Tag Archives: words

The Money Pit, Part I

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I have a new hair stylist I like very much.  When he finished my haircut yesterday he applied some manner of goop and then spritzed and sprayed, all the while extolling the virtues of a lovely smelling new product line he was using.  The products are all natural, locally sourced (from Italy, no less) and manufacturing is carbon neutral.  The business is family owned and the majority of the employees are under served women.

After he finished, my hair looked (and smelled) great. Priding myself as a savvy and responsible consumer, I never buy hair stuff at salons because I think they are over priced.  But I got caught up in the moment and decided I needed to help save the planet.  So I bought a bottle of texturizing sea salt spray, designed to give my hair that “beachy look” (whatever that is–I live 1000 miles from the nearest coast).

That will be $28, thank you very much.

This morning I finished my shower and opened my miracle product.

hair spray

It’s nothing but salt water.

Granted, it is in a lovely spray bottle and came beautifully wrapped.

But still, it’s just very pricey brine.

Savvy consumer indeed.

 

 

 

Is there a linguist in the room?

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I recently encountered the following sign:

game crossing

I immediately thought of this:

game

When I got home, I looked up what Mr. Merriam-Webster had to say:

game

  1. 1a (1) :  activity engaged in for diversion or amusement :  play (2) :  the equipment for a gameb :  often derisive or mocking jesting :  fun, sport <make game of a nervous player>

  2. 2a :  a procedure or strategy for gaining an end :  tacticb :  an illegal or shady scheme or maneuver :  racket

  3. 3a (1) :  a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other (2) :  a division of a larger contest (3) :  the number of points necessary to win (4) :  points scored in certain card games (as in all fours) by a player whose cards count up the highest (5) :  the manner of playing in a contest (6) :  the set of rules governing a game (7) :  a particular aspect or phase of play in a game or sport<a football team’s kicking game>b plural :  organized athleticsc (1) :  a field of gainful activity :  line <the newspaper game> (2) :  any activity undertaken or regarded as a contest involving rivalry, strategy, or struggle <the dating game> <thegame of politics>; also :  the course or period of such an activity <got into aviation early in the game> (3) :  area of expertise :  specialty 3 <comedy is not my game>

  4. 4a (1) :  animals under pursuit or taken in hunting; especially :  wild animals hunted for sport or food (2) :  the flesh of game animalsb archaic :  pluckc :  a target or object especially of ridicule or attack —often used in the phrase fair game

 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/game

 

I was not out in the boonies nor was I anywhere near a wild animal preserve.  In fact, I was in a populated area close to businesses and within a quarter of a mile of a college campus.

Then I understood. College students majoring in urban planning/sign design just forgot to add “r” at the end of “game.”

Now it makes sense.

gamers