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AWADmail Issue 709

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

A Dictionary Entry Citing “Rabid Feminist” Doesn’t Just Reflect Prejudice, It Reinforces It
The Guardian
WebCite

How Shakespeare Spoke
BBC
WebCite

From: Michael Klossner (klossner9 aol.com)
Subject: Autolycan

Autolycus, the Prince of Thieves, played with elan by Bruce Campbell, was a recurring character on Xena: Warrior Princess. He was a rogue who loved to steal but was genuinely shocked when people he stole from turned violent.

One dental composite filling material is named Herculite. I’ve told a few patients that the company chose that name because Samsonite was already taken. They laugh, imagining a suitcase where their filling should be.

Herculite is also a brand name for a type of tempered glass, for shatter-resistant doors. I happened to see that type of door tested in the movie The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (2 hrs.). Mr. Greenberg had participated in a short promotional film touting Herculite as a front door to the bank building. He used a baseball bat to hit a baseball against the glass, which didn’t break. If I were to try that, I would want mercurial speed to avoid the rebound of the baseball.

From: Nalini Sankaranarayanan (nalsanka cisco.com)
Subject: herculean

The word reminded me of Hercule Poirot who chooses to take inspiration from the twelve tasks of his namesake Hercules in The Labours of Hercules. This was my first detailed foray into the Greek mythology. Augean stables and Lernean Hydra taught me to look at alternative ways to solve what appears to be an impossible task.

From: John D. Laskowski (john.laskowski mothman.org)
Subject: herculean vs Herculean

You use noncapitalized herculean. Why not Herculean since dictionary.com and you both use Augean in discussion of herculean? Shouldn’t it be consistent?

From: Sam Dunkin (dunkins centurylink.net)
Subject: Titan

The US Air Force had Titan I and Titan II missiles, the largest missiles they built. The only Titan II launch complex left is now a museum site in Sahuarita, south of Tucson (The Titan Missile Museum).

From: Rama Kulkarni (drramakulkarni gmail.com)
Subject: siren song

Sirenomelia or mermaid syndrome is a rare congenital developmental disorder in which the legs are partially or completely fused (several other abnormalities also generally being present).

From: Laura Schulkind (laura.schulkind gmail.com)
Subject: Students

I use AWAD with my third grade GT students. They have fallen in love with new words- and it shows in their writing. Thank you!

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

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

“I love gold!” Midas said. “I’ll make all I can --
And I’m hatching a scheme quite autolycan:
Each Troy ounce that I make
Will cause markets to shake.
Troy’ll fall! Greece’ll rise! What a Euro-plan!”

Despite effort herculean I
was unable to rhyme it, that’s why
I am using it thus
after many a cuss
and, disgruntled, I say to you, “Fie”!

Donald Trump is a would-be world Titan.
Sarah Palin’s his wannabe siren.
Word salads she serves
and gets on our nerves
with her swan song improv Herculean.

Muhammad Ali was a titan
With his rope-a-dope style of fightin’
“The Greatest” was fast
His technique unsurpassed
Till Mike Tyson who pioneered bitin’.

A titan does things herculean
Like netting big fish in th’ Aegean.
But often things lesser
Like dusting his dresser
He leaves to the maids who are cleanin’.

Enticed upon hearing sweet siren song,
new tenant, delighted, sang right along.
When the fuses all blew,
temptress bade him adieu.
Seems the house simply had all its wiring wrong.

A night as a wild bacchant
Then exams in mathematics and Kant
There’s many a student
Who does things imprudent
Drink coffee and have a croissant.

From: Phil Graham (pgraham1946 cox.net)
Subject: Hit and Myth Puns

A shorty can’t hide things on the top shelves, but autolycan.

“Allison Fisher? She’s not here but that’s herculean against the wall.”

Uranus got overthrown because he didn’t titan his hold on the heavens.

The unmarried Korean, Song Choi, was accused of sire’n Songs.

“I’d love another drink, bacchant drive as it is!”