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ESL forum >
Games, activities and teaching ideas > Pre - Christmas Word Of the Day, December 20 th
Pre - Christmas Word Of the Day, December 20 th
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elderberrywine
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Pre - Christmas Word Of the Day, December 20 th
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Thank you, Les, for choosing me as winner of the last WOD definition contest. What an honour.
Here is the new word I chose for you other ladies and gentlemen
PARASKAVEDEKATRIAPHOBIA
Now you tell us whether this is the word describing
- the fear of parrots and their dangerous beaks
- a supernatural capacity we would all like to have but fear
in other people
- something that only grows south of
the Amazonas
- an old Egyptian swear word that made the pharaos or their "sheriffs" (Les, Leeeeeeees, Les, can you come over between balloon dogs and learned sermons and help us? , I �m sure you know whether pharaos had sherrifs or what their police force was called? do let us know !!) send you straight to prison when they heard it
- an old Swedish weapon that frightened everybody away
- or is it something completely different still?
let us know by December 23rd, and you might be the
CHRISTMAS KING OF THE WORD OF THE DAY GAME
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20 Dec 2012
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edrodmedina
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The fear of long, strange words. Ed |
20 Dec 2012
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elderberrywine
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In which case, Edromedina, this contest would be therapy?
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20 Dec 2012
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edrodmedina
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I �m too terrified to answer that. Ed |
20 Dec 2012
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alexcure
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Its short form is PAKAKAPA (phobia of pakaka) so don �t be terrified, Ed. It �s just a fear of brown.
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20 Dec 2012
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edrodmedina
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Isn �t kaka something else?????? Ed |
20 Dec 2012
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ascincoquinas
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PARASKAVEDEKATRIAPHOBIAParas = military/army personnelKavedeka = who are not afraidtriaphobia = of jumping from a plane at the same time
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20 Dec 2012
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elderberrywine
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Let �s have another round! Come on, I �m sure you �ll find more definitions!
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21 Dec 2012
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ldthemagicman
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PARASKAVEDEKATRIAPHOBIA
This English text, this English script, this English lexis --- this truly �anglicus verbum� --- is one of those rare English words in the English language which is entirely English. It is English, ENGLISH, E-N-G-L-I-S-H!
It was not borrowed, begged, or stolen.
It is English, ENGLISH, E-N-G-L-I-S-H!
For those of you with the �ESLP Dip. in English�, (Extra Special Low Price, Dipstick in English), this investigation will be as easy as ABZ.
The word can be broken down by sex, age, and smoking, into the following constituent parts:
Para Skave Deka Triapho Bia
It is now a simple matter of polychromatic trigonometry combined with a tremolo transposition into a mezzoforte ma non troppo Minor Key, and, in an instant, we have the answer.
Para = Money (Turkish); Skave = Clamp (Latvian); Deka = Sounding Board (Lithuanian); Triapho = Try A Phone (Internet Jargon); BIA = British Intercontinental Acrobats (English).
For those of you who are not familiar with musical terms, in the UK, �a Minor Key� is a device which a child uses to open a locked door. When he/she enters, the youngster must not disturb the neighbours by speaking loudly, but must speak in �semi-tones�. The boy or girl is often advised to �be sharp� when they enter the �flat�, to act �natural� at all times, and to avoid any �accidentals�.
I should also explain that �Jargon� is an inert gas, similar to Hydrogen Sulphide, which usually escapes from wind-bags.
To complete this �Word of the Day�, a razor-sharp brain is essential. For this reason, I brought my unfailing memory into use, and here is my solution to the problem.
I first considered the lexical semantics of the word. (Or was it the semantic lexis of the word? I can�t remember!) Whichever it was, here is my answer.
This is an attempt by a British intercontinental gymnastic association, (based in Hong Kong), to make their sport more popular. For a small amount of money, (�134,69 and 85 pence), you can purchase an electric guitar with a �whammy�, on a special sounding-board, which clamps onto any electronic payment device. (They suggest that you first try a mobile phone.)
You dial a phone number. You ring anywhere in the world. You phone Kalamazoo in Kenya, for example. You jump onto the G string. You wallop the �whammy�. You acrobat into the atmosphere. You shoot into the stratosphere. You ignore gravity. You gyrate. You perform perfect pirouettes. You spiral in stunning somersaults into the rare air. You bid "Adieu". You catapult through the blue to Kalamazoo.
After that illustration, I don�t need to explain: �Air on a G String!� do I?
Using the PARASKAVEDEKATRIAPHOBIA, the World Record for continuous, non-stop, backward-somersaults, (without sandwiches), is at present held by the Hungarian Motorist, Vlad Tire, whose total now exceeds more than 5 million.
He is expected to return to Earth, on Christmas Island, next Wednesday afternoon, Boxing Day, at 22.30 hours, local time.
However, he is rapidly being overtaken by a man with an upset stomach from Wales, Dai Rear.
Les Douglas
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do it, you�re a mile away and you have his shoes. |
21 Dec 2012
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elderberrywine
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Les, I �m afraid with your learned explanation you have frightened other people with other theories off .... come on , people, give us some more definitions of
PARASKAVEDEKATRIAPHOBIA
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23 Dec 2012
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elderberrywine
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out of shere awe (because I didn �t understand a word of his explanation) I hereby declare
.................................................ldthmagicman ..................alias Les Douglas ...............................
the winner of the WOD.
But I must say it �s not much fun choosing among three or four entries and I think we have lost our enthusiasm for the WOD game.
Over to you, Les, to revive it if you can!!
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24 Dec 2012
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