Keeping up with the Joneses. that is the good ol’ “american way” in capitalist america!!!! Some short red haried chick named theresa whose dad was a psychologist in maryland in 1976 but she and her mom ran away from him. theresa with her southern accent which stuck me as cute then-she pressured me to take on a second newspaper route so that I might buy a used car like her girlfiriend’s friend Mark did. she wanted to keep up with the Joneses through me. that second paper route in a rougher neighborhood did in my carrier career of three years. They had found a dead body in a deserted field at the extreme end of my second newspaper route. I guess I just wanted to buy a $1200.00 used Mustang in 1976.
Pray for ITALY. earthquake…..[Turkey] the nation and how it got its name from America, thank you Marina ..the edit save my mistake of [quake from quack]…gogoandmorego…bless HotForWords…[bless]
“Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT), also known as Gene-Culture Coevolution, was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s to explain how human behavior is a product of two different and interacting evolutionary processes: genetic evolution and cultural evolution. DIT is a “middle-ground” between much of social science, which views culture as the primary cause of human behavioral variation, and human sociobiology and evolutionary psychology which view culture as an insignificant by-product of genetic selection. In DIT, culture is defined as information in human brains that got there by social learning. Cultural evolution is considered a Darwinian selection process “…. soul be said…little leo.nard
You “crack” me up! I love this edition of Hot For Words! And I feel for you regarding keeping up with the apple products….
“Keeping up with the Joneses” was also the catch phrase for the 3rd installment of Indiana Jones featuring his dad Henry in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.
It’s very difficult to keep up with the Joneses.
Giant bugs, ancient tombs, crafty French guys,
not to mention Nazis, gun-fire, explosions, knights,
divine intervention and Russian refridgerators!
Did you hear about the Three Kings that were keeping up to the JoNeses? One was blind, another let his penis do the talking(ruling) and the other lived in the stars(scars) 3 wise Animals were talking: one barked; one babbed and the other was a snake(worms) bah bha said da cheap(sh)
growing up, my family were the “Joneses” of the neighborhood. Our next door neighbors always went out and bought something immediately after my folks did and the kids in the neighborhood all came to our house to hang and play pool or just chill in the media room. As a kid I never understood this! I never veiwed our family as wealthy or as the”Joneses”. I never knew how good we had it until I got older and left home at 18 to live on my own. My folks never spoiled us and I always had a job from the age of 14 on. My parents just wanted us to be happy as we got older. They never put alot of importance on money. So we just thought we were like everyone else. My family is very loving and openminded and very crunchy and green. Certainly not the “jerks” that some people might perceive them to be due to their financial gains………. Thanks Cecily M
No, never try to keep up with them. Big headache and no joy at all)
Say, HotForWords, would you please investigate how the word “sex” appeared? Yesterday i understood i have no idea what it is. And now everyone uses it. Do they know?…
I recently read an about the many uses of the word ‘up’. It went on something like this. I looked up her up on a web site to she what she was up to. And so on.
seems like it would be a challenge to cover up usage in one lesson. Cover ‘up’ usage, not cover up.
Здравствуйте Марина. А в Москве можно купить ваш календарь? Он где нибудь продается?
Будете ли вы делать выпуск с объяснением “Что такое Старый новый год” В америке наверно про это и не слышали ничего.
Hello Marina your lessons are very nice and interesting and since the first time I’ve seen one of them I watch your lessons every day.I think you’re the teacher who everybody wish to have,you’re beautiful,charming and intelligent..WOW!!
It is a ‘real’ word, the Oxford English Dictionary says it means to utter a hoarse, harsh cry and is used about some birds.
It mentions a similarity to Icelandic (and therefore Old Norse) krunka meaning to croak.
Hello Everyone!
I have a new set of Sexy Geek voting curves here
The New Year’s parties slowed down the voting a lot, but Marina continued to stay in positive territory, continually gaining. Thank you for all of your hard work. Let’s continue to vote and see Marina take first place. Thank you. http://wired.reddit.com/sexygeeks_2008/?s=top
I generally do not care what the Joneses are doing. Occasionally, Somebody or the Mrs. will comment on something nice that we have seen. Usually, the other one will point out that we are extremely blessed and that we would never trade our lot for theirs. Material things are generally not on our list of demons.
(this is a repeated post.. i mistakenly posted the suggestion as a previous video comment..)
hey tjere,
i’ve just stumbled upon your show on youtube and automaticaly became a fan. i’m no philologist, but i’m also BurningForWords .
i’m from portugal so english is not my main language and this could be a fairly easy word. nonetheless, here’s a suggestion for you:
Hi! (Is this where I can request a word?)…
Okay, I’d like to know where the word RECKON (v.i.)
and the word RECKONing(?) comes from and when it was first used,
if its meaning changed.
What do you reckon?
Actually Marina i don’t try keeping up with the Joneses, beacause frankly…. i don’t get it, I got an i-pod and then the i-pod touch came out, my friend is nothing like me he got the i-pod touch as soon as it came out!
but i’ve found out that the regular i-pod isn’t much different to the i-pod touch
Hye Marina, it’s my first time here and I’m definitely your new #1 fan.. U’re #1 on that women on the web thing in my book anyday.. And keep that sexy and educational videos of yours coming.. brain and sexy.. such a deadly combination… Learning has never been so much fun… btw, my request is the word “Dynamics” cos I’m currently writing a thesis abt that.. thanks hot for words.. I’ll be good…
hey hotforwords first off you are beautiful and I love your lessons since I am a soon to be father probably in the next week I would like to request the word “contractions”. Thank you
I’ve kept up more or less just recently but only if it interests me. I’m really not concerned who has it or not. I was also wondering what where the phrase “Dead as a Doornail” came from. Some coworkers and I were curious about it the other day. I also referred them to your site. You’re awesome keep up the good work!
Dearest Teacher, After many years of dealing with the Hatfields and the McCoys,
I don’t have the gumshun anymore to even worry about the Joneses
Have a lovely evening my dear
Only if i have the money , but then I won’t be keeping up with the Joneses , they’ll be keeping up with me !!
BTW , like the new intro Miss Orlova , is it keeping up with the Joneses too ?
Speaking of Welsh surnames (Jones and my remarks below, here’s a little-known bit of etymology:
America was named after a Welshman.
Yes, I know, everyone says it was named after Amerigo Vespucci. The problem with this theory is that at the time, it would have been customary to name the new continents after his family name, not his “Christian” or given name; thus we’d all be “Vespuccians” if this story were true.
But the Welshman Richard ap Merrick (or a’Merrick, or even Amerike), financed the 1497 voyage of John Cabot that reached the Canadian Maritimes, asking that any new lands discovered be named for him. So it is that we ended up as “a’Merrick-ans” instead of “Vespuccians.” Good thing, or we’d all be Wasps! (Sorry — bilingual pun.)
It can be suggested that it may be symbolic that the name America may well have been based on the name of an entrepreneurial promotor of Welsh origin, given the subsequent American emphasis upon free enterprise. Even if Richard Ameryk`s name was forgotten, or manipulated in the naming of America, his association with Cabot`s venture should have given him more credit, since it was probably his finance that made the pioneering voyage possible.
Every morning on the today show Al Roker says Let’s see what’s happening in your neck of the woods. Woods don’t have necks so what does your neck of the woods mean and how did it come about?
Oh Marina, I was was writing an email yesterday to ask if you where going to make a new intro. Your reading my mind again. Stop that! LoL. Love your new intro!
Homework: I used to race with the Joneses (well sort of). I had high tech toys that even most Hollywood stars would be envious of. One of my nick names in the Navy was ‘Inspector Gadget’ for my bunk was full of gadgets like over the shoulder camcorder/VCR, 5 inch color TV, ham radios, 35mm camera equipment, Apple IIc computer, mountain bike, etc. Doesn’t sound like much in todays standards but back then Laptops didn’t exist nor did PDAs and cellphones. I was able to make phone calls with my handheld ham radio. My first cellphone cost me $1,200 bucks and it held the recored for the smallest cellphone in the world. Smaller than a $1 bill and thick as a small book of matches.
My goal was to have it all. I was buying items like watches just to impress others, even though I hated to wear the damn things. I would buy leather jackets for how much it cost and not for it’s quality or warmth.
Then one day at work I was struck with ulcer pains from losing a $7,000 home theater sale. I pondered a questions. How much is enough? Who am racing against? Why am I in this race? If I win will I be truly happy? I pondered these and other questions over the years. I realized that the road I was traveling down, I would never be satisfied. 100 billion dollars would not be enough. Now I’m happy to say I’m no longer trying to keep up with the Joneses. I could care less if my stuff cost more or less than what the Joneses has. I see this kind of thinking could also help people survive the Great Recession of 2008. Buy only what you need.
As for electronics, well one just has to upgrade as it becomes obsolete. If it is a piece of equipment you use for your work then it’s a must that you upgrade to stay completive in the market place. But first weigh your options before you start replacing equipment. Think about if your money could be better used else where that would be more profitable. Can you wait for X days until x project is completed? Do you have a scheduled replacement program in your budget or business plan? What to do with the old equipment? Sell it? Give it away? Keep it for a back up? I better stop, I’ll just keep rattling on.
Hey Marina
I was wondering if you could help me out this not a word really but its more of an even and I hear about it every year and I really don’t like it I was just wondering where did Groundhogs day come from……….I hate winter…..lol…thanks….dave……
Hey Marina.
I disslike communism as much as you do (as you told bill o’riely) but i want to know if you knew about this: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1950/jun/20.htm ?
i study history and when i noticed that stalin was spending his time writing about Linguistics insted of paying attention to his own people or the war the dictator he instaled in north korea started (like i said, conservative republican, Russophilic , VERY anti-communist), i thought of you and wondered if you’ve read it…?
When Lenin spoke of two cultures, he proceeded precisely from the thesis that the existence of two cultures cannot lend to the negation of a single language and to the formation of two languages, that there must be a single language. When the Bundists [6] accused Lenin of denying the necessity of a national language and of regarding culture as “non-national,” Lenin, as we know, vigorously protested and declared that he was fighting against bourgeois culture, and not against national languages, the necessity of which he regarded as indisputable. It is strange that some of our comrades should be trailing in the footsteps of the Bundists.
As to a single language, the necessity of which Lenin is alleged to deny, it would be well to pay heed to the following words of Lenin:
“Language is the most important means of human intercourse. Unity of language and its unimpeded development form one of the most important conditions for genuinely free and extensive commercial intercourse appropriate to modern capitalism, for a free and broad grouping of the population in all its separate classes.” [7]
[6] Bund, General Jewish workers’ Union of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, was a Jewish petty-bourgeois opportunist organization founded at a congress held in Vilna in October, 1897, which worked mainly among Jewish handicraftsmen. At the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party’s First Congress in 1898, Bund joined the R.S.D.L.P. as “an independent autonomous organization concerned only with the special problems of the Jewish proletariat.” Once it joined the Party, however, it propagated nationalism and separatism in the Russian working-class movement. The Bundist bourgeois-nationalist standpoint was sternly repudiated by Iskra newspaper founded by Lenin. p. 18
[7] V. I. Lenin, “The Right of Nations to Self-Determination ” Selected Works in Two Volumes, Eng. ed., M
(from above)
Pushups, what is your first language? A number of us students are multilingual; we encourage our peers who are uncomfortable with English to also write their remarks in their native language, so as to remove ambiguities about what they mean.
Hey Marina, I was wondering what the origin of the word television was? Another thing I have been wondering about for a while now is why here in America we spell words differently then the same words in England; for example color as opposed to colour, favorite to favourite, favor to favour, etc. But it wasn’t just or v.s. our i was concerned about, what about center and centre or defense and defence? Thanks Marina, and keep up the great work.
Dear Marina. I request an investigation about word PROCRASTINATION. I have been wondering about the origin of this word, but I have been very busy lately, therefore I have not done it yet
And, yes, sometimes I try to keep up with the Joneses…
I don’t try to keep up with trends and fads, especially with technological goodies; it’s just too expensive, and, with electronics at least, things go way down in price after they’ve become common. I ask myself: do I REALLY need to surf the internet everywhere I go?
I was wondering what the word origin of peanut is, as it’s neither a pea nor a nut. Also, I was wondering if you could bring back a couple of things: interrupting the video to announce the teacher’s pet (I know it was for thumbnail purposes, but still…) and doing that hand kiss & wave at the end of the video. I miss those a lot. :`o(
Regarding features of older videos which I miss, it would be nice to occasionally have some of those shots where Marina was very close to the camera, such as, for instance, in the Floccinaucinihilipilification video.
They had a certain intimacy which is lacking in the latest videos.
English Language Word Origins: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
I’m probably opening a can of worms with this question, but here goes anyway. Many words in the English language are devided into two groups, the profane or low-brow words and the sophisticated or high-brow words. This particularly seems to hold true with words describing human anatomy and human bodily functions. Speaking as a lay-person, it would seem that words that fall into the profane group tend to be from Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, or Slavic origins. On the other hand, the sophisticated words would seem to be from Latin or Ancient Greek origins. Marina, as a linquistic expert, do you find these observations to hold true? If so, is there a bias in favor of words derived from Latin and Ancient Greek and against Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Slavic derived words? Where does this bias, if it exists, come from? Thanks!
It’s all to do with snobbery and social discrimination.
The only people who spoke Greek and Latin were the ones who could afford an education and were therefore rich and powerful – the elite of the populace. They regarded those who spoke only Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, or Slavic dialects as base, vulgar and common.
I surmise that this preconception survives to this day.
Gooday Marina,
In light of the past holiday season and the vast quantities of good food my family, friends and I have consumed (mmmmm…christmas cookies, and sqares, and most importantly turkey and gravy), plus the habit to make new year’s resolutions. I was wondering where the term ‘cold turkey’ comes from. As in, “I’m quitting cold turkey”, or, “He’s going to try it cold turkey this time”.
PS Wow you get a lot of requests, eh. Happy New Year from Canada.
WLIU, I think it is ancient something-or-other for dark room. The first cameras were dark rooms where an outside image from a pinhole lens was focused on a wall. The audience sat inside the camera.
Hey Marina, I got my old account reinstated from You Tube. So I will await your friendship acceptance on both of my accounts if I am lucky enough to have you as a friend. Thanks in advance.
Of course a bull is involved! You don’t think they make it in a factory, do you? The term literally refers to the output of a bull as a worthless material.
Bueno, en México decimos que esas son “mamadas” … puede tener dos conotaciones, ya sea en el sentido maternal o sexual, es decir, en el primero cuando el bebe esta mamando (de las mamas…valga la redundancia) o en el otro sentido que se refiere mas al sexo oral, quiza la ultima conotación es mas moderna y talvez se pueda usar mas en kalo…aunque ambas serian parte del kalo mexicano pero pienso que la segunda puede llegar a resultar mas vulgar.
Quiza de una manera mas propia seria decir que son “fregaderas”.
After all the holiday shopping, keeping up with the Joneses, is not as important as keeping up with the bills. I’ll get back to the keeping up with later in the year.
Hi Marina… can i request a word??? i really want to know about the word Doctor and it´s relation with the medicine history… why a doctor it´s always related with medicine and not with other sciences??
thanks for your attention…
ahhhh… does anybody told you .. that you are a magnificent beauty??
