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Well! We do indeed have an excellent turnout for gnammas/tafoni!
Herewith are seventeen possible definitions, a number which has been
exceeded only once in recorded history (there were eighteen definitions
for "cypripareunia" back in the fall of 1997, and there have twice been
sixteen definitions). By means of celebration, and since there are so
many fine choices here, you may, on this occasion, cast THREE votes: a
onesey-pointer, a twosey-pointer, and a threesey-pointer. Comments,
praise, and heckling are welcome and will be duly noted in the
results. I think I have this all formatted up nicely, and I hope I
didn't miss any of the definitions that were sent in (I did remember to
include the real one). I put all occurrences of either word in
boldface to make them easier to spot, but this should not be
interpreted as meaning that they were bold in the original context.
Each vote is to be cast for an entity that falls between a pair of
horizontal lines, which in some cases is a pair of definitions, and in
other cases is one definition. Votes are due by my bedtime on Monday,
March 24.<br>
<br>
Jean-Joseph<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - Mortar mixed with varicolored pebbles for a
decorative appearance.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - A colorful confection of nougat mixed with chopped
nuts, candied fruit, etc.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. & adj. - Of corduroy, grooved transversely to
the axis of the garment. (In phr.) <b>gnammas</b> and <b>tafoni</b> -
1. A suit or pair of pants which uses corduroy in both orientations to
reduce friction and noise. 2. Two persons whose differences make them
compatible. Swiss Italian, fr. gnammo 'quiet, stealthy'.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - A burial ritual which ensures that the soul of
the deceased is released and will not return as a haunt.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - An amulet or charm included in a burial to prevent
haunting. See <b>gnammas</b>.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - An officer who searches for lettuce being
illegally cultivated.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - A young Yezidi who is learning about the faith.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - The sediment left behind during the cooling phase
of the <b>tafoni</b>-making process.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n.pl. - Hollows on a sheer face found in granular rock
such as sandstone, with rounded entrances, smooth concave walls, and
limited depth. They often occur in groups that can riddle a hillside,
cliff, or other rock formation.<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n.pl. - Rock holes commonly found in granite outcrops
and especially on the top of domed inselbergs. The word "gnamma" is of
Aboriginal origin and comes from the Western Desert group of languages.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - In South American cuisine, a strongly seasoned
paste made of fish entrails. Customarily served spread on <b>tafoni</b>.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - The edible leaf of a fern native to the rain
forests of South America.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - A traditional dance of the western Mediterranean,
performed to celebrate <b>Gnammas</b> in late July or early August.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - The hereditary censor of the Empire of Trebizond.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - The hereditary jester of the Empire of Trebizond.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - 1. A hybrid between a gnu and a llama; especially
the offspring of a male gnu and a female llama. 2. An ill-advised
pairing.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - One who meddles unsuccessfully; a poor matchmaker.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - A term whose few uses in original sources
indicate disparate or contradictory meanings. Cf. _hapax legomenon_.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - adj. - A <b>gnammas</b> attested only in Pliny the
Elder (N.H book iv) and in the "Sarmatian Manuscript" attributed to
Gaius Fuscus. The former context would seem to indicate "beautiful" or
"beloved", the latter "feared".<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - [Italian deriv. of gnammo - a root vegetable] A
candy made of gnammo.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - [Turkish deriv. of tafon - a root vegetable] A
regional dish of Turkey.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - Of ancient Celtic stone circles such as
Stonehenge, the marked line indicating the direction of the sunrise on
the summer solstice.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - A type of ancient circle found in the Polynesian
islands, which demonstrates a precise understanding of astronomy and
the calendar among early dwellers there.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - The uppermost layer of an ice floe, composed of
ice mixed with minerals and organic materials.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - Pure ice from below the <b>gnammas</b> layer of a
floe.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n.pl. - Small bell-shaped handmade pasta, using
cornmeal as part of the dry ingredients, along with semolina, cooked
potato, and eggs.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n.pl. - Large, tubular pasta of similar composition as <b>gnammas</b>.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n.pl. - Turnovers made with seasoned feta cheese
wrapped in filo dough.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - A yogurt based sauce, usually served with <b>gnammas</b>.<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - The goatskin lute of Ethiopia, considered the
"national instrument" for its prominence in traditional, folk, and
patriotic music.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - Any of several varieties of Ethiopian handmade
stringed instruments.<br>
_________________<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
And one bonus joke definition pair from Judith (don't vote for this
one):<br>
_________________<br>
<b>gnammas</b> - n. - Your mother's mother and your father's mother.<br>
<b>tafoni</b> - n. - A very small symphony (just two instruments), to
be played by both <b>gnammas</b>.<br>
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