h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A492996
This is an entry on various meanings of the word "Well". Because I wrote it, and because I am pretty vain, I think the entry is worth reading. So read and enjoy and tell me that you liked it. If you don't like it, tell me as well so I can improve the entry.
Cheers, Yelbakk

Oh, there you are! I was about to post this entry here as well.
To make myself unmistakably clear, my comment reads: Very goodly done!
I'm quite sure this conversation won't hang around here for long. Just wait for some scout who hasn't yet used up his quota for recommending entries, and .

_______

How about feedback exchange? Bet there /is/ anything around here that YOU can comment on!

The sentence that starts "In that situation.....{in A}....and you being what we are.....
should say "and you being what you are"
I will have to post this & continue tomorrow as I am about to lose my internet connection, I do apologize.
I will return.
GB

In "C" Pet Iguanas are qick learners, "quick" is the correct spelling.

Another definition of "well", not touched upon here, is the
"As ~well~ as can be expected" which is the pat answer given out by hospitals, upon your enquiring after a relative's health {if it were a friend you wouldn't even get that much information}.
What exactly does that "well" mean? Is it good, or bad? After all, if they were "well" they wouldn't be in hospital would they?
Then there's the opposite of the hospital "well" the "Get WELL Soon" Card...presumably meant to aid recouperation from an illness or operation.
"Wishing you well" must be very confusing especially if you can hear the ward sister telling some unknown friend/relative on the phone "they are as well as can be expected"..and if it's confusing for English speakers, how do foreigners cope, I wonder?

Although I like the article a lot, I think there are one or two meanings you've left out. Also, I wonder if you should start with the conventional meanings and move on to the more interesting ones.

Collins English Dictionary has this to say of one meaning and there a further 10 variations on the well meaning hole in the ground:

well adv. better, best. 1. (often used in combination) in a satisfactory manner: the party went very well. 2. (often used in combination) in a good, skilful, or pleasing manner: she plays the violin well. 3. in a correct or careful manner: listen well to my words. 4. in a comfortable or prosperous manner: to live well. 5. (usually used with auxilaries) suitably, fittingly: you can't very well say that. 6. intimately: I knew him well. 7. in a kind or favourable manner: she speaks well of you. 8. to a great or considerable extent; fully: to be well informed. 9. by a considerable margin: let me know well in advance. 10. (preceded by could, might or may) indeed: you may well have to do it yourself. 11. all very well. used ironically to express discontent, dissent, etc. 12. as well. a. in addition; too. b. (preceded by may or might) with equal effect: you might as well come. 13. as well as. in addition to. 14. (just) as well. preferable or advisable: it would be just as well if you paid me now. 15. leave well (enough) alone. to refrain from interfering with something that is satisfactory. 16. well and good. used to indicate calm acceptance, as of a decision: if you accept my offer, well and good. ~adj. (usually postpositive) 17. (when prenomial, usually used with a negative) in good health: I'm very well, thank you; he's not a well man. 18. satisfactory, agreeable, or pleasing. 19. prudent; advisable: it would be well to make no comment. 20. prosperous or comfortable. 21. fortunate or happy: it is well that you agreed to go. ~interj. 22. a. an expression of surprise, indignation, or reproof. b. an expression of anticipation in waiting for an answer or remark. ~sentence connector. 23. an expression used to preface a remark; gain time, etc.: well, I don't think I will come.

First of all, thank you for all your comments. As for the incorrect spelling, I appologize. The *qick* and the *we* have been corrected. As for the huge bulk of "wells" from Collins English Dictionary, I shall think about how to fit that into the article, and I will also consider re-arranging the paragraphs. And I loved the bit about hospitals
Thanks, again, to all of you

Yelbakk

First of all, thank you for all your comments. As for the incorrect spelling, I appologize. The *qick* and the *we* have been corrected. As for the huge bulk of "wells" from Collins English Dictionary, I shall think about how to fit that into the article, and I will also consider re-arranging the paragraphs. And I loved the bit about hospitals
Thanks, again, to all of you

Yelbakk

And my computer only knows why in the name of all that is tasteful the above message came in twice?

It's the site, not your computer, dear!
There's's in full force today!!

don't press the 'Post Message' button again after the progress bar starts growing. Transmit goes first, any further data traffic is the feedback from the site, which you might not need at all.
If you want to check whether your posting made it to the server then *copy*, not press, the link starting with 'Click here to return..' into another browser window! hey presto - see, your posting is there.

OK, I re-arranged bits of the article, and I added some dictionary definitions.
Hope you see the difference

Yelbakk

I would have reacted quite similarly to one of the postings above, and also have gone for /all/ the meanings But it reads difficult, and you could well put the 23 meanings into a footnote.

Or another way:
"Collins Dictionary features no fewer than 23 meanings of 'well', like 1. ....., 2. ...., 3. .... . The other 20 meanings can be found in this . However, CED just omits all the ..."

UPPERCASE HEADERS are somewhat difficult to read.

Finally, in "Well as a hole in the ground" There's a reference to 'Para F' which isn't 'F' anymore, but is the previous para.

I repeat myself: goodly done!

Oh, Bossel, what would I do without YOU...

You're right, it WAS difficult to read, and your suggestion about putting the dictionary definitions into a footnote was just the sort of help I'm looking for.

Although I don't think the uppercase headers were a hindrance, I changed them, anyway.

Thanks again

Yelbakk

Well well

Wow, cool thing: I managed to link up one of the footnotes, which may make it easier to navigate through the article. I may do that will all the footnotes. Thanks to HenryS, if he's reading this. I copied the technique from him...

Yelbakk

And I think now it's time for the harder part of submitting entries: waiting for a scout with some recommending ammo left in his gun, err, keyboard!

Very well!

Er...you copied what from me?
The <A NAME business?

I think you dont need to do that to link to a footnote direct from the article - you can use the same link as guideml uses -
just #footnote1 instead of #footnote_1.

Good article btw

Well, I only learned how to do footnotes today, and I put them into two articles of mine. The footnotes numbered themselves. I must say I wish I'd learned them before I did my very first entry...
Well, you live & learn, don't you?

I like the article, the title gives me cause to ponder - the subject is "Well", and to me this should come first, otherwise we are going to have a Guide full of entries from the Encyclopedia Britanicca and other places that start "The..". This of course would probably make indexing easier as you would only need to have an index for the letter "T".