I think a medic is the only one who is required to be a doctor of medicine to achieve this rank.
Do you know of any other job that requires such a degree?
Certain ordained preachers receive a Doctorate degree, Our preacher has a Doctorate in Ministry. I agree, only a person in a medical field should receive a Doctor status.
Hello Chemikal,
Totally unrelated to above topic, but YouTube put this in my “Recommended for you” section: Aromanian music Obviously “a-Romanian,” but related. What’s the connection?
Hello Evan, I noticed HFW got a new video up, but before I watch that let me answer real quick here.
Aromâni or Aromanians are Welsh people (Romanic and some Celtic). They can be found in Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria.
Their native tongue is a Romanic one, it’s named aromână, and is considered to be one of the four dialects that formed the Romanian language.
It’s also relevant to add that the Aromanians have never claimed a state of their own. Though they have played an important role insuring the independence of some Balcanic states, such as Bulgaria, Albania and Greece.
Even if they number well under a million today, in Romania they are acknowledged, respected, and are not considered to be a minority, but rather as repatriated Balcan Romanians.
I do not accept the catsup…I will keep the Jones as pills for thrills…the down end of it are prepositons(no rain)indeclinable….Let those jonesing bastards catch up,,,(tomatorrow_0)…knock it off, Evan and do the cha-cha
Hello Marina and everyone! I think that we can all agree that this gentleman’s hair is unkempt. But where exactly did the word unkempt come from? If a person or their hair can be unkempt, can they be kempt? I’m very confused! Can you look into this Marina?
Nope, never have cared about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.
Whooo! Whoooo!! Billy’s got it right. A+ for BillyB
Even though voting is picking up, please continue to vote for Marina and don’t forget to down vote whoever is in the lead.
I didn’t sway and voted Marina~ Wired magazine’s most sexiest geek even though Aiko is in the running too Can you find it your heart to forgive me Aiko?
~Keep Voting In HotForWords ~
Yes and No about keeping up with the Jonses. My inlaws are the Jonses. So if they go somewhere then we have to keep up with them. But we don’t keep up as far as buying things or acquiring personal items.
I love the new beginning and ending it look so cool and keeping up with the times. Very Chic Marina.
Now there’s a marketing idea — the Marina radiant heater. It would be a full-sized manakin with a built-in oil-filled-radiator electric heater.
At least there would be a plausible reason for having it, in case anyone of the female persuasion should question it.
BECAUSE I never tried to keep up with the Joneses I now have an IRA and a 401k that the Joneses are envious of. My current 6 year old car I bought new, giving away my 17 year old truck ( because the tax write off was better than what I was offered on trade-in ) to a local charity. I bought my 2year old computer new ONLY because the previous one crashed. I bought a home next to the Bay so I don’t spend a lot on vacations; alot of people spend big bucks to vacation next to where I live.
I recently re-started playing Frisbee Golf which is a LOT cheaper than real golf ( no greens fees )and you’re ALLOWED to throw the darn thing.
While far from rich, I don’t have to worry about missing any meals in retirement ( even in this economic downturn ).
I expect a lot of Joneses are caught in the recent rash of foreclosures which is something else I don’t have to keep up with.
My brother and I set up our own course at a local schoolyard and have been playing the same 18 holes for 25 years now (weekends and evenings, of course).
It’s unofficial, but works just fine. We use stuff like fire hydrants, gateposts, specific trees, and water fountains for holes and we’ve derived thousands of hours of entertainment over the time we’ve been using it. Now his kids are getting into it. Playing with them is a blast.
It’s truly the cheapest, easiest, and least physically damaging way I’ve found to get some good exercise while enjoying the mental challenge of competition. Best of all, “FORE” is never followed by “closure!”
With the worry of litigation so prevalent nowadays, I’m surprised the school district doesn’t chase you off for fear someone would be beaned by a golf ball and sue them. I wouldn’t be suprised if they were less worried about illicit drug use on the grounds on the theory that it would be seen as obviously not authorized and therefore they would be legally off the hook.
Who said anything about a golf ball? We were talking about DISC golf. It’s very tame, and we have developed an excellent safety system that keeps anyone (or anything, including parked cars, glass windows, etc.) from getting inadvertently ‘beaned.’
It depends on the size of the target. If it’s something only a few feet in size like a fire hydrant or a fence post, it’s all good. You either hit it or you don’t. With large objects like a debris box or a big tree we usually pick a specific part of it to make the target reasonably well-defined. We’ll pick one side, or designate a particular section, etc. like one wheel of a debris box or a particular branch or knot on a tree, etc.
WTF???
koala! Speak on the Koala???
At receipt entered the name in Russian group
RUS
Шпрехен The коалла?Говориете на коалла???
Эммм где я??? Что происходит, при поступлении я записался в русскую группу. Ай нот Андустенд вас…
Это ведь класс Марины Орловой???
ah man it’s hard to keep up with the joneses but there called the “Hoovers” in my case anytime i get something new he always doubles it even when we talk he trys to sound more sophisticated
Teacher, i have a request! *raises hand*
Id like to know the origin of the word “areola”.
Could you please find that one for me? Breathtaking as always, my dear teacher:)
Absolutely brilliant! Discovered you by accident. Immediately suscribed!I’m not much of a computer guy, but watching/listening to your class at work on weekends…makes the time go by. Outstanding! And oh….I cannot keep up with “The Joneses” because I’m poor.
It’s good to know there are others in the world who are willing to admit they aren’t millionaires. See you round the campus (Universe University!) bro.
Really amazing lesson Marina Like the old ones, only you look
more beautiful than ever
H/W back in the day I did try quite a bit But last 25 years or so
doesnt seem like such a smart Your still hopeing for T.P.
adoring student B.B.
I don’t believe in keeping up with the Joneses (except for nuclear wepons, of course).
Who did the wonderful drawing of your eyes? The artist deserves to be known. I always thought a woman’s eyes and smile were the most important attractive features; everything else will sooner or later dry up, sag, wrinkle or blow away, but the eyes and smile are forever. No, seriously.
You can buy the top of the line state of the art phone/ computer/ car/ TV/ etc today go home and go to bed. Wakeup the next morning and whatever you bought is already out dated. Some times even before you get out of the store.
If people would all stop keeping up with the Joneses, then the economy would crash!
But don’t fear, this will never happen, it’s in our nature… If we can afford it, we will surely get it. That’s what money is for, right? Some people will even take out loans just to keep up with the darn Joneses.
Huh…
Homework :No I don’t it costs too much and I think a lot of the stuff is a waste of money. I remember getting something because a friend had it. I ended up never using or liking it anyway.
Thank-you for your concern as to my posting under Nerd and why I won’t be visiting your site everyday; and this Keeping Up With The Joneses is apt to be the reason. To make a long-story short… I simply refuse to pay more monies for obsolete services not to metion the hidden-(theft)- charges- surcharges ect. and as a matter of principle against false advertising and the telephone and cable monopolies that drain everyday Americans so They can Keep Up With The Joneses. So, now i must find reasonable, adequate services all over again cause my provider wants more money than what I signed on for and theretofore should be booted off the net today till I have satellite streamed in. Bye for now.
This certainly sounds interesting. Would you care to tell us your tale? Prices will always go up, so are they raising prices in the middle of a contract period or at the end of one. What about dial-up? You can get it for $9 a month here.
Thanx for the interest, I was on dial-up for some years and I moved here last year where the Telephone Co. charges about 100$ more a year for basic phone. ConectMyHighSpeed.com offered the lowest rate at 100MB/ps for 24.99 + surcharges through Embarq my new phone carrier that after a dispute over retroactive hook-up charges told me to call the PUC which I did and they gave me a new phone-line plus a couple of months to make good. I knew that to recieve thier equipment I’d be charged P&H;(even though one of thier offices is right down the street). But, to get their service I must pay a hook-up fee just to become thier customer; hence the hidden fee. O.K. If I have to, but I don’t like it. Then they want an additional 10$ @ mo. = 120$ @yr. for 100MB/ps which is a low standard in a High Speed sence and protection against viruses suck. so you gotta pay even more. Anyways… This should of instantly qualified me for a bundle pack. Even though it costs less than what they are charging me and I don’t want thier extras for an additional 100$ a year more each year for the phone because they own the lines. I tried to resolve this over the phone and they waste paper by responding with thier synopsis of the conversation and thier position every time I call. Thier Monopoply is broken by technology and they can sue me; cause of the aggravation of dealing with thier customer service and I have to start over again because as Advertised starting at 24.99 is what I want and what I ordered no more no less. ConnectMyHighSpeed sent me a check for the difference of 10$ for 3 months to settle the matter. Trying to get a straight answer on prices to get Embarq or them to do the math is frustrating as I tried for the last 9 months.
P.S. I hope this helps…. and I was only on their Network for 3 mo.’s and had thier phone service since Jan. 08. Whereas I had Verizon for 3 years before that.
Everyone has a connect fee, so that is really not hidden. But in any case, your PUC should have the tariffs available so that you can see what is being charged before you buy. There should even be an Embarq office where they keep big books of updated tariffs for public view, but maybe that is done online nowadays.
As far as the $10 goes, they have to charge something for the Internet service, but maybe you mean that they charged extra for a faster connection without you knowing. 100MB is really fast and so much so that I can’t imagine it except over fiber; I only have about 300KB over DSL (with options available to 10MB) and it’s fast enough for me. In the end, you have to make the decision between using them or their competitors and that is really all the power that you or any of us have in a capitalist system. Maybe you should look for a small, local ISP that knows that the customers are their bread and butter and treats you better (and then they deal with the carriers).
If they think you are going to “be a problem,” I can understand the knit-picking documentation (in writing) of every little thing; the company lawyers (if they are any good) will have foreseen this and set up self-defense procedures for the grunts to follow, and of course, they have no choice but to follow them. The trick is to talk to them like they are your long-lost buddies and you just can’t wait to get together with them for Thanksgiving dinner again. Sometimes getting just one person on your side can be a big help when confronting “the system,” especially slobbering all over them with profuse thanks. Being all pissed off ain’t never gonna help, because then they just open the procedures manual to the “nut job” page and go from there. Let me give you an example.
New Year’s Eve day I went down to our state income tax office HQ (which, because I live in the capital, is in town) to get in a last minute refund claim. The state’s computers were down for year-end maintenance, so I couldn’t get anything done on the phone, but I thought if I could at least hand in a return on the last day, I could get my foot in the door, so to speak. I stood facing this huge office complex, but could see no taxpayer assistance sign. A worker was walking up and I asked her where it was, but she said there wasn’t any here; it’s at another location. Rather than get all excited, I asked her where I should go. She took me in the building, got all the poop out of her computer (her system was still up) and told me which numbers to put in which spaces on the paper, just like H&R Block (but without the fees). Then she took the paper, we shook hands and I was done, despite the wrong address and the impossibility of the down computer system. Sometimes it just takes one person. Being nice may not get you anything, but having them think you are the nicest person they have ever talked to can’t hurt and it doesn’t cost a dime.
Sorry my bad it’s 1MB/ps and it is the lowest of all the highspeeds they offer. Anywho, Not everyone knows they are now charging hook-up fees to provide you with the service you are paying for ,they have to hook it up and since the fee is undisclosed at time of sale and hence charged after an oral contract mind you it is theretofore HIDDEN. Most gullible ppl are forcefed exhorborant promises at the time of sale only to find the real deal after the fact and these shady businesses and thier banking lawyers are off the hook by thier fine print and deceptive practices. I’m talking about false advertising being charged 10$ more A MONTH than what I ordered; otherwise I wouldn’t of. After speaking with one company they understood my position, just like the PUC in a previous matter with the same Co. Nobody likes to be browbeaten and/or spoke down to esp. when you are a potential or paying customer. I moved here and had no choice but to obtain service from this co. much like cable co.s till the dish came. Their prices for thier service (delivered) which is thier business is off the hook. They caused me a great diservice to me and it is unacceptible; I told them I would only pay the price I agreed to when I ordered thier product like advertised. I tried to compare thier services and prices and they refused to give me anything in writing so I went online and got it; specifically ordered their product at the advertised price. It is that simple but they don’t see it that way so from the exerience I was forced into with thier co. I choose to refuse to ever use anything I know that is connected with them. hey that’s just me the rest of you can accept all thier B.S. charges, fees as they seem to dictate cause they know most will pay it esp. where they controll the area and ppl don’t have much options. Why should I have to pay for thier faulty business practices; I for for one decline what they are offering, selling, or applying a bait and switch scam on me. WE THE PPL NEED A LAW TO MAKE FINE PRINT 5 INCHES TALL!
Hey hott4urblog sorry to hear about your predicament
especially seeing as it will likely keep you away from us for an extended
period I hope you work it out sooner rather than l8r would like to
keep on hearing from you B.B.
B.1) athletic supporter
B.2) athlete; especially, a school or college athlete
B.3) pilot; especially, a fighter pilot
B.4) a person devoted to a single pursuit or interest (computer jocks)
It’s great, like Marina’s getting back to the old videos that got most of us into her in the first place. OK maybe I could have fraised that better, but I think you all get what I mean.
Well, let’s see. I’ve been renting the same apartment for 20 years because I don’t own a home.
I drive a ‘92 Corolla with no frills (ie, no power windows, no power steering, no AC, no CD player and no sunroof, please). It runs well.
I still use the same computer I used 5 years ago (it’s on loan), and still use my original (LG) cell phone because I’m on the pay-as-you-go (no contract!) plan and the damn thing still works just fine (so why get a new one?).
I buy all my clothes (except shoes, socks, underwear, and the occasional raincoat) at second-hand stores.
My digital camera I also bought used, but has served me well for 5 years and I see no reason to upgrade.
My mountainbike has no suspension (stiff frame) and I wear a scratched-up 10-year-old helmet because I haven’t crashed it yet.
I wear the same eyeglasses I bought in 1998 instead of contacts. I don’t care that the lenses aren’t tiny and stylish because they provide excellent protection from flying objects.
I don’t have prescription sunglasses but use cheap polarized clip-ons instead, and I cut my own hair with the same clippers my dad used to use on us when I was a kid.
I don’t have a playstation, a Wii or a Nintendo. Instead, I ask the neighborhood teenagers if the have any old PC games they don’t want anymore, and have collected about a million games, most of which I haven’t had time to try out anyway.
I use an actual cable to connect my beat-up Westone Warlock guitar to my 30 year-old amplifier instead of a radio box, and I have a lot of vinyl records I’ve collected at thrift stores as well as a perfectly usable direct-drive turntable. I listen to records a lot.
To top it all off, my climbing partner is named Jones, and he has everything, so I can borrow stuff if I need it. I don’t have to keep up. He brings me along instead!
Did you ever think about why your climbing buddy Jones, brings you along? It’s because you have something he doesn’t… you see, when a Jones acquires new stuff, he doesn’t stop to enjoy it, he is constantly looking for the newer thing to replace it.
If you enjoy the way things are for you now, Mr. Jones probably sees that as something that he’ll never have. And I bet he is always trying to convince you to get the same stuff he has, or similar. Am I close?
Hmmm. Actually, he brings me along because I haven’t dropped him yet. In fact, of all the people he’s climbed with, he says I am the most safety-concious partner he’s ever had.
