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Bluffing Game: Speculum
December 25, 2011, 06:30
GeoffBluffing Game: Speculum
Nary a woman in first world countries doesn't know what a speculum is - but that's not all it is. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to discern the other two definitions!
Send me two "daffynitions" for what you think a speculum might be. No looking it up!
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
December 26, 2011, 19:24
KallehThanks for starting the Bluffing game again! Mine's in!
December 27, 2011, 12:38
GeoffI have entries from Kalleh, Bob, and Proofreader so far. I need a bunch more.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
December 27, 2011, 16:54
BobHaleAnd while you're answering Geoff's request send me more Baiyin Limericks. So far I have three from two people.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
January 01, 2012, 11:25
GeoffI've submitted a pair of feeble efforts, Bob. Now, would a half dozen people please send me a pair of daffynitions?
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 02, 2012, 02:33
arnieI've sent a couple. Sorry I'm late - I just noticed the new game.
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.
January 04, 2012, 11:22
GeoffI have five submissions of daffynitions so far. May I have a couple more participants? Or particiskirts - either will suffice!
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 08, 2012, 07:22
GeoffI still don't have sufficient participation to post the daffynitions and the real ones. I will be out of town, returning on January 14th. By then I hope a few more of you wil participate.
Remember, TWO daffynitions this time.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 08, 2012, 20:14
KallehGeoff, I'll try to keep this thread visible while you're gone.
January 15, 2012, 07:50
GeoffI give up! Not enough participation! Oh, well, here are the daffynitions I've gotten, plus one of my own, and the correct ones:
1a: Pincers used to measure the size of knitting needles in millimeters
1b: A long metal rod used to clean deep water oil wells
2a: Roman Catholic ritual tool; flat, handled,gold or gold-plated; held by priest under communicant's chin while delivering host
2b: (obs.) Opinion, reading; originally, sage's interpretation of sybillic utterance
3a: A Roman weapon used by gladiators, resembling a trident, but with four tines.
3b: The classification in astronomy of stars by their reflectivity.
4a: A hose barb for a Bunsen Burner.
4b: An asterism introduced by Johann Bayer in 1603.
5a: A Victorian magic lantern show
5b: The airborne seeds of the sycamore tree
6a: The driving force of a very small Swiss clock
6b: A minute piece of any grainy material
7a: Alloy of copper and tin used to make mirrors
7b: Official publication of The Medieval Academy
8a: The iridescent feathers on some bird wings.
8b: obs.A quicksilver emulsion used to treat syphilis.
Only one pair is correct, although some may contain one correct definition. Pick the one that has TWO correct definitions!
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 15, 2012, 10:14
<Proofreader>If you use a speculum, are you speculating?
I'll speculate and take two.
January 15, 2012, 14:14
GeoffEtymologically, yes.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 15, 2012, 15:42
bethree5I'll try 8
January 15, 2012, 15:50
CaterwaullerI like 5.
*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama
January 15, 2012, 17:29
BobHaleLet's try 3
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
January 15, 2012, 18:14
tinman2
January 16, 2012, 01:24
arnie8 for me, 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.
January 17, 2012, 20:02
haberdasherI'm gonna have to give 2ab a narrow edge over 3ab. Keenly aware, though, how often if turns out misguided to gainsay arnie...
January 17, 2012, 20:15
Kalleh3
And you have a lot of good entries, Geoff. I don't know why you are complaining!
January 18, 2012, 06:15
Geoffquote:
I don't know why you are complaining!
Because I'm a grouch!
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 19, 2012, 09:42
GeoffAny more replies?
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 19, 2012, 21:12
KallehCan I assume that arnie, once again, got it right?
January 20, 2012, 07:57
Geoffquote:
1a: Pincers used to measure the size of knitting needles in millimeters
1b: A long metal rod used to clean deep water oil wells
This was Caterwauller's pair.
2a: Roman Catholic ritual tool; flat, handled,gold or gold-plated; held by priest under communicant's chin while delivering host
2b: (obs.) Opinion, reading; originally, sage's interpretation of sybillic utterance
Bethree5's effort, proving that Haberdasher isn't Catholic. ;-)
3a: A Roman weapon used by gladiators, resembling a trident, but with four tines.
