A pulchritudinous, but still single, friend of mine had met a male of the species and was thinking of pursuing the acquaintanceship more seriously. I was having dinner with her one evening and she asked if this specimen could join us, so I said “Yes, of course.” Actually he turned out to be (a) very pleasant company, and (b) pretty senior management for … Dell Xiamen (Their main factory in China is in Xiamen).
During the course of the evening, pulchritudinous friend mentioned that I am an Apple user, and apart from saying that his only experience of Apple products was his iPod, Dell-manager opined that Apple only made consumer-level computers … so I set him right on that one.
Cut to a week later … pulchritudinous friend tells me Dell-manager wants to get in touch with me, because following our conversation, he has been browsing around and has decided to buy a MacBook and would like my advice on which one to get!
I love the idea of a Dell manager using a MacBook as his personal computer. Sadly, he says he doesn’t write much, or I’d do my best to get him on Scrivener too … Mind you, I don’t know if he’s bought the MacBook yet.
Jaysen, I am deeply to have to say you’ve lost me. Which of my words are odious to the tongue … pulchritudinous? acquaintanceship? Dell? …? Or perhaps all of them?
I was so stunned by pulchritudinous and the fact that it was in the OSX dictionary that I will admit that my reply was less than clear. The word of the day is pulchritudinous.
In true Jaysen fashion I tried to utilize my newly acquired vocabulary in an endearment with snort. “My dear you are more pulchritudinous with each passing day.” The result was less than stellar as I had to prove the meaning of the word. Thinking that the same trusted source of definition would satisfy, I showed her the entry in OSX. Her reply: “How do I know you did not modify the entry?” Stunned I went to Google and its “define:” directive. Feeling vindicated I was shocked to hear “You do this stuff for a living, prove you did not edit the results in the proxy filter.”
I think the part the causes confusion is the apparent similarity do “putrid” and possibly “lecherous” or “leperous”. It is clear that there is no real connection, but when heard out loud or read quickly I think the brain tries to make the connection. At least mine, the Mrs, and the daughditor’s did.
To all of you like Wock, vic-k and me who have reputations for … shall we say backhanded compliments … this word is DANGEROUS. I have the bruises to prove it. Use it at your own risk.
Mmm … I apologise for inducing bruises in your good self
As something of a polyglot, and a not-entirely-ashamed-to-admit product of a minor British public school where Latin filled a fair amount of my time, and of a superior British university … so my mind is somewhat full of such words! So I do not fear them, I’m afraid!
Edit: But do you not find the thought of a manager at Dell buying a MacBook for his personal use somewhat amusing?
Perhaps Keith would have something to say on that score in relation to the UK … but he’s getting out of it, or rather he’s getting out of London! I can’t work out if he’s going to be teaching down there in Cornwall … he doesn’t say.
As for me, I don’t regret learning Latin, and I don’t think my daughter did either – she’s not around for me to ask at the moment … on computer-free holiday in Brazil – but lots of people think it’s a waste of time. One of my fairly numerous mottos is “There’s no such thing as useless information” … that one goes along with “The day you stop learning is the day you grow old”.
So why not just find a way of taking up Latin if you really want to? I know having to help your kids with something is a way of learning more yourself, but you don’t have to have them.
Here the only languages that they “teach” are Americanized Mexican (which has more differences from Spanish spanish than US english from UK english) and Canadian French (which is still pretty close to French french).
My goal is Mandarin. I would take classes for that. After that Greek. Latin would be somewhere after that.
Your story reminds me of one that happened to me recently.
My Brother in Law is a real whiz tech kinda guy and him and his partner run a small IT company in Virginia. They both are also avid gamers and have all the latest and greatest tech toys. And of course its all about PC hardware and software blah blah blah Vista Ultimate blah blah blah.
Anyway about 6 months ago I was talking with them over the vast and wonderous internet and I of course mentioned how much I loathed Microsoft products and how I hate all the calls I get from friends and co workers who use Windoze machines.
Anyways, I always suggest Apple of course because of its excellent support and easy user friendly OS. And of course my Brother in Law and especially his business partner would give me hell about Apple. They would tout PC software solutions and hardware and blah blah blah blah. And of course they told me anyone that has any tech sense would never own Mac but rather Windoze machines blah blah blah.
Long story short my Brother in Law came down to visit the other week (we were at my in-laws) and I see him on a Mac Book Pro. I thought he was on mine and started giving him hell. I asked him with a very serious face why he was on my “toy” and how come he wasn’t on his fancy PC laptop.
To my surprise he told me that the Mac Book Pro was his. He bought it a few days ago and was loving it. He also pulled out an iPod touch (his wife bought him for an early fathers day present) and was busy talking me through all the features he liked about it.
I laughed a real hard laugh at the irony of the situation and then asked him had he told his business partner that he had turned “traitor” and had purchased a Mac.
He gave me a sheepish guilty look and told me his partner had also purchased a Mac Book Pro. They used VM Fusion with Vista Ultimate and now they were recomeending MAC hardware paired with VM Fusion to all their clients to migrate over from their PC environments towards Mac Environments. Because they could image the older PCs in VM Fusion the transition would be painless and productive for their clients.
They now are geting a few X Serves for their office and are recommending X Serves for small/medium business clients.
Oh how I howled with laughter. These guys were die hard PC users. Die hard.
In my neck of the woods we would not throw valuable tools like irons at folks, but instead we would grab the 12 gauge and let them know exactly how we felt.
I actually started a course (self taught) about 5 years ago and I know just enough to frustrate myself. I am being “forced” back to school for work and expect to make this an elective. no idea when that will happen though.
Im still learning english and that is my native language!
Well southern english is a tad different from the norm. And us southerners are easily distracted.
*Note: I purposely bastardize the english written language as much as possible. I do this because I am careless and care free. heheheheh Did I mention I can fly?
Listen to Northerners talk is funny. Especially if they are from around Boston.
“Put da dawg in de caw and gets my keys from the draw and I’ll meets yousguys outside.”
Hehe
Jaysen pass the ole’ shine my friend as we sit on these rockin chairs and watch the three legged hunting dog curse us in languages we don’t understand.
to have to say you’ve lost me. Which of my words are odious to the tongue … pulchritudinous? acquaintanceship? Dell? …? Or perhaps all of them?
