Words, phrases and sentences of oral significance and remembrance.
Secondary-school essay; age 11. English master is hampered by my illegible handwriting and asks me to read the essay aloud. I read “I was intrigued….” I’d understood the meaning but, never having heard it spoken, pronounced it “intri-gewed”. He corrects me kindly.
Invited to go with my grannie and uncle to the movies - then known as “the films”; aged 12? “Yes, as long I won’t be de trop.” (too many).
Spoken to the point where it became an addiction; middle to old age. Rebarbative.
A qualifier which I denied both my daughters; parenthood. Really. As in: Daughter: It was really good. Me: Not really, really, good, then?
Whenever the opportunity arises, often concerning trumpets; lifelong. Plangent.
During adolescence, in the presence of young women, on the tip of my tongue but never uttered; teens to early twenties. Lovely.
In response to residents of south-eastern England who imagined they could do a Yorkshire accent; from 22 onwards. Gradely.
In the hearing of well-educated Americans; 1965 – 1972. Deliquescent. Plus a whole slew of polysyllabic words where the letter l is prominent. Eg, polysyllabic.
In the hearing of people of any nationality lacking any knowledge of mechanical engineering; lifelong. Epicyclic.
To the French, spoken in French; 1972 onwards. I cannot speak in French but I can communicate in French.
To the Germans; latterly. Schade (It’s a pity).
When drunk; 18 onwards. I’m not drunk… am I?
On entering a garden centre; post-retirement. I’m not sure I know the word... or the tool.
To the GP; post-retirement; I wish! It’s like everything I’ve suffered from since birth, all rolled into one; but at a much lower level of sensitivity typical of my age group.
A wonderful list of words. Just seeing the word Deliquescent reminded me of mushrooms that Roger used to pick in our yard. If he let them sit too long before eating they would deliquesce and become inedible. Thank you for the reminder of that gooey mess!
ReplyDeleterobin andrea: Deliquescent, a word I came across at a comparatively young age, qualifiies for another useful - though rarely employed - adjective: euphonious (pleasing to the ear). Often confused with euphemism.
DeleteHaving compiled the list I realise I have not made room for another of my favourites: jejune (naive, simplistic, superficial). Frequently misspelled as jejeune and therefore thought erroneously to have connotations of youth.
Gradely is a new one for me. I'm going to have to vote for Epicyclic, though. It's both cosmic AND practical.
ReplyDelete"An epicyclic gear train consists of two gears mounted so that the center of one gear revolves around the center of the other. A carrier connects the centers of the two gears and rotates to carry one gear, called the planet gear, around the other, called the sun gear. The planet and sun gears mesh so that their pitch circles roll without slip. A point on the pitch circle of the planet gear traces an epicycloid curve. An epicyclic gear train can be assembled so the planet gear rolls on the inside of the pitch circle of the sun gear, which is then called an annular gear. In this case, the curve traced by a point on the pitch circle of the planet is a hypocycloid. The combination of epicycle gear trains with a planet engaging both a sun gear and an annular gear is called a planetary gear train. Epicyclic gears get their name from their earliest application, which was the modeling of the movements of the planets in the heavens. Believing the planets, as everything in the heavens, to be perfect, they could only travel in perfect circles, but their motions as viewed from Earth could not be reconciled with circular motion."
Phew! I had to garner all my powers of concentration (and they are limited) to get through that, but it was worth it.
Colette: Congratulations. Repeat the word "epicyclic" aloud several times to yourself. Notice how it ripples.
DeleteFrom which we may conclude: If an Englishman (especially one with a northern accent) offers to sell you the island of Manhattan for any figure with less than thirteen digits, call the police.
Isn't it fun to play games with adults?
As a small boy living amongst country farming folk I coped their speech and used "tuber colossis" which was corrected at my primary school by a kind mistress to "tuberculosis". Informing my grandparents later of this correct pronunciation my grandfather said, "ain't she got some ideas".
ReplyDeleteThe teacher had been resident in the village since childhood and a prophet is without honour......
Avus: Living in and around London (1959 - 1965 and 1972 - 1998), in Pennsylvania (1965 - 1972) and Hereford (1998 - present) has worn away about 75% of my West Riding accent without - thank God - opening the door to the aural tropes of places I've passed through. More particularly, living elsewhere has I hope shriven me of most of behavioral patterns (acute laddishness, misogyny, mean-spiritedness, parochialism, futile truculence) of my home county. Nor has atavism ever kicked in and suggested I am now deprived.
ReplyDelete