I'm currently considering upgrading the household Wi-Fi setup. Currently, I have an ADSL modem connected to a Hauwai EchoLife HG8245A router. See Figure 1.
Figure 1
The modem is currently available on Tokopedia and other Indonesian online stores for between A$12 and A$24. It makes use of Wi-Fi 4, a protocol released in 2009. However, it's now November of 2021 and Wi-Fi 6 has been in use for the past two years:
Wi-Fi 6 is the next-generation wireless standard that’s faster than 802.11ac. More than speed, it will provide better performance in congested areas, from stadiums to your own device-packed home.
Wi-Fi 6 officially arrived in late 2019, and Wi-Fi 6-enabled hardware was released throughout 2020.
Wi-Fi now has version numbers. Those old confusing Wi-Fi standard names like “802.11ac” have been renamed to user-friendly names like “Wi-Fi 5.” Here are the versions of Wi-Fi you’ll be seeing:
Wi-Fi 4 is 802.11n, released in 2009.
Wi-Fi 5 is 802.11ac, released in 2014.
Wi-Fi 6 is the new version, also known as 802.11ax. It was released in 2019.
As usual, the latest Wi-Fi standard offers faster data transfer speeds. If you’re using a Wi-Fi router with a single device, maximum potential speeds should be up to 40% higher with Wi-Fi 6 compared to Wi-Fi 5.
Wi-Fi 6 accomplishes this through more efficient data encoding, resulting in higher throughput. Mainly, more data is packed into the same radio waves. The chips that encode and decode these signals keep getting more powerful and can handle the extra work.
This new standard even increases speeds on 2.4GHz networks. While the industry has shifted to 5GHz Wi-Fi for less interference, 2.4GHz is still better at penetrating solid objects. And there shouldn’t be as much interference for 2.4GHz as old cordless telephones and wireless baby monitors are retired. Source: How-To Geek.
Figure 2 shows the current Internet speeds I'm achieving using the current Wi-Fi 4.
Interestingly, using a cabled connection from a WiFi repeater to my laptop, I achieved a faster ping, a slower download speed and a faster upload speed. See Figure 3.
The results of these tests are fairly variable. For example, a subsequent test of the Wi-Fi, without a cabled connection, gave the figures shown in Figure 4:
For a more reliable estimate, tests would need to carried out over a 24 hour period and an average taken. Nonetheless, the figures above provide a rough reference point and it's clear that the speeds fall in the slow category, given that a good internet speed is 25 Mbps for download and 10 Mbps for upload (source).
Just to complicate matters, we learn from How-To Geek that:
There’s now also a “Wi-Fi 6E” that refers to Wi-Fi 6 over 6 GHz rather than the typical 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Wi-Fi 6E hardware will arrive after Wi-Fi 6 hardware.
Figure 5 shows a comparison chart of data transfer rates for the various Wi-Fi formats.
Figure 5 makes it apparent that the most important factor is Internet speed because even Wi-Fi 3 offers data transfer rates of 54 Mbps, far in excess of the approximate 10 Mbps download speed of my current Internet connection. This has led me to explore the plans offered by my local Internet provider. Figure 6 shows the Internet and phone packages available.
Clearly I'm currently on the cheapest package with promised speeds of "up to" 20 Mbps that translate to half that in practice. It would seem that the "up to" 50 Mbps option would be acceptable, promising real life speeds of around the acceptable 25 Mbps. I think this combined with a Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router would offer a big improvement over current performance.
After several defeats by Stockfish 14+ (set to level 6 ≅ 2300) on lichess.org, I had a surprisingly quick and easy win today. Here is the game:
Black overextended on the king side with a pawn advance and paid the ultimate price. I invariably advance the queen pawn when playing white and this game was no exception. When I have the black pieces, I usually play some variation of the Sicilian Defence against an opening e4 from white but I'm becoming disenchanted with it. Perhaps I should try the Caro-Kann Defence? Alireza Firouzja has been using it recently in some of his games so it must have some merit. On lichess.org there are a variety of studies and one of them deals with the Caro-Kann defence. Figure 1 shows a screenshot. The study is well-presented and I should investigate more of them.
I haven't actively tried for a rating on any of the online chess platforms, preferring to play unrated games as this puts me under less pressure to perform. Maybe I should because it's very rare that I get to play anybody over the board these days. I'm making slow progress on ChessPuzzle.net and am currently rated at 1842 as of Monday, 8th November 2021.
Of course, there's nothing like over-the-board play but it's hard to come by these days.
While I was searching for chess clubs in my local area of Bintaro Sektor IX, I noticed that Utut Adianto, the famous Indonesian grandmaster, has set up a chess training school very near to where I live. Unfortunately however, it's now permanently closed. I was surprised to learn that, on May 9th 2009, Utut Adianto was elected to the People's Representative Council, the lower house of Indonesia's bicameral parliament. He became deputy speaker of the body on 20 March 2018.
