SF writers and editors know what a phallus is, too*. They wouldn’t use the term as a synonym for “spaceship” unless there was a deliberate intention to draw a parallel between the shape of the ship and the hman organ (as, indeed, was the case in the two examples I cited). Otherwise it just seems silly.
I heard the same thing about King Charles, including the term “elaborate” - using a lot of labour.
There are a few ordinary -ical words like magical and comical, as well as one’s formed from words not originally ending in -ic like farcical and cylindrical. There’s also “tragical” which works if understood to be self referential as it is an overwrought and artificial sounding word to refer to, for example, one who is acting in an overwrought way to elevate a mishap into a tragedy.
Cylindricis a perfectly cromulent word.
I always think it’s strange when I see black clothing referred to as “rusty”. But maybe that’s just a British thing, not an old thing.
edit: nevermind
So it is.
I think that just means it’s brownish-black.
Umm, I’m beginning to suspect you just have long, throbbing projectiles on your mind…
“Venerian” for “Venusian”.
“Terranian” or “Terranic” for “Terran”.
Maybe I’m weird, but I like it when they use “Terra” for Earth, and “Luna” for the Moon.
Earth---->geography, geology
Moon---->selenography, selenology
Mars---->areography, areology
Never saw a Venerian equivalent. “Aphroditeology” seems to me a rather clumsy construction.
I believe that a Projector was someone who proposed projects (and apparently OED agrees with that). My impression – though I don’t have any sources at the moment to back it up – was that it carried the connotation of projects that were a bit at the far edge of reasonable, whether through excessive optimism, being an outright con-man, or some of both.
The Projectors in Gullver’s Travels were effectively research scientists at a university – which was my point. That, and they weren’t devices for throwing images on screens.
I’m rather fond of “degenerate” as a noun specifically referring to compulsive gamblers. I picked it up from *Casino *and use it all the time (or at least as all the time as my limited number of opportunities, post-Luck, to refer to compulsive gamblers will allow).
I thought so, but Merriam-Webster says:
3b is the meaning I’m talking about. The Oxford Dictionary of English on my e-reader is even more specific: “(of black clothes) discoloured by age”.
At any rate, another word that makes me think twice is when I see the word “desk” being referred to as a thing that a lady is carrying around.
I think they meant mistakes, but when they do it over and over again, it does make you wonder.
Say what? “Apace” has always meant “quickly” and still does. I’ve never heard it used to mean “together”.
Merriam-Webster sort-of agrees with the “together” usage of apace, though perhaps not in a physical sense. That is, it defines *apace *as synonymous with abreast without differentiating between the meanings “beside one another with bodies in line” and “up to a particular standard,” but the usage example is of the latter meaning. Imprecise of them; Athena would be displeased.
I too think of apace as primarily meaning “quickly.”
While I was aware of the other meaning, in modern usage I only ever hear/see it as a synonym for “keeping abreast.”
Can you give an example? I’m having trouble visualising how it could be used that way, other than “I walked to keep apace with Bob”, which seems very clumsy (it should just be “pace”).
I hear it in discussions of R&D work, mostly “we need to keep apace with the technology” or making sure that regulations “keep apace” of the legislation. It’s keeping up with - maintaining or developing the required momentum.