Notifications
Clear all
The Lounge
38
Posts
11
Users
66
Reactions
3,452
Views
Topic starter
31/12/2023 9:51 am
Of the many millions of words (many of them virtually devoid of meaning or logic) which have flowed through this Forum over the past 12 months, I think the one which has given me the most personal pleasure is “Sesquipedalian”.
I think I originally dropped it into a post in a casual display of erudition designed to impress. It prompted Forumeers to offer a variety of possible definitions, ranging from equestrianism to obscure Protestant sects to an unhealthy emotional attraction to cephalopods (q.v.).
Of course what it actually means is a fondness for using long polysyllabic words – and quite often extended concatenations thereof - where shorter words would suffice. The term is actually of Malaysian origin. The indigenous inhabitants of Borneo and Sumatra are known for their parsimonious use of language, and any display of verbal diarrhoea tends to be met with the comment “C’es kwi pë daî lyân” (This man speak words with more bits than stars in the heavens).
The accused may well respond with “Kwa d’ra tik h’y pot ën yuz” (I vehemently reject any accusations of profligate verbosity).
To which the usual answer is “Kyu ee’d’ee” (Yeah, right).
So there you are. A small piece of lexicographical inconsequentiality which may be of passing interest. But where, you are asking, did I acquire such familiarity with the language of those distant parts? Well, we don’t talk about it a lot but my lady wife and I share a mixed Celtic-Sumatran genetic heritage and we both spent our formative years in the jungles of Borneo, which is where we met.
Here is one of our wedding photos.
And there you were wondering where the typical Scottish ginger hair came from. Anyway, it was a very happy day, although by the time the pictures were taken the best man was well out of it.
It was some years before we could come up with the money for some extensive cosmetic surgery to make us feel less conspicuous amongst the Southern Britons with their pale, sickly complexions and carefully manicured body hair. We couldn’t afford the full body treatment, so to avoid upsetting small children, sunbathing and swimming in public places still require concealment in the form of wetsuits, on the pretext that our tropical heritage makes us susceptible to chills.
I thought you might want to know this. But of course I could be wrong.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
31/12/2023 10:30 am
Funny. I was thinking the very same things! 
Happy New Year Graeme!!
31/12/2023 11:39 am
these provocative posts ought to be secured from, as yet uncaffeinated viewers
John Kuvakas and Tony Perrone reacted
31/12/2023 11:40 am
Oh, you are not wrong. But happy new year to you anyway. 🎉😄✌️
Frank Reed
Chesapeake, VA
John Kuvakas and Tony Perrone reacted
31/12/2023 12:52 pm
Graeme, thank you for introducing a topic here that in my wildest dreams, I never expected on the Diecast Zone. I must say, the Lounge in always interesting, a must check each day.
31/12/2023 1:09 pm
An impressive post Graeme; your use of multisyllable words in your gibberis....umm...diction reveals an impressive understanding of the English language; which by your own admission is not your native tongue. I plan to include it in your Forum Think Tank(ed) application including other consideration...(in 100s please) in order to bump up your academic credibility if required. I will also include your delightful wedding photos showing your obvious love for your radiant bride, which will demonstrate your commitment to traditional family. Also your narrative regarding your willingness to assimilate in the U.K. by enduring painful body hair removal to match the natural bald spot on your arse is a testament to your level of inner strength and determination to live in harmony within your adopted country. I will, with your permission, make one small correction and one deletion however. Our Approval Committee members, most of whom spend copious amounts of time expounding on a multitude of topics of critical importance while imbibing and puffing on cigars in our Consumption Lounge, tend to be rather red faced, with elevated B.P.s and won't be able to relate to your comment regarding Britons with their pale, sickly complexions. Lastly, your explanation of the word polysyllabic to indicate verbosity is uncharacteristically in error; it is actually used to describe the utterances of domestic parrots mimicking the voices of their owners.
Topic starter
31/12/2023 1:45 pm
Overall, I accept your thoughtful comments in the spirit intended, although I would argue with your point about my use of "polysyllabic" since I was referring to persons with linguistic pretensions who pick up big words from books or audiotapes and parrot them, often with no real understanding of their meaning.
Speaking of which, I cannot help noting (in the kindest possible way) that although you frequently disparage sesquipedalianisms in others, you are not entirely free from this tendency and despite your earnest efforts to restrict your intellect-driven linguistic capabilities to a level that our low-percentile forum associates can grasp, you are not always entirely successful. I mean, "assimilate", "uncharacteristically", "expounding". Come on, who are you kidding?
Feel free to circulate the wedding photos. I have plenty more pics taken during the happy event but they are of a rather explicit nature so I decided against including them here.
I think that is about enough for 2023. Keeping up with a bunch of correspondents who are clearly hovering around the near-genius level has been a bit of a strain. But never mind. I am happily holding my own (the barbed wire is still a bit problematical, but one gets hardened to it.)
Happy New Year to all.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
31/12/2023 2:56 pm
Wow, my last English class was an even 60 years ago and I have not missed it. You guys bring back all the bad memories, school yuck.
Jack Dodds and John Kuvakas reacted
31/12/2023 3:41 pm
So then class, what have we learned today?...to summarize.... "parrot" can be used as a noun or a verb.
Graeme any of my words that are suspect in lacking credibility are from a language I call Jackese. It is a language that appears infrequently and only for the sake of convenience and is one better known in the backwoods moonshine communities of northern Canada. I hope this puts your mind at ease.
Regarding resolving your barbed wire problem; check around for a spare Triumph motorcycle disguised as a German BMW lying around.........
John Kuvakas reacted
31/12/2023 3:43 pm
Wow, my last English class was an even 60 years ago and I have not missed it. You guys bring back all the bad memories, school yuck.
I hated my last five years of high school education too Bruce; but I persevered and got my Grade 8 certification.
John Kuvakas and David Green reacted
31/12/2023 4:54 pm
Two things we have learned about Graeme from this prose; (1)He is perfectly capable of using "concatenations" in a sentence. (2)His wife, regardless of any preconceptions or biases based on the images portrayed, is a lady.
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
Jack Dodds and Tony Perrone reacted
31/12/2023 5:30 pm
Two things we have learned about Graeme from this prose; (1)He is perfectly capable of using "concatenations" in a sentence. (2)His wife, regardless of any preconceptions or biases based on the images portrayed, is a lady.
At the risk of seeming petty; in Canadian English concatenations means a large group of feral felines who steal from garbage cans and pet dishes by night.
John Kuvakas reacted
Topic starter
31/12/2023 6:50 pm
Now that is REALLY petty. Not to say caviling, capricious, pettifogging, picayune and trichoschistic. I rest my case, since here in the Land of GMT (better known to you North Americans as Futureworld) it is nearly time to get stuck into the brandy and cigars and to watch the fireworks on the telly. Happy Hogmanay.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
Jack Dodds and John Kuvakas reacted
31/12/2023 7:08 pm
@graeme-ogg You are without a doubt a master of GMT English Graeme, perhaps even left side of the pond English as well and thank you for all the great things you just stated...I assume. I look forward to your inevitable swearing-in ceremony (remember "commitment" in 100s) in the near future where, with great emotion, I will watch you pledge your allegiance to The Forumite Think Tank(ed) before the portrait of our creator Alfred E. Neuman. You have come a long way since "The Dullards" sir!
John Kuvakas reacted
31/12/2023 7:53 pm
Thank you gentlemen; I now have a very serious case of Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia…
David Vandermeer
Corinth, Texas
Jack Dodds and John Kuvakas reacted
Page 1 / 3
Next