In a message dated 8/6/2000 11:58:04 AM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< > Also, as another chance to display my ignorance, I couldn't find "a
> fortiori" in my dictionary.
Try RHD, between "aforetime" and "afoul", not between "a" and "AA".
It will surely be in OED as well. >>
My American Heritage Talking Dictionary on CD not only looked up said
latinism, but spoke it as well. Its corrected a number of pronunciations
for me. Most recently schism. In some cases it displays a picture or
map.
I couldn't find "chicken with its head cut off" but it did offer: "The
chickens have come home to roost[PROVERBS]The consequences of earlier actions
are making themselves felt."
There were a number of other chicken related expressions as well. E.g.,
"chicken shit (chikn shit) Obscene.n. Contemptibly petty, insignificant
nonsense.adj. 1. Contemptibly unimportant; petty. 2. Cowardly; afraid."
Incidentally, "a fortiori" was spoken in a woman's voice, the (immediately
preceding) vulgarity in a man's. Hmmm? Just for fun ---which, by the
way, was defined as: "a joke; playfully.[Possibly from fon, to make a fool
of, from Middle English fonnen, to fool, possibly from fonne, fool.]" ) --- I
tried "lovely.". 'Twas spoken in a woman's voice. Hmmm again.
I then tried "f__k" (the blanks have been used so as not to offend any
delicate eyes, but most of you should be able to fill in them in). 'Twas
pronounced in a male voice. Hmmm still once again!!! I'll have to pursue
this interesting line of investigation furtjer on occasion.
Incidentally once more, instead of correcting the aforegoing typo. I copied
and pasted into the AHD. Whereupon I was given a list of alternative
spellings --- one of which was "further."
What is still more, it does a fairly good job of providing synonyms and
antonyms --- which is why I customarily keep it in my CD drive while
composing.
Notice that each time I copied and pasted from the AHD, 'twas careful to
print the following attribution as well:
---------------------------------------------------------
Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
---------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps I should add that the latest edition is (currently) priced at $19.95.
While not the ultimate in reference works, I've found it to be well worth
that much.
Aitchoo (for H[arley] U[church])
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