The Decoratum web site, championing 20th Century & Contemporary Design features an article on the most expensive antiques ever auctioned. Three of the top five come from 18th century China including a Ming dynasty gold tripod vessel selling for 9,397,905 British pounds (more than 14.4 million yankee dollars). Yes, once a dish is worth $14 million or more, it's called a vessel.The article goes on to explain: "As number 5 in the top 10 most expensive antiques ever auctioned it is also the most expensive piece of Chinese metalwork to ever have been auctioned." As there are no other examples of Chinese metalworks - or any metalworks - in the top five, I kind of regarded this as being entirely self-evident. But that's the modern western world for you, isn't it? Besides having more money than brains, we have a charming knack for using a whole lot of words to say nothing.
Source: A Dictionary of Words You Have Always Needed (1914) Gelett Burgess
Google hits: 1,040,000
Nonnock: an idle whim; a childish fancy. Connected, no doubt, with nonny: to trifle; to play the fool.
on a nonnock
I drove to town
on a nonnock
I fell down
on a nonnock
I leapt a building
in a single bound
(2007) by Barbsdad2003
Source: Vocabulary of East Anglia (1830) Rev. Robert Forby
Google hits: 6700
Nabbity: Short in stature though full grown, usually said of a diminutive female. Literally deriving from nab, as though one might snatch up this person as a bird nabs an insect!
Online dictionary of slang dictionaryupdate.com, defines nabbity as the quality of being a mendacious prick. It should probably have read possessing the quality... since nabbity is obviously a verb.
Wow. I'm really being critical today, aren't I? Oh, look at that, some jackass drew Gandalf and forgot the beard...
Source: Vocabulary of East Anglia (1830) Rev. Robert Forby
Google hits: 1,600,000
1 comment:
Wow, I had no idea so many weird words existed.
Shawn at Laughing at Life 2
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