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The Little Adventure
Jul. 13th, 2012 07:59 amThis is delightful. (Warning: it makes a noise.) I have left my design playing while typing, and it's quite soothing. Which was good, because I needed soothing after this. It made me dizzy. (Warning: it also makes a noise.)
This week's random word:
11. Nigh
It means 'near', obviously. The end is nigh; it's well-nigh impossible. That sort of thing. The comparative form is nigher and the superlative is nighest, which are two words I've never actually heard used. Perhaps try using them in conversation today. 'Could you pass the salt, please? It's nigher to you than me.'
Something else I've never heard before, although apparently it can be done: nigh used as a verb, the same as near can be. Perhaps you're eager to get home as the end of the working day nighs; perhaps you get hungry as dinner-time is nighing; perhaps you grew sleepy as sunset nighed.
Also: controversy! Nigh refers to a side. But, and this is where the controversy comes in, the sources I checked are in disagreement about what side. Some are very firm that nigh means left, as in 'pull on the nigh side rein to turn the carriage, Trevor'. Others insist that nigh refers to the passenger side of a vehicle, closest to the kerb, rather than the driver's side. So for those of us who drive on the left, the nigh side is indeed on the left; for those who drive on the right, the nigh side is the right. So if your carriage horse bolts in Australia but your driver is Canadian, don't mention the nigh side rein at all. Best to avoid confusion.
Next week: Marjoram
This week's random word:
11. Nigh
It means 'near', obviously. The end is nigh; it's well-nigh impossible. That sort of thing. The comparative form is nigher and the superlative is nighest, which are two words I've never actually heard used. Perhaps try using them in conversation today. 'Could you pass the salt, please? It's nigher to you than me.'
Something else I've never heard before, although apparently it can be done: nigh used as a verb, the same as near can be. Perhaps you're eager to get home as the end of the working day nighs; perhaps you get hungry as dinner-time is nighing; perhaps you grew sleepy as sunset nighed.
Also: controversy! Nigh refers to a side. But, and this is where the controversy comes in, the sources I checked are in disagreement about what side. Some are very firm that nigh means left, as in 'pull on the nigh side rein to turn the carriage, Trevor'. Others insist that nigh refers to the passenger side of a vehicle, closest to the kerb, rather than the driver's side. So for those of us who drive on the left, the nigh side is indeed on the left; for those who drive on the right, the nigh side is the right. So if your carriage horse bolts in Australia but your driver is Canadian, don't mention the nigh side rein at all. Best to avoid confusion.
Next week: Marjoram