Recently I was reading, on chess.com I think, how one of the best ways to improve your chess was via puzzle solving. To this end I found a relatively new site, that's free and offers a succession of puzzles to solve and rates your progress along the way. The site is https://chesspuzzle.net:
Figure 1 shows an example of the type of puzzles offered:
Figure 1
In a couple of days I've progressed from a starting level of about 1400 to my current rating of 1806 (on the 19th October 2021).
So far I'm enjoying my steady progress and finding the puzzles challenging but, given sufficient thought, quite solvable. Doubtless the level of difficulty will steadily increase. Meanwhile I continue to play a daily game against the computer on lichess.org with Stockfish set to level 6 of 8 levels:
So far I've not submitted to a rating, although I guess I should at some point. I prefer playing the computer with unlimited time control as I can relax and not feel under pressure as I would with time controls. I need to be more adventurous of course and face real opponents under time pressure. Figure 2 shows a crucial position from the last game that I played against Stockfish.
Figure 2
I had the White pieces and it was my turn to move. I hurriedly captured the pawn on c4 and, after an exchange of rooks, Black played Qa6. It was all over as Black can now penetrate to my 2nd rank and there is no defence against checkmate. If I'd played Qh4 instead and followed up with Qe2, things would have been very different. Here is the game in full:
My granddaughter bought two T-shirts last night with the Wrangler logo emblazoned on the front, similar to that shown in Figure 1. I asked her what the word meant and she didn't know. Neither, I realised, did I. I vaguely recalled that the verb "wrangle" meant to haggle over something but what was a wrangler, apart form someone involved in the wrangling process?
Well, other T-shirt designs give the clue. Figure 2 shows the Wrangler logo with the image of a horse beneath it.
In North America, a wrangler is someone employed to handle animals professionally, especially horses, but sometimes other types of animals as well. The word "wrangler" is derived from the Low German "wrangeln" meaning "to dispute" or "to wrestle". It was first documented in 1377. Its use as a noun was first recorded in 1547. Its reference to a "person in charge of horses or cattle" or "herder" was first recorded in 1888.
A wrangler is an individual involved in the process of taming, controlling and handling various animals, specifically horses. Traditionally this process involves herding cattle and bringing horses in from the paddock. Wranglers often work for other cowboys or tourists who want to ride on North American ranches. Variations of wrangling include managing herds, dude-wrangling, rodeo and managing horses as a part of stunt work in the film industry. Wranglers are also considered a subcategory of cowboys, being responsible for herding horses rather than cattle. The profession of wrangling has developed over time, as wranglers are educated to perform more activities as the tourism sector has become increasingly important in the employment of wranglers.
Wranglers also handle the horses and other animals during the making of motion pictures. A dude-wrangler is a cowboy or guide that takes non-wranglers and non-cowboys (dudes) on western riding horseback trips.
In the film industry, a wrangler is also one who professionally searches for and/or handles particular products on film and television programs, and music videos, such as custom cars or animals.
So a wrangler is a profession and it's a specifically North American term which is why I wasn't familiar with it. Of course, the name Wrangler has also been given to a type of jeep. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: 2021 Jeep Wrangler
I'll use this opportunity to look at words that rhyme with wrangler, namely:
Of these words, only "strangler" and "angler" are common, the others being rarely used nouns from common verbs. For example, the verb "entangle" is an everyday word whereas the noun "entangler" is seldom heard.
Firstly the chord progression is I ➞ VII ➞ VI ➞ V and the key of Am is illustrated in Figure 1.
SIMPLE FINGER PICKING
Next a simple thumb ➞ index finger ➞ middle finger ➞ ring finger picking pattern in illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 3. Note the changes in the chord shapes between Figure 1 and Figure 2 (the second follows on from the first).
Figure 2
Figure 3
ADVANCED FINGER PICKING
Figures 4 and 5 show a more advanced finger picking style and makes more use of the thumb and only one finger.
Figure 4
Figure 5
SCALES
Figures 7 and 8 shows how to play the Am scale from the root note of each chord, five notes are played for each chord. Remember the Am scale goes A, B, C, D, E, F, G with no flats or sharps. However, the G as explained earlier has been changed to a G# and so we have what is called the harmonic minor scale. See Figure 6.
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
There is always room for embellishment and Figures 9 and 10 show examples of this, the first without bass notes and the second with them.
Figure 9
Figure 10
USING ADVANCED CHORDS
Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the use of advanced chords to add more colour to the sound.
Figure 11
Figure 12
I've already been practising and making steady progress.
