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| Thread ID: 66233 | 2006-02-15 22:24:00 | An English word definition | Greg (193) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 430687 | 2006-02-15 22:24:00 | Have any of you used or come across the word "pontify"? I was wanting to use it in a sentence, but when I went to double-check it's meaning, couldn't find it in either my favourite online dictionary (http://dictionary.reference.com/) or Oxford's Concise. The meaning, to me, is: to go on about; to elaborate on; to sing the praises of; to make something/someone seem better than expected. Am I right, or is this just something that me alone knows? :confused: --------------------------------- [Beetleism starts here]: Is this just, I wonder, some dark thought that's crept, oh I don't know, maybe in a dream? Or am I just meandering? Or should that be wandering? Where did I go wrong in the first place? Should we have pizza for supper? Or was it really not me, and the frogs in the nearby creek have nothing to do? With it? [/beetleism ends] |
Greg (193) | ||
| 430688 | 2006-02-15 22:37:00 | pontificate maybe Haven't heard of pontify myself |
Tukapa (62) | ||
| 430689 | 2006-02-15 23:00:00 | It means to use some structure to cross a river. Well I dunno, pontificate maybe, |
mark c (247) | ||
| 430690 | 2006-02-15 23:14:00 | "pontificate" it is. "To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way" That's what I was thinking of. But I think 'pontify' should be a natural extension of the word - probably will be sometime in the future. Thank you. |
Greg (193) | ||
| 430691 | 2006-02-16 00:15:00 | Hey whats all this beetleism???? do you have copyright on this???:p its pretty bad when a forum actually talks and understand more beetle jargon than other expressive languages isnt it??? :illogical anyway my understanding of this word is something along the lines of to express and explain an opinion...... ( a one way only idea ?? )i have a feeling i have this word written down in my teacher training.... :illogical will keep looking beetle |
beetle (243) | ||
| 430692 | 2006-02-16 00:27:00 | "Pontify"? NEVER. Poncify, perhaps. There are enough words in the language already. Most people don't understand words longer than one syllable, anyway. Some have difficulty with words longer than one letter. I reserve my absolute right to pontificate. Especially when I'm wrong. :D |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 430693 | 2006-02-16 00:39:00 | ........in the manner of Pontifex Maximus? | Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 430694 | 2006-02-16 01:14:00 | To sermonise would be a good description. Possibly from the word Pontif in relation to the Catholic church? You could be caught in the act of pontification or be considering pontificating on a subject where your opinion or ideals are held by you to be better than those being pontificated to.... ...and then there's beetlisation, which is much more warm and fuzzy :D |
Shortcircuit (1666) | ||
| 430695 | 2006-02-16 02:58:00 | Always nice to see a new word Greg. Looks like it is yours unless it is in the full OED, because it doesn't appear to otherwise exist. We need a Latin scholar who can explain why - it possibly doesn't work in Latin. Pontificate is religious in meaning although used in secular terms today. Drawn from the Latin root Pontifex - a high priest. Pontificate: A Noun 1 papacy, pontificate the government of the Roman Catholic Church B Verb 1 pontificate talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner; "The new professor pontificates" 2 administer a pontifical office |
Winston001 (3612) | ||
| 430696 | 2006-02-16 04:01:00 | It is in the full OED, examples quoted date from 1883 to 1900. " To play the pontiff; to speak or behave ‘pontifically’, or with assumption of authority or infallibility." |
PaulD (232) | ||
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