Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

Can anyone please give me an example of an *everyday* object, whose
outer form derives a from hard inner structure. The only examples I've
been able to come up with are, a Crinoline (see
http://www.project-insomnia.com/colleen/costumes/hoopinprogress.jpg )

DATE:    1-16-2007
TO:    All Employees.
FROM:    Wavy G
RE:    New Doughnut Policy

Real or fake?
"Hosing the Doris" is said to be paparazzo cant meaning "keeping the
button pressed and taking as many frames as possible in the shortest
conceivable time of any female celebrity" but all the online uses of the

what does "work ethic" term mean??
To me is not to talk on other people behind at work.. or show you are
great and other not.. or other bad etc. Am I right? thanks

Any idea as to the origins and meaning of "Bumble-puppy"?
----------
The Director and his students stood for a short time watching a game
of Centrifugal Bumble-puppy. Twenty children were grouped in a circle

what does "work ethic" term mean??
To me is not to talk on other people behind at work.. or show you are
great and other not.. or other bad etc. Am I right? thanks

In 1957, United States senator Strom Thurmond made a speech that lasted
24 hours, 19 minutes. - from www.odd-info.com

I hear people saying "so long" when they leave.. I think they want to
say bye, but why so long??

Dear friends, I am not an Englishman, and I think I have got some
limitations in my English.
For that, I like to be corrected by some Englishman, who has indeed had
a command on the language.

A short quiz, mostly based on what words rhyme or sound the same to
you: http://www.gotoquiz.com/results/what_american_accent_do_you_have
The American accent that is closest to mine, according to this quiz, is
"North Central".  It says this is the Minnesota accent and that 'if you

My wife uses the phrase "leaving out"
to mean departing. Since she's
African-American, and every occurrence
I've heard since has been uttered by

possibly from the Italian imperative 'scappa' to flee from the verb
scappare : to escape, run away;

   here's the scenario. two people having a smoke at a table which I'm
gonna have to set up for their upcoming lunch ...
now, there's an ashtray on the table and I have to get rid of it or I
won't be able to place the tablecloth, you know...

I assume that the "im-" prefix of "impregnate" means something
like "going in" (as in the word "import"), and that the "im-"
prefix of "impregnable" simply means "not" (as in the word
"impossible".

I'd like RJ Valentine to tell me, in all seriousness, where he ever
*learned* that "sans" can't take an article after it and especially
where he ever *learned* that it can't be followed by something that is
normally absent or expected to be absent.  He still hasn't told me and