Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

thought this was quite the photograph

do you know what it is?

photo taken by a homeowner in north devon as the bird takes a goldfish from his pond

I'm guessing osprey but Rod will be along presently to tell us what that is Rich.

Meanwhile, my son-in-law and I got a fantastic view of a red kite while on our way to see booder in Dereham, (Twinned with Brigadoon) It flew along in front of us for about 100 yards and it was no more than about 10 feet from the windscreen.

Click to see full-size image.

[doubleup]

Actually the main similarity I see is the "make America/Germany great again" polemic.

Polemic smacks more of being articulate than good in a knife fight.

Then again, if you look at the definition....

I was looking for a word that represented argumentative, forceful debate.  Polemic came to mind and I looked it up and thought it fitted the bill - Tal guidance needed.

btw the one I thought you got right was "dangerous looking" lol.

[Tal]

Actually the main similarity I see is the "make America/Germany great again" polemic.

Polemic smacks more of being articulate than good in a knife fight.

Then again, if you look at the definition....

I was looking for a word that represented argumentative, forceful debate.  Polemic came to mind and I looked it up and thought it fitted the bill - Tal guidance needed.

btw the one I thought you got right was "dangerous looking" lol.

Somewhere between rhetoric and sophistry, I'd say. The first is the carefully chosen language to evoke emotion; the second is the fact the arguments themselves are fundamentally flawed but are masked by the language and vigour of their delivery.

[RED-DOG]

I know that the youth if today don't have as much respect for their elders as they did when I was a lad, but having my morning walk on Fosse Meadows besmirched by an adolescent pine tree giving me the finger is beyond the pale.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

Actually the main similarity I see is the "make America/Germany great again" polemic.

Polemic smacks more of being articulate than good in a knife fight.

Then again, if you look at the definition....

I was looking for a word that represented argumentative, forceful debate.  Polemic came to mind and I looked it up and thought it fitted the bill - Tal guidance needed.

btw the one I thought you got right was "dangerous looking" lol.

Somewhere between rhetoric and sophistry, I'd say. The first is the carefully chosen language to evoke emotion; the second is the fact the arguments themselves are fundamentally flawed but are masked by the language and vigour of their delivery.

Sophistry. What a great word. It's new to me so I looked it up.




noun, plural sophistries.
1.
a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.
2.
a false argument; sophism.


Is it derived from 'Sophisticated'? The definition doesn't seem to fit.

[RED-DOG]

I wanted to know what type of tree it was so I googled 'Pine tree giving me the finger' but all I got was this.

[Tal]

Actually the main similarity I see is the "make America/Germany great again" polemic.

Polemic smacks more of being articulate than good in a knife fight.

Then again, if you look at the definition....

I was looking for a word that represented argumentative, forceful debate.  Polemic came to mind and I looked it up and thought it fitted the bill - Tal guidance needed.

btw the one I thought you got right was "dangerous looking" lol.

Somewhere between rhetoric and sophistry, I'd say. The first is the carefully chosen language to evoke emotion; the second is the fact the arguments themselves are fundamentally flawed but are masked by the language and vigour of their delivery.

Sophistry. What a great word. It's new to me so I looked it up.




noun, plural sophistries.
1.
a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.
2.
a false argument; sophism.


Is it derived from 'Sophisticated'? The definition doesn't seem to fit.

They have the same root, yes.

There were a group of people in old Greece, before everyone had books upon books of grammar and things to know. They advised on matters of dispute by dispensing what we would now call common sense. "University of life, mate"

They were the sophists.

The contrast there was with philosophers, who had their studies (phil-) to support their positions.

Over time, knowledge became power and sophism became a bit of a dirty word in some circles (usually the ones writing books, funnily enough).

Sophisticated relates to those who have all they need and doesn't really require knowledge (you'd see a man with a sharp suit, a couple of shiny shoes and a pocket square and say "he looks a sophisticated sort". He could have no idea where Wales is or distinguish between a Monet and a Picasso). Equally, someone people turn to for advice doesn't have to have a book on everything or an encyclopaedic knowledge. Just good advice.

As ever, language evolves, so words with the same derivation sometimes go in different directions.

[RED-DOG]

Actually the main similarity I see is the "make America/Germany great again" polemic.

Polemic smacks more of being articulate than good in a knife fight.

Then again, if you look at the definition....

