Monday, February 15, 2010

While doing the menial tasks,

of which my job largely consists today, I found myself meditating on the word "figment." Well, it was because a gal in the office said, "You don't see me! I'm a figment!" We thought she had today - President's Day - off.

I'd never heard the word used in isolation before. And it shouldn't be; at least not in that context.
fig·ment (fgmnt)
n.
Something invented, made up, or fabricated: just a figment of the imagination.

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[Middle English, from Latin figmentum, from fingere, to form; see dheigh- in Indo-European roots.]

figment [ˈfɪgmənt]
n
a fantastic notion, invention, or fabrication a figment of the imagination
[from Late Latin figmentum a fiction, from Latin fingere to shape]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 6th Edition 2003. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
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8 comments:

  1. T. F. Stern2:55 PM

    In keeping with your topic, figment; this morning I woke to a tune in my head, a fast paced piano jingle which I kept trying to credit to Gershwin. The more it played in my head the less I was sure of its origin so I found the tune in my iTune collection, a "Study for three hands" by Ennio Morricone as featured in the movie The Legend of 1900. Who gives a fig anyway...

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  2. Al3:13 PM

    Where do these things come from?

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  3. Anonymous8:22 PM

    Rather nice place you've got here. Thanks for it. I like such themes and everything connected to them. I would like to read more on that blog soon.

    Best wishes

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  4. Deb8:38 AM

    Earworms from 1900? Impressive. (Much better than Bananaphone... or Happy Bob's theme. urgh) I adored that movie, though I don't recommend it while drunk and depressed. Bad.bad.bad.

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  5. The probligo11:43 AM

    I don't know that she was really "wrong" with the useage. I think I might try that today, atcherly. I am on holiday but the boss wants me to help with something I usually do each month. I might be just a figment for the hour or so.

    Or a boojum.

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  6. Al11:50 PM

    But a figment not of the imagination? You might be found out!

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  7. The probligo8:02 PM

    Ah haa!! As a figment I do not exist. Therefore I was able to spend 2 hours in there, ignoring everybody else once the boss had the info he needed, and finished what was needed to be done.

    I can recommend it.

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    ReplyDelete