I heard the word kitsch mentioned yesterday and this was a word that I hadn't heard in a while. As it does, my mind fell to finding words that rhyme with it. Here is what RhymeZone came up with.
absolute pitch, bogdanowicz, buttonhole stitch, field hockey pitch, ignition switch, mineral pitch, nintendo switch, pickettywitch, skeletonwitch, son-of-a-bitch, sonofabitch, sonuvabitch, submarine pitch, wassilievitch, without a stitch
Five syllables:
chabad-lubavitch, earwig and the witch, irrigation ditch, izetbegovic, lazy daisy stitch, philharmonic pitch, pythagoraswitch
Six syllables:
international pitch
There's quite a few words in that list that I've never heard of and many that I'm unsure of but before looking at some of them, let's define the word that started it all: kitsch.
noun: art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way e.g. "the lava lamp is a bizarre example of sixties kitsch"
adjective: considered to be in poor taste but appreciated in an ironic or knowing way e.g. "the front room is stuffed with kitsch knick-knacks, little glass and gilt ornaments"
It is apparently a German word adopted in about 1926 and meaning gaudy or trashy. There's more to it than that but I won't go further into the etymology here.
Figure 1 is the visuwords representation of kitsch:
Figure 1
Getting back to the words that RhymeZone threw up, the first to catch my eye was blitch. A quick search returned the following from Collins Dictionary:
A blitz of glitches ie. a series of successive glitches occurring in a computer that one has no control of at the time.
New word suggestion submitted by Unknown on 19/07/2012.
A black witch (Conjurer/Rootworker/Hoodoosaint) using knowledge of African thought, African/Afrodiasporic spiritual practice, Divination, Ancestral veneration, and African healing modalities to heal and fortify themselves, their elders, their peers, and the next generation of children to be.
The phrase was coined by Daizy Latifah of TheAfroMystic.com, due to the co-opting of Black religious traditions by colonisers and cultural appropriators.
I don't know what all them basic witches are doing over there with that sage and that crystal wand, but these blitches over here? They know their shit!
by YaMamasNkindi November 06, 2018
The Urban Dictionary definition is actually taken from TheAfroMystic.com website. From these two examples, it can be seen that blitch lends itself to being a portmanteau word as words like blitz of glitches, black witch and (to use my own example) bloody bitch become fused. However, it's exact meaning is yet to be pinned down, it remains protean.
Let's look at a word in two syllable section: magwitch. This turns out to be the surname of a character by the name of Abel Magwitch in the Charles Dickens novel "Great Expectations". See Figure 2.
The following actors have portrayed Magwitch in films, an impressive list:
Figure 2
Frank Losee (1917)
Henry Hull (1934)
Finlay Currie (1946)
James Mason (1974): see Figure 3
Stratford Johns (1981)
Anthony Hopkins (1991)
Robert De Niro (1998)
Bernard Hill (1999)
Ray Winstone (2011)
Ralph Fiennes (2012)
Let's look at a word from the three syllable list: lubavich. This Jewish organisation is notorious and downright dangerous, representing a crazy extreme of Judaism. To quote from its own website:
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch, is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups and Jewish religious organizations in the world.
While the organisation might sound innocent enough, it's anything but. However, let's move on to the four syllable rhyming phrases where the phrase without a stitch was the first to catch my eye. Figure 3 illustrates its meaning.
Figure 3
Also from this section is absolute pitch defined as:
Perfect pitch (technically known as absolute pitch) is the ability to identify, without effort, the pitch of a note. Let's say someone plays a D on the piano. A person with perfect pitch—and the musical training to be able to name the notes—would be able to identify the note as a D without any reference.
For five syllable phrases we have the lazy daisy stitch as explained in the following video:
The ending ich is often at the end of Slavic surnames e.g. Shostakovich. The following excerpt is from the beginning of an article titled Are Names Ending in 'ich' Really Slavic?
The Slavs pretend that the ending ich, in which many localities and Istrian family names end, is a Slavic characteristic and therefore all the names ending in it are Slavic and all who bear those names are of Slavic origin. Such a claim is so universally accepted that neither in Istria, much less in Italy, has anyone thought to doubt that the names ending in ich are decidedly Slavic and only in the most absurd instances is it admitted that ich has caught on, as for example in Fabbrich, Mianich, Marinich, etc.
We could on forever looking at all the words that rhyme with kitsch but that will have to do it for now.
An acquaintance asked me some time ago to resuscitate an old laptop that had ceased to function. It had been running Windows. The laptop, an Asus X401U, dates back to about 2012 when it was being sold for US$280 as a cheap netbook. It has a Celeron processor running at 1GHz with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The graphics are integrated Radeon and eat into the already meagre memory. Most versions of this laptop came with 4GB of RAM but not this particular model. See Figure 1.
Figure 1: Asus X401U
I used a program called Rufus to create a bootable USB for installing Windows. This is a fast and powerful little program. I had managed to download the ISO for a stripped-down 32-bit version of Windows 10 that was suitable for the laptop's weak specifications. Despite many attempts I could not succeed in installing Windows. See Figure 2.
