Several Words of interest for Today

St Bernard courtest Pixabay.com
@pgiblett (6524)
Canada
January 12, 2016 9:08am CST
Having opened the page this morning I didn't find one single word to sink my teeth into, instead there were a variety of different ones, so I thought I would share: St Bernard - A breed of very large dog originally used by monks at the hospice in the Great St Bernard pass to rescue travellers who got into trouble. St Elmo's Fire - A luminous discharge that appears on a ship or aircraft during a storm. Saracen - 1. An Arab or Muslim soldier at the time of the crusades. 2) A nomad of the Syrian desert at the time of the Romans. Sarsen - A sandstone boulder of the type used at Stonehenge Sarsenet = A fine silk fabric. The origin is old French perhaps from sarzin or Saracen cloth. Source today is from the Oxford Compact English Dictionary one of the five dictionaries I have close at hand.
26 people like this
22 responses
@LadyDuck (470445)
• Switzerland
12 Jan 16
Now it's no more the monks who take care of the St Bernard dogs, but the foundation Barry.
4 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
@LadyDuck Are they in danger?
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
I thought that was the case and a wonderful job they do as well.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (470445)
• Switzerland
12 Jan 16
@pgiblett It would be a shame to see those wonderful dogs disappear.
2 people like this
@just4him (317012)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Jan 16
Thank you for the words for today. I even learned something I didn't know from all of them.
4 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
That was the idea, they just seemed ordinary words when I was looking.
4 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
@just4him Yes it is all true.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317012)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Jan 16
@pgiblett I've seen a lot of cartoons and such about St. Bernards rescuing people, I didn't know it was based in fact. I found that very interesting.
4 people like this
• Preston, England
13 Jan 16
Sarcen and Sarcanet are the only new words to me here but dictionaries and definitions are always fascinating
3 people like this
• Preston, England
14 Jan 16
@pgiblett I do similar from my study of idioms though not posted one for a while now - I'll make amends to that soon
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
A long time ago I developed the habit of spending 10 minutes a day opening the dictionary at random and seeking to improve my understanding of words, either enhancing my knowledge of known words or adding to my vocabulary. That is one reason for sharing.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
14 Jan 16
@arthurchappell That sounds good - I would certainly be interested in reading some. P.S. what someone said on another post saying you should shut up and run your karaoke I thought was a bit out of order.
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Jan 16
Dictionaries are always a great way to learn new things Peter. I am partial to the Oxford. Thanks for sharing these facts with us.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
It is my pleasure. One thing I notice is that each of these words gave us a mini story
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
@TiarasOceanView I shall be adding some every few days.
3 people like this
• United States
12 Jan 16
@pgiblett It really does Peter, there is so much information to be gleaned from a good dictionary. You picked good ones here. I did not know all of them.
3 people like this
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
13 Jan 16
Your 'wordy' posts, reminded me that as a child, from a fairly poor family with no spare cash to buy books, my dad was given a set of encyclopedias, which became my reading matter in between the odd Enid Blyton gift...though I could never have admitted it to friends, with little interest in reading more than a comic... a memory jogger!
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
@Auntylou They are good as well.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
I also came from a poor family, but we were encouraged to buy 1 book a month. So I have always been interested in reading.
3 people like this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
13 Jan 16
@bookbar. We used to have some rather ancient encyclopedias, they offered all sorts of weird and wonderful facts!
3 people like this
@Gamic01 (88)
• Laguna, Philippines
13 Jan 16
Got reminded again here! That is never forget to learn new things in a day! Thanks @pgiblett
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
My pleasure to assist.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
@Gamic01 We must never stop learning.
3 people like this
• Laguna, Philippines
13 Jan 16
@pgiblett I always think of doing that as a learning process but ended up doing so after a couple of days.
3 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
13 Jan 16
I remember a movie of the same title St. Elmo's fire . It was a nice movie actually . It's nice to know what it's actual meaning is .
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
Happy to help.
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I think we had the only mean St Bernard in the world in our neighborhood when I was growing up.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
Interesting.
3 people like this
• United States
12 Jan 16
I don't think, no I know, I don't own one dictionary.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
Why not, it is a great book, one with thousands of stories about words.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill I am simply not keen on them.
2 people like this
• United States
12 Jan 16
@pgiblett Well, I have access to all the dictionaries I want online.
3 people like this
@lokisdad (4226)
• United States
23 Jan 16
I havent seen a st.bernard in a long time. I think they are cool looking because they are so big and then at the same time that is a problem.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
23 Jan 16
According to @LadyDuck they are now an endangered species.
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
23 Jan 16
@LadyDuck Oh I understand that many modern homes are too small for them (especially apartments).
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470445)
• Switzerland
23 Jan 16
@pgiblett @lokisdad They were an endangered species because they are so big and they cannot live in confined spaces. They are strong dogs and are trained to find and help people lost in the snowy mountains. We call them "the mountain angels".
2 people like this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
So that is what St Elmo's fire is all about. Hmm!
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
Yes.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
The dog is the only one I knew. The st Elmo's fire I thought was a movie. The others I never heard of so thanks for making me learn today...
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
St Elmos Fire was a film, not that I remember seeing it. Happy to be of some assistance.
2 people like this
@Elizaby (6902)
• Pensacola, Florida
13 Jan 16
I knew St Bernards were used as rescue dogs in the Alps and the other words were quite interesting
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
The purpose to help people learn new words, did you know there are more than a million English words?
3 people like this
@Elizaby (6902)
• Pensacola, Florida
13 Jan 16
@pgiblett Yes and news words are added every year
3 people like this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
12 Jan 16
Interesting information. One of my sons used to study the dictionary.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
I think it is a much under-read book.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
17 Jan 16
When we were younger we read the dictionary for fun.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
18 Jan 16
I still read it for fun - there are so many small stories in it.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
12 Jan 16
yes,we love the dogs.Thank you for the rest there
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
They are good aren't they?
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Jan 16
I knew about St. Bernards and St. Elmos fire was a movie (but wasn't sure about the actual definition) and the others I never heard of. Dont' know if I should be embarrassed to even admit it
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
15 Jan 16
Don't worry I don't think many people knew the meaning,
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
12 Jan 16
The last three words are new to me. Doubt whether I will ever use them but hey!
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
That was the luck of the day, interesting words but none to stretch the vocabulary on a daily basis.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26632)
• Singapore
12 Jan 16
Only St Bernard is familiar - the last three can be confusing, quite similar sounding but with quite different meanings - so I rather look for the meaning when needed! siva
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
I have heard of St Elmo's fire, but have to say that I had not seen it defined before. The last three are clearly related and a little specialist in nature.
3 people like this
• United States
14 Jan 16
St. Bernards are so cute. I love the big, fluffy dogs. :-)
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
14 Jan 16
I am not a dog lover but of all the dogs they are one breed that I like.
1 person likes this