1. Gannon

    Gannon Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    3,975
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Manchester, England

    Word of The Day

    Discussion in 'Support & Feedback' started by Gannon, Jun 20, 2007.

    Dictionary.com offer a word of the day e.g.

    Dictionary.com/Word of the Day/agon

    and a daily updated link for sites etc.

    Dictionary.com

    Any chance of this getting added to the site?

    I already get in in my e-mail but thought it might be of interest to the site. Possibly encourage creative use of that word daily / sentence containing that word?

    What do you think?
     
  2. Crazy Ivan

    Crazy Ivan New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2006
    Messages:
    1,291
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    The dumpster behind your McDonalds.
    So does my favorite, merriam-webster online.
    http://www.m-w.com/
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 19, 2007
    Messages:
    36,161
    Likes Received:
    2,827
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    I like it. Our weekly Toastmasters International meeting does that as well, at the beginning of each meeting. The Wordmaster for the week presents the word, defines it, and keeps count of how many times it is used during the meeting.

    I don't know how much of that would be adaptable to a forum like this, but with the importance of vocabulary in a writer's toolbox, I would like to see something of the sort.

    The trickiest aspect of a word of the day, as I see it, is conveying not only the denotation, or literal dictionary meaning, but also the connotation, the shades of meaning that a word carries along with it.
     
  4. Raven

    Raven Banned

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2006
    Messages:
    9,751
    Likes Received:
    72
    Location:
    The NetherWorld
    I'll check it out, and see what Daniel says.
     
  5. Gannon

    Gannon Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    3,975
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Manchester, England
    Great, thanks for following up Raven.
     
  6. WhispWillow

    WhispWillow New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Messages:
    441
    Likes Received:
    18
    Location:
    Neither here nor there
    Actually, i think something even better would be quote of the day, e.g a quote from a novel

    edit: ya really.
     
  7. Banzai

    Banzai One-time Mod, but on the road to recovery Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2007
    Messages:
    12,834
    Likes Received:
    151
    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I think that's a good idea, but is there an appliction capable of doing that automatically, or would the quote have to be changed manually?
     
  8. WhispWillow

    WhispWillow New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Messages:
    441
    Likes Received:
    18
    Location:
    Neither here nor there
    Manually would be a heavy task wouldn't it! :eek:

    I would say there is an application to do it automatically

    Anyway sorry to take over this topic, I'll make my own :p
     
  9. Daniel

    Daniel I'm sure you've heard the rumors Founder Staff

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,815
    Likes Received:
    696
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    I've thought about getting a
    quote of the day" feature but haven't gotten to it yet.

    Alternatively, we could have the word of the day feature.

    Either way it would probably be from another site (or I could acquire a database). I could probably fairly easily get a word of the day, but it would be like the exactly word as dictionary.com.

    Thoughts?
     
  10. Banzai

    Banzai One-time Mod, but on the road to recovery Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2007
    Messages:
    12,834
    Likes Received:
    151
    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I'm in favour of it. Even if it is the same as dictionary.com, it helps build vocabulary, with some obscure words.
     
  11. Gannon

    Gannon Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    3,975
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Manchester, England
    Obviously I'm in favour - if it's plausable, and Lpspider agrees.
     
  12. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 19, 2007
    Messages:
    36,161
    Likes Received:
    2,827
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    If we do this, it may be worthwghile if our eagle-eyed members watch for and mention spelling variations between different dialects of English, and perhaps any special connotations that the dictionary definition does not make clear, such as a word being very often used to imply a degree of sarcasm. These shades of meaning make the difference between just using obscure words and painting subtly shaded word pictures.
     
  13. Torana

    Torana Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2007
    Messages:
    9,639
    Likes Received:
    131
    I think it would be a wonderful idea and I agree with Cogito.
     
  14. Raven

    Raven Banned

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2006
    Messages:
    9,751
    Likes Received:
    72
    Location:
    The NetherWorld
    I think its worth a go. And a good idea.
     
  15. Penned Down

    Penned Down New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2007
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    I like the idea of a word a day.

    I already do a quote a day on myspace and people seem to enjoy it.
     
  16. Banzai

    Banzai One-time Mod, but on the road to recovery Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2007
    Messages:
    12,834
    Likes Received:
    151
    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I just thought I'd nudge this to see what's happening with it, since it's a good idea. Any progress?
     
  17. Myst

    Myst Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2007
    Messages:
    664
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    The streets of the sky
    Where exactly would the word be shown?
     
  18. Banzai

    Banzai One-time Mod, but on the road to recovery Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2007
    Messages:
    12,834
    Likes Received:
    151
    Location:
    Reading, UK
    I was thinking on the home page, somewhere near the top, perhaps?
     
  19. Gannon

    Gannon Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    3,975
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Manchester, England
    I'd like it to come with a thread so that we can post example phrases of our own using the word.
     
  20. Banzai

    Banzai One-time Mod, but on the road to recovery Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2007
    Messages:
    12,834
    Likes Received:
    151
    Location:
    Reading, UK
    Actually, that's a very good idea, Gannon. That way it would have some practical and creative use.
     
  21. Bick

    Bick New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    26
    Location:
    St. Louis, Mo
    I think it'd be cool, maybe we could learn some new words.
     
  22. Daniel

    Daniel I'm sure you've heard the rumors Founder Staff

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,815
    Likes Received:
    696
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    I like the idea, but currently any rss feed that has the word of the day that I can find simply clutters up the site (because the provider requires a link/description back to their site). This simply clutters it up to much.

    I'll try to keep this on the "wish list" but for now I'm going to have to say no, for the above reason. One solution would be for me to establish my own site with a word database, but that might be more work that it's worth. :p
     
  23. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 19, 2007
    Messages:
    36,161
    Likes Received:
    2,827
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Today's word:

    per·e·gri·na·tion Pronunciation[per-i-gruh-ney-shuhn]
    –noun 1. travel from one place to another, esp. on foot.
    2. a course of travel; journey.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    [Origin: 1425–75; late ME peregrinacioun (< MF peregrinacion) < L peregrīnātiōn- (s. of peregrīnātiō) a traveling abroad. See peregrinate, -ion]


    —Synonyms 1, 2. trip, excursion, expedition.

    Reference:
    peregrination. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved June 24, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: peregrination - Definitions from Dictionary.com
     
  24. Gannon

    Gannon Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Messages:
    3,975
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Manchester, England
    Thanks Lp and Cogito - are we allowed to copy and paste the dictionary.com WOTD in this manner though? Wouldn't want any one getting into trouble, either on this site, or with dictionary.com?
     
  25. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 19, 2007
    Messages:
    36,161
    Likes Received:
    2,827
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    This should be covered under fair usage, and I was careful to cite the reference. If this is a concern, though, submitters could give theri own definitions after looking up the word in multiple sources.

    Daniel, do you have any concerns with this? Or should we just scrap the individual contributions as too risky?
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice