Gallant Efforts

[DrPlacebo]

I feel like FUTURESQUE should be a word. Maybe more of an aesthetic than what "futuristic" suggests?

[2cute]

I have been watching the Harry Potter marathon this weekend & there's so many terms used in these films. It makes me wonder are these real terms or are they just made up? I know the terminology is supposed to be an ancient form of English so maybe these are real terms used during that time. Or maybe they are a mix of real & fictional words, I just don't know.

So here where so many know words & terms I know nothing about, I thought maybe you all would KNOW better than I. What do you think?

[Naboka]

I realize no tears will be shed for this...

but...

soooo close...

And what maddens the hatter is the number of words presumably typed...

but apparently not...

or simply fumbled.

Sei, senes, tene, leses, reses enseal.

(Got seir, sene, tenes, eses, enseals, so...? What happened?)

Giveme words that are automatic.

Sigh.

Screen Shot 2022-05-05 at 8.57.06 AM.png

But, man, those "z's" can sure rack up points.

[lalatan]

It seems you set a new personal best for ultra-rare words found, which is noteworthy. Also, you possess the knowledge that you missed some words due to typing. So, you have the ingredients to get >100 ultra-rare words. It's just a matter of experiencing the perfect storm of knowledge, typing accuracy and the right board for it to happen.

MegaWord was stuck on a personal best 5x5 high score of 1,756 pts for months, if not years. Then he seemed to focus on achieving a higher score and started to inch upwards. Then I think he suddenly shot up to the 1,800's and stayed there for a while. Subsequently, he achieved his current high of 1,938 pts. (I don't necessarily recall the exact details but that's basically what happened.) I've seen it happen w others too. So, I think you're going to break the 100 ultra-rare barrier if you keep at it. The trend is established.

On the subject of gallant efforts, I took on a game today where there were only 2 9+ ultra-rare words and no others above 7 letters. It wasn't long until I spotted -phobia. So I tried ALCOHOLOPHOBIA and ALCOHOLPHOBIA but was denied. Since I'm seeing -phobia more often in puzzles, I guess it's time to study some phobia words...

[Naboka]

It seems you set a new personal best for ultra-rare words found, which is noteworthy. Also, you possess the knowledge that you missed some words due to typing. So, you have the ingredients to get >100 ultra-rare words. It's just a matter of experiencing the perfect storm of knowledge, typing accuracy and the right board for it to happen.

MegaWord was stuck on a personal best 5x5 high score of 1,756 pts for months, if not years. Then he seemed to focus on achieving a higher score and started to inch upwards. Then I think he suddenly shot up to the 1,800's and stayed there for a while. Subsequently, he achieved his current high of 1,938 pts. (I don't necessarily recall the exact details but that's basically what happened.) I've seen it happen w others too. So, I think you're going to break the 100 ultra-rare barrier if you keep at it. The trend is established.

On the subject of gallant efforts, I took on a game today where there were only 2 9+ ultra-rare words and no others above 7 letters. It wasn't long until I spotted -phobia. So I tried ALCOHOLOPHOBIA and ALCOHOLPHOBIA but was denied. Since I'm seeing -phobia more often in puzzles, I guess it's time to study some phobia words...

I'm afraid so...

[JedMedGrey]

@2cute from my memories of reading the books, some terms are supposedly Latin. Prior to the invasion of what is now called Britain by the Angles, Saxons & Jutes (5th - 6th centuries CE), various Celtic languages were spoken there, as well as Latin, from the time that the Romans were in power there (~43 CE to ~500 CE). English is considered a Germanic language, but has been strongly influenced by Romance languages derived from Latin, especially Norman & French . It continues to incorporate words from different languages and is constantly evolving. "English" as spoken in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and North America all have distinct characteristics in both actual words and pronunciations. Fascinating and complex subject.

[lalatan]

I'm afraid so...

Lol, good one.

[bwt1213]

Lol, good one.

And if you have a fear of having fears, you have phobophobia. Yes, that's an actual condition.

[2cute]

@2cute from my memories of reading the books, some terms are supposedly Latin. Prior to the invasion of what is now called Britain by the Angles, Saxons & Jutes (5th - 6th centuries CE), various Celtic languages were spoken there, as well as Latin, from the time that the Romans were in power there (~43 CE to ~500 CE). English is considered a Germanic language, but has been strongly influenced by Romance languages derived from Latin, especially Norman & French . It continues to incorporate words from different languages and is constantly evolving. "English" as spoken in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and North America all have distinct characteristics in both actual words and pronunciations. Fascinating and complex subject.

