Chemical Words List 197
An anonymous reader writes "Mark Nandor, a teacher of mathematics at The Wellington School, has recently posted a new chemical words page. For those who haven't seen this before, it is a list of English words that can be spelled using chemical symbols."
First page?! (Score:4, Insightful)
How many of us has a class in "pointless waste of time"?
Sounds like your chemistry is a little RUST-y. (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Excellllllent! (Score:3, Insightful)
Acacias -- pl., Acacia. N. A family of shrubs (trees?). Acacia gum is a pretty common ingredient in foodstuffs.
Carnies -- pl., Carny. N. A non-temporary worker at a carnival. Carnies have their own culture, some of which is not considered "healthy" by modern us moral standards.
Fireboats -- pl., Fireboat. N. A type of ship used extensively in the Colonial/Victorian era, often a converted civil vessel, used in ship-to-ship combat in close quarters. Modern, a boat used to fight fires.
Lanners -- pl., Lanner. N. A bird of prey, used in falconry. I think it's Mediterranean.
Samisens -- pl., Samisen. N. A musical instrument of Eastern origin -- India?
Tawer -- N. A leatherworker... I think this is like a tanner.
I mean, really, these words are not all that odd. Some of them are not in common usage outside their fields, but I some across the first three words fairly often. Not so much lanner and tawer, but as a Medieval and Renaissance buff (like many a good Slashdot nerd), I've heard them before. And samisen is common enough to those with an interest in culturally diverse or historical music.
"What a nonesevently cromulent enumeration"
Whereas, 'nonesevently' and 'cromulent' are not words (though 'cromulent' appeared on the Simpsons as a joke). Enumeration is perfectly valid, and you've used it correctly in this context
On the other hand, there are plenty of words on the list that are way, way too obscure for one person in a thousand to know.
Re:Not So (Score:3, Insightful)