Word useage

[gopher65]

So I was reading the Bad Astronomy Blog today and I came across a post with a link to this: http://www.rinkworks.com/words/confused.shtml

I didn't even know Adjure, Luxuriant, Flack, Sanguinary, Peccant, Insolate, or Chaff were words, and although I knew the meanings of "Discrete and Discreet", I didn't know they were spelt differently. Opps.

I think most of the people on this forum (and all others) could stand to take a good long look at that page, and other pages like it.

I think I'll try to find a page that specifies the uses of simpler words like "There, Their, and They're" as well.

[Lunhilde]

kthx

I know I have gotten lazy in my old age when it comes to online acronyms, but yes, bad grammar and wrong words irritate me too.

And it's spelled "Oops".

/bonk!

[gopher65]

And it's spelled "Oops".

/bonk!

Hahahahahahaha

[Fratricide]

Now you know... someone will just have to come up with a post that utilizes several of these words.

[Velea]

I'll take that challenge... and basically in order no less. (Though some may question if I use each word exactly right, I'll at least try.)

I abjure all association with those who post on the rants forum. I adjure all who would consider posting here to resist.


I've adopted a stance that is difficult to resist, however. My adoptive mother would disown me if she knew I was writing this.


I am averse to continuing at this time, but for maximum effect, I feel I must continue. I hope that you don't find this post adverse, however. If it affects you poorly... well, it's the rant section, so you just have to deal.


If saying so aggravates the situation, then I suppose you can tell me I'm being annoying. But I would refer you to the forum title and point out that it is my right. It might make someone anxious if I were to allude to the reason I'm writing this in the first place, so I won't point fingers.


If you find yourself eager for the post to end, each sentence chafing more than the other, well, too bad. Those who know me will realize that I only make the post to chaff.


In fact, it is a compliment to Fratricide that I'm taking the time to write this at all, because I respect his "challenge" greatly. Though at this point, I have to confess that I'm asking my husband, the man who complements me so well, for some help because I'm feeling that I'm babbling.


The continuous nature of this post prevents me from giving up at this point. If I did, you'd say that it was continual instead. I can't even take a break for dessert! Feels like I'm stuck in a desert in great discomfort wishing for some ice cream.


Unfortunately by now I'm experiencing such deep distress, I feel so discomfited by the depth and breadth of the words on that page that I am going to make a discreet exit and return later.


(And worry not, I will be back.)

[gopher65]

heh
6543210(character useage)

[Frith-Rae]

so what does it say about me that I already knew about those words??

[gopher65]

That you are a strange, strange, (wo)man.

Who owns a dictionary. And maybe even a thesaurus.

[Lunhilde]

omg. Speaking of thesauras-es (thesaurasi?) ... people who use them to replace every other word so they look intelligent, but half the time the 'synonym' is being used wrong. Drives. Me. Insane.

I also throw in, people who refer to eyes as orbs during RP. STOP IT. THEY ARE NOT ORBS. THEY ARE EYES.

[Whysp]

Sure they're "orbs". Of course, so're mammary glands, according to some of the roleplayers I've watched. And eyes are also "glimmering windows to the soul". And hair is "flowing waterfalls of auburn tresses." It can be fun to watch people try to describe their characters. It also makes me giggle when they try to extend their descriptive posts every time they make an action, as if it'd make the scene more enjoyable to wait ten minutes for a ten second action.

Remember, people, in text RP "waves a hand dismissively" is just as effective as "lifts her delicate, bejeweled hand. She waves it absently, allowing the perfumed smoke of the room to swirl around her elegant fingers, kissing the laquered nails, as if caressing a beloved treasure. She then slowly lowers her hand, no longer paying attention to the one that lost her favor."

Of course, then there's me. My main character on another game is described as "Plain but interesting looking." This was done in part to counteract all the princes, princesses, kings, queens, and otherwise breathtakingly attractive characters crammed into the same space. I like to stand out, and in roleplay that usually means NOT being the most beautiful person in the realm, NOT being a lost heir to the throne, and NOT owning magnificently rare items/weapons.

I also tend to use smaller words, if for no other reason than so that those I roleplay with actually know what I'm talking about.

[gopher65]

This was done in part to counteract all the princes, princesses, kings, queens, and otherwise breathtakingly attractive characters crammed into the same space. I like to stand out, and in roleplay that usually means NOT being the most beautiful person in the realm, NOT being a lost heir to the throne, and NOT owning magnificently rare items/weapons.

