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CIRCLE WITH A DOT

  1. Home
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  3. Words are not immutable boxes.

Words are not immutable boxes.

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  • urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
    urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
    urlyman@mastodon.social
    wrote last edited by
    #1

    Words are not immutable boxes. We may wish for their boundaries to be protected but they cannot be.

    We cannot stop ‘sick’ becoming ‘good’, or ‘oversight’ meaning to oversee and also to miss through inattention.

    The job of words is to be understood *in the moment*, in a context. For their intent to be a discernible eddy in a current.

    And then the current flows on by and there is no protection to be had

    urlyman@mastodon.socialU apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA 2 Replies Last reply
    0
    • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

      Words are not immutable boxes. We may wish for their boundaries to be protected but they cannot be.

      We cannot stop ‘sick’ becoming ‘good’, or ‘oversight’ meaning to oversee and also to miss through inattention.

      The job of words is to be understood *in the moment*, in a context. For their intent to be a discernible eddy in a current.

      And then the current flows on by and there is no protection to be had

      urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
      urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
      urlyman@mastodon.social
      wrote last edited by
      #2

      …We can for sure argue about inadvisable use, and disagree about intent

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

        Words are not immutable boxes. We may wish for their boundaries to be protected but they cannot be.

        We cannot stop ‘sick’ becoming ‘good’, or ‘oversight’ meaning to oversee and also to miss through inattention.

        The job of words is to be understood *in the moment*, in a context. For their intent to be a discernible eddy in a current.

        And then the current flows on by and there is no protection to be had

        apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
        apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
        apostateenglishman@mastodon.world
        wrote last edited by
        #3

        @urlyman I'm enjoying how, in informal English at least, it's rapidly becoming acceptable to turn anything into a verb!

        spanghero@ioc.exchangeS toxi@mastodon.thi.ngT 2 Replies Last reply
        0
        • apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA apostateenglishman@mastodon.world

          @urlyman I'm enjoying how, in informal English at least, it's rapidly becoming acceptable to turn anything into a verb!

          spanghero@ioc.exchangeS This user is from outside of this forum
          spanghero@ioc.exchangeS This user is from outside of this forum
          spanghero@ioc.exchange
          wrote last edited by
          #4

          @ApostateEnglishman @urlyman Verbing, as it were.
          Edit: or is it Verb vibing?
          Edit to edit: or vibe verbing?

          It’s best if I stop now.

          apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • spanghero@ioc.exchangeS spanghero@ioc.exchange

            @ApostateEnglishman @urlyman Verbing, as it were.
            Edit: or is it Verb vibing?
            Edit to edit: or vibe verbing?

            It’s best if I stop now.

            apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
            apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
            apostateenglishman@mastodon.world
            wrote last edited by
            #5

            @spanghero @urlyman Vibe verbing?

            urlyman@mastodon.socialU 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA apostateenglishman@mastodon.world

              @spanghero @urlyman Vibe verbing?

              urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
              urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
              urlyman@mastodon.social
              wrote last edited by
              #6

              @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

              Good, good, good, good verbrations 🙂

              Mbop

              apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                Good, good, good, good verbrations 🙂

                Mbop

                apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
                apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
                apostateenglishman@mastodon.world
                wrote last edited by
                #7

                @urlyman @spanghero 😆

                Okay, as Jonathan has won today's interwebs we can all pack up and go home now.

                We'll get another run at it tomorrow.

                urlyman@mastodon.socialU 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA apostateenglishman@mastodon.world

                  @urlyman @spanghero 😆

                  Okay, as Jonathan has won today's interwebs we can all pack up and go home now.

                  We'll get another run at it tomorrow.

                  urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                  urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                  urlyman@mastodon.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #8

                  @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                  too kind. Delighted to be vibing with the pair of you 😊

                  androcat@toot.catA 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                    @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                    too kind. Delighted to be vibing with the pair of you 😊

                    androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                    androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                    androcat@toot.cat
                    wrote last edited by
                    #9

                    @urlyman @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                    The word 'Verbrations' insists on being decoded in my head as "verb rations".

                    In this viewpoint, the poor english-speaking paupers went up to the Workhouse Master and asked "Please Sir. May I have some verbs?" and were chastised and sent away verbless.
                    And so they had no choice but to verb some nouns, as they had spent all their verb rations.

                    urlyman@mastodon.socialU 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • androcat@toot.catA androcat@toot.cat

                      @urlyman @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                      The word 'Verbrations' insists on being decoded in my head as "verb rations".

                      In this viewpoint, the poor english-speaking paupers went up to the Workhouse Master and asked "Please Sir. May I have some verbs?" and were chastised and sent away verbless.
                      And so they had no choice but to verb some nouns, as they had spent all their verb rations.

                      urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                      urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                      urlyman@mastodon.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #10

                      @androcat gruel-ing 😉

                      @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                      androcat@toot.catA urlyman@mastodon.socialU 2 Replies Last reply
                      0
                      • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                        @androcat gruel-ing 😉

                        @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                        androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                        androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                        androcat@toot.cat
                        wrote last edited by
                        #11

                        @urlyman

                        Didst thou just verb a noun at me?!?

