[Fictionary] AFICOT: Results

Mon Jun 15 23:20:24 EDT 2020

Dear Fran,

If you really do want to look it up, you can consult the Fictionary 
archives at Link [1] below.   But if you propose a word and it has been 
used before, someone will most likely say so, and you can propose a 
different word.

Regards,
Elliott

[1] https://www.swarpa.net/pipermail/fictionary/

On Mon, 15 Jun 2020, Fran Poodry wrote:

> Um, how do I look up if a word has been used, again?
> Fran
>
> On Mon, Jun 15, 2020 at 8:33 AM Fran Poodry <fpoodry at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Well, that's a surprise! I'll work on a plausible, real word!
>> Fran
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 13, 2020 at 10:38 AM Elizabeth Heffner <
>> elheffner at googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> This round drew a wide range of definitions, inspiring these comments:
>>>
>>>
>>> *EM: That word drew some clever defs.  Although it sounded a lot like
>>> APRICOT, it looked unrelated to other English words, which made it hard to
>>> assign votes based on etymological plausibility.  *
>>>
>>>
>>> *JH: Wow! This one is absolutely all over the place!*
>>>
>>>
>>> The correct definition was the wooden burnishing tool in the form of a
>>> lobster claw, primarily used in lacemaking.  I have one; pic attached.
>>>   Burnished threads are fuller and lie more smoothly adjacent to one
>>> another when this is desired.
>>>
>>> Three people correctly guessed the definition and it received the
>>> following comments:
>>>
>>> *EC*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *: Iÿÿm pretty certain that lobster claws are essential to lacemaking. 1
>>> pt. EM: Can you burnish *lace* with *wood*?  This is delightfully surreal.
>>> Two points.  PA: ÿÿBut the Barrister, weary of proving in vain          That
>>> the Beaverÿÿs lace making was wrong,ÿÿ           One point.*
>>> *JH: **I thought ÿÿburnishÿÿ was something you did to metal???*
>>>
>>> The winner of the round is *Fran* *P *with *9 points *for the popular
>>> definition of the living box.*    Elliott M* and *Simon H* were not far
>>> behind with
>>>
>>> *5 each. *I thoroughly enjoyed running this round and dealing with the
>>> clever definitions.   Many thanks!
>>>
>>> Now to the results and comments!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> * Joe R: *Aficot, adj: filled to less than half capacity, usually in
>>> regard to a vessel for holding liquid.
>>>
>>> * JH: *
>>> *Somebody is thinking of ÿÿaliquotÿÿ I suppose? *
>>>
>>> *Dave R*:  Aficot, adj: (British army slang) engaged because the lady
>>> was pregnant.
>>>
>>> *2 EC:*
>>>
>>>
>>> * Clearly ÿÿAFIanced Cos Of Tummyÿÿ 2 points. EM: Oddly plausible.  The
>>> etymology isnÿÿt transparent, but the British military did bring back a lot
>>> of words from India. JM: Iÿÿm trying to work out if this would come from
>>> rhyming slang, the military concatenated-abbreviation thing, or something
>>> else. But I got nothinÿÿ.  So, no points. *
>>>
>>> *Elliott M: *Aficot, n: 1. a bell hung as a clapper in a larger bell. 2.
>>> a pair of identical bells hung side by side so as to rebound alternately
>>> off each other.  3. a pair of argumentative guests, neither of whom will
>>> let the other have the last word.
>>>
>>> *1 + 2 + 2 for correct guess RB: *
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *1 point and probably by Elliott or David. EM: Newtonÿÿs Cradle with bells
>>> instead of balls.  Why not? JM: Whimsy = Elliott.  Honorable mention points
>>> for making me smile. PA: ÿÿNavigation was always a difficult art,
>>> Though with only one ship and one bell.ÿÿ          Two points for the two
>>> bells. JH: The bells striking each other strikes me as a bad idea.  But I
>>> like the development into the third definition from the first two.  Give
>>> this an imaginary tie-breaker point.*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Linda O*: Aficot, n: any of the early, small dropped fruit resulting
>>> from too much pollination which drop off the tree to ensure a crop of
>>> larger fruit.
>>>
>>> * JM*
>>>
>>>
>>> *: I like the concept, but itÿÿs soooo close to ÿÿapricotÿÿ that Iÿÿm
>>> deterred from guessing it. EM: Too close to APRICOT. PA:  Why would too
>>> much pollination cause fruit to drop? JH: I donÿÿt think that trees do this
>>> naturally; I think that people have to manually pick those ÿÿtoo many
>>> fruitÿÿ.*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Helen P: *Aficot, n: a string, leather thong, or metal cuff placed at
