kaberett | inflicting links (inflinkting?)

I was, today, reminded that I had last week been reminded of the lingerie sharks. (Cartoon sharks. Safe for work? Sort of?) I dug out the link. I offer it now to all of you.

I was also reminded that yesterday (... yesterday? passage of time is hard) I wound up reading the wikipedia page on hygroscopy (I was having migraine-related dysphasia and was most of the way through explaining why golden syrup is like the Earth's mantle and found that I had forgotten the word for "stuff goes schlooooooorp"). I am charmed by the Etymology and pronunciation section:

The word hygroscopy (/haɪˈɡrɒskəpi/) uses combining forms of hygro- and -scopy. Unlike any other -scopy word, it no longer refers to a viewing or imaging mode. It did begin that way, with the word hygroscope referring in the 1790s to measuring devices for humidity level. These hygroscopes used materials, such as certain animal hairs, that appreciably changed shape and size when they became damp. Such materials were then said to be hygroscopic because they were suitable for making a hygroscope. Eventually, though, the word hygroscope ceased to be used for any such instrument in modern usage. But the word hygroscopic (tending to retain moisture) lived on, and thus also hygroscopy (the ability to do so). Nowadays an instrument for measuring humidity is called a hygrometer (hygro- + -meter).

(Note to Simon: I think the distinction they're drawing here is probably actually specifically -scopy as opposed to -scopic.)

And, finally, I have also recently (inspired by greenhouse reconstruction) learned the word muntin, because Elite Greenhouses (who are very much a British company) use it to refer to a strip of ~~wood or metal~~ [plastic] separating and holding panes of glass in a window.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

simont

I think the distinction they're drawing here is probably actually specifically -scopy as opposed to -scopic

Ah, which invalidates my claim that telescopic (in the sense of something that extends and retracts via a system of nested tubes) is another word with the "-scop*" root that no longer refers to looking at anything. I'd be very surprised (and so would Wiktionary) to see telescopy used as the noun for that kind of extensibility.