                        @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                        urlyman@mastodon.socialU 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                          @androcat gruel-ing 😉

                          @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                          urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                          urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                          urlyman@mastodon.social
                          wrote last edited by
                          #12

                          @androcat @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                          Tangent: The Guardian used to run a micro-cartoon strip called ‘Lost Consonants’. I always wanted to see a sibling cartoon which I imagined to be titled ‘Vowel Movements’.

                          Jonathan Schofield (@urlyman@mastodon.social)

                          I have been set off on an exercise in Vowel Movements by a combination of @falcennial’s lovely thread https://mastodon.social/@falcennial/116566355537414929 and some earlier vibing https://ioc.exchange/@spanghero/116566995588194763 My openers are… “A nod’s as good as a wank” “A thong of beauty is a joy forever”

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                          Mastodon (mastodon.social)

                          androcat@toot.catA 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                            @androcat @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                            Tangent: The Guardian used to run a micro-cartoon strip called ‘Lost Consonants’. I always wanted to see a sibling cartoon which I imagined to be titled ‘Vowel Movements’.

                            Jonathan Schofield (@urlyman@mastodon.social)

                            I have been set off on an exercise in Vowel Movements by a combination of @falcennial’s lovely thread https://mastodon.social/@falcennial/116566355537414929 and some earlier vibing https://ioc.exchange/@spanghero/116566995588194763 My openers are… “A nod’s as good as a wank” “A thong of beauty is a joy forever”

                            favicon

                            Mastodon (mastodon.social)

                            androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                            androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                            androcat@toot.cat
                            wrote last edited by
                            #13

                            @urlyman

                            The Great Vowel Movement (Shift)

                            Oh, by the way, is "having a go" an instance of nouning a verb?

                            @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                            urlyman@mastodon.socialU 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • androcat@toot.catA androcat@toot.cat

                              @urlyman

                              Didst thou just verb a noun at me?!?

                              @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                              urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                              urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                              urlyman@mastodon.social
                              wrote last edited by
                              #14

                              @androcat you can count on a man living in the birth city of Dickens to toil at such Twists https://charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk/

                              @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                              androcat@toot.catA 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • androcat@toot.catA androcat@toot.cat

                                @urlyman

                                The Great Vowel Movement (Shift)

                                Oh, by the way, is "having a go" an instance of nouning a verb?

                                @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                                urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                                urlyman@mastodon.social
                                wrote last edited by
                                #15

                                @androcat depends https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game)

                                @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                androcat@toot.catA 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                                  @androcat you can count on a man living in the birth city of Dickens to toil at such Twists https://charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk/

                                  @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                  androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                                  androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                                  androcat@toot.cat
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #16

                                  @urlyman

                                  Too late I realized, by going from the Dickens to Shakey, I had put myself on a trajectory to Chaucer, which is a bridge too far.

                                  I did throw in a reference to Middle English though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift

                                  @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                  urlyman@mastodon.socialU 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                                    @androcat depends https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game)

                                    @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                    androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                                    androcat@toot.catA This user is from outside of this forum
                                    androcat@toot.cat
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #17

                                    @urlyman

                                    Having a 圍棋
                                    @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • androcat@toot.catA androcat@toot.cat

                                      @urlyman

                                      Too late I realized, by going from the Dickens to Shakey, I had put myself on a trajectory to Chaucer, which is a bridge too far.

                                      I did throw in a reference to Middle English though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift

                                      @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                      urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                                      urlyman@mastodon.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                                      urlyman@mastodon.social
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #18

                                      @androcat I did not know about England’s massive vowel movement. Thank you. I feel greatly relieved

                                      @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                      apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • urlyman@mastodon.socialU urlyman@mastodon.social

                                        @androcat I did not know about England’s massive vowel movement. Thank you. I feel greatly relieved

                                        @ApostateEnglishman @spanghero

                                        apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        apostateenglishman@mastodon.world
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #19

                                        @urlyman @androcat @spanghero None of us are adulting today, are we?

                                        We should be ashamed of ourselves!

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA apostateenglishman@mastodon.world

                                          @urlyman I'm enjoying how, in informal English at least, it's rapidly becoming acceptable to turn anything into a verb!

                                          toxi@mastodon.thi.ngT This user is from outside of this forum
                                          toxi@mastodon.thi.ngT This user is from outside of this forum
                                          toxi@mastodon.thi.ng
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #20

                                          @ApostateEnglishman @urlyman If the German language's superpower is its infinite potential for compound words[1], then verbing definitely is English's superpower. Both can produce amazing eloquence... Still, after 23+ years in UK, mentally, I much rather continue to dwell in that realm of verbing, even after I had to return to the "kingdom of nouns"[2] due to Brexit...

                                          [1] A great example (song title): Peter Kruder's Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitänskajütenremix

                                          - YouTube

                                          Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

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                                          [2] A little unrelated (other than the title), but also see: https://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/03/execution-in-kingdom-of-nouns.html

                                          urlyman@mastodon.socialU apostateenglishman@mastodon.worldA 2 Replies Last reply
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