Monthly Archives: April 2011

There’s a word for everything

I learned a new word this morning–callipygian, “having well-shaped buttocks.” From the Greek kalli– (beautiful) + pyge (buttocks). A statue of Aphrodite in Syracuse was thus named, and the word sprang from there.¹ You’ll recognize the “beautiful” root in calligraphy … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

…and to dust ye shall return

The Professor is reading another book. Well, she’s always reading a book, but you know what I mean. An obscure book that she’s heard about somewhere and that she’s decided will make a good addition to her mental library of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Never a duh moment

We all have those times when we suddenly realize that we’ve missed something obvious, times when we think to ourselves, “Duh.” That’s how I felt the other day when I realized it had never even occurred to me to look … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Never a duh moment

Slip o’ the tongue

This morning, I went to say “background investigation” to The Professor, and I said “background invasion” instead. I’m pretty sure this will be a new term of art around our place.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Slip o’ the tongue

A dust-up

I’ve been thinking about the word kerfuffle. It’s one of those words that sounds just like what it is. It isn’t an onomatopoeia exactly, because a kerfuffle doesn’t make a specific sound. But the word has in it for me … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on A dust-up