Figure 2
I then downloaded the ISO of lubuntu, a lightweight version of the fully-featured Ubuntu, and used Rufus to create a bootable USB. This installed without any problems and the laptop is at last useable again. It still takes over two minutes to boot to the startup screen but once up and running it performs satisfactorily. It's only useful for Internet browsing and simple word processing but that's often enough for many users. See Figure 3.
Figure 3
The lesson to be learned from all this is that these older laptops are ill-suited to run Windows but can be made quite serviceable by installing a lightweight Linux OS like lubuntu via a simple tool like Rufus. Once the ISO for the OS has been downloaded, Rufus will quickly create a bootable USB from which the OS can be run even without installation to the laptop's hard drive. This is useful for trialing the new OS and, if satisfied, it can then be installed on the hard drive.
What a wonderful word for a not so wonderful character! To quote from w♥︎ordnic:
Goebbelsian: (adjective) of or pertaining to Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945), German politician associated with Nazi atrocities under Adolf Hitler.
Joseph Goebbels: Hitler's Minister of Propaganda
The same source provides these examples of its use:
He probably thinks that he is where he is because he's some kind of Goebbelsian wizard, but people far more powerful than he have placed him there precisely because he appeals to an audience that brings exactly zero intellectual rigour to the table.
Over the last few days they have run a co-ordinated campaign of smears and innuendoes almost Goebbelsian in its mendacity against Carwyn Jones.
I do not mean to curb the opinion but the same opinion cannot be trumpeted 80 times; then it becomes Goebbelsian propaganda.
What this incident has also done is to expose the bankruptcy of the CPIM allied intellectuals who propagate the falsehoods emanating from their party in a Goebbelsian manner, hoping that a lie repeated a hundred times will become the truth.
And at least part of the reason for that is because we have been buying into the Goebbelsian lies of the state: that these tribal movements are all controlled and managed by Naxals/Maoists; or that the tribals are actually being coerced by Maoists; or that there are no tribals, only Maoists.
Otherwise, in true Goebbelsian fashion, it will simply be blindly repeating the lies, over and over again, till the lies become the truth.
Goebbels was Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 1945 and very effective he was at his job. Words like Goebbelsian can be described as eponymous, meaning named after a person or thing. Here is what The Christian Science Monitor had to say about such words:
The most famous example of an eponymous word is probably sandwich. The story goes that John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, was so busy that he could not stop for dinner. He made culinary history by calling for some grilled beef between two slices of bread. The Oxford English Dictionary has some doubts about this anecdote, allowing only that the sandwich is “said to be named after” the earl. The story first appeared in 1765, around the time British eating establishments began serving “sandwiches,” though, so perhaps it is true.
Another British aristocrat wore a buttoned wool garment while leading the famous Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 during the Crimean War. Though his cavalry charge was a disaster, the general’s clothing style, paradoxically, proved extremely popular. People today still wear these sweaters, which bear the name of James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan.
Of course the British aristocracy isn’t the sole source of eponyms. Algorithm – “a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end” – comes from the name of a ninth-century Persian mathematician, Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. Al-Khwarizmi wrote a foundational treatise on “al-jabr” (algebra), and also introduced European scholars to the Arabic system of numbering, which, in the Middle Ages, was called algorism in his honor.
Caricature of William Archibald Spooner
A much later and more absent-minded academic gave us the spoonerism, a verbal error in which the initial sounds of two words are switched. Oxford Professor William Archibald Spooner became famous for saying things along the lines of “The Lord is a shoving leopard” and “Mardon me padam.” He disputed many of the spoonerisms attributed to him, admitting only to the time he began to sing the hymn “Kinkering Congs Their Titles Take,” in 1879. The words are actually “Conquering Kings ...”
Here is a site that tells us a little more about what exactly defines an eponym:
What is an example of an eponym? “Thanks to his Machiavellian antics, Joe got a promotion that he didn’t earn.” In this sentence, the word ‘Machiavellian’ is a reference to the Italian author, Machiavelli. That’s an eponym. What is an eponym? It’s a word that comes from the proper name of a person or place. Eponyms words can be based on both real and fictional people and places.
Some common eponyms are very well known. Others will only be familiar to people who understand the cultural reference. For example, if you say ‘I thought I was sunk when my tool broke, but I totally Macgyver-ed a fix.’, not everyone would understand that. They would have to be familiar with the television show ‘Macgyver’ featuring a character who could build and fix nearly anything from random items he would find, all while saving the world. Other eponyms examples enjoy more notoriety. For example, most adults living in the United States are familiar with the term ‘Obamacare’. However, it isn’t guaranteed that anyone outside of the states would understand that.
