Two-letter words

AA - rough, cindery lava

AB - abdominal muscle

AD - advertisement

AE - one

AG - pertaining to agriculture

AH - expresses delight

AI - three-toed sloth

AL - an East Indian tree

AM - form of "to be"

AN - indefinite article

AR - the letter "R"

AS - to the same degree

AT - in the position of

AW - expresses protest

AX - cutting tool

AY - affirmative vote

BA - eternal soul, Egyptian mythology

BE - to exist

BI - a bisexual

BO - beau; pal

BY - go past; skip turn

CH - dialect form of I

DA - a heavy Burmese knife

DE - of; from - used in names

DI - god

DO - a tone of the scale

EA - a river

ED - pertaining to education

EE - an eye

EF - the letter "F"

EH - expresses doubt

EL - elevated railroad

EM - unit of measurement

EN - the letter "N"

ER - expresses hesitation

ES - the letter "S"

ET - a past tense of eat

EX - former spouse

FA - a tone of the scale

FE - a Hebrew letter

FY - used to express disapproval

GI - a judo costume

GO - to move along

GU - an old Shetland viol

HA - sound of surprise

HE - male person

HI - used as a greeting

HM - expresses consideration

HO - expresses surprise

ID - part of the psyche

IF - a possibility

IN - to harvest

IO - a cry of joy

IS - form of "to be"

IT - neuter pronoun

JA - yes

JO - sweetheart

KA - spiritual self

KI - inner strength, life energy

KO - a Maori digging-stick

KY - a private Korean-American banking club

LA - tone of the scale

LI - a Chinese unit of distance

LO - expresses surprise

MA - mother

ME - personal pronoun

MI - tone of the scale

MM - expresses assent

MO - a moment

MU - a Greek letter

MY - possessive pronoun

NA - no; not

NE - born with the name of

NO - a negative reply

NU - a Greek letter

NY - to approach

OB - an objection

OD - a hypothetical force

OE - Faeroe Islands whirlwind

OF - coming from

OH - to exclaim in surprise

OI - used to express dismay or pain

OM - a mantra

ON - opposite of off

OO - the dense, soft hair forming the coat of certain mammals

OP - a style of abstract art

OR - the heraldic color gold

OU - expressing concession

OS - a bone

OW - expresses pain

OX - a clumsy person

OY - expresses dismay

PA - father

PE - a Hebrew letter

PI - a Greek letter

PO - a chamberpot

QI - circulating tdfe energy

RE - a tone of the scale

SH - urges silence

SI - ti (a tone of the scale)

SO - sol (a tone of the scale)

ST - hush

TA - expression of gratitude

TE - the note below doh

TI - a tone of the scale

TO - in the direction of

UG - to arouse loathing in

UH - expresses hesitation

UM - indicates hesitation

UN - one

UP - to raise

UR - expressing hesitation

US - personal pronoun

UT - musical tone

WE - pronoun

WO - woe

XI - a Greek letter

XU - monetary unit of Vietnam

YA - you

YE - you

YU - a precious jade

YO - used to call attention

ZA - slang for pizza

ZO - a cross between a yak and a cow #FB00883

YEET

Thanks, Tom!

#FB00882
 

Candavaig

 #FB00780

Chuff

Prusten is a form of communicative behaviour exhibited by some members of the family Felidae. Prusten is also referred to as chuffing or chuffle (verb and noun). It is described as a short, low intensity, non-threatening vocalization. In order to vocalize a chuff, the animal's mouth is closed and air is blown through the nostrils, producing a breathy snort. It is typically accompanied by a head bobbing movement. It is often used between two cats as a greeting, during courting, or by a mother comforting her cubs. The vocalization is produced by tigers, jaguars, snow leopards, clouded leopards and even polar bears. Prusten has significance in both the fields of evolution and conservation.