We make a good team in that we have climbed together for nearly 30 years, know what to expect from one another and have always brought each other back alive no matter what. As it is, I wouldn’t try to read any more into it than that, but thanks for the thought-provoking response just the same, Chemikal. It proves you’re paying attention.
A radio guitar? It seems so obvious, what with radio mics having been around forever (remember the Vega?). but I didn’t know it existed. I guess it’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” things. How do they keep multiple guitars separated? Is the frequecy selectable?
I generally reuse tech stuff myself. My sister just gave me her old component hifi (receiver, cassette deck, CD deck, phono) with Bose speakers. It is all fairly solid stuff, from back when you could tell the quality just by looking at it and I don’t think I could hear the difference between its sound and today’s high-end stuff. She plays CDs through her new Bose PC speakers now and is happy that it doesn’t take up as much space. You just can’t argue technology with females when space, color, etc. matters to them.
Yep. You can get a battery-powered transmitter that eliminates the need to use a signal cable if you have the necessary receiver unit plugged into your amp.
But the way I see it, that’s just more crap that can go wrong somewhere in between the instrument and the final output or speaker cabinet (why am I getting no sound? Check guitar volume knob, transmitter connection to guitar, transmitter battery, transmitter power switch, receiver power switch, receiver sensitivity, receiver connection to amplifier, amplifier power switch, amplifier wall plug, amplifier volume knob, amp-speaker connection, etc).
Add a few more troubleshooting steps if you use any pedal devices. This is too many already. In my view, simpler is better. It’s definitely a whole lot cheaper. I don’t make my living playing music, so convenience isn’t my biggest priority. I want systems that don’t bust. So I’m happy with the cave-man rig.
As far as reliability goes, a cable in that application is a failure point waiting to happen. It’s flexing all the time and being pulled on and generally not being treated like cables should be treated. Now if you substituted one of these printed circuit ribbons that are used to connect up to a disk drive head or print head, it would be very reliable as long as you moved back and forth in a single line (how very not rock-and-rollish), but it would still fail before the radio died. Oh, and don’t bring up the battery issue on this; that doesn’t count any more than the you-might-have-a-heart-attack-while-playing issue does.
Hey I’m paying attention too, I just get a little distracted by all my stuff. I hate year end inventory work… takin a break. BTW all my inventory stuff is for sale & when it hangs around too long, I sell it below cost… so I can buy more stuff to sell. Vicious circle, kinda like the stuff I’m counting & costing(Tyres & Rims etc.).
You reminded me of an old bumper sticker that said something like this “He who has the most toys when he dies…Wins” So you don’t have to worry Deadman… and that old toyota is probably a lot more dependable than pretty much anything the “Big 3″ are putting out anyways.
One of the biggest secrets to keeping up with the Joneses financialy is to make “it” Tax deductable… well I guess it isn’t exactly a secret, but not everybody is aware.
The so-called “big 3″ haven’t built a dependable car since the (Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge) slant-6 225 three-speed. They had it all figured out until some idiot in marketing invented “planned obsolescence.” I still see those same ugly old 1965-1973 Plymouth Valiants, Dusters or Belvederes, Dodge Darts, Swingers, etc. on the road every day! Their owners won’t give them up even though they use more fuel than a smaller car. But they were built back when customer loyalty required a robust product with cheap, reliable, easily replaceable parts. Now people just want a car that looks cool, and is newer than the Jones’s car.
I have friends that express anger that I won’t patronize our “American” car companies and support our home economy. My answer to them is that I have never wanted to be stuck with making payments on a new car and I didn’t buy this Toyota new. Someone else already did that. Their money went to Japan. Too bad. I’m just recycling it, and I paid for it outright so I didn’t have to use credit to buy it. If they can show me an “American” car that has as many miles on it and still gets the kind of reliability and fuel efficiency that I enjoy with my trashed-out used 1600 cc Toyota, I’ll buy it and drive it. That shuts them up every time.
I drive a ‘90 “pontiac firefly”… Jap’ car, American name… redeeming feature, it’s a convertable. I don’t look like “Ken” but it does look like I Borrowed it from “Barbie”… ‘xtra feature I did’t know about is how good it is in the snow which we never get round these parts.
Really?… Chevy Sprint, Geo Metro, made by Suzuki., 3cyl. engine. I burn more fuel riding my bike to work.
only downside is, I’m sure to die in a real collision with this car, but that has an upside too, I can dress like PT9.
On a sunny day (& with a good imagination) I can pretend I’m driving one of these… the car, the car
RED!
OK, keeping up with the Joneses is not the smartest thing to do, because… the way I see it, if you hold on to your present gadget or device, you will be able to save your money, and when a newer version comes out, you’ll be the first to get it.
And then the Joneses, will have to keep up with you!
Marina, could investigate the origin of the word “spizzerinctum.” My english teacher tell us to have it constantly and it gets on my whole class’ nerves! Thanks!
Anyways I have watched many of your lessons and know that you do words, but my question is do you do phrases? The reason I ask is because I have always wanted to know the origins of the phrase “Get on the ball”. Sometimes it is used in sports to make a player play harder, or in football to recover a fumble. Also though it is used in life to tell someone to step it up and be more… I dunno… assertive? So if you could and are willing to do phrases please locate the origin of “Get on the ball” for me!
Thanks and I look forward to some more awesome lessons
Keeping up with the jonses is a term i believe used by those that dont care about the way they appear to care for what is theirs.Also I think it is an excuse for a lack of integrity.Anyway since im talking about “lacking”,I have noticed the one Obvious thing Marina isn’t lacking is (_)(_) cleavage.Maybe she could investigate that word for me .PPPPLEASE
probably because “virgin” means “pure; without sin:etc” so something non-alcoholic is pure, for the most part. plus, “virgin” sounds cooler when ordering a drink than saying “non-alcoholic”!
I always sympathize with her husband, Richard, the poor sod. If he had the guts to off her, I would like to be on his jury so that I could give him a “get out of jail” card.
I think the bottom line is not keeping up with the Joneses. The real question is: who would freely accept to live next to neighbours like the Joneses or the McGinis, out of their freewill?
Sometimes, words are not even needed to stand up. Sometimes, just by looking at a perfect stranger in the eyes, you can catch a glimpse of something totally new, break into something totally different, in a fraction of second, without saying a single word. It feels just like saying hello and bye bye at the same time.
Tierna azucena eres,
a tu campo celeste
trasplantada y alegre
por el sueño solomne,
que te hace aquí, imponente,
tendida espada fuerte.
– Juan Ramón Jiménez – La Espada
She might not have bought all the items mentioned. I think she was just making up a scenario to demonstrate the lesson.
I was thinking how a stainless-steel notebook would fare at the airport security gate on M’s trips. And then I started wondering what those nerdy Homeland Security guys would pull. You know, waving the handheld metal detector wand here… and then there… and then over here again… You get the picture. And all the while, the female guards would be giving the male guards the evil eye.
“What is the entomology of ‘hanky panky’?” Your question bugs me, but I suppose if you don’t wash your hanky every now and then, insects will begin to breed in it.
I have a word request (well not really a word, I’ll shall explain)
Why do we read “$100″ as “one hundred dollars” and not “dollars one hundred”
e.g. If we say “It’s 15 degrees centigrade out side that’s cold” we would write it as “it’s 15°C out side that’s cold” not “It’s °C 15 out side that’s cold”.
So my question is why do we write the dollar symbol before the number and not after it????? like 100$ (to me it makes the reading easier as flows left to right as we read)
e.g. Yowsers! not !yowsers, do you like puppies? not ?do you like puppies.
That’s a good question about the dollars. WLIU, it might be because adding machines and cash registers put the $ to the left in a fixed position before outputting the number, but perhaps it was done before these machines were in use. I know that in international commerce, it is now expressed after the numbers with the country abbreviation (to prevent confusion with the currency of other countries that also use the dollar). Example: “Please wire 4,736.00USD immediately.”
Another thing I have wondered about is why is money numbers are separated by periods in Europe and commas in the U.S.?
I think the Brits also have different rules for quotation marks. We “do our ’sentences’ like this,” but ‘Brits do “thiers” like this’. Bob, is this correct?
I don’t have any room to leave a reply where I should, so I’m doing it here.
“superficial” is a great word for it. Not enough for it to be translated as it, but still very good.
Thanks for the suggestion on how to avoid “its” confusions in the future. I think if I start writing only in formal manner here, I’d be ridiculous.
English changed so much through time, that I bet that this differentiation won’t last many more years. People are always looking to simplify things, it’s normal for things to be this way.
With reference to the Money Numbers thing, this is consistent with the decimal point, but I believe it’s only UK which uses a period for the decimal point and the whole of the rest of Europe uses a comma.
The question of ‘Quotation Marks’ is something which I have never, to my recollection, been taught … or if I was, I was day-dreaming at the time.
According to Chambers “Good Punctuation Guide”, ‘British English tends to favour single (quotation marks). Quotation within quotation is signalled by the use of double quotes. Thus:
‘Next week we shall examine the “stream of consciousness” technique in greater detail,’ the tutor announced. (British English)
American English generally prefers to use double quotes, keeping single quotes to indicate a quotation within a quotation; … (reference to example in appendix)
There is one clear advantage of the use of double quotes over single quotes. Sometimes – especially with book titles – single quotes are in danger of being confused with apostrophes, as in:
‘Check your references in ‘Whitaker’s Almanac’ and in the ‘Writer’s and Artists’ Yearbook’.
It is probably ambiguities such as the above, allied with the technological advances offered by word processors, which have encouraged writers to change from putting quotes round titles to underlining them or setting them in italic.’
so bsomebody is quite correct in his statement.
The word Basketball was coined a few months after the game was invented; here are some details on how both the game and the word came into being.
By Summer of 1891, people running YMCAs had identified the need for a new activity that would interest people in winter; and that the new activity would have to be a game (rather than mere activities such as gymnastics and body-building). James Naismith, an intern teacher at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, MA started working on this problem of inventing a suitable winter, indoor activity. Others had found that activities based on the German and French systems did not generate interest; Naismith studied the Swedish systems and found that they too did not have the element of a game and so would not work.
In the Fall of 1891, during a discussion of inventions, Naismith’s teacher Dr. Luther Gulick remarked
“There is nothing new under the sun. All so-called new things are simply recombinations of the factors of things that are now in existence.” and used as illustration the recombining of elements to make new chemical substances, such as synthetic drugs and dyes.
To this, Naismith remarked:
“Doctor, if that is so, we can invent a new game that will meet our needs. All that we have to do is to take the factors of our known games and recombine them, and we will have the game we are looking for.”
That winter, the School had about 18 men studying to be secretaries of YMCAs. These men were required to take an hour long gym class around noon each day. And they all found this class boring. Two instructors (Dr. A. T. Halstead and Dr. R. A. Clark) each had tried to run this class, but had failed to keep the students interested. When there was 2 weeks remaining for the class, Dr. Gulick assigned the class to Naismith and gave him the directive to apply his ideas for inventing a game with the students of this class.
Naismith tried to adapt Football (with aspects from Rugby), soccer, and lacrosse. But all three adaptations failed to be viable. And the two weeks were almost up.
After the penultimate class, Naismith sat in his office reviewing all the things that had happened. He had taken one game at a time and tried to adapt it; it was now time for a more philosophical approach; he started thinking of games as a whole and considered various aspects of the games and the needs: in the adaptations he had tried, what aspects of the adapted game were promising and what aspects contributed to the rejection of the adapted game? In the outdoor games, what aspects could be incorporated in an indoor game and what aspects could not? What features must the new game have?
It is fascinating to read the step by step way in which Naismith went on to invent Basketball in those hours of work after the penultimate class. He goes from deciding on the need for a ball, to the selection of the type of ball, the elimination of tackling, the definition of what players could do with the ball, what directions the ball could be advanced [in those days, perhaps today too, football allowed only forward movement of the ball], and ensuring that players don’t get hurt in any struggle to acquire the ball. He then had to device some objective for the game: he considered the objectives of various games and came up with the idea for the horizontal goal based on the characteristics of a game involving rocks (”Duck on the Rock”) that he played as a child. He then worked on the method to start the game.
With this thinking done, he went on with his other work for the rest of that day. That evening, he “played” his newly invented game using his bed as the court.
The next day, he affixed baskets as goals in the gym. Then, in under an hour, he wrote out thirteen rules. By the time the steno (Miss. Lyons) typed up the rules, it was time for the final class.
The game was a success from the time the first ball was tossed up! But the game still did not have a name.
The students of the class and the passerbys who dropped in to watch the game spread the game across the US when they went home for Christmas vacation; these games were played based on the recollection of the rules. The rules were first published in January 1892 in a school paper under the heading “A New Game”.
[After the students returned from vacation, Frank Mahan (a leader among the students of the class that first played the game) asked Naismith what he was going to call the game. In the following, "I" refers to Naismith.]
I told him that I had not thought of the matter but was interested only in getting it started [which is very strange]. Frank insisted that it must have a name and suggested the name of “Naismith ball”. I laughed and told him that I thought that name would kill any game. Frank then said:
“Why not call it basketball?”
“We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to me that would be a good name for it,” I replied. It was in this way that basketball was named.
The preceding is based on the book Basketball: Its Origin and Development by James Naismith, first published in 1941 (50th anniversary of invention of basketball); there are newer reprints. After presenting the invention of the game and its name, the book goes on to discuss the evolution of the game and its spread across the US and the World. The book ends with a list of some of the intellectual and physical attributes involved in playing the game.
The game was consciously invented and is played today across the world with only non-essential changes. For reasons which I am unable to fathom at this time, Naismith did not make much money from his invention.
Trivia: It is easy to see why basketball has terms such as hoops, hoopster, balling, and baller. But a basketball player may also be called a “cager” (that book explains why).
Should have pointed out that, after the penultimate class, Naismith’s approach to the task of inventing the game has, in addition to the attributes mentioned above, the attribute of starting from scratch.
Added note: Dr. James Naismith was a Canadian physical education professor from McGill University of Montréal and instructor at the YMCA Training School.
I have rarely been in a position to be accused of keeping up with anyone. I buy things for my own reasons to fulfil my own needs or wants and I shop around to make sure I get the best price.
Nevertheless, in spite of that I have sometimes been known as “The man who has everything”, perhaps because, like Sir Winston Churchill, I am a man of simple tastes – I satisfy myself with the best. Or maybe it was because I stayed single for so long and didn’t have a wife to try to make me keep up with the Joneses.
If you want to know more about why it is a bad idea to have a conspicuous, extravagant lifestyle, read Robert Kiyosaki’s book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”.
With my little bit of race track experience… the point is not keeping up… but passing the Joneses, the Smiths, the Orlovas or whoever the heck else is out there on the track. But then in real life I remember the teaching of Jesus, “…the first shall be last and the last shall be first…” & I try to wrap my head around that, wheew…
Man a new video every day & other good stuff Marina is doing… I can’t even keep up with the Orlova anymore, I quess I’ll catch her again when she puts me down another lap. (sad race track analogy)
Wow, I liked the new video layout and opening sequence. And hey, she brought back the old theme music from the original videos. God, Marina looked gorgeous in that outfit, didn’t she?
Hi, marina
No, I do not keep up with the joneses… because it’s never any good simply because it’s a waste of money and new technology is revealed frequently.
