Take Our Word For It Issue 207
Melanie and Mike
http://www.takeourword.com
For Mac users who have trouble with our regular homepage:
http://www.takeourword.com/indexmac.html
**Greetings**
Yes, it's true, we're back!
**This Week's Issue**
NOTE: The links in this newsletter are good until the next issue is
published.
In Spotlight we correct some inaccuracies from a radio program
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page1.html
In Words to the Wise we throw you to the dogs:
poodle
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page2.html#poodle
beagle
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page2.html#beagle
pomeranian
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page2.html#pomeranian
mastiff
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page2.html#mastiff
In Curmudgeons' Corner Guestmudgeon Linda revisits "I" as a direct
object
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page3.html
In Sez You... we hear from readers about previous issues of TOWFI, and
we include a discussion about the term "redskin"
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page4.html
In Laughing Stock we bring you Engrish from Thailand
http://www.takeourword.com/current/page5.html
**Book Review**
Mike is still working on his review of "The Meaning of Tingo" (after
all of this time, it sure better be good!). Stay tuned for that
review.
**Laughing Stock**
Please send us material for Laughing Stock. This week's winner, Rachel,
gets a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Congratulations, Rachel!
**Blog**
Don't forget to read our blog (http://www.takeourword.com/blog1) for
etymological and other langauge-related discussions that you won't find
here or in TOWFI. And you can participate in the blog discussions!
**Book Store**
Don't forget: if you have an etymological or language-related book to
recommend to us and other readers, let us know about it! We try to
stay on top of the latest books on those topics, but we aren't
omniscient (darn it!).
**Other New Stuff**
We have continued to add more Google Adsense blocks to our pages.
Thanks to those who have clicked on ads that interest them - by doing
so you help support TOWFI! BUT PLEASE also consider making a donation
to TOWFI by clicking any of the PAYPAL buttons on the site. If
everyone who subscribes to this announcement newsletter donates $10
now, we will be in great shape into next year!
**Newsletter-Only Etymology**
It's back!
A reader wrote us asking about the word mythopaeic. His son was given
an assignment to apply mythopaeic criticism to a book or movie. The
reader could not find the word in a dictionary, though Googling it
brought him numerous hits. He asked us what its etymology was.
First, the word was misspelled, tsk tsk to the teacher if it was his or
her misspelling (though we acknowledge it may have been a copy error on
the student's part), and apparently this misspelling is common based on
the number of hits on Google! The word is correctly spelled
"mythopoeic"; in British English the o and e in the second element are
usually joined in what is known as an o-e ligature. The word means
"mythmaking; productive of myths; pertaining to the creation of myths"
and is formed from Greek mythus "myth" and poein "to create". It first
appears in the written record in 1846. Mythopoeic criticism focuses on
the archetypal symbols found in literature. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a
poem called "Mythopoeia", which was his response to a comment by his
friend, C.S. Lewis, that "myths were lies and therefore worthless, even
though "breathed through silver". You can read the poem here:
http://parmadili.skf.org.pl/jrrtolkien/mythopoeia.htm
Until next time,
Take Our Word For It!
Melanie and Mike
http://www.takeourword.com
http://www.takeourword.com/indexmac.html