"The monthly veterinary report of July 31, 2023 assessed that the pulmonary lesion was smaller. Bloodwork and chuff (blowhole exhalation samples) were unremarkable, with a very low white blood cell count in Lolita's chuff samples. In summary, the veterinarians were seeing incremental improvements in her health. Nonetheless, she was still fighting the chronic infection in her lung, and continued to receive daily Faropenem and antifungal medications

Chuff:

--a short, low intensity, non-threatening vocalization made by a snow leopard.

--blowhole exhalation samples (such as from an orca.)

#FB00770

Mistpouffer

 #FB00722

Happiness

#FB00700

Punder, Pundering

I was almost certain that I'd get flagged on GoComics if I posted this there, so here (for one time only!) I offer this to you, my beloved readers:

A punder is a type of wordplay or joke that involves the clever and often humorous use of puns, which are play on words or phrases that have multiple meanings or similar sounds but different meanings. A punder typically relies on the double entendre or the use of homophones to create a humorous effect.

Punding is compulsive performance of repetitive, mechanical tasks, such as assembling and disassembling, collecting, or sorting household objects. The term was originally coined to describe complex prolonged, purposeless, and stereotyped behavior in phenmetrazine and chronic amphetamine users, by Swedish forensic psychiatrist G. Rylander, in 1968. It was later described in Parkinson's disease, but mainly in cases of patients being treated with dopaminergic drugs. It has also been described in methamphetamine and cocaine users, as well as in some patients with gambling addictions, and hypersexuality. For example, punding may consist of activities such as collecting pebbles and lining them up as perfectly as possible; disassembling wristwatches and putting them back together again; or conducting extended monologues devoid of context. People engaging in punding find immersion in such activities comforting, even when it serves no purpose, and generally find it very frustrating to be diverted from them. They are not generally aware that there is a compulsive element, but will continue even when they have good reason to stop. Rylander describes a burglar who started punding and could not stop, even though he was suffering from an increasing apprehension of being caught. Interrupting can lead to various responses, including anger or rage, sometimes to the point of violence.

OMG. Posted on GoComics 1 minute ago.  Am I fat fast or what?

#FB00964

Words of "stuff"

eyeshine: reflection of light from the inner surface of an eye through the pupil so that the eye has a luminous appearance (as in a cat).

tongue: a movable pin in a buckle that passes through a hole in the strap to be secured.

escutcheon: a protective or ornamental plate around a keyhole

ferrule : the protective point or knob on the far end of an umbrella

aglet: the tag covering the ends of a lace or point - e.g., the reinforcement at the end of a shoelace

punt: an indentation at the bottom of a molded glass bottle.

lunule:  a crescent-shaped body part or marking (such as the whitish mark at the base of a fingernail)

tittle: the dot over an i or j.

glabella : the smooth prominence of the forehead between the eyebrows

muntin : a strip separating panes of glass in a window sash

vug:  a small unfilled cavity in a lode or in rock

#FB00917

 

Feaguing or Gingering

In medieval times, cunning horse dealers would do anything to sell older horses. One of their tricks is called feaguing, where a live eel was placed in the horse’s rectum. This would make the horse look livelier, carrying its tail well.

Read more here.

Gingering, or gingering the tail is the practice of making a horse carry its tail high, and to a lesser extent to encourage it to move in a lively fashion, by applying an irritant, such as raw ginger, to its anus or vulva. Historically the process, the purpose of which was often to make an older horse behave like one that was younger, or to temporarily liven up a sick or weakened animal, was known as feaguing (from which the modern term figging derives), and involved a piece of ginger, onion, pepper or tobacco. Francis Grose added in his Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796) "and formerly, as it is said, a live eel", but that is very unlikely. The modern practice commonly involves a paste product with concentrated gingerol.

#FB00873

En Suite

 

“En suite” is a French term that translates as “following” or “afterward.” Though the phrase was taken from French, the meaning in English has changed and moved away from the original French word translation.

In the world of real estate, an en suite is used to describe a bedroom to which a bathroom is directly adjoined. So a bedroom with a bath is an en suite. An en suite without a window cannot be considered a bedroom.