Not Me,I couldn’t care less about the looks of My place,it is function I am always scheming to improve,more heat/cooling efficiency and such,and,I try to do it on a tight budget/1 income.
I did paint the exterior a few years ago but just to keep folks from complaining and then forcing the issue.It was ready for paint tho,no doubt. I used a very good acrylic so I would get some function along with the superficial looks.
F___ the Joneses. They can take all their stuff and cram it.
I tried this unusual word request yesterday to no avail, so I’ll try it again during this lesson to see if I have any better luck. What I wanted to know is what you call a word that remains the same when you rotate it 180 degrees. For instance, the word ‘pod’ remains ‘pod’ if you spin it halfway around. Same goes for the word ‘dollop’… turn it 180 degrees and it still remains ‘dollop’. The word ‘mow’ would be another such word. Question is, what is the word to describe such a ‘rotating’ word? Does such a word for ‘rotating’ words even exist? If not, there should be a word for such. It’s not quite a palindrome, and it’s not quite an ambigram. So what is it? Marina either hasn’t had the time or interest to delve into the matter as of yet. Her TA Capman911 did try to discover the answer himself, but to no avail so far. I’m really curious about this peculiar word request now that it appears to be a stumper. Good luck to anybody trying to find out the answer. Peace, Errin : )
And, for the record, I did not think up this word request myself. My significant bother thought it up the other night when she and I were playing Boggle. When she poised the question to me, I just knew I had to run it by HotForWords to see what the answer might be. I wish I had thought this up myself… it’s a clever concept. We’ll see if a word has been coined yet for it.
Billyb is she also a nagavator like my significant bother is too. We drive some where and she has to help me drive. Turn here turn there watch out your going to fast.
My right ear hasn’t been able to hear for about a month now, I don’t think I want to go to the Doc & get it fixed JK (the last part).
My wife is great, just don’t get to see her enough, even after all these years… I think I’m more the “significant bother” though.
Mary thinks she’s a good navigator though, she bought a discount GPS & when we went to Vancouver, we ended up driving an extra 30 miles or so because we ended up on the wrong side of the river. But I still let her know she is a great navigator, we got to see a whole bunch of new scenery
From what I can see no-one has yet coined a unique word for a “Rotationally Symmetric Ambigram” so there is an opening for someone to become famous by doing so.
Of course, the word you invent should itself be a “Rotationally Symmetric Ambigram” to have any validity.
Errin if there isn’t a word for what you are looking for then coin one and see if you can get it put it in the dictionary. How about “errin” is when you turn a word upside down and it reads the same way.
Well, I couldn’t really name it after me since it was my Amy who thought up the concept during a Boggle game. Even then, I’d rather give it a more fitting name. Our trusty teacher could probably think up the best word to fit such.
I thought for sure Marina would have the answer (or one of the student body would), but it appears she is stumped. If a master philologist like Ms. Orlova doesn’t know of such a word, then I guess it doesn’t exist yet.
Ha Ha Ha, so can we assume that Marina distracted herself from the lesson?
HW: I don’t do anything to “Keep Up With The Joneses”.
As long as the wheels stay on my van, I don’t need a new one.
I’m still looking for a valid reason to get a cell phone.
My wetsuit has scratches, but as long as the fish don’t care, I don’t care.
But I do have the biggest snowblower I can afford.
I guess “Stuff” just isn’t important or impressive to me.
Very good so far, but you left out the history of how “Jones” became a sort of generic name.
“Jones” is an Anglicized Welsh name. After the English conquered Wales, they set about taking a census. The Welsh used patronymics and customarily would recite their lineage for seven generations, so that when asked his name, the Welshman would tell the census-taker, for example, “Iestyn ab Owain ab Iorwerth ab Cadwaladr ab Siencyn ab Llwyd ab Ianto ab Sion.” The befuddled English census-takers could approximate only the name “Sion,” which they recorded as “Jones.” Thus the Welsh were stripped of their traditional names and “Jones” became the most common surname in Wales.
With British colonization of America, the Welsh came in the thousands to the New World, and “Jones” became an American synonym for “everyman,” just as it was in Wales.
Eich myfyrwr ffyddlon / your faithful student,
Ieuan ab Owain, aka Evan Owen
Hmmm,so Katherine Zeta Jones is really “Katherine Zeta —— —— —— —— and so-on.
I’d still like to see Marina co-star in a movie with KZ Jones and Mira Sorvino!! Can You imagine all 3 of those talents and smiles all in one action flick?!?! Somebody,quick! Call hollywood!!
Hi tryant,
About your “hope I wasn’t too obnoxious” comment — most of us regulars at this site have taken our turns at being obnoxious, so I don’t think any of us took offense.
…that human beings are social animals much influenced by the groups to which they belong – their family, workmates, social class etc. Friends, neighbours and other acquaintances, particulary those we would like to emulate and to whose lifestyle we aspire, are our “reference groups” and have considerable influence on our behaviour. (”Keeping up with the Joneses” is one everyday expression of this approach, “peer group pressure” another.)
YESSS! Thank you, Owen. That has always peeved me, mostly when it’s in print, on semi-official or otherwise public writing. People who make their living from writing should especially get things like that right.
I actually didn’t know that!
I thought apostrophe+s from “it’s”, signifies ownership or affiliation. OK, so this is incorrect, but the rule I mentioned applies in general though, for words other than “it”. And this would be just a trivial exception, right?
The shortening of “it is” or “it has” to “it’s” is clear.
Thanks, Evan! I’ll keep this in mind from now on.
The easy way to keep up with this is to simply not use contractions in formal writing, therefore “it’s” would never be used on a formal paper (yes, even history homework.) It is odd that the possessive “its” does not use an apostrophe, but hey, that is English for ya.
You could also say: ..keeping up with Alice in Wonderland
American Dream = Pursuit of Happiness (USC) <– “keeping up with the Joneses” = Alice in Wonderland: “You have to run ever faster for just to keep staying in the same place.”
“The Joneses want so much to keep up with the Macs.” (Henry Brooke)
addition
The popular name John is Sion in Welsh which, strictly speaking, has no letter “J”. Its pronunciation (with a long “o”) has led to the surname Shone, found in north-east Wales and the border area. The same basic name, with anglicised spelling and with an additional “s” developed into the commonest Welsh surname, Jones.
btw: Momand originally wished to call the series “Keeping up with the Smiths”.
I don’t really keep up with the Joneses as much as I used to. I believe you’re only as successful as how you feel, not how you look (though it wouldn’t hurt every now and then ).
I agree. To me, true affluence is when you spend more time doing whatever you want than you spend working to support yourself. Did I say that right? I think so.
So if you don’t need much and don’t have to work hard to get it, you’re already infinitely richer than the person who “has everything” but no time to appreciate it. Being satisfied with what’s readily available is way better than striving to control that which isn’t.
Dear совершенная Marina, No, I don’t “keep up with the Joneses.” When I see a beautiful person (such as yourself) driving a new Audi R8 mid-engine sports car, I know I can’t keep up with my 2007 model year Chevrolet Aveo 4-door sedan.
Why, for the price of an R8, a beautiful person could have bought a dozen Chevrolet Aveos!
In fact, the insurance and maintenance of an Audi R8 is more than I’d want to pay. So I keep my (relatively new) car neat and clean, don’t drive it very much, wash it weekly and wax it every two months, to keep it looking nice! No, it’s not s cool as an Audi R8, but I try to make my investment in a cheap car look good, since I plan to keep it many more years!
If I were to drive you to the Blu Jam Cafe in it, I wouldn’t want you to be too embarassed about arriving in such a cheap car!
Kакая прелесть, seesixcm6
People who buy stuff only to bring more attention to themselves… I guess there are all over the place, but in Romania, we even found a word to describe them.
If a person gets too cocky about what he owns, he/she is considered to have “fiţe”, that being the opposite of down-to-earth.
It doesn’t have any direct translation into English.
Is that a T with tiny s attached? What is that all about?
OK, it may not have a direct translation, but what is it exactly? Is it an old word that just has this new meaning? a new word? What is the origin of it? If you are going to play Marina, then cough it up, baby!
Hey, that is a good idea. Whenever M does a phrase or some kind of slang, you give us the Romanian equivalent and the literal English translation and how it means what it does. I have said before I want M to do this on a large scale, but maybe you could start it out on a small scale. If you can do this successfully, maybe we can get others* to join in. Are you willing? Not for ordinary words, but just for colloquial phrases and sayings.
—-
*I want people who are native speakers so that they know from life experience vs. outsiders looking things up in books.
That is a T with a cedilla attached. It’s pronounced “tz”.
Cedillas can also be attached to S, and become “sh”.
I’ll try to explain the word better by giving an example.
Let’s say you ask a girl out, if she expects you to arrive at the date’s location in a BMW, or expects you to have an apartment in the city center, then she certainly has fiţe!
Also, did you ever see people wearing sunglasses in a dark club? Yes, also fiţe!
The dictionary says it means:
1. to be choosy (or fastidious);
2. to expect to be supplicated;
3. airs and graces;
4. to be capricious;
5. to put on frills;
Now I understand why there is no one direct translation, it just means more things than one!
In short, in my view, it characterizes men and women who demand attention, or anything more than what they deserve.
Fiţe has an unknown etymology.
Marina once said that to study etymology, you need only to pick one language, because the word’s origins are the same. She chose English because it presented a challenge for her.
I respect that about her, and I think I wouldn’t try to play her! I would play myself though, and like her, I don’t back down from a challenge. I will always put my two cents in, and I would gladly translate and explain… you know, anything to celebrate our cultural diversity!
@Chemikal: one opposite of “being down to earth” is “putting on airs.” One might be this way about one’s possessions, though another meaning to to pretend to be more sophisticated than one really is.
Right, you grasped the biggest part of the word.
I’ve written something extra above though, if you want to check that out also. I think that this word has it’s place in the world today, and I don’t think we’ll stop using it any time soon. (sadly)
Would you consider “superficial” to be fairly synonomous? I believe you would be familiar with this term. I guess superficial is not always Putting on airs, but I think that is the general gist of it.
Keeping up with the Joneses. that is the good ol’ “american way” in capitalist america!!!! Some short red haried chick named theresa whose dad was a psychologist in maryland in 1976 but she and her mom ran away from him. theresa with her southern accent which stuck me as cute then-she pressured me to take on a second newspaper route so that I might buy a used car like her girlfiriend’s friend Mark did. she wanted to keep up with the Joneses through me. that second paper route in a rougher neighborhood did in my carrier career of three years. They had found a dead body in a deserted field at the extreme end of my second newspaper route. I guess I just wanted to buy a $1200.00 used Mustang in 1976.
Pray for ITALY. earthquake…..[Turkey] the nation and how it got its name from America, thank you Marina
..the edit save my mistake of [quake from quack]…gogoandmorego…bless HotForWords…[bless]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT), also known as Gene-Culture Coevolution, was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s to explain how human behavior is a product of two different and interacting evolutionary processes: genetic evolution and cultural evolution. DIT is a “middle-ground” between much of social science, which views culture as the primary cause of human behavioral variation, and human sociobiology and evolutionary psychology which view culture as an insignificant by-product of genetic selection. In DIT, culture is defined as information in human brains that got there by social learning. Cultural evolution is considered a Darwinian selection process “….
soul be said…little leo.nard
You “crack” me up! I love this edition of Hot For Words! And I feel for you regarding keeping up with the apple products….
“Keeping up with the Joneses” was also the catch phrase for the 3rd installment of Indiana Jones featuring his dad Henry in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.
Keep up the great work.
~J
If one is in cahoots with another,
does that make them cahooters?
It’s very difficult to keep up with the Joneses.
Giant bugs, ancient tombs, crafty French guys,
not to mention Nazis, gun-fire, explosions, knights,
divine intervention and Russian refridgerators!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFS_n4yABXc&NR=1
I keep up with the Joneses when they’re keeping up with me.
Did you hear about the Three Kings that were keeping up to the JoNeses? One was blind, another let his penis do the talking(ruling) and the other lived in the stars(scars)
3 wise Animals were talking: one barked; one babbed and the other was a snake(worms) 
bah bha said da cheap(sh)
I am always way behind the Joneses. When I was a kid I still had an Atari while everyone else had a Nintendo.
Phrase Request: Lickety Split
Word request: Anansi
Not so much any longer I prefer to keep up with my interests other then let propaganda dictate my decisions except in computer hardware.
Word Request: touchwood
Word request: tarbaby
Hello
Comic Sans is not a good type to use…
here’s a word to search (typography)
it’s my advice
keep on the good work
bye bye
If the were a Green Acres remake Marina would be perfect for gza-gza’s part.
Random…I agree…her puppy should be the star
Nice Christmas tree.
growing up, my family were the “Joneses” of the neighborhood. Our next door neighbors always went out and bought something immediately after my folks did and the kids in the neighborhood all came to our house to hang and play pool or just chill in the media room. As a kid I never understood this! I never veiwed our family as wealthy or as the”Joneses”. I never knew how good we had it until I got older and left home at 18 to live on my own. My folks never spoiled us and I always had a job from the age of 14 on. My parents just wanted us to be happy as we got older. They never put alot of importance on money. So we just thought we were like everyone else. My family is very loving and openminded and very crunchy and green. Certainly not the “jerks” that some people might perceive them to be due to their financial gains………. Thanks Cecily M
The only (NEW!!!) Hotforwords 3d cgi animation video on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b68tMk1oMM
No, never try to keep up with them. Big headache and no joy at all)
Say, HotForWords, would you please investigate how the word “sex” appeared? Yesterday i understood i have no idea what it is. And now everyone uses it. Do they know?…
I don’t care for the Jones.
I recently read an about the many uses of the word ‘up’. It went on something like this. I looked up her up on a web site to she what she was up to. And so on.
seems like it would be a challenge to cover up usage in one lesson. Cover ‘up’ usage, not cover up.
I stopped keeping up with the Joneses after 2 bankruptcies. Now I just try to keep up with the paycheck.
That last move with the neckline was just about the most charming thing I have ever seen.
Здравствуйте Марина. А в Москве можно купить ваш календарь? Он где нибудь продается?
Будете ли вы делать выпуск с объяснением “Что такое Старый новый год” В америке наверно про это и не слышали ничего.
Да я бы тоже не отказался от вашего календаря, но скорее всего в России его будет сложно найти.
You two are not fooling anyone with your silly code. We KNOW you’re conspiring to smuggle HotForWords calendars into Russia!
Hello Marina your lessons are very nice and interesting and since the first time I’ve seen one of them I watch your lessons every day.I think you’re the teacher who everybody wish to have,you’re beautiful,charming and intelligent..WOW!!
Also I’d like to know the origin of the word LOGO
Grazie =Thank you (I’m Italian)
GOOD MORNING MARINAVILLE!
Marina that’s one RED HOT top that you’re wearing
where does the word “CRUNK” come from?
)
(if thats a real word
It is a ‘real’ word, the Oxford English Dictionary says it means to utter a hoarse, harsh cry and is used about some birds.
It mentions a similarity to Icelandic (and therefore Old Norse) krunka meaning to croak.
i want to find the origin of the word sex
to a visiting diplomat
“His ignorance is encyclopedic”
Abba Eban 1915-2002
(this is a rerun – first I’ve seen)
Hello Everyone!
