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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 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”

                      favicon

                      Mastodon (mastodon.social)

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

                                      favicon

                                      (www.youtube.com)

                                      [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
                                      0
                                      • toxi@mastodon.thi.ngT toxi@mastodon.thi.ng

                                        @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.

                                        favicon

                                        (www.youtube.com)

                                        [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 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
                                        #21

                                        @toxi that is a *vibe* 😎

                                        @ApostateEnglishman

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • toxi@mastodon.thi.ngT toxi@mastodon.thi.ng

                                          @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.

                                          favicon

                                          (www.youtube.com)

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

                                          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
                                          #22

                                          @toxi @urlyman Oh absolutely! I cannot myself speak German, but my housemate is fluent and has often said that creatively compounding words is delightful fun that English-speakers will never quite grasp.

                                          I would support this being incorporated into English. If we can verb nouns then we can compound them, dammit! Let's break down these walls! Let's have a breakdownwallexcitementfest! ✊🏼

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