Language & Grammar discussion

No need to throw lammergeiers, as they fly already (battery not included).

Well-done (or rare, if you like it cooked less), Donna!

OK....

Pieriansipist (and it is a real word!!)

A/ A jack of all trades, but master of none.
B/ A devotee of Perrier mineral water
C/ Opposite of philanthropist
D/ An expert in a narrow field of learning

I'm guessing it's either A, B, C, or D. But I like A. And D would be my second choice. Then C. As for the last remaining choice, you've got to B kidding me.

It's A

New one....catawampus.
A. wild cat usually found in swamps in the Southern US states
B. in a diagonal position
C. a rowdy noise
D. American Indian term meaning 'place of learning'.

B-- My desk is catawampus in the corner of the room. My hat was blown catawampus by the wind.

B. 'Twas my dear departed mother's word.

R

Sounds like the Chief of a feline tribe to me...

Sarah and Ruth are spot on! I had never heard it before...must be of American derivation.

sigh
you guys didn't leave a crumb of a cat or a wump for me to comment on
and my brain is thinkin plain at the end of the day
so...
read ya later

I am adding in more characters because my original post was too short-- my answer is B :)

well sort of b

Party with British Columbia Indian doorprizes. Not to be confused with a church supper where everyone brings food.

R

A party with prizes??? I'm there! :)

So is that where the term 'potluck dinner' comes from, where everyone brings a dish to the party without consulting whether it's savoury or sweet and you eats what you gets!!

schadenfreude

a) a German woman who likes to shout
b) a car that get especially good gas mileage
c) bad remake of a "B" movie
d) the enjoyment that is obtained through the trouble of others

d is de answer.

R

And the pastry goes to Ruth!

Oh, those joyful Germans...

Laissez-faire

a) letting something happen without interference
b) let someone else do it
c) do it yourself
d) that's life

Although we used to subscribe to Look (the pale competitor), I like the look of D (that's Life).

Still, from a business viewpoint (where it's most frequently used, no?), I'd say A.

I remember this from my government class in high school--- A.

"A" it is people :D Yup for the business pov NE: A laissez-faire economy.

Haberdashery

a) place to buy bird seed
b) place to buy dress making supplies
c) place to buy horse riding equipment
d) place to buy ribbons and beads

Nope, not D Donna :)

I'd say C for yours.

I didn't know that about haberdashery for men's accessories Donna. Learn something new everyday :) For me ribbons and beads are at a crafts store while haberdashery is more "everything" involved in dressmaking like ribbons, beads, elastics, thread, patterns, buttons and the list goes on. Do you have crafts stores in England --I'm sure you do but are they called that or something else? Could be that the words are used differently. I recently went to Australia and when you go to a ticket agent you see these signs that say "no touting" and for the life of me I had no idea what they were talking about so I figured it meant something like "don't yell and scream" but why would you do that anyway so I asked and it's the same as the North American expression "no scalping" which I thought was really funny when I realized what it meant.

a bluestocking

A) a spinster
B) an unintelligent woman
C) a divorcée
D) a woman with strong intellectual interests

E) a fan of the Blue Sox

LOL--good try :p

It's D....I was once described so in a reference!!!

You're right Debbie! And I hope you took it as a compliment :D

Veld

A) tropical garden
B) desert with an oasis
C) open grassland
D) mountain range

C :)

darn it Sarah, you got here first!!

Look at all the smarties here ;) C it is ladies :)

Reticule

A) old fashioned reading glasses
B) a long necklace
C) a horse drawn carriage
D) a lady's purse

Bingo Donna :D

I participated in a Folk Life Festival when I was in 8th grade-- my mother made me a 1830's style calico dress-- full skirt (thank goddness, no petticoats in the blazing heat! But I did get to wear shorts :)), slightly puffy sleeves, & a matching reticule! I kept my dollars in it to buy kettle corn :)

Rabato

A) a wide lace collar
B) a specialized type of ladies shoe
C) a colorful hairnet
D) a lucky rabbit's foot

That would be A.
:)

Pelisse

A)sleeveless cape lined with fur
B)doe skin mocassins
C)fur coat
D)type of wool sweater

Yup for A Donna :)

d) the pay Florence Nightingale rec'd for all her hard work

C I think

Debbie's not only C-ing, she's thinking.

(Oh. And thanks, Donna. A farthing for your compliments.)

Really? I knew about A, but... cool.

How 'bout this: Otaku

a) a type of songbird native to Japan having bright green and yellow plumage.
b) a Japanese word for a nerd.
c) a type of monster common in Japanese mythology.
d) a fried food made with batter, diced octopus, pickled ginger, okonomiyaki sauce, konnyaku, and various other ingredients, first popularized in Osaku.

(I hope that's not too tricky... here's a hint: it's a borrowed word, well-known by people who are into Japanese culture and literature.)

I am not well-known for being into Japanese culture OR literature (though I did read Spring Snow last March... three cheers for me), but I would guess D strictly because of the ridiculously-specific particulars. Of course, that could just be Lee's red herring (favored by the Japanese in their sushi, I believe).

B......I have a Japanese boy in my class!!!

Good job! I'm an otaku, myself. D is actually a description of takoyaki, which I hope to try someday.

Let's try another alt culture word.

meshugenah
A) a group of musical deviants
B) a Jewish way of preparing a whole rotisserie chicken
C) a Hebrew word for being silly
D) a Yiddish term denoted that someone is crazy or gone off their rocker.