Eponyms are frequently created because of the close association between the person or place and the word. Many diseases are named eponymously for the people who discovered them.
There is one other form of Eponym. These are words that are initially brand names but now are used to reference entire categories of things. One of the most popular eponyms is a band-aid. While band-aid is the name brand that makes adhesive bandages, most people use the term to refer to any adhesive bandage, regardless of who makes it. Jello is another example.
The same site provides these ten examples which include two already mentioned:
1. America
The word America is named after Italian Map maker, Amerigo Vespucci.
2. Caesar Salad
Restaurateur Caesar Cardini created the salad that now bears his name.
3. Boycott
This word is named for an Irish land agent, Captain Charles C. Boycott.
4. Fahrenheit
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit is the physicist for whom this temperature measurement is named.
Daniel Fahrenheit
5. Zipper
The word zipper started as a branded name. BF Goodrich put this fastener on a pair of boots they sold and called it a zipper. The name stuck, and now the word is used to universally describe this type of fastener.
6. Cardigan
This is named after the 7th Earl of Cardigan. He led troops who wore this garment into battle.
7. Sandwich
While some of the backstories may be lore, it is true that the word sandwich is named for the Earl of Sandwich.
8. Nicotine
Jean Nicot sent powdered tobacco leaves and seeds back to France when he visited Portugal as an ambassador.
9. Diesel
This field, used in trucks and other equipment is named after Rudolph Diesel.
10. Reaganomics
This term is used to describe the economic philosophy of 80s United States president Ronald Reagan. It is used to describe a system where the wealthiest receive tax breaks and fewer regulations. This is then supposed to benefit the entire population.
Interestingly there are six types of eponyms according to this source:
Simple
Eponyms in which a proper noun has been fully adopted and become the common named of something else.
The Greek figure Atlas holds the world on his shoulders. We now use his name, atlas, as the common term for a book of maps.
The watt is the common name for a unit of electric power named after its developer, James Watt.
Compounds and attributive
Eponyms mix names and descriptions.
The loganberry is named after a US lawyer, James Logan.
A Mieses opening is a move in a game of chess that is named after Jacques Mieses, a grandmaster of the game.
Possessives
Eponyms written in the possessive tense and attribute ownership to their namesake.
Newton’s laws of physics are named for the physicist, Sir Isaac Newton.
The Strait of Magellan is named for Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer.
Suffix-based derivatives
Eponyms in which the name of the person is combined with a suffix to make a new word.
Mesmerism is named after a German physician, Franz Mesmer.
Narcissism is named after the mythical character, Narcissus.
Clippings
Eponyms in which a name has been shortened or adapted.
The word “dunce” is a combination of the middle and last names of Johns Duns Scotus. He was a friar and a theologian who was considered to be a fool.
A “gal” is the name of a unit of measurement of acceleration shortened from the name of the scientist Galileo Galiei.
Blends
Eponyms in which two words are blended together to make a new one.
The word “gerrymander” is a combination of the name Elbridge Gerry and the word salamander, and refers to an unfair practice of dividing voting districts in a city.
The term “Reagonomics” is a combination of the name Reagan and the word economics, and refers to the policies of US President Ronald Reagan.
The same site provides these examples from literature:
A vast number of titles are eponymous, as literary works are often named after main characters. Here are some examples:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Emma by Jane Austen
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
In addition to being titles of works, many characters from literature have gone on to have their own eponymous new lives in our language.
Goody-Two Shoes
The original Goody-Two Shoes, was a character in a nursery rhyme. Now we use that name as a derogatory term for someone who is proud of always doing everything right.
The Grinch
We know a grinch as someone who is stingy and gets pleasure from ruining other people’s fun. The original Grinch comes from the Dr. Seuss children’s book How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Panic
The word “panic” is actually derived from the Greek god Pan who was known for sneaking up on herds of sheep and goats to surprise them. Easily scared, they would break into uncontrollable fear, also known as panic.
If I can't sleep, I most often think about patterns amongst words. For example, what are all the monosyllabic words that rhyme with "ush"? Last night, I was thinking about words that have "fusion" as their root. I came up with confusion, transfusion, effusion, diffusion, infusion but I decided to look at what a new site that I discovered yesterday had to say on the matter. As it turned out, a lot! The site is called English - Word Information. The information I was looking for was contained within eight pages with a heading as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
The amount of detail contained on this topic is quite impressive. Let's look at the first two entries:
affuse (verb), affuses; affused; affusing
To pour upon; to sprinkle; such as when using a liquid.
affusion (uh FYOO zhuhn) (s) (noun), affusions (pl)
1. The pouring on of water or another liquid on a person's head, as in the rite of baptism: Lester's young son was having an affusion as a religious celebration that he is a Christian.
