In something of a mad dash this morning, I scanned and misread the OED email, such that I spent the day looking for 'a cure'. I thought some retail shopping therapy on Oxford Street would fit the bill nicely. However,…
DelAugust 16, 2014
Without being insulting to the casual stranger on the street (for looks can be deceptive after all), trying to find something to represent "agnoiology", which is 'The study of the nature of ignorance or of what it is impossible to…
DelAugust 14, 2014
Another lovely word that is defunct - "quomodo" meaning 'With the: the manner, way or means' (OED). So we went to the airport quomodo the bus. Day #222 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED…
DelAugust 13, 2014
Chairs, chairs, chairs, chairs "et patati et patata" ('And so on and so forth', OED). Day #221 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED word of the day.
DelAugust 12, 2014
Does a photographic description of breakfast by the water make me a utopographer ('A person who describes a utopia', OED)? Day #220 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED word of the day.
DelAugust 11, 2014
I did say that this week was difficult and it's not getting any easier … "Sciapodes": 'A mythical race of people supposed to have lived at the southern edge of the ancient Greek and Roman world, who each had a…
DelAugust 10, 2014
This week on the OED front is proving tricky - I have a very limited subject palette and some rather obscure words. Today was particularly problematic - "merlion", which is: 'A mythical creature with the head and trunk of a…
DelAugust 9, 2014
I've found an absolutely divine little shop that sells all sorts of decent kitsch (if that's not an oxymoron) and after "rootling" around ('Of an animal, esp. a pig: to root or grub (something) up or out. Also in extended…
DelAugust 8, 2014
"Obiter" means 'By the way, in passing, incidentally' (OED). Obiter, this is the way into town. Day #216 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED word of the day.
DelAugust 7, 2014
Having left the cauldron, broomstick and familiar at home, I've had to opt for a modern interpretation of an "alfet": 'A type of cauldron, spec. one filled with scalding water and employed in trials of ordeal; (in later use) the…
DelAugust 6, 2014
An "hegemonicon" is: 'A ruling or governing power; spec. human reason. Also: the supreme power in the universe' (OED). I didn't really have the opportunity for finding supreme powers today (and MisterMac wasn't overly keen to be snapped) but I…
DelAugust 5, 2014
"No man's land": ‘(A piece of) waste or unowned land; an uninhabited or desolate area' (OED). It is unowned and uninhabited, but it is far from desolate - in fact, it is rather beautiful. It's probably owned as well, but…
DelAugust 4, 2014
As I had no intention of giving birth today (and if I had been, I certainly would not have been photographing it) I had to look elsewhere to find "parturition": 'Chiefly techn. and literary. The action of giving birth to…
DelAugust 3, 2014
A bit of head-scratching with today's word "saeter" ('In Scandinavia: a mountain pasture where cattle remain during the summer months', OED), but a lucky find saved the day. A bit of contemporary minimalism added to deflect any accusations of plagiarism!…
DelAugust 2, 2014
I thought this bit of urban dilapidation was rather "Moby Dick": 'the great white whale central to Herman Melville's novel, esp. in being very large, important, or impressive' (OED). Ok, it's not particularly large, important or impressive, but the texture…
DelAugust 1, 2014
I was going to find a Mozart for this (there is no shortage of them over here) but Wolfie was born a tad too late to technically be an "honnête home": 'An honest, respectable man; a gentleman; spec. (in the…
DelJuly 31, 2014
The emissions from this power station used to "honk" ('To give off a powerful and unpleasant smell; to stink', OED) but in the new green world, there are no emissions and no honking either. Day #208 of a 365 project,…
DelJuly 30, 2014
The title of today's blog is probably an oxymoron since "statuvolism" means: 'A state of trance brought about by one's own efforts; self-hypnosis' (OED). I had a trip to the BBC and was totally entranced by the control room -…
DelJuly 29, 2014
I like owls and I didn't realise that they were "death birds": 'An owl or other bird, the sight or sound of which is said to herald a death; esp. the barn owl, Tyto alba' (OED). I was on a…
DelJuly 28, 2014