• Crazy English

    From Gleb Hlebov@2:5023/24.4222 to All on Wed Nov 29 13:09:38 2023
    Date: 01-12-91
    From: DALE DAY ------------------------------------------------------------------------



    Here's a pop quiz for all writers (courtesy, "Crazy English"
    by, Richard Lederer, Pocket Books, 1989):

    What do the following words mean:
    1. ANTEBELLUM
    a. against women
    b. against war
    c. after the war
    d. before the war
    2. APIARY
    a. school for mimics
    b. place where apes are kept
    c. place where bees are kept
    d. cupboard for peas
    3. AQUILINE
    a. resembling an eagle
    b. relating to water
    c. relating to synchronized swimming
    d. resembling a porcupine
    4. CUPIDITY
    a. strong desire for wealth
    b. strong desire for love
    c. strong desire for amusement parks
    d. obtuseness
    5. DISINTERESTED
    a. lacking a bank account
    b. unbiased
    c. bored
    d. lacking rest
    6. ENORMITY
    a. great wickedness
    b. great size
    c. normal state
    d. cowardice
    7. FORESTRESS
    a. ancient hair style
    b. female forester
    c. dread anticipation
    d. emphasis on first part of word
    8. FRIABLE
    a. easily crumbled
    b. easily fried
    c. unhealthy
    d. relating to holy orders
    9. HERPETOLOGY - the study of
    a. herbs
    b. herpes
    c. female pets
    d. reptiles
    10. HIPPOPHOBIA - the fear of
    a. hippopotami
    b. horses
    c. getting fat
    d. hippies
    11. INFINITESIMAL
    a. very small
    b. very large
    c. relating to intestines
    d. hesitant
    12. INFLAMMABLE
    a. calm
    b. incredulous
    c. not easily set on fire
    d. easily set on fire
    13. INGENUOUS
    a. insincere
    b. innocent
    c. clever
    d. mentally dull
    14. MERETRICIOUS
    a. falsely attractive
    b. worthy
    c. good tasting
    d. diseased
    15. PRESENTLY
    a. generous with gifts
    b. now
    c. soon
    d. presidentially
    16. PROSODY - the study of
    a. drama
    b. music
    c. prose
    d. versification
    17. RESTIVE
    a. serene
    b. festive
    c. fidgety
    d. pensive
    18. RISIBLE
    a. disposed to laugh
    b. easily lifted
    c. fertile
    d. relating to dawn
    19. TOOTHSOME
    a. displaying prominent teeth
    b. missing teeth
    c. palatable
    d. serrated
    20. VOTARY
    a. democratic country
    b. enthusiast
    c. electoral college
    d. revolving tool

    answers in a few days. This is one of the funniest books on English
    I've read!
    -+-
    � Via ProDoor 3.4�R The Home Place BBS - Las Vegas - node 1
    � ILink � The Home Place BBS � Las Vegas, Nevada � 702-641-5624



    Another file downloaded from: NIRVANAnet(tm)

    & the Temple of the Screaming Electron 415-935-5845
    Just Say Yes 415-922-1613
    Rat Head 415-524-3649
    Cheez Whiz 408-363-9766
    Reality Check 415-474-2602

    Specializing in conversations, obscure information, high explosives,
    arcane knowledge, political extremism, diversive sexuality,
    insane speculation, and wild rumours. ALL-TEXT BBS SYSTEMS.

    Full access for first-time callers. We don't want to know who you are,
    where you live, or what your phone number is. We are not Big Brother.

    "Raw Data for Raw Nerves"


    --- GoldED+/W64-MSVC 1.1.5
    * Origin: Type <sadm> to continue (2:5023/24.4222)
  • From Anton Shepelev@2:221/6 to Gleb Hlebov on Wed Nov 29 11:30:40 2023
    Gleb Hlebov:

    Here's a pop quiz for all writers (courtesy, "Crazy
    English" by, Richard Lederer, Pocket Books, 1989):
    [...]

    Those are easy for anyone acquainted with the standard
    Latin prefixes, suffixes, and /some/ roots widely used in
    English. Much more amusing in my opinion are Unca Marvy's
    articles, e.g.:

    https://www.uncamarvy.com/OtherNeatStuff/Essays/04KlangKlang.html
    https://www.uncamarvy.com/OtherNeatStuff/Essays/03SesquipedaliaAndOtherDelights.html

    and the lenendary short story "How I met my wife":

    https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~beatrice/humor/how-i-met-my-wife.html

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)
  • From Anton Shepelev@2:221/6 to Gleb Hlebov on Wed Nov 29 17:51:06 2023
    Gleb Hlebov quoted Richard Lederer:

    7. FORESTRESS
    a. ancient hair style
    b. female forester
    c. dread anticipation
    d. emphasis on first part of word

    This one cracked me up. I couldn't answer it myself -- no chance.

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)
  • From Anton Shepelev@2:221/6 to Gleb Hlebov on Sat Dec 2 14:12:42 2023
    Gleb Hlebov to Anton Shepelev:

    Here's a pop quiz for all writers (courtesy, "Crazy
    English" by, Richard Lederer, Pocket Books, 1989):
    [...]

    Those are easy for anyone acquainted with the standard
    Latin prefixes, suffixes, and /some/ roots widely used
    in English.


    You're not a university professor, are you?

    Not at all. There are not many Latin roots in wide use, and
    one will easily remember them if one will only read rich
    English and, while consulting a dictionalry, pay head not
    only to the meaning, but also to the etymology and
    morphology. The only way to miss those words is be ignoring
    all the most recent English prose. Try some Lovecraft,
    Ashton Smith, Machen, Poe, Gregory Lewis, Melville, (Ann)
    Radcliffe, (Emily) Bronte, or any other good writer, but
    make sure to avoid anything after 1940, or skip the 20th
    sentury altogether to be safe.

    There's a good half of them that got me confused. :-)
    Well, that "female forester" one definitely did. If
    there would be ACTUAL female foresters, how were they
    called, then?

    Simply `forester', accoridng to the old law that the
    masculine principle embraces the feminine.

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)
  • From Anton Shepelev@2:221/6 to Anton Shepelev on Sat Dec 2 14:13:52 2023
    I wrote:

    pay head not only to the meaning,

    The head beging too valuable, pay heed instead.

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)