Yes, I'm in the process of also reading the books as I hadn't after I had seen all of the films several times. The books are similar but yet different from the films. It seems the films focus on the title, hence the Prisoner of Azcaban (the one I'm reading now, yes, I'm reading them in succession), in the book there's lots going on that's never mentioned in the films, the film storyline focuses completely on Sirius Black, his whereabouts & how he ultimately in the end does find Harry & ironically doesn't try to kill him like most of the film implies, yet becomes a mentor for him throughout the rest of the series of films.

So you're saying that JK borrowed from these various languages to create her terms they use to create spells & passwords (like Fortuna Major, the password to pass through the portrait entrance)?

[dannyb]

And if you have a fear of having fears, you have phobophobia. Yes, that's an actual condition.

I have mophobia. (Anyone else remember that SNL bit?), but seriously folks I have a pho-bias. I like pho tai much more than pho chin.

[JedMedGrey]

@2cute " So you're saying that JK borrowed from these various languages to create her terms they use to create spells & passwords (like Fortuna Major, the password to pass through the portrait entrance)? "

"Fortuna" was a Roman Goddess associated with luck or chance; the Greek counterpart is Tyche. Both were associated with both good and bad events. "Major" came into Middle English from Latin "maior" (greater, more important) which is the comparative form of "magnus," likely influenced by the French "majeur." French is a "Romance" language, as are Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. One thing about fiction, you have the freedom to make up anything you want to from whatever resources available.

Ancient books of alchemy, incantations, spells, etc. that made their way to Europe were usually written in Eastern Mediterranean languages (e.g., Hebrew, Arabic, Egyptian and others), which have alphabets & scripts that are not familiar to most Europeans and Americans (South & North). Those texts were translated into Greek and then Latin. Due to the influence of Rome, the texts in Latin would have been more familiar to curious folks in Western Europe, and in order to keep information (right or wrong) from those who did not speak or read Latin, that language was retained by alchemists, practitioners of "magic," those practicing certain religions, early scientists, etc. The history of spellbooks or grimoires is fascinating and deeply entwined with history of religions. There are various practices that aim to understand how the world works, why things happen, cause and effect, how to change aspects of the world or your life. Today we tend to separate those into superstition or magic, and science. "Magical thinking" is the belief that one's ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols can influence the course of events in the material world. If the words you use to try to influence the real/material world are not understood by most of the folks around you, so much the better. Because Latin uses an alphabet and script that became widespread, but today is not readily understood by many people, it is a good starting point for spells in today's fiction. JKR used not only Latin but other languages to create spells for the stories. Some are combinations of Latin and Greek, for example. Some are just slightly altered spellings of English words combined in unexpected combinations (fiendfyre). Check out Wizarding World and Oprah Daily.

[lalatan]

I thought I had a winner when I typed in PHOTOSEVERATION. I reasoned it could describe when the top part of a person's head in a photo is cut off due to bad composition. (a personal pet peeve)

It would be fitting to see a board with FRIGGATRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA in it today. Last time I didn't see it soon enough, botched the spelling and timed out. We'll see how my luck is today...

[DrPlacebo]

I guess an interim ruler of a microstate is not a MICROREGENT.

[DrPlacebo]

TACOLOGY is not a thing. It really should be one.

[bwt1213]

TACOLOGY is not a thing. It really should be one.

Then so should pastyology. The biggest difference (forget physical appearance) between the two is the calories in a pasty. A proper pasty will be more than 3,000. The ones my mother and my wife and my daughters make are probably more than 4,000. Eating one is like gorging on a Thanksgiving turkey or overindulging on Christmas. Except that you can have a pasty any time. Tacos are tasty but lightweight. It would probably take eight good tacos to equal the eye-crossing capability of one good pasty.

Pasties were made to be wrapped in newspaper and put on the blade of a shovel, which was then put over a candle flame for miners in the tin mines in Cornwall, from whence the English side of my ancestors arose. So they would have a warm lunch while working in the cold depths of the mine. That same pasty was transferred to the UP of Michigan and the iron mines there. And on the Swedish side, the lumberjacks who needed lots of calories ate pasties regularly because they needed every bit of the calories they could get.

Now, pasties are for special occasions, because no one can burn that many calories and no one needs to get fatter. But if you don't know what a pasty is -- at least the version done here in America -- it's simple. Take a pie crust and pile a mix of cubed steak, minced onions, and slivered potatoes onto one half of the crust. Top with chopped or dried parsley. Fold the top over to make a kind of turnover. Crimp the edges, cut some slits to release the steam, and do some egg wash over the top. Bake until done, usually at 350 F. As far as "who would like this?" it comes down to "who likes steak and potatoes?". Some people put ketchup on their pasties, most eat pickles or pickled beets with it, and almost everyone old enough drinks a cold and tasty beer with it. People who dislike beer have some light wine or a cold soda. I had milk with mine until I was 21, and milk is really good with it, too.

I have no idea why there is no such thing as a Pasty Bell or Pasty Paradise franchise. But there ought to be.