If a home has two bathrooms on the same floor, one bathroom will likely be an en suite.

This shouldn’t be confused with a bathroom that is accessible from two bedrooms. That type of room is often referred to as a Jack and Jill bathroom, shared between two bedrooms. 

En suites are most commonly attached to the master bedroom of a home.

#FB00718

Variations of "On Top of Old Smokey"

 

Lyrics:

On top of Old Smokey  
All covered with snow,  
I lost my true lover  
For courting too slow.  

Now, courting is a pleasure  
And parting is grief,  
And a false-hearted lover  
Is worse than a thief.  

A thief will just rob you  
And take what you have,  
But a false-hearted lover  
Will lead you to the grave.  

And the grave will decay you  
And turn you to dust;  
Not one girl in a hundred  
A poor boy can trust.  

They'll hug you and kiss you  
And tell you more lies  
Than the crossties on the railroad  
Or stars in the sky.  

So, caome all you young maidens  
And listen to me,  
Never place your affection  
On a green willow tree.  

For the leaves they will wither,  
And the roots they will die,  
You'll all be forsaken  
And never know why.  

On top of Old Smokey  
All covered with snow,  
I lost my true lover  
For courting too slow.  

---

On top of Old Smokey, 
All covered with sand, 
I shot my school teacher, 
With an old rubber band. 

I shot her with pleasure, 
I shot her with pride, 
For I couldn't miss her, 
She was forty feet wide. 

She run out and catched me, 
Throwed me 'cross her knee, 
But in the seat of my britches, 
I had my old Geography. 

She reached for her ruler, 
And took a swipe at me, 
She missed old Kentucky, 
But she hit Tennessee.  

---

On top of Old Smokey 
All covered with dirt, 
I lost my suspenders 
My socks and my shirt. 

I lost my umbrella. 
I lost my pet frog. 
My food in my lunch box, 
Got ate by a dog. 

I lost my left sneaker, 
My hat and my comb. 
I lost my new toothbrush. 
I lost my way home. 

I found my way home, then 
I did sure enough. 
And I found my mommy 
With all of my stuff 
Yes I did (with all of my stuff!)  

---

On top of my pizza 
All covered with sauce 
Could not find the mushrooms 
I think they got lost. 

I looked in the closet 
I looked in the sink 
I looked in the cup that 
Held my cola drink. 

I looked in the saucepan 
Right under the lid 
No matter where I looked 
Those mushrooms stayed hid. 

Next time you make pizza 
I'm begging you, please 
Do not give me mushrooms 
But just plain old cheese. 

---

On top of spaghetti, 
All covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball, 
When somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table,
And on to the floor,
And then my poor meatball,
Rolled out of the door.

It rolled in the garden,
And under a bush,
And then my poor meatball,
Was nothing but mush.

The mush was as tasty
As tasty could be,
And then the next summer, 
It grew into a tree.

The tree was all covered,
All covered with moss,
And on it grew meatballs,
And tomato sauce.

So if you eat spaghetti,
All covered with cheese,
Hold on to your meatball,
Whenever you sneeze.

#FB00716

Babbling

Reduplicative babbling in child language acquisition

At 25–50 weeks after birth, typically developing infants go through a stage of reduplicated or canonical babbling. Canonical babbling is characterized by repetition of identical or nearly identical consonant-vowel combinations, such as nanana or idididi. It appears as a progression of language development as infants experiment with their vocal apparatus and home in on the sounds used in their native language. Canonical/reduplicated babbling also appears at a time when general rhythmic behavior, such as rhythmic hand movements and rhythmic kicking, appear. Canonical babbling is distinguished from earlier syllabic and vocal play, which has less structure.

Get babies to babble.