2. The pouring of a natural fluid on the body or any of its parts for therapeutic purposes: David was getting a cold affusion by a doctor in order to reduce the temperature of his fever and to calm his nervous condition.
Well, I wasn't aware that affuse and affusion were words and this blog's spell checker flags their presence as errors. Clearly, they are not in the spell checker's database and thus are relatively uncommon.
One of the interesting features of the site is the use of cartoons to reinforce the meaning of certain words. For example, take the widely used word effusive for which there are three cartoons included. Figure 3 shows one of them:
Figure 3
In the eight pages referred to, there are interesting words to be discovered e.g. futilitarian. The word seems particularly apropos the current chaos that envelops the world.
futilitarian (s) (noun), futilitarians (pl)
A person who is convinced that human desires and actions can not be successfully accomplished.
futilitarian (adjective), more futilitarian, most futilitarian
Referring to an opinion that human activities and desires are incapable of being achieved and so they are not worth attempting: So far one would think that it is a futilitarian idea that people all over the world can live together in peace.
futilitarianism (s) (noun), futilitarianisms (pl)
The belief that human endeavors or efforts and aspirations are useless and can not be achieved.
There is an accompanying cartoon. See Figure 4.
Figure 4
So getting back to my "fusion" words, I discovered that in addition to confusion, transfusion, effusion, diffusion and infusion, there is:
affusion
autoinfusion
circumfusion
hydrodiffusion
immunodiffusion
interfusion
oleoinfusion
perfusion
profusion
refusion
suffusion
thermodiffusion
vividiffussion
I'm familiar with profusion and suffusion but they hadn't sprung to mind earlier. Of course, some of the words are scientific or medical and not common. The spell checker flags circumfusion, oleofusion, thermodiffusion and vividiffusion.
I was led to the site initially by an investigation into words ending in INE that describe animals. A blog that I stumbled upon referred me to the site. There is a unit on words ending in INE, not exclusive to animals, and very informative. See Figure 5.
Figure 5
So overall this is very useful resource for those interested in the English language and those interested in expanding their vocabulary.
These lines form the first three lines of The Beatles famous song "I'm So Tired" released in November of 1968. It's a fitting introduction to this post because it features three rhyming words: wink, blink and drink and this post is all about rhymes.
In my Part 1 post, I looked at the following words that rhyme with ink:
Words in bold are more common and Rhyme Desk provides definitions for these. In Part 3, I'll work through some of the remaining words.
slink: as a verb, this word means to walk or leave quietly, esp. because you do not want to be noticed or are ashamed of something as in "I was so embarrassed that I tried to slink away". In a less negative sense it can mean to move smoothly and quietly with gliding steps, in a stealthy or sensuous manner as in "the fox came slinking through the woods". It can also be used a noun in the sense of a slinking movement or walk as in"she moved with a sensuous slink".
spink: I wasn't aware of this but this word in British English, as a noun, a finch or the sound of a particular bird cry and, as an intransitive verb applied to a finch, it can mean to call, chirp, or make a characteristic sound as in "the chaffinch was spinking in the tree".
The Urban Dictionary gives an altogether different take on the word, namely a person who is part hispanic/part asian, a play off the words "spic" and "chink".
The surname Spink has an interesting history as described in ancestry. Here are some excerpts:
This English name derivers from Middle English spink ‘chaffinch’ (probably of imitative origin), hence a nickname bestowed on account of some fancied resemblance to the bird. You can see how Spink families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spink family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spink families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,032 Spink families living in Yorkshire. This was about 44% of all the recorded Spink's in the UK. Yorkshire had the highest population of Spink families in 1891. In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Spink. 9% of Spink men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Spink women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spink were Motor Driver and Private Means. Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Spink life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Spink in 1949 was 46, and 69 in 2004.
Spink & Son (established 1666) are an auction and collectibles company known principally for their sales of coins, banknotes, stock and bond certificates and medals. They also deal in philatelic items, wine and spirits, and other collectible items.
stink: needless to say such a common word is involved in a wide number of idiomatic expressions (link) including:
a great fuss or ruckus; a lot of trouble as in "My mom raised a stink when the store refused to accept her return without a receipt" or "There's no need to raise a holy stink about this, Eleanor—we'll figure something out."
something scandalous, controversial, or especially unpleasant as in "The stink of his association with the corrupt company continues to follow him to this day".
to be especially bad, abhorrent, or inferior in quality as in "Your plan stinks, Tom! There's no way it would work!"
to be or seem extremely disreputable, suspicious, or corrupt as in "This deal between the company and the mayor's office stinks, if you ask me. I'd be willing to bet that someone's pocket is being lined".
extremely drunk, so drunk that one stinks of alcohol as used in the phrase stinking drunk e.g. "If you're going to keep coming home stinking drunk each night, then you can just find somewhere else to live!"
a facial expression of unreserved disgust, contempt, disapproval, distrust, or general ill will when used in the phrase the stink eye e.g. "Jonathan, I will not tolerate getting the stink eye from students during class. If you make that face at me again, you're going to the principal's office!" or "Some guy across the bar has been giving me the stink eye since we came in. It must be something to do with my outfit".
