• praxis
    6.5k
    No doubt many do, with warmth and perhaps some boisterous rodomontade.
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    Iconostasis.

    The Canadian voice in my audioguide at the Moscow kremlin yesterday said "turn to face the iconostasis" when I was in one of the cathedrals. It was obvious what he meant, but I'd never heard it before.

    Wiki: "In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis (plural: iconostases) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church."

    Fans of Tarkovsky may be interested to learn that some of the icons and frescoes in these kremlin churches were done by Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek.

    5mqs6dd1w8a3gs2j.jpg
  • Nils Loc
    1.4k
    Next time you are inspired to go to the ceramic studio, consider trying the technique of Sgraffito in decorating your cups, bowls, bongs, tea pots, Russian masonry stoves and new-age iconostases.

    You basically carve away glaze on the surface to contrast with the underlying medium (glaze or pot).

    Anything to distract oneself from watching the hollow rodomontades of the RNC. Murica elites first!
  • Sir2u
    3.5k
    Anyone ever had problems opening a jar or screw cap of some sort might wish that they were pedimanous
  • Noble Dust
    8k
    May I remind us all that the point of the thread isn't to pull up impressively obscure words. Good words are just good words, and I would venture to say that it's tenuous at best to suggest that a word of the day need be obscure. Intermediate-level words can be just as pleasing.
  • Nils Loc
    1.4k
    Pedimanous (handlike) feet are always prehensile (they grasp) in nature.

    I've always had a tenuous grasp on the definition of the word glib which has been used recently on the forum.

    When someone talks as if they know what they're talking about when they don't really know at all what they are talking about, but the audience is taken in, are they being glib?

    Are professional sophists, like the infamous Stefan Molyneux, always glib?
  • Noble Dust
    8k


    I think of glib more in terms of sounds made by frogs. But that may be strangely appropriate.
  • Noble Dust
    8k


    Also, "Hand-like feet always grasp in nature" is not only more coherent and concise, but weirdly poetic? Without the big words. That's just me. I may repurpose that...if it's not plagiarism to do so.
  • praxis
    6.5k


    I was thinking about how to respond to a post the other day and stumbled onto the not so impressively obscure word antipode.

    The frigid waters off the cost of Madagasikara are antipodal to my current location.

    Near Perth is antipodal to New York.

    https://www.antipodesmap.com/
  • Nils Loc
    1.4k
    It's a long walk out of the boonies of Botsawana, my geographical antipode, once I dig through the center of the Earth to get there. Will I survive?

    I've no impressive family pedigree. None of us have great facility for academics or entrepreneurship, though both grandpas were golden playboys from the greatest generation.

    The word pedigree came a precursor literally translated as crane's foot, so the foot theme is still going. Peter Pettigrew's surname in the Harry Potter series means crane's foot.
  • Sir2u
    3.5k
    I've no impressive family pedigree.Nils Loc

    This should not impede your advancement in life.
    Just to keep on about feet for a while.
  • Noble Dust
    8k
    If I'm honest, I tend to inveterately pick fights with aggressive folk who can knock me down fairly easily. I'm sure it's some kind of complex.
  • Nils Loc
    1.4k
    The inveterate masturbations of a pseudo philosopher are still pleasurable even though they might impede growth and development conferred by pursuing more social or practical unions. An orgy of one is quite dull.

    The false article in the encyclopedia* of J.L. Borges short story, Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, is a cause for nightmares (eg. see power of the spreading meme "fake news" by a nation's figurehead). We are contaminated (or changed) by everything we are exposed to. The fiction we read helps us to read/(mis)interpet the world.

    Footnote: * I was so hoping the suffix of pedia related to feet rather than the ancient greek word for child. I was imagining an encyclopedia in line with Borges projection of the world as a library, such that one could wander the realm of knowledge (the encyclopedia) by foot as one can perambulate the actual landscape of the world.
  • Noble Dust
    8k
    I should never had revived this thread.
  • praxis
    6.5k
    I was imagining an encyclopedia in line with Borges projection of the world as a library, such that one could wander the realm of knowledge (the encyclopedia) by foot as one can perambulate the actual landscape of the world.Nils Loc

    If pedia is child and encyclius is circularity then the meaning is a child going is circles, as though lost in the woods of knowledge.
  • Nils Loc
    1.4k
    I should never had revived this thread.Noble Dust

    What are you worried about and why are you voicing your disgust? What word ought one to post? Teach your readers a new word. Noblisse oblige.

