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mtnlaurel
5-15-12, 9:19am
This might be a fun thread.... a place where you can post something you learn that just blows you over and not really worthy of it's own topic.

For example....

I just learned that ALTERATIONIST is NOT a word.
(Auto correct catches it and it wasn't listed as a word on dictionary.com)

Who knew????
I've said that my whole life.

I'm thinking of the person that you take a quick hem to at the dry cleaners that is less than what I would consider a tailor.
(I do most of my own hems, etc. but my skill in that department is lame .... anything past a straight pant hem throws me)

What is that person's job title?
(but wikipedia has the word listed, so it has to be right, no?....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailor)
Sadly, I can't find my mammoth, hardcover college dictionary from back in the day to look it up.

goldensmom
5-15-12, 9:24am
My sister-in-law is a 'seamstress'. She makes and alters clothing privately, alters for clothing stores and teaches sewing. Is that what you are looking for?

JaneV2.0
5-15-12, 10:14am
I'd say it's legitimate. It follows common rules of English word structure. Use it with confidence.

http://www.leanna.com/Bridal/BridalQA/Finding.shtml

iris lily
5-15-12, 10:36am
I've thought on and off that we need a thread like this, a "what I learned today" thread for tiny things. Now at the moment I can't think of the last thing I learned that surprised me, but there ARE such things. So I will contribute providing that I can find the thread when I need it. Sometimes I want the Rant Thread but can't find it. I have to remember it's now called Peeve thread and keyword search on that word "peeve."

cdttmm
5-15-12, 11:03am
Today I learned that there is a not very well known employment law in the state of NY that requires that employers send an annual announcement to each of their employees that states the respective employee's wages and the pay dates for that year.

I love having a job where I learn new things almost every single day. :~)

Mrs-M
5-15-12, 11:15am
I use the term, "seamstress" or "tailor".

As for learning something new, I just learned (as of day-before-yesterday), that when ironing a shirt, if you work from collar-point to middle (both sides), you don't end up with wrinkles on the collar. (Our very own, Miss Cellane, I owe thanks to for that)!

I've always been a firm believer in the idea that "it's the little things that matter most". See, big things are, well, just big things, and once out of the way, life carries on, but when you start adding up all the little things in life- and put them all together, now you have some serious know-how!

Love this thread!

Alan
5-15-12, 11:37am
Yesterday, I heard a pre-schooler singing the song "Alouette", which I hadn't heard more than a time or two since my elementary school days. In a fit of nostalgia, I decided to look up the lyrics as I was pretty sure the young girl had gotten most of the words wrong.

Imagine my surprise when my investigation revealed that the song was about plucking feathers from a lark!! How did I not know this?

Gregg
5-15-12, 12:21pm
In browsing through an Irish pub cookbook (of all things) I found out that if you leave the cabbage out of colcannon and add a considerable amount of butter you have a dish called champ. I will sleep well tonight knowing that.

frugal-one
5-15-12, 4:12pm
I found that you can ripen bananas in a short time. Here's how:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/438439-how-to-ripen-bananas-in-an-oven/

This is something I will try soon since I want to make banana bread!

catherine
5-15-12, 4:19pm
I just learned that ALTERATIONIST is NOT a word.
(Auto correct catches it and it wasn't listed as a word on dictionary.com)

Who knew????
I've said that my whole life.



That's hilarious! It took me a minute to get it--I have never used the word alterationist... I guess it makes sense, though. I just call them tailors.

Now, my husband coined the word "gription" which is a combination of "grip" and "friction" as in, "my car tires have great gription"

domestic goddess
5-15-12, 4:35pm
I've learned a lot of things lately that I never really wanted or expected to learn in my lifetime. I guess it is true that life is what happens while you are making other plans.
For instance, I have recently learned:
1. about parole officers. Apparently some of them are not very nice, but the one who comes here has always been pleasant and courteous.
2. you can't take food gifts to prisoners. Apparently people hide all kinds of contraband in them.
3. You can't just send an inmate gifts. You can buy them at an exorbitant price from approved vendors, and they will ship them.
4. If you accidentally set of the sprinkler in your cell, you will spend time in isolation.

There are others, but they don't come to mind right now. Like I said, this is not really knowledge I ever wanted, and I hope I don't ever need to use it again. I'm not sure what other use I might be able to put it to, and I'm not sure I want to know. But there it is.
mtnlaurel, I wasn't aware that alterationist isn't a word. I've never used it, but I knew just what you were talking about. What about alterationer?

rosarugosa
5-15-12, 7:56pm
Oh no, DG! Maybe you'll use these details in a novel someday??? I hope the next several things you learn are all of the pleasant variety!

Alan: I never knew that either - what a strange topic for a child's song!

JaneV2.0
5-15-12, 10:23pm
I like gription! I'll try to remember it.

I made up "guffoo," which is like a snafu, only funnier.

Fawn
5-15-12, 11:52pm
Here are mine for the week:

You can fit an entire drum set in the back of a Honda Insite...or a Baritone Saxophone...but not both at the same time. :)

If you are making a Duct Tape Prom Dress, the cloth fabric next to the skin option is more comfortable than the "fabric" made of horizontal/vertical strips of Duct Tape.

It does not matter wha texpensive treats you buy for your cats, they will prefer the candy trash your teenager has left on the floor...and puke it up later.

cdttmm
5-16-12, 9:53am
Another interesting thing I learned recently:

There are dog ophthalmologists and I'm going to have the pleasure of meeting one soon. Because apparently the kitty cardiologist I met last year did not fill my lifetime quota for weird specialty vets I need to know. :0!

Oh, and one more thing I learned last week, having one's nose broken hurts. A lot. An experience I do not need to repeat. Ever.