I have a new set of Sexy Geek voting curves here
The New Year’s parties slowed down the voting a lot, but Marina continued to stay in positive territory, continually gaining. Thank you for all of your hard work. Let’s continue to vote and see Marina take first place. Thank you.
http://wired.reddit.com/sexygeeks_2008/?s=top
I generally do not care what the Joneses are doing. Occasionally, Somebody or the Mrs. will comment on something nice that we have seen. Usually, the other one will point out that we are extremely blessed and that we would never trade our lot for theirs. Material things are generally not on our list of demons.
I would also like to comment on the dress. Very classy and very sexy, and it is RED. Five stars!
The “adjustment” at 1:52 made no difference – LOL!
(this is a repeated post.. i mistakenly posted the suggestion as a previous video comment..)
hey tjere,
i’ve just stumbled upon your show on youtube and automaticaly became a fan. i’m no philologist, but i’m also BurningForWords
.
i’m from portugal so english is not my main language and this could be a fairly easy word. nonetheless, here’s a suggestion for you:
what’s the origin of the word Fiend (not friend)?
cheers,
sam
Hi! (Is this where I can request a word?)…
Okay, I’d like to know where the word RECKON (v.i.)
and the word RECKONing(?) comes from and when it was first used,
if its meaning changed.
What do you reckon?
Actually Marina i don’t try keeping up with the Joneses, beacause frankly…. i don’t get it, I got an i-pod and then the i-pod touch came out, my friend is nothing like me he got the i-pod touch as soon as it came out!
but i’ve found out that the regular i-pod isn’t much different to the i-pod touch
I always say the joneses can pay top price for the latest and Ill buy it later at half the price
Love the dress for this lesson, very elegant.
I love to learn and you make it fun also, thanks…
Hye Marina, it’s my first time here and I’m definitely your new #1 fan.. U’re #1 on that women on the web thing in my book anyday.. And keep that sexy and educational videos of yours coming.. brain and sexy.. such a deadly combination… Learning has never been so much fun… btw, my request is the word “Dynamics” cos I’m currently writing a thesis abt that.. thanks hot for words.. I’ll be good…
#1 Fan
fidzrock
hey hotforwords first off you are beautiful and I love your lessons since I am a soon to be father probably in the next week I would like to request the word “contractions”. Thank you
Love, Victor
congratulations man
I’ve kept up more or less just recently but only if it interests me. I’m really not concerned who has it or not. I was also wondering what where the phrase “Dead as a Doornail” came from. Some coworkers and I were curious about it the other day. I also referred them to your site. You’re awesome keep up the good work!
No. I haven’t tried to keep up with the Joneses for a long time.
Did anyone else notice that Marina’s slip up at the end of the video resulted in less cleavage on the final product?
What’s up with that, Marina?
Word request : shoplift
Lift got something to do with steal ?
Think of the Olympic sport that requires people to steal from weights
Dearest Teacher, After many years of dealing with the Hatfields and the McCoys,
I don’t have the gumshun anymore to even worry about the Joneses
Have a lovely evening my dear
I was wondering where the word majesty came from and what it means. I never really knew.
Only if i have the money , but then I won’t be keeping up with the Joneses , they’ll be keeping up with me !!
BTW , like the new intro Miss Orlova , is it keeping up with the Joneses too ?
No, I have a hard time just keeping up with myself!
Good night Marina!
I like to think that the Joneses are trying to keep up with me
We have the same thoughts r1wolf
what about the word corn? I was thinking, how did they come up with the name corn? weird if you think about it.
Speaking of Welsh surnames (Jones and my remarks below, here’s a little-known bit of etymology:
America was named after a Welshman.
Yes, I know, everyone says it was named after Amerigo Vespucci. The problem with this theory is that at the time, it would have been customary to name the new continents after his family name, not his “Christian” or given name; thus we’d all be “Vespuccians” if this story were true.
But the Welshman Richard ap Merrick (or a’Merrick, or even Amerike), financed the 1497 voyage of John Cabot that reached the Canadian Maritimes, asking that any new lands discovered be named for him. So it is that we ended up as “a’Merrick-ans” instead of “Vespuccians.”
Good thing, or we’d all be Wasps! 
(Sorry — bilingual pun.) 
It can be suggested that it may be symbolic that the name America may well have been based on the name of an entrepreneurial promotor of Welsh origin, given the subsequent American emphasis upon free enterprise. Even if Richard Ameryk`s name was forgotten, or manipulated in the naming of America, his association with Cabot`s venture should have given him more credit, since it was probably his finance that made the pioneering voyage possible.
btw: Amerika kommt aus Freiburg (pdf)
can you do the word breast implants or just “implants”, as you can tell I want to know if there is a chance you have natural breasts?
That’s rather a rude question.
We usually encourage people to keep remarks like that confined to YouTube.
Are you sitting on the edge of your seat or what?
act naturally
Leonard, That’s no way to speak to a Lady
leonard is not leonard243…peace
I have a word requests the differences of Airplane and Aeroplane what the difference and how did they come about and why?
wat is the origin of the saying “one” wen people say goodbye?
Never heard of it.
Every morning on the today show Al Roker says Let’s see what’s happening in your neck of the woods. Woods don’t have necks so what does your neck of the woods mean and how did it come about?
Oh Marina, I was was writing an email yesterday to ask if you where going to make a new intro. Your reading my mind again. Stop that! LoL. Love your new intro!
Homework: I used to race with the Joneses (well sort of). I had high tech toys that even most Hollywood stars would be envious of. One of my nick names in the Navy was ‘Inspector Gadget’ for my bunk was full of gadgets like over the shoulder camcorder/VCR, 5 inch color TV, ham radios, 35mm camera equipment, Apple IIc computer, mountain bike, etc. Doesn’t sound like much in todays standards but back then Laptops didn’t exist nor did PDAs and cellphones. I was able to make phone calls with my handheld ham radio. My first cellphone cost me $1,200 bucks and it held the recored for the smallest cellphone in the world. Smaller than a $1 bill and thick as a small book of matches.
My goal was to have it all. I was buying items like watches just to impress others, even though I hated to wear the damn things. I would buy leather jackets for how much it cost and not for it’s quality or warmth.
Then one day at work I was struck with ulcer pains from losing a $7,000 home theater sale. I pondered a questions. How much is enough? Who am racing against? Why am I in this race? If I win will I be truly happy? I pondered these and other questions over the years. I realized that the road I was traveling down, I would never be satisfied. 100 billion dollars would not be enough. Now I’m happy to say I’m no longer trying to keep up with the Joneses. I could care less if my stuff cost more or less than what the Joneses has. I see this kind of thinking could also help people survive the Great Recession of 2008. Buy only what you need.
As for electronics, well one just has to upgrade as it becomes obsolete. If it is a piece of equipment you use for your work then it’s a must that you upgrade to stay completive in the market place. But first weigh your options before you start replacing equipment. Think about if your money could be better used else where that would be more profitable. Can you wait for X days until x project is completed? Do you have a scheduled replacement program in your budget or business plan? What to do with the old equipment? Sell it? Give it away? Keep it for a back up? I better stop, I’ll just keep rattling on.
HEY Marina hear are some interesting words you could look in to maybe
nanopaper and buckypaper 
nanopaper , cool stuff
Hi Marina,
Keeping up with the Jonses…
“Buying things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like”
Now if you want to keep up with the Trump’s, come to Las Vegas and Buy a Casino.
HI Marina no i don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. You done a very good job explaining it. It was very interesting. You look so PRETTY IN RED WOW
Hey Marina
I was wondering if you could help me out this not a word really but its more of an even and I hear about it every year and I really don’t like it I was just wondering where did Groundhogs day come from……….I hate winter…..lol…thanks….dave……
Hey Marina.
, VERY anti-communist), i thought of you and wondered if you’ve read it…?
I disslike communism as much as you do (as you told bill o’riely) but i want to know if you knew about this:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1950/jun/20.htm ?
i study history and when i noticed that stalin was spending his time writing about Linguistics insted of paying attention to his own people or the war the dictator he instaled in north korea started (like i said, conservative republican, Russophilic
When Lenin spoke of two cultures, he proceeded precisely from the thesis that the existence of two cultures cannot lend to the negation of a single language and to the formation of two languages, that there must be a single language. When the Bundists [6] accused Lenin of denying the necessity of a national language and of regarding culture as “non-national,” Lenin, as we know, vigorously protested and declared that he was fighting against bourgeois culture, and not against national languages, the necessity of which he regarded as indisputable. It is strange that some of our comrades should be trailing in the footsteps of the Bundists.
As to a single language, the necessity of which Lenin is alleged to deny, it would be well to pay heed to the following words of Lenin:
“Language is the most important means of human intercourse. Unity of language and its unimpeded development form one of the most important conditions for genuinely free and extensive commercial intercourse appropriate to modern capitalism, for a free and broad grouping of the population in all its separate classes.” [7]
[6] Bund, General Jewish workers’ Union of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, was a Jewish petty-bourgeois opportunist organization founded at a congress held in Vilna in October, 1897, which worked mainly among Jewish handicraftsmen. At the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party’s First Congress in 1898, Bund joined the R.S.D.L.P. as “an independent autonomous organization concerned only with the special problems of the Jewish proletariat.” Once it joined the Party, however, it propagated nationalism and separatism in the Russian working-class movement. The Bundist bourgeois-nationalist standpoint was sternly repudiated by Iskra newspaper founded by Lenin. p. 18
[7] V. I. Lenin, “The Right of Nations to Self-Determination ” Selected Works in Two Volumes, Eng. ed., M
(from above)
Pushups, what is your first language? A number of us students are multilingual; we encourage our peers who are uncomfortable with English to also write their remarks in their native language, so as to remove ambiguities about what they mean.
Hey Marina, I was wondering what the origin of the word television was? Another thing I have been wondering about for a while now is why here in America we spell words differently then the same words in England; for example color as opposed to colour, favorite to favourite, favor to favour, etc. But it wasn’t just or v.s. our i was concerned about, what about center and centre or defense and defence? Thanks Marina, and keep up the great work.
REQUEST: Where does the phrase “all the rage” come from?
Dear Marina. I request an investigation about word PROCRASTINATION. I have been wondering about the origin of this word, but I have been very busy lately, therefore I have not done it yet
And, yes, sometimes I try to keep up with the Joneses…
I was wondering what the word origin of peanut is, as it’s neither a pea nor a nut. Also, I was wondering if you could bring back a couple of things: interrupting the video to announce the teacher’s pet (I know it was for thumbnail purposes, but still…) and doing that hand kiss & wave at the end of the video. I miss those a lot. :`o(
Actually it is a pea – botanically it is classed as a legume.
Regarding features of older videos which I miss, it would be nice to occasionally have some of those shots where Marina was very close to the camera, such as, for instance, in the Floccinaucinihilipilification video.
They had a certain intimacy which is lacking in the latest videos.
How about “keeping up red blouses”?
English Language Word Origins: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
I’m probably opening a can of worms with this question, but here goes anyway. Many words in the English language are devided into two groups, the profane or low-brow words and the sophisticated or high-brow words. This particularly seems to hold true with words describing human anatomy and human bodily functions. Speaking as a lay-person, it would seem that words that fall into the profane group tend to be from Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, or Slavic origins. On the other hand, the sophisticated words would seem to be from Latin or Ancient Greek origins. Marina, as a linquistic expert, do you find these observations to hold true? If so, is there a bias in favor of words derived from Latin and Ancient Greek and against Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Slavic derived words? Where does this bias, if it exists, come from? Thanks!
Eric M
I checked it out with brother Merle and he says it comes from Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.A.
White Light White Heat
The Greeks and Latineese all went to college, whereas the other groups quit high school to learn how to be a Webmaster.
It’s true, I tell you.
In other words, why is it more polite to say “feces” than “shit”
It’s all to do with snobbery and social discrimination.
The only people who spoke Greek and Latin were the ones who could afford an education and were therefore rich and powerful – the elite of the populace. They regarded those who spoke only Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, or Slavic dialects as base, vulgar and common.
I surmise that this preconception survives to this day.
Gooday Marina,
In light of the past holiday season and the vast quantities of good food my family, friends and I have consumed (mmmmm…christmas cookies, and sqares, and most importantly turkey and gravy), plus the habit to make new year’s resolutions. I was wondering where the term ‘cold turkey’ comes from. As in, “I’m quitting cold turkey”, or, “He’s going to try it cold turkey this time”.
PS Wow you get a lot of requests, eh. Happy New Year from Canada.
Ha! The Jonses try to keep up with ME. Where does the word “expensive” come from?
ex = prefix meaning not or no longer
pensive = lost in deep thought, or anxious
me = slightly perplexed
Ex=out of
pensive=related to the thought process
Expensive=You have to be out of your mind to pay such a price
I was wondering the origin of the word “camera”. Thanks
WLIU, I think it is ancient something-or-other for dark room. The first cameras were dark rooms where an outside image from a pinhole lens was focused on a wall. The audience sat inside the camera.
There was NO popcorn.
i would like like to know why people say: he’s/she’s sweating like a pig.
pigs don’t sweat. thats the reason why they roll around in mud!
Oink don’t know why they say that, either.
Hey Marina, I got my old account reinstated from You Tube. So I will await your friendship acceptance on both of my accounts if I am lucky enough to have you as a friend. Thanks in advance.
Mikemx32 and Capman911
Congrats Mike.
hey Marina!!
I have a word request!
I was wondering about the origin of the word bullshit…I mean…is there any bull involved…? and the s… of a bull!! ?
well…I hope you answer my request soon..!!
Thanks!!
greetings form mexico..!!
Of course a bull is involved! You don’t think they make it in a factory, do you?
The term literally refers to the output of a bull as a worthless material.
and when do they started to use it??
it’s that I always hear people say it….but not undertand it at all…!!
in Mexico we use another expression….I think its more nasty LoL..!!
(:
It has been in use for hundreds of years, probably since the first plop was seen.
¿Qué se dice en México en vez de bullshit?
Aquí también se dice “bullfeathers” (plumas de toro), para decir que algo es ridículo.
Bueno, en México decimos que esas son “mamadas”
… puede tener dos conotaciones, ya sea en el sentido maternal o sexual, es decir, en el primero cuando el bebe esta mamando (de las mamas…valga la redundancia) o en el otro sentido que se refiere mas al sexo oral, quiza la ultima conotación es mas moderna y talvez se pueda usar mas en kalo…aunque ambas serian parte del kalo mexicano pero pienso que la segunda puede llegar a resultar mas vulgar.
Quiza de una manera mas propia seria decir que son “fregaderas”.
Espero haberme explicado.
JESUS JONES
Hey Marina,
No, I don’t really have any Joneses in my life with whom I could keep up, nor do I ever really worry about having the latest of anything.
Hello Marina,
I like the new intro.
After all the holiday shopping, keeping up with the Joneses, is not as important as keeping up with the bills. I’ll get back to the keeping up with later in the year.
Basketball Jones – Cheech & Chong
Loved that
& remember it, from my grad’ year.
thats George Harrison on guitar. my sweet lord
What does the word Pestilent mean
i do have a jones for new technology, but, no, i don’t keep up with the Joneses…
kinda hard when about 40% of your net is already spent each month…
but i love my kids, and will do my best to help them at least only stay a step or three behind the Joneses…me, i can just take the next bus…
Hi Marina… can i request a word??? i really want to know about the word Doctor and it´s relation with the medicine history… why a doctor it´s always related with medicine and not with other sciences??
thanks for your attention…
ahhhh… does anybody told you .. that you are a magnificent beauty??
ciao bella!!
