tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post281763403055804305..comments2024-02-05T15:01:44.563-05:00Comments on Cleveland Poetics: a place for cleveland's writers and readers: The Dictionary Gamemichael salingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717310933948991992noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post-40273264293256734192012-04-12T07:46:45.774-04:002012-04-12T07:46:45.774-04:00The Boring Old Reality Award goes to http://en.wik...The Boring Old Reality Award goes to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibology for:<br /><br />amphiboly (from the Greek ἀμφιβολία, amphibolia) is an ambiguous grammatical structure in a sentence.[c<br /><br />In Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine the humor is built almost entirely on amphiboly as Abbott’s explanations that “Who’s on first”, meaning a player named “Who” is playing first base, are misinterpreted by Costello as “Who’s on first”, meaning a question about the name of the player who is playing first base. It’s funnier when they do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfmvkO5x6Ng <br /><br />Pottygok might have won the Coveted Second Place Award but for a small confusion between adjectives and adverbs, so The Grammar Award, together with a lifetime subscription to GrammaNazi Magazine (“No Synecdoche For You!”), goes to pottygok, for:<br /><br />Amphiboly, adj., in the manner of or similar to a frog or toad.<br /><br />“She waddled amphiboly through the puddles.”<br /><br />Geoffrey A. Landis might also have won the Coveted Second Place Award but for a similar confusion between adjectives and adverbs. So the Oh How Standards Have Slipped! Award, together with a lifetime subscription to BluePencil Magazine (“Dead From The Waist Down”), goes to Geoffrey A. Landis, for:<br /><br />Amphiboly, adj., referring to archers who have facility with both the longbow and the crossbow. <br /><br />"The Swiss mercenary troops of the late 15th century were trained in amphiboly."<br /><br />And the actual awarding of the Coveted Second Place Award goes to Shelley Chernin, together with the Inside Baseball Award, and a lifetime subscription to Recursion, the Magazine of Magazines (“We’re out; if you see us before we get back, let us know we’ll return soon”), for: <br /><br />Amphiboly, n., an extravagant dual set of rules too lengthy to be read in its entirety and not meant to be followed.<br /><br />This can only mean one thing: that Rob, also known as Rob, has been called to the stage from the Green Room to seize the Golden Nettle, the Grand Prize of The Dictionary Game, together with a single issue of Follow Spot, the Magazine Of Winners (“Well, They Can’t All Be Winners”), with his (or her, these being the Days Of Political Correctness) likeness on the cover, for:<br /><br />Amphiboly, n.,refers to the "offstage" chamber from which performers made an entrance during plays. (It is the ancient Greek amphitheater equivalent to the "Green Room".)<br /><br />“Odysseus emerged from the amphiboly as the suitors pressed Penelope for a decision.”<br /><br />An excellent crop of entries, very clever, and wrong in just so many ways! Congratulations to everyone, and felicitations to Rob, who now has to select the next word and judge the next round.<br /><br />What’s the new word, Rob?Marcushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07391731816184313020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post-28247881627242163792012-04-09T10:33:10.597-04:002012-04-09T10:33:10.597-04:00Excellent definitions so far! Judging will be on W...Excellent definitions so far! Judging will be on Wednesday. Probably.Marcushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07391731816184313020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post-41985660637913334042012-04-07T10:43:05.242-04:002012-04-07T10:43:05.242-04:00Amphiboly, n.,refers to the "offstage" c...Amphiboly, n.,refers to the "offstage" chamber from which performers made an entrance during plays. (It is the ancient Greek amphitheater equivalent to the "Green Room".)<br /><br />Odysseus emerged from the amphiboly as the suitors pressed Penelope for a decision.Robhttp://smithwrite.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post-30560614637576840252012-04-06T23:29:33.396-04:002012-04-06T23:29:33.396-04:00Amphiboly, n., an extravagant dual set of rules to...Amphiboly, n., an extravagant dual set of rules too lengthy to be read in its entirety and not meant to be followed.Shelley Cherninhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10132631136708521168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post-82128363498754433322012-04-06T09:54:29.310-04:002012-04-06T09:54:29.310-04:00Amphiboly, adj., referring to archers who have fac...Amphiboly, adj., referring to archers who have facility with both the longbow and the crossbow. <br /><br />"The Swiss mercenary troops of the late 15th century were trained in amphiboly."Geoffrey A. Landishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04518496779546782434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641117771707843067.post-48855128386394864452012-04-05T22:38:31.488-04:002012-04-05T22:38:31.488-04:00Amphiboly, adj., in the manner of or similar to a ...Amphiboly, adj., in the manner of or similar to a frog or toad.<br /><br />She waddled amphiboly through the puddles.pottygokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03530399360457624135noreply@blogger.com