The word has historical dimensions as seen in the phrase "The Great Stink". To quote from Wikipedia:
The Great Stink was an event in Central London in July and August 1858 during which the hot weather exacerbated the smell of untreated human waste and industrial effluent that was present on the banks of the River Thames. The problem had been mounting for some years, with an ageing and inadequate sewer system that emptied directly into the Thames. The miasma from the effluent was thought to transmit contagious diseases, and three outbreaks of cholera before the Great Stink were blamed on the ongoing problems with the river.
The smell, and fears of its possible effects, prompted action from the local and national administrators who had been considering possible solutions for the problem. The authorities accepted a proposal from the civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette to move the effluent eastwards along a series of interconnecting sewers that sloped towards outfalls beyond the metropolitan area. Work on high-, mid- and low-level systems for the new Northern and Southern Outfall Sewers started at the beginning of 1859 and lasted until 1875. To aid the drainage, pumping stations were placed to lift the sewage from lower levels into higher pipes. Two of the more ornate stations, Abbey Mills in Stratford and Crossness on the Erith Marshes, with architectural designs from the consultant engineer, Charles Driver, are listed for protection by English Heritage. Bazalgette's plan introduced the three embankments to London in which the sewers ran—the Victoria, Chelsea and Albert Embankments.
Bazalgette's work ensured that sewage was no longer dumped onto the shores of the Thames and brought an end to the cholera outbreaks; his actions are thought to have saved more lives than the efforts of any other Victorian official. His sewer system operates into the 21st century, servicing a city that has grown to a population of over eight million. The historian Peter Ackroyd argues that Bazalgette should be considered a hero of London.
swink: although archaic now, this word once meant, as a verb, to toil or drudge and, as a noun, toil or drudgery. It is the name of an eponymous digital payment system (link):
It is the name of an eponymous movie made in 2006:
In fact, what I found is that swink is a popular name for companies:
It's also a popular surname:
sync: this is an abbreviated term for synchronisation (British) or synchronization (American) and we talk about things being in or out of sync meaning that they reach the same or related stage at the same time (in sync) or at different times (out of sync) e.g. "He's putting himself forward as a president whose ideas are in sync with a nation demanding change" or "She found that the job was out of sync with her principles, and she had to leave".
In technology circles, the term is widely used to mean connecting two electronic devices so that they both have the latest information or files as in "How do I sync my phone to my computer?"
To lip-sync is a reference to performers who lip-sync songs, meaning that they pretend to be singing them when in fact they are just moving their lips e.g. "They could lip-sync as well as the video stars of the 1980s" or "Actors lip-synch the singing".
think: this most common and basic of words has naturally found its way into a myriad of expressions including:
think tank
think big
think twice
think aloud
overthink
think the world of somebody
blue-sky thinking
think outside the box
think nothing of doing something
think something through
think the sun rises and sets on someone
wishful thinking
think ill of someone
think something over
think on something
think fit to do something
thinking cap
think ahead
think aloud
twink: overwhelmingly, the term nowadays is used as gay slang for a young man in his late teens to early twenties whose traits may include: general physical attractiveness; a slim to average build; and a youthful appearance that may belie an older chronological age. The term seems to have arisen in the 1970s. The Internet is awash with photos of twinks so I won't provide any more here.
wink: we thus arrive at the end of my blink to wink journey, although I still have zinc, zink and zinke to cover.
It is a from of non-verbal communication that has various meanings depending on the context. Here is somebody's take on the meanings of winks (source):
There is a subtle form of communication we all know about, and some of us have even mastered, but do you really even know where it began or what it actually means? The form of communication we’re speaking of is the wink , a non-verbal communication tool that can be used to deliver or exchange any number of messages.A proper wink usually involves eye contact between at least two individuals. The winker simply closes and opens one eye when he has the attention of the intended recipient, thus delivering a covert and implied message. At some point in our lives, we’ve all been winked at and/or delivered one of our own. Depending on the situation, the context changes with the bat of every eye. Which begs the question, what is the proper use of a wink, and where did it come from?Although the exact origin of the wink is unclear, we’ve dug long and hard to find the true meanings behind this subtle gesture. While you may be aware of all the different messages that can be conveyed by winking, it’s important to note that signals are easily crossed. So let’s take a look at a few of the gesture’s most common connotations, that way you know what you’re getting yourself into should you attempt to master the art of winking.
Hello Signal
Sometimes when you are not able to wave or offer a verbal hello, a quick wink can do the trick. It’s a simple acknowledgement that you’re aware of another’s presence. In instances where formal salutations are unfeasible, a wink ensures that no one gets a disheartening cold shoulder.
