Things I learned while looking up other things, 2020.1.11

Hello. I'm glad you're here!

When I was a teenager in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I was a devoted reader of the syndicated newspaper column of Sydney J. Harris (and by reading that Wikipedia link I just discovered that he and I share an alma mater and that he was on the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary). His column had a regular feature called "Things I Learned En Route to Looking Up Other Things," which is the inspiration for this email newsletter. (Because I learn a lot of random stuff and a person can only tweet SO MUCH.) 

The plan for this newsletter is to send on the eleventh of each month and to share no more than eleven things. Why eleven? Mostly because I really like the word 'hendecad' ("a group, set, or series of eleven things" [OED, paywall]) and also because Wordnik (the nonprofit online English dictionary I run) is celebrating its undecennary in 2020 and so the number eleven is going to be a bit of a theme for the year. 

While looking up 'hendecad' to see if it was included in the Century Dictionary (it's not), I found the word 'hen-frigate', "A vessel in which the master's wife or daughter interferes with the general rules, regulations, and customs on board ship."

At least one person in the world thinks of 'McGurk' as the default surname for chickens. (Now I want to know what the default surnames for other animals would be; mostly they seem to be $nameOfAnimal, e.g. Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Grape Ape, Magilla Gorilla ... but—what about Foghorn Leghorn? 🤔This list led me to the discovery that Tom and Jerry's surnames are 'Cat' and 'Mouse', respectively.) Also, Goofy's naming situation is ... complicated.

Relatedly, Wikipedia has a category for Fictional Chickens. (Don't say they never gave you anything.) Also: that's a great band name.

In 2012, the state of Maryland had 92 licensed drivers who were more than a hundred years old. (Okay this I found on Twitter, but I was looking up what someone I followed had retweeted, which 100% counts.)

You probably know that a baker's dozen is thirteen things, but did you know a banker's dozen is only eleven? (Or that "legs eleven" is 'a traditional call for the number eleven' in bingo? And the name for this [CW: bugs] Liberty of London fabric?)

Isopsephy is a great word. "An isopangram is considered a perfect pangram and uses all 26 letters of the alphabet once and only once." (All of Word Ways, the magazine for people who really, really like isopangrams, is online and freely accessible at that last link.)

Looking for a relaxing activity that will also teach you computer science? Maybe this FORTRAN coloring book will help.

I failed absolutely when trying to describe donkey anaphora this past week. (To be fair, the whole point of donkey anaphora is that it's hard to represent ...)

In 853, Alfred the Great was named consul of Rome by Pope Leo IV. It was largely honorary but probably involved a golden diadem.

If you find things while looking up other things and need want to share them, just hit 'reply'! I'd love to see them.

Your friend,

Erin