“doctor” is absolutely a degree afforded to all other sciences, although it is a common misconception is that a doctor is a medical practitioner only…
How true Annudder. My nephew is a professor at Hawaii University, but he also has a Doctorate degree in his field.
prof. dr. nephew!
He only has engineer left to add to his ranks, right?
I think a medic is the only one who is required to be a doctor of medicine to achieve this rank.
Do you know of any other job that requires such a degree?
Certain ordained preachers receive a Doctorate degree, Our preacher has a Doctorate in Ministry. I agree, only a person in a medical field should receive a Doctor status.
Hello Chemikal,
Totally unrelated to above topic, but YouTube put this in my “Recommended for you” section: Aromanian music Obviously “a-Romanian,” but related. What’s the connection?
Hello Evan, I noticed HFW got a new video up, but before I watch that let me answer real quick here.
Aromâni or Aromanians are Welsh people (Romanic and some Celtic). They can be found in Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria.
Their native tongue is a Romanic one, it’s named aromână, and is considered to be one of the four dialects that formed the Romanian language.
It’s also relevant to add that the Aromanians have never claimed a state of their own. Though they have played an important role insuring the independence of some Balcanic states, such as Bulgaria, Albania and Greece.
Even if they number well under a million today, in Romania they are acknowledged, respected, and are not considered to be a minority, but rather as repatriated Balcan Romanians.
Dear Miss Marina Orlova,
Indiana Jones is hard to keep up with, I still have a few more tombs to read and raid…
Your Student,
ThoughtOnFire
BTW I love the new intro and looks!
Word Request: Reactionary
I do not accept the catsup…I will keep the Jones as pills for thrills…the down end of it are prepositons(no rain)indeclinable….Let those jonesing bastards catch up,,,(tomatorrow_0)…knock it off, Evan and do the cha-cha
Hello Marina and everyone! I think that we can all agree that this gentleman’s hair is unkempt. But where exactly did the word unkempt come from? If a person or their hair can be unkempt, can they be kempt? I’m very confused! Can you look into this Marina?
Nope, never have cared about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.
Eric M
“It’s” really not about keeping up with the Joneses anyways… “It’s” all about keeping ahead of the DeFrancos… it’s still taking votes. Sorry Phil, you sXe thing
Whooo! Whoooo!! Billy’s got it right. A+ for BillyB
Even though voting is picking up, please continue to vote for Marina and don’t forget to down vote whoever is in the lead.
Vote for Marina here:
3563 votes to go to take the lead.
http://wired.reddit.com/sexygeeks_2008/?s=top
~Keep Voting In HotForWords
i have a request: why is that in america you guys call petrol or fuel, gas?
its not a gas. its a liquid.
Gas is short for gasoline.
well i’ll be – ol’ skull-brain is back…welcome home…(-;
Gracias, amigo.
Yep, somebody buried me but my dog dug me back up, so here I am…
Interesting factoid: Before being used in internal combustion engines, gasoline was sold as a remedy for lice and their eggs. Ewwww!
Eric M
I wonder what prompted anyone to refine gasoline in the first place? Surely the delicing market wasn’t that booming.
Yes, and when we’re satiated with food, we say we’re stuffed. You’d think we were referring to a different sort of satiation, wouldn’t you?
Yes and No about keeping up with the Jonses. My inlaws are the Jonses. So if they go somewhere then we have to keep up with them. But we don’t keep up as far as buying things or acquiring personal items.
I love the new beginning and ending it look so cool and keeping up with the times. Very Chic Marina.
You look very nice and radiant in that red dress today.
She always looks very nice and radiant… we don’t want to spoil her, by telling her over and over. She might just start believing us!
She does why do you think she dresses up for us every day. She has class.
Now there’s a marketing idea — the Marina radiant heater. It would be a full-sized manakin with a built-in oil-filled-radiator electric heater.
At least there would be a plausible reason for having it, in case anyone of the female persuasion should question it.
I want mine in fuscia.
Great idea. I want mine in Flesh color.
I agree 100%
BECAUSE I never tried to keep up with the Joneses I now have an IRA and a 401k that the Joneses are envious of. My current 6 year old car I bought new, giving away my 17 year old truck ( because the tax write off was better than what I was offered on trade-in ) to a local charity. I bought my 2year old computer new ONLY because the previous one crashed. I bought a home next to the Bay so I don’t spend a lot on vacations; alot of people spend big bucks to vacation next to where I live.
I recently re-started playing Frisbee Golf which is a LOT cheaper than real golf ( no greens fees )and you’re ALLOWED to throw the darn thing.
While far from rich, I don’t have to worry about missing any meals in retirement ( even in this economic downturn ).
I expect a lot of Joneses are caught in the recent rash of foreclosures which is something else I don’t have to keep up with.
Yes, orion_ss1, disc golf ROCKS!
My brother and I set up our own course at a local schoolyard and have been playing the same 18 holes for 25 years now (weekends and evenings, of course).
It’s unofficial, but works just fine. We use stuff like fire hydrants, gateposts, specific trees, and water fountains for holes and we’ve derived thousands of hours of entertainment over the time we’ve been using it. Now his kids are getting into it. Playing with them is a blast.
It’s truly the cheapest, easiest, and least physically damaging way I’ve found to get some good exercise while enjoying the mental challenge of competition. Best of all, “FORE” is never followed by “closure!”
With the worry of litigation so prevalent nowadays, I’m surprised the school district doesn’t chase you off for fear someone would be beaned by a golf ball and sue them. I wouldn’t be suprised if they were less worried about illicit drug use on the grounds on the theory that it would be seen as obviously not authorized and therefore they would be legally off the hook.
Who said anything about a golf ball? We were talking about DISC golf. It’s very tame, and we have developed an excellent safety system that keeps anyone (or anything, including parked cars, glass windows, etc.) from getting inadvertently ‘beaned.’
I thought you used some kind of container as the “hole” rather than objects. Or do you just try to hit the object?
It depends on the size of the target. If it’s something only a few feet in size like a fire hydrant or a fence post, it’s all good. You either hit it or you don’t. With large objects like a debris box or a big tree we usually pick a specific part of it to make the target reasonably well-defined. We’ll pick one side, or designate a particular section, etc. like one wheel of a debris box or a particular branch or knot on a tree, etc.
WTF???
koala! Speak on the Koala???
At receipt entered the name in Russian group
RUS
Шпрехен The коалла?Говориете на коалла???
Эммм где я??? Что происходит, при поступлении я записался в русскую группу. Ай нот Андустенд вас…
Это ведь класс Марины Орловой???
Да, это класс Марины Орловой, но она учителница по-англиский — история словы.
“Коалла” не понимаю — что это? Fuzzy animal from Australia?
My comment meant the request for conducting employment in Russian….:lol: in advance thanks
ah man it’s hard to keep up with the joneses but there called the “Hoovers” in my case anytime i get something new he always doubles it even when we talk he trys to sound more sophisticated
Teacher, i have a request! *raises hand*
Id like to know the origin of the word “areola”.
Could you please find that one for me? Breathtaking as always, my dear teacher:)
Welcome to HotForWords, repoman!
It’s good to know there are others in the world who are willing to admit they aren’t millionaires. See you round the campus (Universe University!) bro.
-pennsyltucky9
From your nickname, it looks like you keep up with the Jones if only to snag their car when they aren’t looking.
Really amazing lesson Marina
Like the old ones, only you look
But last 25 years or so 
Your still hopeing for T.P. 
B.B.
more beautiful than ever
H/W back in the day I did try quite a bit
doesnt seem like such a smart
adoring student
I don’t believe in keeping up with the Joneses (except for nuclear wepons, of course).
Who did the wonderful drawing of your eyes? The artist deserves to be known. I always thought a woman’s eyes and smile were the most important attractive features; everything else will sooner or later dry up, sag, wrinkle or blow away, but the eyes and smile are forever. No, seriously.
You can buy the top of the line state of the art phone/ computer/ car/ TV/ etc today go home and go to bed. Wakeup the next morning and whatever you bought is already out dated. Some times even before you get out of the store.
How true. It’s like bagged ice; buy what you need for today, because if you sock it away under the bed, it will be gone the next time you look.
Go dumpster diving in the alleys of Hong Kong and you might be 6 weeks/months ahead of “the Joneses” over here…
If people would all stop keeping up with the Joneses, then the economy would crash!
But don’t fear, this will never happen, it’s in our nature… If we can afford it, we will surely get it. That’s what money is for, right? Some people will even take out loans just to keep up with the darn Joneses.
Huh…
Hey, is that a new cliché, “Jones loans?”
Who decides what the new clichés are? Is there a book somewhere?
If you’re addicted to borrowing, you have a “loan Jones.”
It’s true, I tell you.
I’ve run across those people before.
Homework :No I don’t it costs too much and I think a lot of the stuff is a waste of money. I remember getting something because a friend had it. I ended up never using or liking it anyway.
Hey Marina,
I love the lessons. I was wondering the origins of Epiphany. I guess it is due to Christmas etc.
Thanks keep up the good work. I try not to keep up with the Joneses as what is the point.
mark
Thank-you for your concern as to my posting under Nerd and why I won’t be visiting your site everyday; and this Keeping Up With The Joneses is apt to be the reason. To make a long-story short… I simply refuse to pay more monies for obsolete services not to metion the hidden-(theft)- charges- surcharges ect. and as a matter of principle against false advertising and the telephone and cable monopolies that drain everyday Americans so They can Keep Up With The Joneses. So, now i must find reasonable, adequate services all over again cause my provider wants more money than what I signed on for and theretofore should be booted off the net today till I have satellite streamed in. Bye for now.
This certainly sounds interesting. Would you care to tell us your tale? Prices will always go up, so are they raising prices in the middle of a contract period or at the end of one. What about dial-up? You can get it for $9 a month here.
Thanx for the interest, I was on dial-up for some years and I moved here last year where the Telephone Co. charges about 100$ more a year for basic phone. ConectMyHighSpeed.com offered the lowest rate at 100MB/ps for 24.99 + surcharges through Embarq my new phone carrier that after a dispute over retroactive hook-up charges told me to call the PUC which I did and they gave me a new phone-line plus a couple of months to make good. I knew that to recieve thier equipment I’d be charged P&H;(even though one of thier offices is right down the street). But, to get their service I must pay a hook-up fee just to become thier customer; hence the hidden fee. O.K. If I have to, but I don’t like it. Then they want an additional 10$ @ mo. = 120$ @yr. for 100MB/ps which is a low standard in a High Speed sence and protection against viruses suck. so you gotta pay even more. Anyways… This should of instantly qualified me for a bundle pack. Even though it costs less than what they are charging me and I don’t want thier extras for an additional 100$ a year more each year for the phone because they own the lines. I tried to resolve this over the phone and they waste paper by responding with thier synopsis of the conversation and thier position every time I call. Thier Monopoply is broken by technology and they can sue me; cause of the aggravation of dealing with thier customer service and I have to start over again because as Advertised starting at 24.99 is what I want and what I ordered no more no less. ConnectMyHighSpeed sent me a check for the difference of 10$ for 3 months to settle the matter. Trying to get a straight answer on prices to get Embarq or them to do the math is frustrating as I tried for the last 9 months.
P.S. I hope this helps…. and I was only on their Network for 3 mo.’s and had thier phone service since Jan. 08. Whereas I had Verizon for 3 years before that.
Everyone has a connect fee, so that is really not hidden. But in any case, your PUC should have the tariffs available so that you can see what is being charged before you buy. There should even be an Embarq office where they keep big books of updated tariffs for public view, but maybe that is done online nowadays.
As far as the $10 goes, they have to charge something for the Internet service, but maybe you mean that they charged extra for a faster connection without you knowing. 100MB is really fast and so much so that I can’t imagine it except over fiber; I only have about 300KB over DSL (with options available to 10MB) and it’s fast enough for me. In the end, you have to make the decision between using them or their competitors and that is really all the power that you or any of us have in a capitalist system. Maybe you should look for a small, local ISP that knows that the customers are their bread and butter and treats you better (and then they deal with the carriers).
If they think you are going to “be a problem,” I can understand the knit-picking documentation (in writing) of every little thing; the company lawyers (if they are any good) will have foreseen this and set up self-defense procedures for the grunts to follow, and of course, they have no choice but to follow them. The trick is to talk to them like they are your long-lost buddies and you just can’t wait to get together with them for Thanksgiving dinner again. Sometimes getting just one person on your side can be a big help when confronting “the system,” especially slobbering all over them with profuse thanks. Being all pissed off ain’t never gonna help, because then they just open the procedures manual to the “nut job” page and go from there. Let me give you an example.
New Year’s Eve day I went down to our state income tax office HQ (which, because I live in the capital, is in town) to get in a last minute refund claim. The state’s computers were down for year-end maintenance, so I couldn’t get anything done on the phone, but I thought if I could at least hand in a return on the last day, I could get my foot in the door, so to speak. I stood facing this huge office complex, but could see no taxpayer assistance sign. A worker was walking up and I asked her where it was, but she said there wasn’t any here; it’s at another location. Rather than get all excited, I asked her where I should go. She took me in the building, got all the poop out of her computer (her system was still up) and told me which numbers to put in which spaces on the paper, just like H&R Block (but without the fees). Then she took the paper, we shook hands and I was done, despite the wrong address and the impossibility of the down computer system. Sometimes it just takes one person. Being nice may not get you anything, but having them think you are the nicest person they have ever talked to can’t hurt and it doesn’t cost a dime.
Sorry my bad it’s 1MB/ps and it is the lowest of all the highspeeds they offer. Anywho, Not everyone knows they are now charging hook-up fees to provide you with the service you are paying for ,they have to hook it up and since the fee is undisclosed at time of sale and hence charged after an oral contract mind you it is theretofore HIDDEN. Most gullible ppl are forcefed exhorborant promises at the time of sale only to find the real deal after the fact and these shady businesses and thier banking lawyers are off the hook by thier fine print and deceptive practices. I’m talking about false advertising being charged 10$ more A MONTH than what I ordered; otherwise I wouldn’t of. After speaking with one company they understood my position, just like the PUC in a previous matter with the same Co. Nobody likes to be browbeaten and/or spoke down to esp. when you are a potential or paying customer. I moved here and had no choice but to obtain service from this co. much like cable co.s till the dish came. Their prices for thier service (delivered) which is thier business is off the hook. They caused me a great diservice to me and it is unacceptible; I told them I would only pay the price I agreed to when I ordered thier product like advertised. I tried to compare thier services and prices and they refused to give me anything in writing so I went online and got it; specifically ordered their product at the advertised price. It is that simple but they don’t see it that way so from the exerience I was forced into with thier co. I choose to refuse to ever use anything I know that is connected with them. hey that’s just me the rest of you can accept all thier B.S. charges, fees as they seem to dictate cause they know most will pay it esp. where they controll the area and ppl don’t have much options. Why should I have to pay for thier faulty business practices; I for for one decline what they are offering, selling, or applying a bait and switch scam on me. WE THE PPL NEED A LAW TO MAKE FINE PRINT 5 INCHES TALL!