Gardenarian
5-16-12, 4:32pm
Some things I have to learn over and over ...
A single 12 year girl is a sensible, responsible, sweet person. Two 12 year girls together are about as responsible as a six week old puppy.

morris_rl
5-16-12, 8:24pm
"Breathing while swimming may be accomplished by holding one's head out of the water."
U.S. Navy Bluejackets Manual, 1899 edition

:laff:


Best,


Rodger

loosechickens
5-17-12, 12:04am
"Some things I have to learn over and over ...
A single 12 year girl is a sensible, responsible, sweet person. Two 12 year girls together are about as responsible as a six week old puppy. " (Gardenarian)

-----------------------------------------------
that reminded me of a favorite saying my grandfather always said....

One boy's a boy......
Two boys are half a boy.....
Three boys are no boy at all.......

so sounds like that isn't gender linked, hahahaha

lizii
5-17-12, 4:28am
"Some things I have to learn over and over ...
A single 12 year girl is a sensible, responsible, sweet person. Two 12 year girls together are about as responsible as a six week old puppy. " (Gardenarian)

-----------------------------------------------
that reminded me of a favorite saying my grandfather always said....

One boy's a boy......
Two boys are half a boy.....
Three boys are no boy at all.......

so sounds like that isn't gender linked, hahahaha

I learned today that the word "alterationist" isn't a word!


'

JaneV2.0
5-17-12, 11:04am
I learned today that the word "alterationist" isn't a word!


'


It's a word. If enough people use it. it will make the dictionary. Usage drives legitimacy. IMO, neither "seamstress" (now there's a word that should be retired--it sounds like something out of Dickens) nor "tailor" are exact equivalents. I guess you could use "alterations technician" or "alterations specialist," but "alterationist" is more succinct.

Gregg
5-17-12, 11:38am
Or perhaps "fabric engineer".

Bastelmutti
5-17-12, 11:53am
I love "fabric engineer" - I was floored once to learn that the people who design pop-up books are called "paper engineers"!

Selah
5-18-12, 12:51am
Not to get political, but last week in my Hebrew classes (which is populated by 80% Russian speakers and 20% English speakers), I learned that a particular form of a Hebrew verb is pronounced "nasrallah." Our teacher explained that "Nasrallah" also happens to be the name of the current leader of Hezbollah--a combination of "Nasser" and "Allah." That wasn't noteworthy to me, but all the Russian speakers burst out laughing and couldn't stop. A student from St. Petersburg explained to us that in Russian, "nasrallah" means something like "a woman eliminates feces unexpectedly, in an inappropriate place!"

mtnlaurel
5-18-12, 7:39am
Not to get perverted, but.....

I was not familiar the term 'motorboating' until I read the recent article about the Galveston Constable sexual harrassment charges (link below)
http://austinist.com/2012/05/08/motorboat-gate_galveston_constable.php

As a buxom women myself, hubby and I have gotten a ton of mileage out of this HI-larious new nugget of info!

Selah
5-18-12, 9:18am
"Motorboating"?! Now I've learned TWO hilarious new things this week! Thanks, mtnlaurel!

Life_is_Simple
5-18-12, 4:08pm
There is a section on Reddit called "Today I Learned." The abbreviation is "TIL." Every subject starts out with "TIL..." as in "TIL that TIL stands for Today I Learned." :)

http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/

rosarugosa
5-18-12, 7:14pm
Selah: That is a riot - talk about something getting lost in translation! And to think there is a Russian word for that particularly set of circumstances!
MtnLaurel - Motorboating is a new one to me as well!

domestic goddess
5-19-12, 3:52pm
This has been kind of a hard week for lessons. I have learned:
1. that it is hard to be hundreds of miles away when a loved one has serious health issues.
2. that a urinary tract infection can truly make a senior citizen appear demented. My mother has been so completely out of it with this UTI (the first time something like this has happened), not remembering any of us, not remembering that she was married for 56 years, or had 2 children, that her siblings have pre-deceased her, having hallucinations, refusing to eat.There was a point at which I thought she would not survive this illness, and now it appears that she has been on the wrong antibiotic. She is back in the hospital, suffering from the same UTI as well as severe dehydration. The dehydration is improved now, they have finally done a urine c/s to determine the right antibiotic, and she is becoming more alert. So, if a senior in your life suddenly becomes confused, for no other apparent reason, have the dr. check for a UTI.
3. that kids will always want smoothies or popsicles made from things you don't have at the moment. This will mean a trip to the store and a firm idea of what you are willing to buy or you will have a buggy full of junque food.

rosarugosa
5-19-12, 8:44pm
DG: Good to know, our parents are in their seventies, so we need to be prepared for stuff like this. And I'm sorry that everything you're learning seems to be from the school of hard knocks lately. I wish you a lovely day with an interesting book and a cool drink in a hammock :)
May the next several things you learn be really FUN things (e.g. Domestic Goddess's inside scoop on best martinis, gourmet chocolates, amazing island getaways, etc)
We went on a hike this morning in search of lady slipper orchids (only to look at and photograph - and I might have talked to them just a little bit, but no touching or picking.) I think I will try to upload some of the pictures in my SLF profile. Anyway, they are kind of shy and it was a bit like a treasure hunt, but we saw a lot of them and I think we learned that they demand good drainage - they were almost always on an upslope, and that they like acidic soil, or at least they think evergreens are the coolest folks to hang out with. We only saw one that wasn't right near a pine or hemlock, and it was next to a downed, decomposing tree that might well have been a pine or a hemlock at one point. Fascinating stuff!

Fawn
5-21-12, 10:18am
Some things I have to learn over and over ...
A single 12 year girl is a sensible, responsible, sweet person. Two 12 year girls together are about as responsible as a six week old puppy.

Ha ha ha.

x 6 for two 13 year old boys. !Splat!