Word of the Week
Created | Updated Apr 16, 2003
In the dim dark recesses of h2g2 history before we moved lock, stock and barrel to our new BBC home there used to be a front page feature The h2g2 Word of the Day. It was a way to highlight some of the lesser occurring or largely obscurer words in the English language. Sadly this feature was discontinued.
Until now...
Word for the Week
This weeks word is a medical term so you can look a little knowledgeable next time you visit the doctors with a pain in the neck. It was originally submitted as a possible inclusion in word of the day by wingpig on 16 Nov 1999. Unfortunately wingpig hasn't been seen on site at all this millennium but his word has finally made it. Looking at his home page I might very well pass him every day as he appears to be from the Edinburgh area. It is pure chance that I should pick his word, interconnectiveness of all things. Where is Dirk Gently when you need him?
Sternocledomastoid
n. The muscle passing beneath the clavicle (collarbone) linking the
sternum and jawbone.
From the Archive
This week in our look at the word for the day archive I'm giving you the A-Z or at least the first and last entries alphabetically in the list. The first is something most researchers will see every day without thinking about and the other is something that most of them dream about at times.
Aglet
n. A metal or plastic tube fixed tightly round each end of a
shoelace.
Not only does this have the honour of topping the old list but it also has an edited guide entry by Paranoid Android. It was suggested for inclusion into word of the day by PenGwen on 16 September 1999 along with a whole host of other words. However this is far from being the first word in most dictionaries. This honour goes to Aardvarks which also has an edited entry.
Zymurgy
n. The study or practice of fermentation in brewing, winemaking, or
distilling.
The last word, literally in most dictionaries, was recommended by zb on 24 November 1999 as being absolutely vital if you want to have the last word. Interestingly it recently resurfaced in the Having the Last Word thread on Ask H2G2. Surprisingly despite the great interest in beer on the site only one researcher Researcher 39836 has a reference to Zymurgy on their
space. Sadly 39836 was one of the early researchers at the very start of
h2g2 history and left after only a couple of posts so we cannot ask how his zymurgical product tastes. Maybe you might find it on draft at one of the hostelries on site.
How can you contribute?
- Go and check out words in the archive to
avoid duplication. - Check out the discussion threads and nominate a word that you feel was overlooked before discontinuation.
- Suggest a new word or your forgotten word in the word of the week archive
conversation.