Hey hott4urblog
sorry to hear about your predicament 
I hope you work it out sooner rather than l8r 
would like to
B.B.
especially seeing as it will likely keep you away from us for an extended
period
keep on hearing from you
Thanks, I’ll be back plus the upside is that everyone that lets me borrow thier comp. may become a new student till then.
.
Geeks, nerds, … how about jocks?:
–Hs4Mm
.
Who is Marinas siseter?
Who now???
It’s great, like Marina’s getting back to the old videos that got most of us into her in the first place. OK maybe I could have fraised that better, but I think you all get what I mean.
Hi Marina, i like to know the orgin of the word “game”
Well, let’s see. I’ve been renting the same apartment for 20 years because I don’t own a home.
I drive a ‘92 Corolla with no frills (ie, no power windows, no power steering, no AC, no CD player and no sunroof, please). It runs well.
I still use the same computer I used 5 years ago (it’s on loan), and still use my original (LG) cell phone because I’m on the pay-as-you-go (no contract!) plan and the damn thing still works just fine (so why get a new one?).
I buy all my clothes (except shoes, socks, underwear, and the occasional raincoat) at second-hand stores.
My digital camera I also bought used, but has served me well for 5 years and I see no reason to upgrade.
My mountainbike has no suspension (stiff frame) and I wear a scratched-up 10-year-old helmet because I haven’t crashed it yet.
I wear the same eyeglasses I bought in 1998 instead of contacts. I don’t care that the lenses aren’t tiny and stylish because they provide excellent protection from flying objects.
I don’t have prescription sunglasses but use cheap polarized clip-ons instead, and I cut my own hair with the same clippers my dad used to use on us when I was a kid.
I don’t have a playstation, a Wii or a Nintendo. Instead, I ask the neighborhood teenagers if the have any old PC games they don’t want anymore, and have collected about a million games, most of which I haven’t had time to try out anyway.
I use an actual cable to connect my beat-up Westone Warlock guitar to my 30 year-old amplifier instead of a radio box, and I have a lot of vinyl records I’ve collected at thrift stores as well as a perfectly usable direct-drive turntable. I listen to records a lot.
To top it all off, my climbing partner is named Jones, and he has everything, so I can borrow stuff if I need it. I don’t have to keep up. He brings me along instead!
Did you ever think about why your climbing buddy Jones, brings you along? It’s because you have something he doesn’t… you see, when a Jones acquires new stuff, he doesn’t stop to enjoy it, he is constantly looking for the newer thing to replace it.
If you enjoy the way things are for you now, Mr. Jones probably sees that as something that he’ll never have. And I bet he is always trying to convince you to get the same stuff he has, or similar. Am I close?
Hmmm. Actually, he brings me along because I haven’t dropped him yet. In fact, of all the people he’s climbed with, he says I am the most safety-concious partner he’s ever had.
We make a good team in that we have climbed together for nearly 30 years, know what to expect from one another and have always brought each other back alive no matter what. As it is, I wouldn’t try to read any more into it than that, but thanks for the thought-provoking response just the same, Chemikal. It proves you’re paying attention.
Peace.
A radio guitar? It seems so obvious, what with radio mics having been around forever (remember the Vega?). but I didn’t know it existed. I guess it’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” things. How do they keep multiple guitars separated? Is the frequecy selectable?
I generally reuse tech stuff myself. My sister just gave me her old component hifi (receiver, cassette deck, CD deck, phono) with Bose speakers. It is all fairly solid stuff, from back when you could tell the quality just by looking at it and I don’t think I could hear the difference between its sound and today’s high-end stuff. She plays CDs through her new Bose PC speakers now and is happy that it doesn’t take up as much space. You just can’t argue technology with females when space, color, etc. matters to them.
Yep. You can get a battery-powered transmitter that eliminates the need to use a signal cable if you have the necessary receiver unit plugged into your amp.
But the way I see it, that’s just more crap that can go wrong somewhere in between the instrument and the final output or speaker cabinet (why am I getting no sound? Check guitar volume knob, transmitter connection to guitar, transmitter battery, transmitter power switch, receiver power switch, receiver sensitivity, receiver connection to amplifier, amplifier power switch, amplifier wall plug, amplifier volume knob, amp-speaker connection, etc).
Add a few more troubleshooting steps if you use any pedal devices. This is too many already. In my view, simpler is better. It’s definitely a whole lot cheaper. I don’t make my living playing music, so convenience isn’t my biggest priority. I want systems that don’t bust. So I’m happy with the cave-man rig.
As far as reliability goes, a cable in that application is a failure point waiting to happen. It’s flexing all the time and being pulled on and generally not being treated like cables should be treated. Now if you substituted one of these printed circuit ribbons that are used to connect up to a disk drive head or print head, it would be very reliable as long as you moved back and forth in a single line (how very not rock-and-rollish), but it would still fail before the radio died. Oh, and don’t bring up the battery issue on this; that doesn’t count any more than the you-might-have-a-heart-attack-while-playing issue does.
Huh? You missed my point.
That’s why I bring an extra instrument cable. Cheap. Easy fix. Done.
Hey I’m paying attention too, I just get a little distracted by all my stuff. I hate year end inventory work… takin a break. BTW all my inventory stuff is for sale & when it hangs around too long, I sell it below cost… so I can buy more stuff to sell. Vicious circle, kinda like the stuff I’m counting & costing(Tyres & Rims etc.).
You reminded me of an old bumper sticker that said something like this “He who has the most toys when he dies…Wins” So you don’t have to worry Deadman… and that old toyota is probably a lot more dependable than pretty much anything the “Big 3″ are putting out anyways.
One of the biggest secrets to keeping up with the Joneses financialy is to make “it” Tax deductable… well I guess it isn’t exactly a secret, but not everybody is aware.
Copy that, BillyB.
The so-called “big 3″ haven’t built a dependable car since the (Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge) slant-6 225 three-speed. They had it all figured out until some idiot in marketing invented “planned obsolescence.” I still see those same ugly old 1965-1973 Plymouth Valiants, Dusters or Belvederes, Dodge Darts, Swingers, etc. on the road every day! Their owners won’t give them up even though they use more fuel than a smaller car. But they were built back when customer loyalty required a robust product with cheap, reliable, easily replaceable parts. Now people just want a car that looks cool, and is newer than the Jones’s car.
I have friends that express anger that I won’t patronize our “American” car companies and support our home economy. My answer to them is that I have never wanted to be stuck with making payments on a new car and I didn’t buy this Toyota new. Someone else already did that. Their money went to Japan. Too bad. I’m just recycling it, and I paid for it outright so I didn’t have to use credit to buy it. If they can show me an “American” car that has as many miles on it and still gets the kind of reliability and fuel efficiency that I enjoy with my trashed-out used 1600 cc Toyota, I’ll buy it and drive it. That shuts them up every time.
I drive a ‘90 “pontiac firefly”… Jap’ car, American name… redeeming feature, it’s a convertable. I don’t look like “Ken” but it does look like I Borrowed it from “Barbie”… ‘xtra feature I did’t know about is how good it is in the snow which we never get round these parts.
I don’t think they sold those in the US or at least I’ve never heard of a ‘firefly’
Really?… Chevy Sprint, Geo Metro, made by Suzuki., 3cyl. engine. I burn more fuel riding my bike to work.
only downside is, I’m sure to die in a real collision with this car, but that has an upside too, I can dress like PT9.
On a sunny day (& with a good imagination) I can pretend I’m driving one of these… the car, the car
Hahahahaha! Sorry, BillyB, I don’t give out the name of my hairdresser!
Did try upgrading some electronics once but could not keep up
Look Up
I worked on a short film once that featured a group of lesbians that believed it was their ancestral right to take back the island of Lesbos…. yeah.
I personaly don’t have any trouble keeping up with the Jonses, being a Jones myself – I set the standards.
My word for you is lesbo. Today used as a term for a homosexual woman- where the heck did they get that? The answer was pretty suprizing to me..
She did this —> Words/Lessons
RED!
OK, keeping up with the Joneses is not the smartest thing to do, because… the way I see it, if you hold on to your present gadget or device, you will be able to save your money, and when a newer version comes out, you’ll be the first to get it.
And then the Joneses, will have to keep up with you!
no; i am the joneses. haha.
Marina, could investigate the origin of the word “spizzerinctum.” My english teacher tell us to have it constantly and it gets on my whole class’ nerves! Thanks!
Yep, intelligence sure is sexy, who’da thunk it?
Anyways I have watched many of your lessons and know that you do words, but my question is do you do phrases? The reason I ask is because I have always wanted to know the origins of the phrase “Get on the ball”. Sometimes it is used in sports to make a player play harder, or in football to recover a fumble. Also though it is used in life to tell someone to step it up and be more… I dunno… assertive? So if you could and are willing to do phrases please locate the origin of “Get on the ball” for me!
Thanks and I look forward to some more awesome lessons
Keeping up with the jonses is a term i believe used by those that dont care about the way they appear to care for what is theirs.Also I think it is an excuse for a lack of integrity.Anyway since im talking about “lacking”,I have noticed the one Obvious thing Marina isn’t lacking is (_)(_) cleavage.Maybe she could investigate that word for me .PPPPLEASE
Hey Marina,
I was wondering how “virgin” came to mean “non-alcoholic.” Can you help me out?
Thanks!
~Sean
probably because “virgin” means “pure; without sin:etc” so something non-alcoholic is pure, for the most part. plus, “virgin” sounds cooler when ordering a drink than saying “non-alcoholic”!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRszuEpLDS4
This is one of my very favorite TV shows!
I always sympathize with her husband, Richard, the poor sod. If he had the guts to off her, I would like to be on his jury so that I could give him a “get out of jail” card.
I think the bottom line is not keeping up with the Joneses. The real question is: who would freely accept to live next to neighbours like the Joneses or the McGinis, out of their freewill?
Sometimes, words are not even needed to stand up. Sometimes, just by looking at a perfect stranger in the eyes, you can catch a glimpse of something totally new, break into something totally different, in a fraction of second, without saying a single word. It feels just like saying hello and bye bye at the same time.
Tierna azucena eres,
a tu campo celeste
trasplantada y alegre
por el sueño solomne,
que te hace aquí, imponente,
tendida espada fuerte.
– Juan Ramón Jiménez – La Espada
Homework: No way. In fact, I am certain that some of my neighbors are frustrated with their inability to keep up with ME!
What is the entomology of “hanky panky” ? p.s. How do you like your new MacBook?
She might not have bought all the items mentioned. I think she was just making up a scenario to demonstrate the lesson.
I was thinking how a stainless-steel notebook would fare at the airport security gate on M’s trips. And then I started wondering what those nerdy Homeland Security guys would pull. You know, waving the handheld metal detector wand here… and then there… and then over here again… You get the picture. And all the while, the female guards would be giving the male guards the evil eye.
“What is the entomology of ‘hanky panky’?” Your question bugs me, but I suppose if you don’t wash your hanky every now and then, insects will begin to breed in it.
Homework
lesson Marina! I don’t keep up with the Joneses. There are no Joneses in my neighborhood! 
Very
I have a word request.. the word is “Shawty” people use it on a daily bassis.. well some do and i want to kno the origin of it
~Colombianpirahna
So you mean shoddy? That’s the only word that I can think of that sounds like that.
Hey Marina,
I have a word request (well not really a word, I’ll shall explain)
Why do we read “$100″ as “one hundred dollars” and not “dollars one hundred”
e.g. If we say “It’s 15 degrees centigrade out side that’s cold” we would write it as “it’s 15°C out side that’s cold” not “It’s °C 15 out side that’s cold”.
So my question is why do we write the dollar symbol before the number and not after it????? like 100$ (to me it makes the reading easier as flows left to right as we read)
e.g. Yowsers! not !yowsers, do you like puppies? not ?do you like puppies.
Regards
Z
That’s a good question about the dollars. WLIU, it might be because adding machines and cash registers put the $ to the left in a fixed position before outputting the number, but perhaps it was done before these machines were in use. I know that in international commerce, it is now expressed after the numbers with the country abbreviation (to prevent confusion with the currency of other countries that also use the dollar). Example: “Please wire 4,736.00USD immediately.”
Another thing I have wondered about is why is money numbers are separated by periods in Europe and commas in the U.S.?
I think the Brits also have different rules for quotation marks. We “do our ’sentences’ like this,” but ‘Brits do “thiers” like this’. Bob, is this correct?
I don’t have any room to leave a reply where I should, so I’m doing it here.
“superficial” is a great word for it. Not enough for it to be translated as it, but still very good.
Thanks for the suggestion on how to avoid “its” confusions in the future. I think if I start writing only in formal manner here, I’d be ridiculous.
English changed so much through time, that I bet that this differentiation won’t last many more years. People are always looking to simplify things, it’s normal for things to be this way.
With reference to the Money Numbers thing, this is consistent with the decimal point, but I believe it’s only UK which uses a period for the decimal point and the whole of the rest of Europe uses a comma.
The question of ‘Quotation Marks’ is something which I have never, to my recollection, been taught … or if I was, I was day-dreaming at the time.
According to Chambers “Good Punctuation Guide”,
‘British English tends to favour single (quotation marks). Quotation within quotation is signalled by the use of double quotes. Thus:
‘Next week we shall examine the “stream of consciousness” technique in greater detail,’ the tutor announced. (British English)
American English generally prefers to use double quotes, keeping single quotes to indicate a quotation within a quotation; … (reference to example in appendix)
There is one clear advantage of the use of double quotes over single quotes. Sometimes – especially with book titles – single quotes are in danger of being confused with apostrophes, as in:
‘Check your references in ‘Whitaker’s Almanac’ and in the ‘Writer’s and Artists’ Yearbook’.
It is probably ambiguities such as the above, allied with the technological advances offered by word processors, which have encouraged writers to change from putting quotes round titles to underlining them or setting them in italic.’
so bsomebody is quite correct in his statement.
.
Origin of Basketball (word and game):
The word Basketball was coined a few months after the game was invented; here are some details on how both the game and the word came into being.
By Summer of 1891, people running YMCAs had identified the need for a new activity that would interest people in winter; and that the new activity would have to be a game (rather than mere activities such as gymnastics and body-building). James Naismith, an intern teacher at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, MA started working on this problem of inventing a suitable winter, indoor activity. Others had found that activities based on the German and French systems did not generate interest; Naismith studied the Swedish systems and found that they too did not have the element of a game and so would not work.
In the Fall of 1891, during a discussion of inventions, Naismith’s teacher Dr. Luther Gulick remarked
To this, Naismith remarked:
That winter, the School had about 18 men studying to be secretaries of YMCAs. These men were required to take an hour long gym class around noon each day. And they all found this class boring. Two instructors (Dr. A. T. Halstead and Dr. R. A. Clark) each had tried to run this class, but had failed to keep the students interested. When there was 2 weeks remaining for the class, Dr. Gulick assigned the class to Naismith and gave him the directive to apply his ideas for inventing a game with the students of this class.
Naismith tried to adapt Football (with aspects from Rugby), soccer, and lacrosse. But all three adaptations failed to be viable. And the two weeks were almost up.