Flirtation Signal
The flirtatious wink is the most frequently attempted wink, and is therefore the most abused. It’s meaning can range from “I find you pleasing to thine eye.” to “Hey, baby. Let’s get out of here.“ Discretion is of the utmost importance when executing a flirty wink.
Secret Shared Knowledge Signal
From inside jokes to well-kept secrets, this particular wink is very popular. Ideally, it happens so quickly and discreetly that only those “in the know” pick up on it. The danger is that an unintended recipient might witness the gesture. This could make them feel left out, or suspect they’re the butt of the joke.
J/K Signal
When a joke goes horribly awry, or slides towards the offensive side of things, this wink helps minimize the damage. People even relay this message via text by using a semicolon and closed parenthesis – ;). It simply means “Haha, totally kidding. Obviously.”
Nervous/Involuntary Twitch
Involuntary twitching isn’t actually a type of wink, but it is responsible for a large amount of wink faux pas. Ill-timed eyelid spasms are easily misconstrued as flirtatious or salutatious winks. Even worse, they make the blundering blinker look like an unskilled winker.
But on a more serious note, eye twitches could be caused by an underlying neurological condition. See a doctor if you experience prolonged twitching. And if you’d like to learn more about the common causes of eye twitches, check out this recent blog post. The bottom line is that this simple facial expression can signify just about anything, as long as it’s shared amongst two or more people operating on the same winking wavelength.
There are numerous expressions involving wink. These include:
A nod is as good as a wink to a blind man
Blink and you'll miss it.
Forty winks.
I have not slept one wink.
In the blink of an eye.
Nod and a wink.
Nudge nudge, wink wink
On the blink.
zinc:this is the name given to the chemical element of atomic number 30, a silvery-white metal that is a constituent of brass and is used for coating (galvanizing) iron and steel to protect against corrosion. Zinc is an essential mineral that your body does not make on its own. It aids growth, DNA synthesis, immune function and more. Zinc is essential for cell growth and division, immune function, enzyme reactions, DNA synthesis and protein production. Zinc may effectively reduce inflammation, boost immune health, reduce your risk of age-related diseases, speed wound healing and improve acne symptoms. Risk factors for zinc deficiency include insufficient dietary intake, poor absorption, alcoholism, genetic mutations and old age. Zinc occurs naturally in foods like shellfish, meat, poultry and dairy, and is added to other foods, such as breakfast cereals and wheat flour. Zinc toxicity may cause diarrhea, headache, abdominal cramps and reduced immunity. Most people can obtain their daily dose of zinc through diet alone. Source.
Zink: this word is often just a misspelling of zinc but it is also used as a surname. Here is some information about its use in this sense:
Zink derives from Middle High German zinke ‘peak’, acquired either as a topographic name by someone who lived on or near a crag or on a pointed piece of land or as a nickname for a man with a singularly pointed nose. Compare modern German slang Zinken, meaning ‘hooter’. The same word was used to denote the cornet, although the semantic development is not clear, and the surname may sometimes have been metonymic for a player of this instrument. It was not until the 16th century that the metal zinc was discovered and named (apparently from its jagged appearance in the furnace), so this is unlikely to be the origin of the surname.
Zinke: as well as an association to the surname Zink as an alternative spelling, it can also refer to an old wind instrument like a cornet, of wood or horn, with seven finger-holes. It is pronounced tsing′ke.
Here is some detailed information about the musical instrument:
ZINKE or ZINCKE, also called Cornetto or Cornet à Bouquin (Fr.), is one of the oldest instruments known. It consists of a wooden tube, slightly conical, covered with leather, having six holes for the fingers, and one hole for the thumb on the lower side, while the tone is produced through a cup mouthpiece, similar to that of a trump. Its compass consists of a chromatic scale of a few notes more than two octaves. About the 14th and 15th centuries, when wind-bands gradually assumed a definite design, Zinken were most important instruments. Their powerful toned combined well with that of trombones, and bands consisting mainly of these two kinds of instruments were great favourites both at public fêtes and religious ceremonials. Many ancient writers on music mention it in terms of great praise. Artusi says: 'As to its tone, it resembles the brightness of a sunbeam piercing the darkness, when one hears it among the voices in cathedrals, churches, or chapels.' He further mentions two cornetto players at Venice as great artists on their instruments. Mattheson laments their partial disuse as early as 1739, and says: 'The fine Zinken and trombones, which formerly were considered to be of one family, and equally respected by players and composers, are now seemingly banished from our churches, as if they were useless; especially the Zinke, which, in spite of its harshness, is so penetrating,' etc. Source.
Thus we come to the end of the blink to wink three part series. It's been an interesting exercise.
