Go Look It Up!

Even with spell-check and my favorite old standby, that big blue book I was always sending you to as a child, the Webster's NewWord Dictionary with Student Handbook at my left elbow, I still skip over to Dictionary.com occassionally.  I did the other evening, just to double check my definition of "consternation".  I knew how I used it.  I knew how I wanted to use it . . . just thought I better look that up real quick because once in a while, some word I think I know, I don't. 

While I was at Dictionary.com, I noticed they post a little quick question at the top of each page . . . and it hooked me.  I fell Hook, Line and Sinker and off I went surfing for 20 or 30 minutes not accomplishing much of anything but sure enjoying myself as I learned some new tidbits.  I think I only really knew the answer to one of these questions.  Here they are.  I hope you enjoy perusing these as well as I did! 




1) Did you know: Emma, the No. 2 most-popular girl's name, is a version of what less well-known name?

2) Did you know:  Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is our longest word. What does it mean?

3) Did you know: Dr. Seuss actually has a real name, and it does have a slightly wacky feel to it.

4) Did you know: You look for a Web page and it says "Error 404 Not Found." What do the numbers mean?

5) Did you know: If sleep walking is somnambulism, what is it called when you talk in your sleep?

6) Did you know: Is there a word for the individual prongs of a fork ?

7) Did you know: What does the "X" stand for in x-ray?

8) Did you know: What's the technical term for couples who call each other names like honey bunny?

9) Did you know: Scrabble is a fun game, but what is the not-so-fun definition of "to scrabble?".

10) Did you know: Pakistan, Afghanistan. What does the -stan at the end of so many countries mean?


Dictionary.com's answers are below.  If you don't like the answer, take it up with the Dictionary! 


1) Emma:  a form of Erma

2) Pneumonoultramicroscopics etc! . . . A facetious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust' but occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word." [OED]

3) Dr. Seuss:  Seuss, Dr.,  pseud. of Theodor Seuss Geisel

4) four-oh-four definition or 404:  the answer to your question is unknown; the location you seek is unknown. (From the internet message: Error - 404 that is received when the internet cannot find the address you are seeking.) Q: Where's the kitchen? A: 404. You'll have to find it yourself.

5) Som*nil"o*quence\, n. The act of talking in one's sleep; somniloquism.


6)  tine:  a sharp, projecting point or prong, as of a fork. (hey, I knew this one!)

7)  1896, translation of Ger. X-strahl, from X, algebraic symbol for an unknown quantity, + Strahl (pl. Strahlen) "beam, ray." Coined 1895 by Ger. scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923), who discovered them.

8)  hy·poc·o·rism   /haɪˈpɒkəˌrɪzəm, 1. a pet name. 2. the practice of using a pet name.  3. the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk, especially by an adult.

9)  1. to scratch or scrape, as with the claws or hands. 2. to grapple or struggle with or as if with the claws or hands. 3. to scrawl; scribble.

10)  -stan
"country," source of place names such as Afghanistan, Pakistan , etc., from Persstan "country,"  (well, I guessed "land" so I was close this time!)


Let me see, better double check a few:  peruse:  to read through with thoroughness or care: to peruse a report.  I do know this word and use it -- it just always seems wrong! 

Whoa!  Hook, Line and Sinker!  Dictionary.com, Ask.com and the Thesaurus all turned their noses up at "hook, line and sinker!  They declined to divulge.  So I Googled the expression and came up with an answer at thefreedictionary.com -- Hook, Line and Sinker:  Etymology: based on the idea of a fish so hungry it swallows the hook (the part that catches the fish), the line ( the string) and the sinker (a weight attached to the line to keep it under water)