Speaking of style manuals

I didn't know that Wikipedia had added its own Manual of Style.

There was nothing in there about the pluralization of letters, but there is a whole page for the letter Y. It looks like my last post should have read: "I don't think I've ever seen a word with two wyes in a row before." But if I had, would you have known what I meant? What if there was no context, no "snarleyyow" staring you in the face? Hitherto, I have only ever spelled out letters in Scrabble games.

I also learned on the spelling page that all English-speaking regions except the U.S. spell the verb form of practice with an ess (s), and the noun form with a cee (c). She practises dentistry. The new dentist is establishing her practice. I suppose that explains why I've seen it both ways in British novels. Neat!

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My new favorite word

Snarleyyow! This is easily the best word I've come across in a long time. It means: A dog.

I found it last night while playing a game of Scrabble with Ransom. He put down "spoor," but neither of us knew the exact definition (a track, a trail, a scent, or droppings especially of a wild animal). I pulled out Moby Dictionary (pictured below) and came across snarleyyow on my way to spoor. I don't think I've ever seen a word with two ys* in a row before. Have you?

Unfortunately, Merriam Webster's website does not have a definition for snarleyyow, nor does Google come up with any definitions. However, I did find a book called "Snarleyyow or the Dog Fiend" on Amazon, and I downloaded a sample to my Kindle. I don't generally go in for 19th century British naval stories, but it could be fun.

*I'm not certain how to correctly write the plural of "y". I was tempted to go with "y's", but the y doesn't own anything in this case, so that seems wrong. Why don't I have a copy of The Elements of Style?

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That cat sure is cross-eyed

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Extra sunlight

Having sprung forward yesterday, I was worried it would be colder on my bike ride to work. But the ride in was beautiful and relatively warm. The low angle of the sunlight shining through leaves reminded me of the dappled light of redwood forests. Simply gorgeous.

Although this is likely just another manifestation of Fake Spring, a Northwest phenomenon where we get beautiful weather for a couple of weeks before the skies open up and it dumps down rain until June, it's as good a time as any for the annual posting of one of my favorite e.e. cummings poems.

"sweet spring is your time
is my time
is our time
for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love"

(all the merry little birds are
flying in the floating in the
very spirits singing in
are winging in the blossoming)

lovers go and lovers come
awandering, awondering
but any two are perfectly alone
there's nobody else alive.

(such a sky and such a sun
I never knew (and neither did you)
and everybody never breathed
quite so many kinds of yes)

not a tree can count his leaves
each herself by opening
but shining who by thousands mean
only one amazing thing

(secretly adoring shyly
tiny winging darting floating
merry in the blossoming
always joyful selves are singing)

"sweet spring is your time
is my time
is our time
for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love"

— ee cummings

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Steal My Punchline

You know how sometimes you're telling a joke, and you're trying to pause for just the right amount of time to build tension before delivering the punchline, and then someone else blurts it out? I just invented a new game based on that. Or maybe someone else invented it, but I haven't heard of it.

The game is called "Steal My Punchline." Here's how it works. Someone tells the beginning of a joke. Then someone else delivers the punchline. Maybe it's the actual punchline, maybe it's not. Maybe it's funny, maybe it's not.

This site probably doesn't have enough readers anymore to make this work, but let's give it a try in the comments anyhow. I'll start us off, and then someone else can comment with the punchline and start another joke; the next person will add a punchline to that joke and start another, etc.

Here's your setup: What did the zero say to the eight?

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Man, that chicken is such a jerk

I'm enjoying all the new Jerk Chicken comics. However, I'm not sure I agree with his parenting style.

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Spelling, illustrated

Check out these Ten Words You Need To Stop Misspelling; the illustrations are great. Not that I'd ever misspell those words, of course. That would be wierd.

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