Word geekery

[flemmings]

I learned a new loanword today, from the French- piton. To quote the source for this useful phrase, 2metaldog

The best translation I have for it is: the little thing that doesn't have a name on the end of the bigger thing that does have a name. An example of this would be that little plastic thing on the end of shoelaces. That's a piton. Or the little bit of rubber that sticks out after you tie a knot in a ballon that you've just blown up. That's a piton, too.

Someone in the comments mentions that the plastic thingy at the end of the shoelace is actually an aglet, which is fine, but piton will do as well. Especially in these latter velcro days. (BTW-- do not put your toddlers into lace-ups, ye who have or will have toddlers. No eighteen month old can resist the urge to pull on the laces, run away, trip on the things and wail mightily. To be consoled by their caregiver- 'Aaron Elliot, tell your Mummy- velcro.')

Comments

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

Aahh! Velcro..the best thing since sliced bread...and while we're on word geekery...why do people say that!

Also lace-ups can hold one up when Shahrazad decides that her laces are not done just right..she will do them again and again. Back to velcro we go! ^__^

Aha aglet, I always thought there was an 'i' in the word...as in 'aiglet'.

And since you're my resident Japanophile-extraordinaire and readaholic can I ask have you read "The Tale of Murasaki" by Liza Dalby. If so, would you reccomend it. I need something that will distract me from Mieville's mind-web repercussions. And as I've always wanted a delve into Tales of Genji, it looked like a kind of introduction to it as it were. Jus' a wonderin'.

Thanks.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

The OED tells me that aglet is the pointed end of a shoe lace and aiguillette, the French origin of the word I fancy, is the word for the hangy-down bit on the shoulder of some military uniforms. Which makes three new words for me today.

I honestly don't know where the sliced bread thing came from: some Americanism that caught on, I suppose. Nor have I read Dalby, but I would. Translated Genji could do with some female input, given the hair-raising action occasionally contained therein.

My icon is indeed Keiki, the kirin of Kei, in his kirin form, still very much what petronia calls 'upright and lacking in clue.' Have you seen the anime of that?

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

I see so I was confusing the two.
Aglet does not have an 'i' and

Aiguillette is the fancy cord that decorates epaulette (or epaulet)in military uniforms.

And I thought that "the best thing since sliced bread" was a Northern phrase (by which I mean of England)

As to Dalby, I picked it up already, and though it isn't Tales of Genji by a long shot, one day...I may get a translated version...whan my manga habit goes away and I have more money...I guess that means probably never. ^_~

Will see how far I get into it.

Have seen some of 12 Kingdoms although sadly not all the way through. I'll just have to wait and see if they re-run it, its very long isn't it? I enjoyed the parts I watched, but it was only something like maybe 6 eps. Although if I recall rightly, I thought that the Kirin was not very forthcoming nor altogether benevolent in that!

What the girl has started to watch is "Black Cat" which isn't too bad, and I started to watch "Gun Sword". Its the appeal of the Western you know.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

After having to slice my own loaves on a regular basis, "the best thing since sliced bread" took on new and more relevant meaning for me. Getting bread slices to cut evenly is a *pain*.

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha! *grins* You must be an expert by now! Practice will have given you a steady hand. Baguettes and batards are easy it is the bigger un-cut loaves that throw me.

On a totally unrelated post..I DID pick up Perdido', I finished and yesterday I returned it to the library...just so you know here are some things I said whilst reading the books and then after I finished it.

"he likes the words...Troglodytic, Banyan, inviegle and culs-de-sac.... I guess though some of the citizens of New Crobuzon can only BE described as troglodytic.
But this horrific nightmare landscape of some dark horrible future in an alternate universe somewhere is a fascinating delve into what the mind can come up with either as a writer or a reader with too much imagination.
And to me there is the sound of his 'English-ness' " ...

Apologies to flemmings for spamming your space. Also I had to have external help with some of the other obscure vocabulary he used. On finishing the book I felt like so

"all I can think of is NO, no, nononono. For a whole lot of things. Let's not get into that. I could rail and rant but it will still be there, mocking me, all 867 pages of it.....my mind will still be turning it around and round in my head for a while yet.
Oh no...*sigh* I feel a kind of non-feeling feeling and a strange whimsy of untraceable thought patterns, that can only be described as fey."

I thought you'd like to know, and someone has prescribed "The Scar" to me but I'll leave Mieville on the shelf at the library for a while. ^__^

Sorry flemmings once again.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Re bread loaves: Alas, no. I haven't eaten any of my stepfather's wonderful bakery products for years. He makes the most heavenly light rye bread, sweet and smooth as candy. The downside is that it is (for me) very fiddly to cut. The dough consistency is not easy to manage, as it's quite soft.

I found Perdido Street Station an interesting experience, but I haven't felt a pressing desire to reread it. I understand The Scar is a lot...milder, but I haven't read that one yet.

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

and I forgot..that is a cool icon, next to dragons I have a love for la licorne, is that the kirin from 12 Kingdoms?