>>> the ankle to prevent socks from slipping.
>>>
>>> *2 + 1 EM: *
>>>
>>>
>>> *Used to AFFIX COTTON? JM: So much like the horse-sleeve definition! But
>>> I have less trouble believing people would wear it than horses, so this one
>>> gets the (2) points! JH: A garter? SH: One point to the sock cuffs, out of
>>> sock solidarity.*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Nicolas W: *Aficot, adj: (botany) having pairs of unequally sized
>>> embryonic leaves.
>>>
>>> *2 EM: *
>>>
>>> *Too close to APRICOT HP: This sounds good, except for ÿÿembryonicÿÿ.  Can
>>> leaves be embryonic? FP:  Sounds legit.  2 points.*
>>>
>>>
>>> *E Cohen*: Aficot, n: the smeared fruit exudate inevitable upon
>>> consuming a particularly juicy fruit.
>>>
>>> *1 + 1 for correct guess EC: *
>>>
>>>
>>> *Mine.  From ÿÿaffectionate apricotÿÿ. EM: Too close to APRICOT. JM:
>>> Doesnÿÿt sound like any dictionary writing style Iÿÿm used to.  I like the
>>> image, though! JH: Would there be a different word for the juice that runs
>>> down your chin when you eat something other than fruit?*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Ranjit B: *Aficot, n: (computational geometry) The affine cotangent.
>>>
>>> *2 EM: *
>>> *But what happened to the other f? PA: I know affine and cotangent
>>> separately, and Iÿÿve heard of some modified trig functions such as the
>>> haversine, but not the aficot.*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Pierre A: *Aficot, n: the double crown worn by Carolingian kings in the
>>> 700s, formed by combining the crowns of Austrasia and Neustria.
>>>
>>> *2 + 1 + 1 for correct guess FP: *
>>>
>>> *Honorable mention. EM: Werenÿÿt the Carolingian kings post-Charlemagne,
>>> and hence post-800? JM:  See, this is where Know Thy Roundrunner can be
>>> useful.  This seems like the kind of word Liz would have come across.  But
>>> the image of two crowns on one head is silly enough that Iÿÿll give it only
>>> 1 point.*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Jim M: *Aficot, adj: having exactly three prime factors.
>>>
>>> *EM:*
>>>
>>> * Mathematicians use each othersÿÿ names as adjectives (ÿÿSuppose towards a
>>> contradiction that S is not Hausdorffÿÿ), so maybe there was a number
>>> theorist named Aficot? PA: I know of uses for numbers with exactly two
>>> prime factors, such as RSA, but what are numbers with three prime factors
>>> used for? JH: I would expect this to have some form of ÿÿtriÿÿ in it.*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Simon H**: *Aficot, n: a sock-like sleeve used to protect the lower leg
>>> of a horse from extreme cold, flies, or infected wounds or sores.
>>>
>>> *1 + 2 + 1 + 1 HP: *
>>>
>>>
>>> *This gets my two points.  Why would there be two sock definitions if one
>>> were not right?  And the other is mine, so it must be this one. FP: Horse
>>> stuff also sounds legit. 1 point. JM: So much like the anti-sock-slipping
>>> definition!  And after all, everyoneÿÿs heard of horseshoes, so why not
>>> horsesocks? And yet I donÿÿt buy it.  Honorable mention, though. JH: I know
>>> this is a thing, but Iÿÿve never heard a name for it. 1 point.*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Fran P**: *Aficot, n: a living box made by growing fruit trees
>>> espalier-style on all sides of a wooden structure, then removing the inner
>>> structure.
>>>
>>> *1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 HP: *
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *I planned to stay away from fruit on this one ÿÿ the apricot connection
>>> was too tempting.  But this is such a beautiful idea! One point. RB: I
>>> would like to see one of these! EM: I want to vote against it because itÿÿs
>>> too close to APRICOT, but I like the idea so much I canÿÿt help giving it
>>> ONE POINT. JM: Why would these need to be *fruit* trees?  Unless the idea
>>> is that it supplies you with food as well as lodgingÿÿbut donÿÿt the trees
>>> keep on growing inward once the walls are removed? JH: Kinda cool idea! Iÿÿm
>>> doubtful that this is it, but I like the idea! 2 points.*
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Fran Poodry (she/her)*
>> *Oregon, USA*
>>
>>
>>
>> *ÿÿChildren must be taught how to think, not what to think.ÿÿ ÿÿ Margaret
>> Mead <http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61107.Margaret_Mead>*
>>
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