(no subject)

[shadowkat]

Ah, work stories..

Co-worker: My favorite was Game of Thrones, but it was gorey, too many beheadings and defenestrations.
Me: Defenstrations?
Co-worker: Do you know what defenstration means?
Me: No...
Co-worker: throwing people out of windows.
Me: interesting, I was confusing it with deforestation. But hey, much more economical - less words.
Co-worker: Also sounds a lot less violent.

In other news? Hot day. Okay not exactly hot...more warm with sunshine and a touch of humidity. But pretty and nice after three days of solid rain. People may actually be able to swim out of their domiciles now.

Comments

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

When I was a lass, I confused defenestration with disembowelment. Deforestation at least doesn't have quite the same level of ultra-violence.

Here's another fun one for work: disingenuous. It means less than honest, but is guaranteed to confuse at least one co-worker! Fun times!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've used disingenuous. My father had become addicted to it for a while and was using it constantly on the phone - in regards to politics. As a result, I sort of picked it up. I think I used it in several responses to internet posts for a bit...

Looked it up to be sure I was using it correctly.

[jgracio.livejournal.com]

Surely he meant defenestration, since I can't remember GoT having more than one of those.

Right? :D

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

LOL! I thought the same thing. It only has one as far as I remember, granted I haven't read the book in a while.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I just came home from the city where the term defenestration was born because it was considered a valid political argument at several points in time. :)

I also read Dance with Dragons there and saw three headed dragon marionettes on every second street corner.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Ah. My co-worker gave me a little back-story on it. He said part of the word came from the French word for window and was combined with a German word for throw.

Which is interesting. So it originated in Prague? Some day I shall have to visit Prague - I've been told I'll love it.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

"fenster" is window in german and "fenetre" in french. The rest is not really throwing so much as syllables that make it sound somewhat medical/official.

In Prague it happened first when the protestants threw out some members of the government after they burned their leader Jan Hus.

Second was bohemian noblemen who threw out some men of the Hapsburg government (who survived because they fell on a dung pile).

And finally some not so communist minister went out of his window late at night under mysterious circumstances.

You'd love Prague. I can not imagine anyone not loving Prague. It just kicked Paris to number two on my favourite cities list.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Fascinating back story. Will state the throwing out of windows in Prague sounds a lot more justified and far less horrifying than it was in GRR Martin's book.

I love Paris...most beautiful city. Although prefer London...but that's only because I can speak the language better and prefer the cultural avenues (the West End - London Theater District is the best in the world in my opinion, much better than New York's.). Also, the British Museum is a wonder to behold...

But other than that, architecture and urban design? Prefer Paris.

Have you seen Istanbul? That city is perhaps the most different.
It's like wandering back in time...and to a completely different world.