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metaphors

Off the peg thoughts

A fine metaphor for a mind incapable of original thought or phrasing. The lady has a stock of ready-made comments...

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Gartless

This doesn't seem common - the internet tries to force me to accept 'heartless'. But it's in a children's classic...

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Polynya

Polynya refers to a ‘stretch of open water surrounded by ice, especially in Arctic seas’ or ‘large areas of persistent...

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Upirnaagiit

An Eskimo term for early Western visitors. As ships came in the spring the better to explore and exploit to...

a quote to note, metaphors

Towing a sinking ship with a canoe

A clear portrayal of something being unequal to the task, Thoreau uses this maritime metaphor to describe words which strike...

metaphors

Plump with meaning

When there is substance behind them, the most ordinary words acquire meaning, and so satisfy the senses as ripe nuts...

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Roucouler

The second syllable has the clue, here is how to bill and coo...

This soft word can mean to whisper...

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Duffer

Still on the theme of daft or stupid, as in 'Don't be a duffer', though not current. It seems to...

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Trim, trig and tickety-boo

Came across the upright word 'trig' in another of Arthur Ransome's charming children's adventure stories, Winter Holiday, which I read...

collective nouns

Boars

‘A singular of boars’ – a singular collective noun if ever I saw one.

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Catspaw

Seems to be a type of wind, quite distinct from the more common term of ‘cat’s paw’ which refers to...

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Isumataq

Barry Lopez' masterful Arctic Dreams gave me an inkling of a richly philosophical seam in the Eskimo language. If you...

Off the peg thoughts

Gartless

Polynya

Upirnaagiit

Towing a sinking ship with a canoe

Plump with meaning

Roucouler

Duffer

Trim, trig and tickety-boo

Boars

Catspaw

Isumataq

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