come across words that have appeared in my daily emails. It happens often.

Please take a look at learningally.org, and if you're looking for a really amazing and rewarding volunteer opportunity -- and an opportunity to learn while serving -- please consider this organization. Your life will be better for it.

I became a volunteer with The Linus Project, which provides knitted or crocheted blankets and hats for seriously ill and traumatized children, after seeing it mentioned in a comment in your weekly compendium. Your influence reaches far and wide.

Thank you,