    If pedia is child and encyclius is circularity then the meaning is a child going is circles, as though lost in the woods of knowledge.praxis

    No argument here. Borges motif is as much about being in prison (of infinite space) as it is wandering a labyrinth (library/encyclopedia). We should do/use the word praxis since it has quite the philosophical history. Maybe Noble Dust would like that.

    In Ancient Greek the word praxis (πρᾶξις) referred to activity engaged in by free people. — Wikipedia: Praxis
  • Noble Dust
    8k
    What are you worried about and why are you voicing your disgust? What word ought one to post? Teach your readers a new word. Noblisse oblige.Nils Loc

    If you follow the history, I didn't start this thread, I only revived it. What I'm worried about is the fact that this thread began as a love of words, and has devolved into a love of impressive/and/or/obscure words. It's essentially become a dick measuring contest. But pleasing words don't have to be any of these things. "Grip", for instance, is a great word, and one we all know.
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    What I'm worried about is...Noble Dust

    Why on Earth would you be worried?

    has devolved into a love of impressive/and/or/obscure wordsNoble Dust

    Maybe you should have posted some rules in bold and upper case, like "Please post words that you love, unless they are impressive and obscure. Only familiar words are allowed. If you break this rule I will throw tantrums."

    But pleasing words don't have to be any of these things.Noble Dust

    You can demonstrate this by continuing to post unimpressive and familiar words that you like.

    Generally, why can't you just let people post words that take their fancy? Why this weird need for control? Why so serious? You're just spoiling people's fun.
  • Noble Dust
    8k
    Why on Earth would you be worried?jamalrob

    The next part that you didn't quote explains this.

    Maybe you should have posted some rules in bold and upper case, like "Please post words that you love, unless they are impressive and obscure. Only familiar words are allowed. If you break this rule I will throw tantrums."jamalrob

    As I said, I didn't start this thread; I only revived it. I dunno what else you want.

    You can demonstrate this by continuing to post unimpressive and familiar words that you like.jamalrob

    Cradle

    Generally, why can't you just let people post words that take their fancy?jamalrob

    I can; however, this is not what people are actually doing.

    Why this weird need for control? Why so serious? You're just spoiling people's fun.jamalrob

    Wh0ot?
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    The next part that you didn't quote explains this.Noble Dust

    No, it doesn't.

    As I said, I didn't start this thread; I only revived it. I dunno what else you want.Noble Dust

    I want to criticize you for bizarrely trying to police this thread.

    CradleNoble Dust

    Very nice. But I could say, inspired by you: may I remind you that the point of this thread is not to just give us a word you like, with no comment about it. T Clark showed us the way, by giving us some words and telling us why he liked them. I'm worried that this thread has devolved into a word-mentioning contest, devoid of actual appreciation. And so on. It should be obvious that this isn't serious; I hope you get the point.

    I can; however, this is not what people are actually doing.Noble Dust

    This is a scurrilous accusation. Perhaps dick-measuring is what Sir2u is doing, but I don't see any evidence otherwise. Anyway, so what?

    In my case, I chose a word that was obscure to me, but not because I wanted to impress anyone. I was really struck by the word and was quite excited about it. It kind of ... opened up a world to me.
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    Incidentally, I quite like "scurrilous". It's partly because it makes me think of squirrels and other rodents, I suppose because they're animals that scurry.
  • Noble Dust
    8k


    Incidentally, I quite hate "scurrilous". It's a word that sounds stupid.
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    That's the spirit.
  • Noble Dust
    8k


    I didn't need you to tell me that.
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    Yes I know, but I'm generous with my condescending approval.
  • Noble Dust
    8k


    And I'm blah blah blah
  • Jamal
    9.8k
    I think I knew that already.
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