When I read a fantasy book I sometimes boggle at the number of beautiful queens and princesses and princes and kings and duchesses and the like. In real life royalty is more often than not inbreed and ugly. That doesn't happen in fantasy unless they are the bad guy.

[Whysp]

When I read a fantasy book I sometimes boggle at the number of beautiful queens and princesses and princes and kings and duchesses and the like. In real life royalty is more often than not inbreed and ugly. That doesn't happen in fantasy unless they are the bad guy.

And even then, sometimes they're only ugly in that their beauty is alien, ethereal, or otherwise unconventional.

[Lunhilde]

A char description: "Appears to have not been beaten to near death with a thesaurus."

Sometimes I don't mind people getting a little descriptive, but only if it is important to character or storyline. If later on the smell of a certain lady' perfume lingered about a corpse, then hey, her perfumed hand makes sense. But of course no one ever shafts themselves quite that grandly in RP.

Yes, queens, princesses, possessed by demons, half vampires, born of a family of ninjas... It's so hard to be original these days!

[Whysp]

Sometimes I don't mind people getting a little descriptive, but only if it is important to character or storyline. If later on the smell of a certain lady' perfume lingered about a corpse, then hey, her perfumed hand makes sense. But of course no one ever shafts themselves quite that grandly in RP.

Bwe-hehehe. Now there's something to consider being able to do in an MMO. A feature to allow framing someone for the murder of an NPC.

Yes, queens, princesses, possessed by demons, half vampires, born of a family of ninjas... It's so hard to be original these days!

My personal favorite was the time I met someone playing the long-lost twin sibling of the heir to the Fairy Court throne, who was also turned into a vampire and possessed by demons while owning a series of weapons that were either made of "pure" precious metals (which are usually too soft to do any real damage), encrusted with gemstones (In the times these RPs were supposedly taking place, gems were put to much better use as decorative embellishments on the clothing or dress armor of the rich, or as ingredients in alchemy), made of a single gemstone (a rare thing indeed, to have a 2 Handed Claymore with a blade made of a single, flawless diamond), or laced with some part of a mythical creature. A (pure) silver lyre strung with unicorn hair comes to mind.

[Khetienn]

...long-lost twin sibling of the heir to the Fairy Court throne, who was also turned into a vampire and possessed by demons while owning a series of weapons...

*boggles at the character*

Was it's hair some shade of blonde, too, perchance? Because, with that list, I can't really see anything other than "hair of spun gold" or, possibly, "light-absorbing black hair" to go with that description.

...a demon-possessed vampire? Isn't that going to be a bit contradictory? how does a vamp get possessed, anyway? Aren't they (mostly) dead to begin with?

[Whysp]

*boggles at the character*

Was it's hair some shade of blonde, too, perchance? Because, with that list, I can't really see anything other than "hair of spun gold" or, possibly, "light-absorbing black hair" to go with that description.

...a demon-possessed vampire? Isn't that going to be a bit contradictory? how does a vamp get possessed, anyway? Aren't they (mostly) dead to begin with?

To be honest, I never asked. Reading that description was kinda a red flag. And chances are the demonic possesion would've canceled any weaknesses in the vampiric nature. And I think the hair was blonde, if not silver. You'd be surprised how long I tend to people-watch and description read before I'll actually initiate a roleplay with someone.

[Frith-Rae]

I also throw in, people who refer to eyes as orbs during RP. STOP IT. THEY ARE NOT ORBS. THEY ARE EYES.

OMG YOU TOO??!!!

I HATE THAT!!

and its not just orbs its OCCULAR ORBS!!

NO MORE OCCULAR ORBS!!

[Henry Redacre]

That's why I play the "average citizen" whenever I do get around to RPing (which isn't too often). I typically don't get heavily into it, mainly because, well, my character is Henry. He builds stuff. Occasionally, he doesn'ty get himself killed when he's trying to kill something else. He's not a hero, he's not a ***, he's not a prince, king, or otherwise. If anything, he's a peasant. He isn't terribly educated, he isn't massively muscled (in fact, he's got a bit of a gut), he doesn't own the shiniest or rarest of equipment, and most of the time, he doesn't even really know what he's doing, other than trying to make it through his day.

His name is Henry, and he just works. He is the every-man in a world full of heroes and royalty.

EDIT
Oh, and he doesn't have ORBS. He's got eyes, lookers, or peepers.

[tramsan]

Here, gopher, this could be a start: http://www.cgl.uwaterloo.ca/~csk/its.html

[tramsan]

And while we're on the subject... It's spelled "usage"