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28 Sep 2003
p. I like words. I like using them inventively and correctly, but I often need a lot of help. While I own several paper dictionaries and thesauruses (thesauri? I rest my case...), I'm a fan of the electronic versions because they obviate the need for that tedious trudge to the bookcase. Enter the new, free ["Nisus Thesaurus":http://www.nisus.com/Thesaurus/]; it's a neat little Cocoa application, with matching Services menu for quick lookup of words in other applications. Using it is pretty straightforward: you enter your word in the input box at the top, hit return, and wait for a plethora of synonyms to turn up. You get words that are similar to, opposite to, more general than, or more specific than the word you selected, and a definition of the word as well. It's all very neat, and seems to come with quite a decent database of words.
p. I was trying to think of a word to test it with, and for some reason came up with 'discombobulate'. An evil grin spread over my face--"That'll fox it" I thought. But it didn't. I even got two related definitions of discombobulate, including alternative words such as bemuse, bewilder, fox (ha!) and fuddle. In case you are curious, here are the definitions:
p. discombobulate (as in "bewilder") v. : cause to be confused emotionally
p. discombobulate (as in "confuse") v. : be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly: "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher"
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I like both these opposite sense words.
ThoughtBadger: I think if you yell, "combobulate!" at your kids, they will probably think you're attempting a Harry Potter-esque spell. Which--I agree--will probably impress them.
Mr. D.: I'm all in favour of mantling. Actually, there is another sense of mantle already: when birds of prey used in falconry are fed, they tend to open their wings partially while they are eating, which is called mantling (after the cloak, I assume). Perhaps 'mantle' should be reserved for those occasions when you realize that the Ikea furniture you have attempted to put together has the doors on the wrong way round. You then have to dismantle and then mantle it. All accompanied by much discombobulation and then combobulation. 
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Have you ever seen the Visual Thesaurus: http://www.visualthesaurus.com/online/index.html ? I think it may be a bit fussy about browsers etc but assuming it’ll work for you, I’d recommend it as a variation on a normal thesaurus which is improved by the use of technology rather than (as for too many other things) the reverse.
Hello, by the way. I found you via Google from your review of Belleville Rendez-vous (great film!).
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helenbr: It's funny you should mention that. I noticed a link to the Visual Thesaurus on Pete Boardman's weblog ( http://homepage.mac.com/pete.boardman/weblog/ ) the other day, and was completely entranced by it. I agree -- it's exactly what we should be doing with computers. It works under Safari, but the Java is a bit slow. I wonder if the Desktop version would be quicker? In either version, I could spend ages just following links and watching the language literally unfold.
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I always thought discombobulate was one of those invented nonsense words. Your news of its existance in a proper dictionary leads me to muse (as PG Wodehouse did on the existance of the word "gruntled") whether "combobulate" also exists.
Alas no. But they both should. Next time instead of "Settle down there!" I shall command "Combobulate!" That will surely impress my children.----- I want to use the word "mantle" as in build, not garment/piece of wood over the fireplace. Surely you must have mantled something before you can dismantle it?
by Mr.D. @ 29/09/2003 8:10 am • Permalink •