Comments on: Anniversary http://www.word-detective.com/2012/02/anniversary/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Seethers http://www.word-detective.com/2012/02/anniversary/comment-page-1/#comment-34849 Seethers Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:43:26 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6353#comment-34849 COO could also refer to a deprotonated carboxylic acid, which is a very important functional group in your constitution. Don't let your proteins fail you. COO could also refer to a deprotonated carboxylic acid, which is a very important functional group in your constitution. Don’t let your proteins fail you.

]]> By: Wilson http://www.word-detective.com/2012/02/anniversary/comment-page-1/#comment-34565 Wilson Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:47:38 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6353#comment-34565 Even if understandable it still seems like an unsatisfactory construction, mainly because there is rarely a good reason for using it--a time period of months/hours/minutes is not momentous. Marking your "birthday" every month would be almost as ridiculous, but at least a more elegant use of language. Even if understandable it still seems like an unsatisfactory construction, mainly because there is rarely a good reason for using it–a time period of months/hours/minutes is not momentous. Marking your “birthday” every month would be almost as ridiculous, but at least a more elegant use of language.

]]> By: Marie http://www.word-detective.com/2012/02/anniversary/comment-page-1/#comment-34422 Marie Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:21:59 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6353#comment-34422 Dear Word Detective, I would like to add a small data point to your entry on "galoot." The word occurs repeatedly in the wonderful British series of children's books, Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome, where a slightly bossy girl calls her younger sister "you tame galoot!" The books are set in the 1930s and have a pronounced nautical influence -- the girls' uncle is a retired Naval or merchant Marine officer, her friends are children of a serving Royal Navy captain, etc. This dovetails nicely with your reference to soldiers on board ship, although I must confess that in my ignorance, seeing the word combined with "tame," I first assumed it to be an animal or bird... Dear Word Detective,

I would like to add a small data point to your entry on “galoot.” The word occurs repeatedly in the wonderful British series of children’s books, Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome, where a slightly bossy girl calls her younger sister “you tame galoot!” The books are set in the 1930s and have a pronounced nautical influence — the girls’ uncle is a retired Naval or merchant Marine officer, her friends are children of a serving Royal Navy captain, etc. This dovetails nicely with your reference to soldiers on board ship, although I must confess that in my ignorance, seeing the word combined with “tame,” I first assumed it to be an animal or bird…

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