I was looking for a word that represented argumentative, forceful debate.  Polemic came to mind and I looked it up and thought it fitted the bill - Tal guidance needed.

btw the one I thought you got right was "dangerous looking" lol.

Somewhere between rhetoric and sophistry, I'd say. The first is the carefully chosen language to evoke emotion; the second is the fact the arguments themselves are fundamentally flawed but are masked by the language and vigour of their delivery.

Sophistry. What a great word. It's new to me so I looked it up.




noun, plural sophistries.
1.
a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.
2.
a false argument; sophism.


Is it derived from 'Sophisticated'? The definition doesn't seem to fit.

They have the same root, yes.

There were a group of people in old Greece, before everyone had books upon books of grammar and things to know. They advised on matters of dispute by dispensing what we would now call common sense. "University of life, mate"

They were the sophists.

The contrast there was with philosophers, who had their studies (phil-) to support their positions.

Over time, knowledge became power and sophism became a bit of a dirty word in some circles (usually the ones writing books, funnily enough).

Sophisticated relates to those who have all they need and doesn't really require knowledge (you'd see a man with a sharp suit, a couple of shiny shoes and a pocket square and say "he looks a sophisticated sort". He could have no idea where Wales is or distinguish between a Monet and a Picasso). Equally, someone people turn to for advice doesn't have to have a book on everything or an encyclopaedic knowledge. Just good advice.

As ever, language evolves, so words with the same derivation sometimes go in different directions.

Excellent! I love explanations with a nice story or an example attached. I'm glad I asked now.

Word origin expositions always welcome here.

[Tal]

This is probably worth bookmarking, then:

http://www.etymonline.com/

Or invest in a good etymology dictionary.

I like rooting around in charity shops for books. I picked up a Reverse Dictionary last year. Never heard of it. You know when you think of something and you can't remember the name of it but you'll spend ten minutes telling everyone everything about it, while they all look confused at you or shouting out words that aren't quite what you mean? Well that's what this reverse dictionary is designed to help you with.

Here's an online version for when you're desperate and don't have access to a hard copy:

http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml

[RED-DOG]

This is probably worth bookmarking, then:

http://www.etymonline.com/

Or invest in a good etymology dictionary.

I like rooting around in charity shops for books. I picked up a Reverse Dictionary last year. Never heard of it. You know when you think of something and you can't remember the name of it but you'll spend ten minutes telling everyone everything about it, while they all look confused at you or shouting out words that aren't quite what you mean? Well that's what this reverse dictionary is designed to help you with.

Here's an online version for when you're desperate and don't have access to a hard copy:

http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml

Bookmarked, but I will remember sophistry because I enjoyed your explanation.

PS- Do you think we can get a backward dictionary for Celtic?

[Rod Paradise]

thought this was quite the photograph

do you know what it is?

photo taken by a homeowner in north devon as the bird takes a goldfish from his pond

I'm guessing osprey but Rod will be along presently to tell us what that is Rich.

Meanwhile, my son-in-law and I got a fantastic view of a red kite while on our way to see booder in Dereham, (Twinned with Brigadoon) It flew along in front of us for about 100 yards and it was no more than about 10 feet from the windscreen.

Click to see full-size image.

Lovely pic of an osprey - garden owner not going to be happy - protected bird eating big expensive goldfish

Red Kite still rare visitors up here, beautiful birds!!

[booder]

Dereham, (Twinned with Brigadoon)

Very good.

[RED-DOG]

I just learned a great new Urban Dictionary word. 'Farkle'.

Usage example. "Wow! Bob has sure farkled the shit out of his GS".

First correct definition wins a Dog star. No Googling.

[Mohican]

Due to auto spell check I recently learned I'd been spelling and saying words wrong. So renumeration is actually remuneration and a restaurant owner is a restaurateur, no letter 'n' before the second 't'. I've owned a dictionary and thesaurus for a long while(was mad keen on cryptic crosswords for an long while) but it appears I still have a lot to learn.  

[RED-DOG]

Due to auto spell check I recently learned I'd been spelling and saying words wrong. So renumeration is actually remuneration and a restaurant owner is a restaurateur, no letter 'n' before the second 't'. I've owned a dictionary and thesaurus for a long while(was mad keen on cryptic crosswords for an long while) but it appears I still have a lot to learn.  

For some reason I thought trebuchet was pronounced terboshit. Worse still I said it out loud, in public.

I haven't lived it down yet.