Discussion Groups / English Usage / April 2009

Is there a word that means "the advent of the Spring"?

I was sad this morning to hear of the death of Clement Freud.  I had
had no idea that, prior to his illustrious career on 'Just a Minute'
he'd been a cookery expert.  How I would have enjoyed hearing that!  I
had some vague sense of his having been in politics but mainly simply

An English translation of Bismarck's comments about Austria are as
follows: "Austria is and remains the only state to which we can lose
for good and from which we can gain for good."--from Eyck's political
biography, p. 37

In a news report about the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali
pirates the word "sputtering" is used in a non-literal sense. I
understand what is intended. I don't think I've come across this use of
the word before and I'm just wondering whether this is a common use.

Two cases of opposites from today's reading.
While editing an article I came across this way of saving
precious space and effort:
"a state of constant in- or decrease"

I want to know whether it is possible to say the following in
colloquial English:
1. There is a lot of books in that room.
I'd appreciate your help.

The link below is to an article by Roger Scruton that discusses some
questions that I have been puzzling over.  I suspect that I am not
alone in my preoccupation; but I venture to post it because of his
observations on irony, a subject often raised here:

Becky Williams, a history teacher from Nottinghamshire, complaining
about something or other on the radio:
"I have handed in my nayties. I am gaying to work abroad."
Will they understand here when she gets there, in English usage?

The two expressions "ramping up" and "amping up" are out and about and
flourishing in the vernacular. I could be wrong (I often am) but they
seem to mean the same thing.
Comments?

God save our gracious five-foot Queen
  from foreign bodies, please.
(And resurrect our other Queen,
  that's Freddy Mercury's.)

Are they right?

1. I don't get the meaning of "lion" here. Could it be that he sees
himself as a "tamed lion," now that he were in a monastery?
2. "The dove refulgent," does this have connotations of the (Holy)
Spirit, hovering around his head, in that monastic environment? Do you

Could "turned" here be read as "turned out/produced," or just as
"turning from one side/face to the other, turn inside out?"
---------
The sky was hazed over and not a breeze stirred the surface of the sea,

I'm trying to think of a good adjective to describe the scene.
Decadent?
Arriveé?

Hello, I was wondering whether the word precipitation is commonly used
in Engish. Or is it just a peripheral word? Could you, please, let me
know?
Thank you