# Vocabulary question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307 "2005-02-04T03:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/1 "2005-02-04T03:04:24Z")
In High school Biology we all learned that “hypo” means “below normal” and “Hyper” means “above normal”… What about the word “Hypocrite” does the word not mean to be over-critical more than it would mean under-critical? (even though neither truly defines the word) “You’re such a Hypercrite!”… hmm, maybe I could get away with that in the South anyway…lol 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/2 "2005-02-04T03:10:23Z")
I believe that this is a case of a group of letters that looks like a suffix but actually is not. I believe there is a word for this but I cannot remember what it is. Sometimes words contain the same letters as a prefix or suffix but is actually just a part of the word. I believe that this is the case with hypocrite. Here is the origin of hypocrisy: [Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, play-acting, pretense, from Greek hupokrisis, from hupokrnesthai, to play a part, pretend : hupo-, hypo- + krnesthai, to explain, middle voice of krnein, to decide, judge; see krei- in Indo-European Roots.] > **[Definition of hypocrisy | Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hypocrisy)** > > Definition of hypocrisy from Dictionary.com, the world’s leading online source for English definitions, pronunciations, word origins, idioms, Word of the Day, and more. ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/3 "2005-02-04T04:00:03Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I believe that this is a case of a group of letters that looks like a suffix but actually is not. I believe there is a word for this but I cannot remember what it is. Sometimes words contain the same letters as a prefix or suffix but is actually just a part of the word. If you ever come by the term for it, I’d be interested to know it-I don’t have the slightly idea where I would start with such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/4 "2005-02-04T04:46:43Z")
Yeah, and what’s up with that Hippocratic Oath, huh? Democratic means the people rule, and Plutocratic means Mickey’s dog rules. Hippodrome is where the horses hang out, so Hippocratic means a horse rules, I guess. There were times when part of a horse ruled, but did he take an oath for that? I’m so confused. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/5 "2005-02-04T05:37:11Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > … Hippocratic means a horse rules, I guess. There were times when part of a horse ruled, but did he take an oath for that? I’m so confused. Not an oath. Oatth. Uthe the plural. ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/6 "2005-02-07T18:29:37Z")
I’m glad KingofSoup understood what you were getting at AskNott… I seriously thought you were just trying to be a smartass 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/7 "2005-02-07T19:38:59Z")
> [@Thinktank](#): > > If you ever come by the term for it, I’d be interested to know it-I don’t have the slightly idea where I would start with such a thing. I don’t know if there’s a term for a “false affix,” but the act of confusing something for an affix (or otherwise misproperly analyzing a word’s morphemes) is metanalysis. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/8 "2005-02-07T19:48:17Z")
From [www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) Etymology: Middle English _ypocrite_, from Old French, from Late Latin _hypocrita_, from Greek _hypokritEs_ actor, hypocrite, from _hypokrinesthai_ The Spanish Academy gives something similar. Since both Merriam-Webster’s and the Academy will indicate any prefixes and suffixes, looks like there’s no relationship with the prefix at all. Now we need someone who knows Greek to confirm whether hypokrinestai means “to act” or what 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/9 "2005-02-07T21:37:31Z")
It’s all Greek to me anyway :rolleyes: …ba-dum-dump–thankyou-thankyou haha ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/10 "2005-02-07T21:44:41Z")
Okay, since this is just about done, I remember hearing a word game awhile ago, and I’ve been trying ever since to remember the exact details. The game was to identify which item in a list didn’t belong. For example, “champagne, cream, beer, coffee” would have as the answer: beer, since all the rest can also describe colors. One of the puzzles was, “Campus, student, crates, xxxx.” The answer, as you’ve probably guessed, is “student,” since the other words can all have “hippo-” added as a prefix to make another word. My question is: what is xxxxx? I even turned to my giant dictionary, and wasn’t able to come up with anything promising. I’m pretty sure it was a common word. Any guesses? No, it’s not potamus. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/11 "2005-02-07T21:51:50Z")
What’s this? trying to give my thread a sceond wind or what? Just make a new one, how tough is that? Plus, then it’s all your \*spot-light \* not _back-light_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/12 "2005-02-08T00:08:15Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > “Campus, student, crates, xxxx.” The answer, as you’ve probably guessed, is “student,” since the other words can all have “hippo-” added as a prefix to make another word. > > My question is: what is xxxxx? How about “cephalic”? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/13 "2005-02-08T00:55:16Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > so Hippocratic means a horse rules, I guess. Didn’t Caligula make his horse a senator? ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/14 "2005-02-08T03:22:18Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > Didn’t Caligula make his horse a senator? And it’s a good thing he did! Just look at what that horse did for the medical field! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/15 "2005-02-08T05:49:18Z")
I hope you are just playing and do realize that the Hippocratic Oath is named for Hippocrates (c. 460-400 B.C) who wrote: \* “I swear by Appollo Physcian, by Asclepius, by Health, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carryout, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture. …I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury or wrongdoing.”\* etc. etc. etc. Its the oath that doctors are supposed to uphold… Its a name, not a prefix and has nothing to do with horses or under horses or below anything. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/16 "2005-02-08T06:42:59Z")
I’m so ashamed. When two posters in the same thread fail to recognize your joke, you’re just being too obscure. :smack: I apologize. Or, for you folks outside the US, I apologise. And, for you two, **Whoooooooosh!** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/17 "2005-02-08T12:40:33Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I’m so ashamed. When two posters in the same thread fail to recognize your joke, you’re just being too obscure. :smack: I apologize. Or, for you folks outside the US, I apologise. > > And, for you two, **Whoooooooosh!** 😃 I did believe you were joking. Hey I wrote the first line of the oath from memory, I can’t be that dense… can I? Impossible, I just wanted to be sure, you see. I…Oh no! Have I become, Humorless?! 😕 😃 I think not. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/18 "2005-02-08T13:37:16Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Okay, since this is just about done, I remember hearing a word game awhile ago, and I’ve been trying ever since to remember the exact details. > > The game was to identify which item in a list didn’t belong. For example, “champagne, cream, beer, coffee” would have as the answer: beer, since all the rest can also describe colors. > > One of the puzzles was, “Campus, student, crates, xxxx.” The answer, as you’ve probably guessed, is “student,” since the other words can all have “hippo-” added as a prefix to make another word. > > My question is: what is xxxxx? I even turned to my giant dictionary, and wasn’t able to come up with anything promising. I’m pretty sure it was a common word. > > Any guesses? No, it’s not potamus. > > Daniel xxxxxx is “campus” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/19 "2005-02-08T14:08:08Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > xxxxxx is “campus” Probably not, unless they repeated the word “campus.” Reread the puzzle :). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307/20 "2005-02-08T14:09:14Z")
> [@Sengkelat](#): > > How about “cephalic”? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t this–I think it was a common word. It was on the NPR show “My Word,” I think, if that’s any help. Daniel [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocabulary-question/288307.md?page=2)