A word to use in letters to the editor...

From wordsmith.org's word-a-day mailing list: parisology

Words that aren't what they appear to be.

Most of the time, we can figure out a newly-encountered word by context or
by its constituent parts. Take the word Egyptology. Even if you have never
heard of the word, you can guess that it has something to do with Egypt and
you'd not be too far off: the word means the study of Egyptian antiquities.

But there are times when our assumptions fall flat, as in today's word.
Given how much parisology is going around these days, it's surprising this
word hasn't been more in circulation. The only examples I could find were
where the word was mentioned in a glossary. It's about time we put this good
word to some real use.

parisology (pa-ri-SOL-uh-jee) noun

The use of equivocal or ambiguous language.

[From Ancient Greek parisos (almost equal, balanced) + logos (word).]

full text, including a contest for best example of use of the word, available here: http://wordsmith.org/words/parisology.html

Better Late Than Never

This was a Frazz comic depicing a time machine dilema: One child tells Frazz how another is stranded back in the ice age because he made a time machine that plugged in. That child says he is going to rescue his friend, but Frazz says something about them both being stranded. The child says, no, silly, he is going back five minutes to tell his friend to pack batteries.


The image seems to have been taken down from the server.