After the penultimate class, Naismith sat in his office reviewing all the things that had happened. He had taken one game at a time and tried to adapt it; it was now time for a more philosophical approach; he started thinking of games as a whole and considered various aspects of the games and the needs: in the adaptations he had tried, what aspects of the adapted game were promising and what aspects contributed to the rejection of the adapted game? In the outdoor games, what aspects could be incorporated in an indoor game and what aspects could not? What features must the new game have?
It is fascinating to read the step by step way in which Naismith went on to invent Basketball in those hours of work after the penultimate class. He goes from deciding on the need for a ball, to the selection of the type of ball, the elimination of tackling, the definition of what players could do with the ball, what directions the ball could be advanced [in those days, perhaps today too, football allowed only forward movement of the ball], and ensuring that players don’t get hurt in any struggle to acquire the ball. He then had to device some objective for the game: he considered the objectives of various games and came up with the idea for the horizontal goal based on the characteristics of a game involving rocks (”Duck on the Rock”) that he played as a child. He then worked on the method to start the game.
With this thinking done, he went on with his other work for the rest of that day. That evening, he “played” his newly invented game using his bed as the court.
The next day, he affixed baskets as goals in the gym. Then, in under an hour, he wrote out thirteen rules. By the time the steno (Miss. Lyons) typed up the rules, it was time for the final class.
The game was a success from the time the first ball was tossed up! But the game still did not have a name.
The students of the class and the passerbys who dropped in to watch the game spread the game across the US when they went home for Christmas vacation; these games were played based on the recollection of the rules. The rules were first published in January 1892 in a school paper under the heading “A New Game”.
The preceding is based on the book Basketball: Its Origin and Development by James Naismith, first published in 1941 (50th anniversary of invention of basketball); there are newer reprints. After presenting the invention of the game and its name, the book goes on to discuss the evolution of the game and its spread across the US and the World. The book ends with a list of some of the intellectual and physical attributes involved in playing the game.
The game was consciously invented and is played today across the world with only non-essential changes. For reasons which I am unable to fathom at this time, Naismith did not make much money from his invention.
Trivia: It is easy to see why basketball has terms such as hoops, hoopster, balling, and baller. But a basketball player may also be called a “cager” (that book explains why).
PS: Basketball is my favorite game to play.
–Hs4Mm
.
Should have pointed out that, after the penultimate class, Naismith’s approach to the task of inventing the game has, in addition to the attributes mentioned above, the attribute of starting from scratch.
I thought it was peach baskets that were first used.
The comment above does not say anything about what type of baskets were affixed, but yes, the first baskets were peach baskets.
Added note: Dr. James Naismith was a Canadian physical education professor from McGill University of Montréal and instructor at the YMCA Training School.
Bio: http://www.hoophall.com/history/naismith-bio.html
That guy accomplished a lot.
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Regarding the HW, I am not aware of any Joneses, neighbors or otherwise, and so keeping up with them is moot.
–Hs4Mm
.
When I drive on the freeway my last name turns to Jones because you’re trying to keep up.
My next Jones buy will be THIS!!
Tom Jones
Jones Soda
Who? Mike Joooooones
Hey Marina, can you investigate the origin of the word “Coagulate”?
I have rarely been in a position to be accused of keeping up with anyone. I buy things for my own reasons to fulfil my own needs or wants and I shop around to make sure I get the best price.
Nevertheless, in spite of that I have sometimes been known as “The man who has everything”, perhaps because, like Sir Winston Churchill, I am a man of simple tastes – I satisfy myself with the best. Or maybe it was because I stayed single for so long and didn’t have a wife to try to make me keep up with the Joneses.
If you want to know more about why it is a bad idea to have a conspicuous, extravagant lifestyle, read Robert Kiyosaki’s book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”.
With my little bit of race track experience… the point is not keeping up… but passing the Joneses, the Smiths, the Orlovas or whoever the heck else is out there on the track. But then in real life I remember the teaching of Jesus, “…the first shall be last and the last shall be first…” & I try to wrap my head around that, wheew…
Man a new video every day & other good stuff Marina is doing… I can’t even keep up with the Orlova anymore, I quess I’ll catch her again when she puts me down another lap. (sad race track analogy)
Wow, I liked the new video layout and opening sequence. And hey, she brought back the old theme music from the original videos. God, Marina looked gorgeous in that outfit, didn’t she?
Absolutely stunning.
Hi, marina
No, I do not keep up with the joneses… because it’s never any good simply because it’s a waste of money and new technology is revealed frequently.
Not Me,I couldn’t care less about the looks of My place,it is function I am always scheming to improve,more heat/cooling efficiency and such,and,I try to do it on a tight budget/1 income.
I did paint the exterior a few years ago but just to keep folks from complaining and then forcing the issue.It was ready for paint tho,no doubt. I used a very good acrylic so I would get some function along with the superficial looks.
F___ the Joneses. They can take all their stuff and cram it.
I tried this unusual word request yesterday to no avail, so I’ll try it again during this lesson to see if I have any better luck. What I wanted to know is what you call a word that remains the same when you rotate it 180 degrees. For instance, the word ‘pod’ remains ‘pod’ if you spin it halfway around. Same goes for the word ‘dollop’… turn it 180 degrees and it still remains ‘dollop’. The word ‘mow’ would be another such word. Question is, what is the word to describe such a ‘rotating’ word? Does such a word for ‘rotating’ words even exist? If not, there should be a word for such. It’s not quite a palindrome, and it’s not quite an ambigram. So what is it? Marina either hasn’t had the time or interest to delve into the matter as of yet. Her TA Capman911 did try to discover the answer himself, but to no avail so far. I’m really curious about this peculiar word request now that it appears to be a stumper.
Good luck to anybody trying to find out the answer. Peace, Errin : )
And, for the record, I did not think up this word request myself. My significant bother thought it up the other night when she and I were playing Boggle. When she poised the question to me, I just knew I had to run it by HotForWords to see what the answer might be. I wish I had thought this up myself… it’s a clever concept. We’ll see if a word has been coined yet for it.
“significant bother”… I like that and will make use of it before my wife does
Billyb is she also a nagavator like my significant bother is too. We drive some where and she has to help me drive. Turn here turn there watch out your going to fast.
My right ear hasn’t been able to hear for about a month now, I don’t think I want to go to the Doc & get it fixed
JK (the last part).
My wife is great, just don’t get to see her enough, even after all these years… I think I’m more the “significant bother” though.
Mary thinks she’s a good navigator though, she bought a discount GPS & when we went to Vancouver, we ended up driving an extra 30 miles or so because we ended up on the wrong side of the river. But I still let her know she is a great navigator, we got to see a whole bunch of new scenery
If it can’t be found,then wing it.
Like,”spinverted”.
Sad attempt,,I know.
From what I can see no-one has yet coined a unique word for a “Rotationally Symmetric Ambigram” so there is an opening for someone to become famous by doing so.
Of course, the word you invent should itself be a “Rotationally Symmetric Ambigram” to have any validity.
Those are some cool graphics.
Errin if there isn’t a word for what you are looking for then coin one and see if you can get it put it in the dictionary. How about “errin” is when you turn a word upside down and it reads the same way.
Well, I couldn’t really name it after me since it was my Amy who thought up the concept during a Boggle game. Even then, I’d rather give it a more fitting name. Our trusty teacher could probably think up the best word to fit such.
I thought for sure Marina would have the answer (or one of the student body would), but it appears she is stumped. If a master philologist like Ms. Orlova doesn’t know of such a word, then I guess it doesn’t exist yet.
Yes, i try keeping up with the Joneses, but i hate if who do this to me! Grrrr!
Marina, nice drees!
Im sorry, i mean dress!
Ha Ha Ha, so can we assume that Marina distracted herself from the lesson?
HW: I don’t do anything to “Keep Up With The Joneses”.
As long as the wheels stay on my van, I don’t need a new one.
I’m still looking for a valid reason to get a cell phone.
My wetsuit has scratches, but as long as the fish don’t care, I don’t care.
But I do have the biggest snowblower I can afford.
I guess “Stuff” just isn’t important or impressive to me.
Good one wetsuit!
“Marina distracted herself from the lesson” Priceless!
Shw mae, Marina,
Very good so far, but you left out the history of how “Jones” became a sort of generic name.
“Jones” is an Anglicized Welsh name. After the English conquered Wales, they set about taking a census. The Welsh used patronymics and customarily would recite their lineage for seven generations, so that when asked his name, the Welshman would tell the census-taker, for example, “Iestyn ab Owain ab Iorwerth ab Cadwaladr ab Siencyn ab Llwyd ab Ianto ab Sion.” The befuddled English census-takers could approximate only the name “Sion,” which they recorded as “Jones.” Thus the Welsh were stripped of their traditional names and “Jones” became the most common surname in Wales.
With British colonization of America, the Welsh came in the thousands to the New World, and “Jones” became an American synonym for “everyman,” just as it was in Wales.
Eich myfyrwr ffyddlon / your faithful student,
Ieuan ab Owain, aka Evan Owen
Hi Ieuan, I enjoy your extra educational comments!! this one, too!
..very interrrrrrrrrrressting!
Diolch yn fawr / Thank you much!
Hmmm,so Katherine Zeta Jones is really “Katherine Zeta —— —— —— —— and so-on.
I’d still like to see Marina co-star in a movie with KZ Jones and Mira Sorvino!! Can You imagine all 3 of those talents and smiles all in one action flick?!?! Somebody,quick! Call hollywood!!
Hi tryant,
About your “hope I wasn’t too obnoxious” comment — most of us regulars at this site have taken our turns at being obnoxious, so I don’t think any of us took offense.
So could we say that keeping up with the Joneses, can be interpreted also as keeping up with the masses?
…that human beings are social animals much influenced by the groups to which they belong – their family, workmates, social class etc. Friends, neighbours and other acquaintances, particulary those we would like to emulate and to whose lifestyle we aspire, are our “reference groups” and have considerable influence on our behaviour. (”Keeping up with the Joneses” is one everyday expression of this approach, “peer group pressure” another.)
@Chemikal: the simple answer to your question is, “yes.”
Hi Chemikal,
‘Nother picky English point from yesterday:
The word pronounced “its” has two spellings and two meanings:
“Its” : means “belonging to it.”
“It’s” : short for “it is.”
Now if you can keep those two straight, you’re ahead of at least half of all Americans.
YESSS! Thank you, Owen. That has always peeved me, mostly when it’s in print, on semi-official or otherwise public writing. People who make their living from writing should especially get things like that right.
I actually didn’t know that!
I thought apostrophe+s from “it’s”, signifies ownership or affiliation. OK, so this is incorrect, but the rule I mentioned applies in general though, for words other than “it”. And this would be just a trivial exception, right?
The shortening of “it is” or “it has” to “it’s” is clear.
Thanks, Evan! I’ll keep this in mind from now on.
The easy way to keep up with this is to simply not use contractions in formal writing, therefore “it’s” would never be used on a formal paper (yes, even history homework.) It is odd that the possessive “its” does not use an apostrophe, but hey, that is English for ya.
You could also say: ..keeping up with Alice in Wonderland
American Dream = Pursuit of Happiness (USC) <– “keeping up with the Joneses” = Alice in Wonderland: “You have to run ever faster for just to keep staying in the same place.”
@Evan Owen
“The Joneses want so much to keep up with the Macs.” (Henry Brooke)
addition
The popular name John is Sion in Welsh which, strictly speaking, has no letter “J”. Its pronunciation (with a long “o”) has led to the surname Shone, found in north-east Wales and the border area. The same basic name, with anglicised spelling and with an additional “s” developed into the commonest Welsh surname, Jones.
btw: Momand originally wished to call the series “Keeping up with the Smiths”.
Man a welsh band
Good morning! That’s a nice top you have
I don’t really keep up with the Joneses as much as I used to. I believe you’re only as successful as how you feel, not how you look (though it wouldn’t hurt every now and then
).
I agree. To me, true affluence is when you spend more time doing whatever you want than you spend working to support yourself. Did I say that right? I think so.
So if you don’t need much and don’t have to work hard to get it, you’re already infinitely richer than the person who “has everything” but no time to appreciate it. Being satisfied with what’s readily available is way better than striving to control that which isn’t.
Dear совершенная Marina, No, I don’t “keep up with the Joneses.” When I see a beautiful person (such as yourself) driving a new Audi R8 mid-engine sports car, I know I can’t keep up with my 2007 model year Chevrolet Aveo 4-door sedan.
Why, for the price of an R8, a beautiful person could have bought a dozen Chevrolet Aveos!
In fact, the insurance and maintenance of an Audi R8 is more than I’d want to pay. So I keep my (relatively new) car neat and clean, don’t drive it very much, wash it weekly and wax it every two months, to keep it looking nice! No, it’s not s cool as an Audi R8, but I try to make my investment in a cheap car look good, since I plan to keep it many more years!
If I were to drive you to the Blu Jam Cafe in it, I wouldn’t want you to be too embarassed about arriving in such a cheap car!
Kакая прелесть, seesixcm6
People who buy stuff only to bring more attention to themselves… I guess there are all over the place, but in Romania, we even found a word to describe them.
If a person gets too cocky about what he owns, he/she is considered to have “fiţe”, that being the opposite of down-to-earth.
It doesn’t have any direct translation into English.
Is that a T with tiny s attached? What is that all about?
OK, it may not have a direct translation, but what is it exactly? Is it an old word that just has this new meaning? a new word? What is the origin of it? If you are going to play Marina, then cough it up, baby!
Hey, that is a good idea. Whenever M does a phrase or some kind of slang, you give us the Romanian equivalent and the literal English translation and how it means what it does. I have said before I want M to do this on a large scale, but maybe you could start it out on a small scale. If you can do this successfully, maybe we can get others* to join in. Are you willing? Not for ordinary words, but just for colloquial phrases and sayings.
—-
*I want people who are native speakers so that they know from life experience vs. outsiders looking things up in books.
That is a T with a cedilla attached. It’s pronounced “tz”.
Cedillas can also be attached to S, and become “sh”.
I’ll try to explain the word better by giving an example.
Let’s say you ask a girl out, if she expects you to arrive at the date’s location in a BMW, or expects you to have an apartment in the city center, then she certainly has fiţe!
Also, did you ever see people wearing sunglasses in a dark club? Yes, also fiţe!
The dictionary says it means:
1. to be choosy (or fastidious);
2. to expect to be supplicated;
3. airs and graces;
4. to be capricious;
5. to put on frills;
Now I understand why there is no one direct translation, it just means more things than one!
In short, in my view, it characterizes men and women who demand attention, or anything more than what they deserve.
Fiţe has an unknown etymology.
Marina once said that to study etymology, you need only to pick one language, because the word’s origins are the same. She chose English because it presented a challenge for her.
I respect that about her, and I think I wouldn’t try to play her! I would play myself though, and like her, I don’t back down from a challenge. I will always put my two cents in, and I would gladly translate and explain… you know, anything to celebrate our cultural diversity!
@Chemikal: one opposite of “being down to earth” is “putting on airs.” One might be this way about one’s possessions, though another meaning to to pretend to be more sophisticated than one really is.
Right, you grasped the biggest part of the word.
I’ve written something extra above though, if you want to check that out also. I think that this word has it’s place in the world today, and I don’t think we’ll stop using it any time soon. (sadly)
Would you consider “superficial” to be fairly synonomous? I believe you would be familiar with this term. I guess superficial is not always Putting on airs, but I think that is the general gist of it.