#FB00715

Reduplication

After the Funeral

When you told me you needed a drink-drink
and not just a drink like a drink of water,
I steered you by the elbow into a corner bar,
which turned out to be a real bar-bar,
dim and nearly empty with little tables in the back
where we drank and agreed that the funeral
was a real funeral-funeral complete with a Mass,
incense, and tons of eulogies.
You know, I always considered Tom a real
friend-friend, you said, lifting your drink-drink
to your lips, and I agreed that Tom
was much more than just an ordinary friend.
We also concurred that Angela’s black dress
was elegant but not like elegant-elegant,
just elegant enough. And a few hours later
when the bartender brought yet another round
of whiskeys to our table in the corner
we recognized by his apron and his mighty girth
that he was more than just a bartender.
A true bartender-bartender was what he was
we decided, with a respectful clink-clink
of our drink-drinks, amber in a chink of afternoon light.

--Billy Collins, After the Funeral

This poem is a good example of reduplication at work. There are many forms of reduplication. The form above is contrastive focus republication.

#FB00714

Pertaining to...

Alligator = Eusuchian

Alpace/Alpaca = Cameline

Ant = Formicine, Myrmecine

Anteater = Myrmecophagine

Antelope = Alcelaphine, Antilopine, Bubaline

Ape = Simian

Arctic Fox = Alopine

Armadillo = Dasypine, Tolypeutine

Ass = Asinine

Auk = Alcidine

Badger = Musteline

Bandicoot = Isodine

Barracuda = Percesocine

Bat = Noctilionine, Pteropine

Bear = Ursine

Beaver = Castorine

Bee = Apian

Bird = Avian, Avine, Muscicapine, Passerine, Penduline, Volucrine

Bison = Bisontine

Blackbird = Icterine

Bluebird = Turdine

Buffalo = Bubaline

Bull = Taurine

Bullfinch = Pyrrhuline

Bunting = Emberizine, Pyrrhuloxine

Butterfly = Pieridine, Pierine

Buzzard = Buteonine, Carthatine

Calf = Vituline

Camel = Cameline

Cardinal = Pyrrhuloxine

Cat = Feline

Chamois = Rupicaprine

Chicken = Galline

Civet = Viverrine

Cobra = Elapine

Coral = Coralline

Cormorant = Phalacrocoracine

Cottontail = Sylvine

Cow = Bovine, fem. Vaccine

Crab = Cancrine

Crane = Alextorine

Crocodile = Crocodilian

Crow = Corvine

Cuckoo = Cuculine

Deer = Cervine, Elaphine

Dodo = Didine

Dog = Canine

Dolphin = Delphine

Donkey = Asinine, Equine

Dormouse = Myoxine

Dove = Columbine

Dragon = Draconine

Duck = Anatine, Fuliguline

Eagle = Aquiline

Earthworm = Lumbricine

Elephant = Proboscine, Elephantine

Elk = Cervine

Emu/ Rhea/ Ostrich = Struthious

Ermine = Musteline

Falcon = Accipitrine

Fennec = Vulpine

Ferret = Musteline

Finch = Fringilline

Fish = Piscine

Flamingo = Phoenicopterine

Flea = Pulicine

Flying Fox = Pteropine

Flying Squirrel – Petaurine

Fox = Vulpine

Frog =  Bufotine, Ranine

Gazelle = Gazelline

Gerbil = Cricetine

Gibbon = Hylobatine

Gila Monster = Helodine

Giraffe = Giraffine

Goat = Caprine, Hirsine (smelly)

Goose = Anatine, Anserine

Guanaco = Cameline

Guinea Pig = Cavine

Gull = Larine

Hamster = Cricetine

Hare = Leporine, Levorine

Hawk = Accipitrine, Falconine

Hippopotamus = Hippopotamine

Hog = Suilline, Suine

Hornet = Vespine

Horse = Equine

Human = Hominine

Hummingbird = Trochiline

Hyena = Hyenine

Ibex = Caprine

Iguana = Iguanian

Insect -= Insectile

Jay = Garruline

Kangaroo = Macropodine

Kestrel = Falconine

Killer Whale = Orcine

Kingfisher = Halcyonine

Kite = Milvine

Leech = Hirudine

Lemming = Microtine

Lemur = Lemurine

Leopard = Pardine

Limpet = Patelline

Lion = Leonine

Lizard = Lacertilian, Lacertine, Saurian

Llama = Cameline

Lobster = Homarine

Louse = Pediculine

Macaw = Psittacine

Magpie = Garulline

Mallard = Anatine

Manatee = Manatine, Sirenian

Marten = Musteline

Martin = Hirundine

Meadowlark = Icterine

Mink = Musteline

Mite = Acarine

Mockingbird = Mimine

Mole = Talpine

Mongoose = Herpestine, Viverrine

Monitor Lizard = Varanine

Moose = Cervine

Mosquito = Aedine, Anopheline

Moth = Arstian

Mouse = Murine, Penduline

Mule = Muline

Nightingale = Philomelian

Octopus = Octopine

Opossum = Didelphine

Orangutan = Pongine

Oriole = Icterine

Oryx = Orygine

Ostrich/ Emu/ Rhea = Struthious

Otter = Musteline, Lutine

Ox = Bovine

Oyster = Ostracine

Panther = Pantherine

Parrot = Paittacine

Partridge = Perdicine

Peacock = Pavonine

Penguin = Spheniscine

Pheasant = Alectorine, Phasianine

Pig = Porcine

Pigeon = Pullastrine

Platypus = Ornithirhynchine

Plover = Charadrine

Polecat = Musteline

Frog Applause, Sunday, January 16, 2022

Porcupine = Hystricine

Porpoise = Phocarnine

Python = Pythonine

Quail = Coturnine

Rabbit = Lapine, Leporine

Raccoon = Procyonine

Rail = Ralline

Ram = Arietine

Rat = Murine

Rattlesnake = Crotaline

Raven = Corvine

Reindeer = Rangiferine

Reptile = Reptilian

Rhea/ Ostrich/ Emu = Struthious

Rhinoceros = Ceratorhine, Rhinerocerine

Robin = Turdine

Rodent = Glirine

Roebuck= Capreoline

Sable = Martine, Zibeline

Salamander = Salamandrine

Salmon = Salmonine

Sandpiper = Actinine

Sea Horse = Hippocampine

Sea Lion = Otarine

Seal = Otarine, Phocine

Sheep = Ovine

Shrew = Soricine

Silkworm = Bombycine

Skunk - Musteline

Skylark = Alaudine

Sloth =Iki

Slug = Limacine

Smelt = Atherine

Snake = Anguine, Columbine (Garter, King), Elapine, Ophidian, Reptilian, Serpentine, Viperine

Snipe = Charadrine

Songbird = Oscine

Sparrow = Passerine

Spider = Arachnine

Squirrel = Sciurine

Stoat = Musteline

Stork = Ciconine

Sturgeon = Acipenserine

Swallow = Hirundine

Swan = Cygnine

Swift = Cypseline

Tasmanian Devil = Sarcophine

Termite = Termitine

Terrapin = Terrapine

Thrush = Turdine

Tick = Acarine

Tiger = Tigrine

Toad = Batrachian

Tortoise = Chelonian, Geochine, Testudine

Turkey = Meleagrine

Turtle = Chelonian, Terrapine

Umbrellabird = Cephalopteine

Viper = Viperine

Vole = Microtine

Vulture = Vulturine, Aegypine

Wasp = Vespine

Waterbuck = Kobine

Weasel = Musteline

Whale = Cetacean

Wildebeest = Alcelaphine

Wolf = Lupine

Wolverine = Musteline

Wombat = Phascolomian

Woodcock = Charadrine, Scolopacine

Worm = Vermian

Wren = Troglodytine

X-ray Fish = Tetragonopterinine

Yak = Bosine

Zebra = Hippotigrine, Zebrine

#FB00851