3b: The classification in astronomy of stars by their reflectivity.
arnie submitted this scholarly-sounding pair, dispatching Kalleh and Bob
4a: A hose barb for a Bunsen Burner.
4b: An asterism introduced by Johann Bayer in 1603.
Kalleh's submission, snaring no-one.
5a: A Victorian magic lantern show
5b: The airborne seeds of the sycamore tree
Bob's duo, which CW picked.
6a: The driving force of a very small Swiss clock
6b: A minute piece of any grainy material
Proofreader submitted these, but nobody believed him.
7a: Alloy of copper and tin used to make mirrors
7b: Official publication of The Medieval Academy
These are the real ones.
http://astroprofspage.com/archives/1229http://medievalacademy.org/speculum/speculum.htm8a: The iridescent feathers on some bird wings.
8b: obs.A quicksilver emulsion used to treat syphilis.
This one is my own submission, with "a" correct, but "b' fanciful. Arnie liked it!
Nobody got the correct pair, but arnie, as usual, is the winner, having fooled two of us.
Over to you, arnie!
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 20, 2012, 08:00
Geoffquote:
Originally posted by Kalleh:
Can I assume that arnie, once again, got it right?
No, but he won anyway!
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 20, 2012, 18:43
GeoffHow about some commentary on why you chose your selections? All definitions of
speculum derive from the Latin word for
mirror. So now, please reflect, or shine some light, on your choices.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 20, 2012, 20:03
BobHaleFor my part, as ever, I really couldn't say. As far as I know I just made them up at random.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
January 20, 2012, 20:36
KallehI linked "spec," from
specere to "viewing" the stars. It sounded good to me!
January 21, 2012, 11:44
CaterwaullerI, like Bob, just made mine up at random.
*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama
January 21, 2012, 12:23
arniequote:
This one is my own submission, with "a" correct, but "b' fanciful.
That's cheating!
Somewhere I'd heard of the "feathers" definition, so thought that the second one must be a correct answer as well.
You've come up with
three correct definitions, (not including the medical one) whereas in your first post you say
quote:
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to discern the other two definitions!
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.
January 21, 2012, 12:54
GeoffYes, I made a mistake. Nevertheless you're the victor, having fooled two with your submissions.
I regret the error.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 22, 2012, 00:56
tinmanHe also said
quote:
Only one pair is correct, although some may contain one correct definition. Pick the one that has TWO correct definitions!
If one pair has 2 correct definitions and any other pair has 1 correct definition, then there must be at least 3 correct definitions in addition to the medical one, despite Geoff's original statement implying there were only 2 additional definitions.
The OED Online has 5 definitions for
speculum, and it doesn't include "Official publication of The Medieval Academy."
January 22, 2012, 05:41
Geoffquote:
Originally posted by tinman:
The OED Online has 5 definitions for speculum, and it doesn't include "Official publication of The Medieval Academy."
Since the Medieval Academy publication definition isn't in the OED, I shall consider this to be a failed attempt on my part. I regret causing anyone any grief.
Freud is famously quoted as saying, "America is a mistake." Had Freud met me he would have declared, "Geoff is a mistake" as well. I shall go make my mistakes elsewhere.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
January 22, 2012, 17:42
tinmanquote:
Originally posted by Geoff:
Since the Medieval Academy publication definition isn't in the OED, I shall consider this to be a failed attempt on my part. I regret causing anyone any grief.
I don't consider this a "failed attempt," and you certainly haven't caused my any grief. I was merely trying to point out that there are often many definitions to a word (some not even found in the OED), and to assume a word has only one definition is folly. The failure of a word to appear in a dictionary in no way invalidates that word. Good job, Geoff.
January 23, 2012, 13:23
bethree5Nonsense Geoff this one was lots of fun, keep at it. I did a.by 'free association' (I believe the thing they hold under your chin is a 'platen', like the typwriter-thingie), and b.by extension of spec/see to 'seer'
January 23, 2012, 21:15
KallehAgreed, Bethree. You made this game engaging, Geoff!
January 24, 2012, 02:15
arniequote:
You made this game engaging, Geoff
Indeed. While I feigned indignation earlier, I wasn't serious; it's only a game, after all. Keep at it!
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.
January 24, 2012, 06:56
GeoffOh... Sorry. I thought you were dead serious.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti