What are some good words that form the prefixes for other words of varying definition? I want to write a rule-fudging sestina where I do (prefixy word as my sestina end of line word) + hyphen + linebreak + (ending of longer word). [more inside]
posted by juv3nal on Jun 11, 2008 - 12 answers

LogosFilter: Could a blog entry that contains two words and their definitions be consistent with the definition of a dictionary? [more inside]
posted by vanoakenfold on Apr 23, 2008 - 8 answers

Words for things you eat: edibles, comestibles, food. Words for things you drink: potables, drinks. Is there a generic term for things that you eat or drink? [more inside]
posted by painquale on Mar 17, 2008 - 30 answers

Is there a word that means "knowing something solely by references to it?" [more inside]
posted by flatluigi on Feb 2, 2008 - 21 answers

Is there a word for: expecting to feel grief or ache of conscience and then not feeling it? [more inside]
posted by coizero on Jan 23, 2008 - 22 answers

Seeking a word: Is there a term other than "euphemism" for couching an insult in fancy-sounding words, so your insult sounds less harsh to the inattentive ear? [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten on Dec 12, 2007 - 63 answers

Is there a name for phrases (or sometimes words) that have lost their previous specific/narrow/jargon meanings and are now used generally in a wide variety of situations with little or no knowledge about their prior usage? Are there lists of them anywhere with the phrases and explanations? [more inside]
posted by andoatnp on Jul 30, 2007 - 18 answers

What does one call something that contains the seeds of its own downfall? [more inside]
posted by viewofdelft on Oct 5, 2006 - 35 answers

Is there a single word which means "negatively defined" (or "defined by its opposite" or "defined by not being other things" or "defined by the absence of something")? In English if you can manage (I cannot think of one), but maybe in another language? German perhaps?
posted by unknowncommand on Apr 7, 2006 - 22 answers

My friend from school claims that the average American only has about 10,000 words in his/her everyday vocabulary. As an example, he cites USAToday, saying if we were to count the number of distinct words used in that paper, there would only be a few thousand. I would like to check this out. Does anyone know of any software that will do a distinct word count?
posted by bluefly on Nov 17, 2004 - 10 answers