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Bluffing Game: Desmodromic

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https://wordcraft.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/410600694/m/5901054193

October 13, 2006, 19:01
<Asa Lovejoy>
Bluffing Game: Desmodromic
Since Haberdasher managed to pull off a "first" in the Bluffing Game, maybe I can get us back to normal, with Jo and arnie getting this one, but nobody else! :-)

Send me your daffynitions by PM, pleeeeeeeeze!
October 13, 2006, 20:28
jo
mine's on the way.
October 14, 2006, 13:58
haberdasher
"
October 15, 2006, 09:18
<Asa Lovejoy>
I've only got three so far. Frown I'll wait until Kalleh gets back home. I hope she'll inspire others to offer daffynitions!
October 15, 2006, 20:29
Kalleh
Oh...I'm home. We had a marvelous time!

Now it's catch up time. I just peaked at my work emails and am already depressed.

Mine is on the way!
October 16, 2006, 11:34
arnie
quote:
I just peaked at my work emails and am already depressed.
I know what you mean. Frown I went back to work today as well and was greeted by a huge list of emails. I took all day just catching up. Normal tasks went by the board.


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
October 16, 2006, 12:04
Kalleh
It's 2:00 p.m. here now, and I am making it through...I'm on email #46. That's all I've done all day, though. One email (written awhile ago) needs a "rush" edit of a 44-page document because she had "misunderstood" the editor's timeframe. That one might not get done on time!
October 17, 2006, 19:14
<Asa Lovejoy>
I've got six so far. How about some of you who haven't played before? Click on my name, then on Invite to a private message, then write a guess at the definition of Desmodromic without looking it up! Let your imagination run wild!
October 18, 2006, 19:39
<Asa Lovejoy>
Here are the daffynitions, and the real one too:

1. A system of mathematics believed to have been developed by the ancient Phoenicians and primarily employed in cartography.

2. Wretched; miserable

3. Of or pertaining to a yoked team of horses upon a course, as in a chariot or wagon race.

4. Tending to stick together; clannish

5. A professional acrobatic performer.

6. Pulling and pushing something along a set axis, as in the valves of an internal combustion engine equipped with such a system.

7. Relating to the lands and estates surrounding a manor or country house.

8. Gee-up, its a bookie of course.
From its etymology: Desmo = tied or fastened, dromic = course or race course.

OK, ladies and gentlemen, your task is to decide which is the REAL desmodromic!
October 18, 2006, 19:53
haberdasher
I'm pulled toward #6 but only half-way, so I'll take THREE.
October 18, 2006, 20:02
jo
Hab, I'll pick up the slack and go for #6. Even if I do feel like #2.

Six for me, Asa.
October 18, 2006, 20:50
Kalleh
#4, please.
October 19, 2006, 01:43
BobHale
My other definition (a camel named Desmond) isn't there so I'll take 3 please.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
October 19, 2006, 02:09
arnie
I'll try 3., please


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
October 19, 2006, 20:31
Kalleh
Wow...Jo and arnie have chosen different ones; this could be interesting. Big Grin
October 20, 2006, 04:54
wordmatic
I'll take a chance on 2.
October 21, 2006, 14:44
<Asa Lovejoy>
Pearce, are you going to submit a guess, or pick the correct one? I'll wait another day for Pearce and anyone else to pick a definition, whether you posted a "daffynition" or not.
October 22, 2006, 03:43
pearce
quote:
Originally posted by Asa Lovejoy:
Pearce, are you going to submit a guess, or pick the correct one? I'll wait another day for Pearce and anyone else to pick a definition, whether you posted a "daffynition" or not.


No 3. please
October 22, 2006, 08:23
<Asa Lovejoy>
1. A system of mathematics believed to have been developed by the ancient Phoenicians and primarily employed in cartography.

Submitted by Jo, no takers

2. Wretched; miserable

Arnie's daffynition, but he's not miserable since fooling Wordmatic.

3. Of or pertaining to a yoked team of horses upon a course, as in a chariot or wagon race.

There is no joy in London tonight, for arnie, mighty arnie, has struck out!!! This one I threw in just to make things interesting! Most of you saw the two Greek roots, Desmos and Dromos and picked this one accordingly. Pearce even went so far as to post the roots in his daffynition!
It fooled arnie, Haberdasher, Bob Hale, and Pearce.

4. Tending to stick together; clannish

Haberdasher's daffynition fooled Kalleh.

5. A professional acrobatic performer.

Kalleh's trapeze act took on-one in.

6. Pulling and pushing something along a set axis, as in the valves of an internal combustion engine equipped with such a system.

As usual, Jo picked the right one. How she could possibly have known is beyond me!!! Maybe being the victor here is some small recompense for her present woe. Here's a link from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmodromic_valve The system, and likely the term, was devised in England by Frank Hadfield Arnott about 1910.

7. Relating to the lands and estates surrounding a manor or country house.

Bob Hale's submission, which fooled no-one.

8. Gee-up, its a bookie of course.
From its etymology: Desmo = tied or fastened, dromic = course or race course.

Pearce knew what he was talking about, but still fooled no-one.

I'm somewhat surprised that the people with anatomical knowledge didn't concoct a daffynition based on ligaments, since the "desmos" prefix applies to them as well.

By picking such an obscure term that it's not even in most dictionaries I thought I could fool everybody. Alas, it was not to be. Who's next with another difficult word?
October 23, 2006, 16:32
Caterwauller
Great word, and great suggestions! I can't believe I missed the whole thing! I've obviously been gone all week. Sigh.


*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama
October 23, 2006, 18:02
<Asa Lovejoy>
As punishment for your being AWOL, you have to supply the next word! Wink
October 23, 2006, 20:15
Kalleh
Great word, Asa...and good daffynition besides.

We'll have to ask Jo how she got it when she is feeling better.
October 24, 2006, 01:54
jo
I'm home. Doing okay. When I was younger my father and I used to challenge each other to learn something about what we each did. He was an engineer; I taught linguistics. We came up with some imaginative topics. He thought I would be bored silly with learning about desmodromic engines. I found the whole idea fascinating. I wish I could find the poem I wrote. Imagine my delight when I saw the word... but then, Asa is a mechanic is he not?
October 29, 2006, 19:10
Kalleh
Hey, CW, where's your word? No word? No tickets for King Tut! Big Grin (Sorry for the inside joke, fellow wordcrafters.)
October 31, 2006, 04:25
Caterwauller
Gack! I can't think of a word . . . and I'm having trouble finding one. I'll do it now, though . . . I REALLY wanna see King Tut! (I mean, I know the song and everything . . .)


*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama