English creativity: septiembre 2014

Why, you may wonder , is monosyllable such a long word?
Part of the international succes of English is due to its simplicity and the triumph of the linguistic law of least effort. The 100 essential words to learn are monosyllabic: pronouns, the verb to be,etc. And those words which are not monosyllables are reduced to one syllable because of linguistic APHERESIS( the loss of one or more sounds from a word),SYNCOPEi.e.I´d´ve, APOCOPE or CLIPPING and ELISION: twixt instead of between.
"Small words can be crisp, brief, terse--go to the point, like a knife. They have a charm all their own. They dance, twist, turn, sing. Like sparks in the night, they light the way for the eyes of those who read. They are the grace notes of prose. You know what they say the way you know a day is bright and fair--at first sight. And you find, as you read, that you like the way they say it. Small words are gay. And they can catch large thoughts and hold them up for all to see, like rare stones in rings of gold, or joy in the eyes of a child. Some make you feel, as well as see: the cold deep dark of night, the hot salt sting of tears."
(Joseph Ecclesine, "Advice to Scientists--in Words of One Syllable." American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 1965)
The best English poetry has been written in monosyllables: "When I do count the clock that tells the time and see the brave day sunk in...."
Most proverbs and idioms are monyllabic: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones;Don´t cry over spilt milk;Like two peas in a pod; pie in the sky;etc..

Here is a list of English monosyllables: You´ll have to complete the missing consonants "W""Y" "Z":
(Special thanks to Patricia Pérez Gallardo for her suggestion)

Mono-syllabic Words

A, ache, act, add, age, aid, aim, air, all, am, an, and, arch, arm, arms, art, as, ash, ask, at, aunt, awe, axe.

back, bad, bag, bake, bald, ball, ban, band, bang ,bank, bar, bare, bark, base, bath, bathe, be, beach, beak, beam, bean, bear, beard, beast, beat, bed, bee, beef, beer, beg, bell, belt, bench, bend, best, bet, bid, big, bike, bill, bind, bird, birth, bit, bite, blab, black, blade, blame, blank, blaze, bleed, blend, bless, blind, blink, block, blood, blot, blow, blue, blunt, blush, board, boast, boat, boil, bold, bomb, bone, book, boot, bore, born, boss, both, bound, bow, bowl, box, boy, brain, branch, brand, brass, brave, breach, bread, breadth ,break, breast, breath, breathe, breed, breeze, bribe, brick, bride, bridge, brief, bright, bring,

broad, brook, broom, brow,

brown, bruise, brush, bud, bug, build, bulb, bull, bump, bunch, burn, burst, bus, bush, but, buy, by.

cage, cake, calf, call, calm, camp, can, cane, cant, cap, car, card, care, cart, carve, case, cash, cast, caste, cat, catch, cause, cave, cease, cell, chain, chair, chalk, chance,

change, chap, charge, charm, chart, chase, chat, cheap, cheat, check, cheek, cheer, cheese, cheque, chess, chest, chew, chief, child, chill, chime, chin, chip, choice, choke, choose, chop, chum, ccite, claim, clap, clash, clasp, claw, clay, clean, clear, cleave, clench, clerk,

click, climb, cling, clip, clock, close, cloud, clown, club, clue, clutch, coach, coal, coarse, coast, code, coil, coin, cold, comb, come, cone, cook, cool, cope, cord, cork, corn, corpse, cost, conch, cough, could, count, course, court, crack, craft, cramp, crash, crawl, craze, cream, creep, crew, crime, crisp, crop, cross, crow, crowd, crown, crush, crust, cry, cub, cuff, cup, cure, curl, curse, curve, cut.

dam, damn, damp, dance, dare, dark, dash, date, dawn, day, days, dead, deaf, deal, dear, death, debt, deck, deed, deep, deer, den, dense, depth, desk, dew, die, dig, dim, dine, dip, dirt, dish, ditch, dive, do, dock ,dodge, dog, doll, door, dose, dot, doubt, down, drag, drain, draw, dream, dress, drill, drink, drip, drive, drop, drown, drug, drum, drunk, dry, dub, duck, due, duet, dull, dump, dusk, dust, dwarf, dwell.

Each, ear, earn, earth, ease, east, eat, edge, egg, eight, else, end, err, eye.

face, fact, fade, fail, faint, fair, faith, fake, fall, false, fame, far, fare, farm, fast, fault, fear, feast, fee, feed, feel, fence, fetch, few, field, fierce, fifth, fight, file, fill, film, filth, find, fine, fire, firm, first, fish, fist, fit, fire, fix, flag, flame, flap, flash, flask, flat, flea, flee, fleet, flesh, flight, float, flock, flood, floor, flour, flow, flue, fluid, flush, fly, foam, fog, fold, folk, fond, food, fool, for, force, forge, fork, form, fort, foul, found, four, fourth, fox, frail, frame, frank, free, freeze, freight, fresh, fridge, friend, fright, frog, from, front, frost, frown, fruit, fry, fuel, full, fun, funds, fur, fuse.

gab, gain, game, gang, gap, gape, gas, gasp, gate, gay ,gaze, gear, get, ghost, giant, gift, girl, give, glad, glance, glare, glass, gleam, glide, glimpse, globe, glove, glow, glue, gnaw, go, goal, God, gold, good, goods, grab, grace, grade, grain, grand, grant, grape, graph, grasp, grass, grave, graze, grease, great, greed, green, greet, grey, grief, grill, grim, grind, grip, groan, grope, ground, group, grow, growl, growth, grudge, grunt, guard, guess, guest, guide, guilt, gulf, gum, gust, guy (gi).‘

hail, hair, half, hall, halt, halve, hand, hang, hard, hare, harm, harsh, haste, hate, hatred, haul, haunt, have, hay, haze, he, head, heal, health, heap, hear, heart, heat, hedge, heed, heel, height, heir, hell, helm, help, hen, her, herd, here, hers, hide, high, hill, him, hint, hip, hire, his, hit, hive, hoarse, hoax, hoist, hold, hole, home, hook, hoot, hop, hope, horn, horse, hose, host, hour, house, how, howl, huge, hunt, hurt, hut.

ice, if, ill, in, inch, ink, inn, is, it, its, itch.

jack, jail, jam, jar, jaw, jazz, jet, job, jog, join, joint, joke, joy, judge, jug, juice, jump, just.

Keen, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, kin, kind, king, kiss, kit, kite, kith, knee, kneed, kneel, knife, knit, knock, knot, know.

Lace, lack, lad, lag, lake, lamb, lame, lamp, lance, land, lane, lap, large,

last, late, laugh, launch, law, lawn, lay, lead, leaf, leak, lean, learn, least, leave, left, leg, lend, length, lense, lent, less, lest, let, liar, lick, lid, lie, life, lift, light, like, limb, lime, limp, line, link, lion, lip, lisp, list, live, load, loaf, loan, lock, lodge, log, long, look, loose, lord, lose (looz), loss, lot, loud, lounge, love, low, luck, lump, lunch, lung, lux.

Mab, mad, maid, mail, main, maize, make, male, man, map, march, mark, marsh, mask, mass, mat, match, mate, may, me, meal, mean, means, meat, meet, melt, men,

mend, mere, mesh, mess, midst, might, mild ,mile, milk, mill, mince, mind, mine, miss, mist, mix, moan, mob, mock, mode, moist, mole, monk, month, mood, moon, more, mosque, most, moth, mount, mourn, mouse, mouth, move, mow, much, mud, mug, mule, mum, muse, must, mute, myth

nab, nail, name, naught, near, neat, neck, need, neigh(na), nerve, nest, net, new, news, next, nice, nick, niece, night, nil, nine, ninth, no, nod, noise, none, noon, nor, norm, north, nose, not, note, noun, now, nun, nurse, nut, nymph.

Oak, oar, oath, odd, of, off, oil, old, on, once, one, or,ore, ought, our, ours, out, owe (–o), owl, own, ox.

pace, pack, pad, page, pain, paint, pair, pale, palm, pan, pane, pang, pant, par, park, part, pass, past, paste, pastry, pat, patch, path, pause, pave, paw (po), pawn, pay, pea, peace, peach, peak, pear, pearl, peek, peel, peep, peer, pen, per, pet, phase, phone, phrase, pick, piece,

pierce, pig, pile, pill, pin, pinch, pink, pint, pious, pipe, pit, place, plain, plan, plane, plank, plant, plate, play, plead, please, plot,

plough, pluck, plug, plum, plump, plus, point, pole, pond, pool, poor, pop, pork, port, post, pot, pound, pour, praise, pray, preach, press, prey, price, prick, pride, priest, prime, prince ,print, prize, proof, proud, prose, prove, pub, pull, pulse, pump, punch, pure, purse, push, put.

Quack, quail, quaint, queen, queer, quench, quest, queue, quick, quiet, quit, quite, quote.

Race, rack, raft, rag, rage, raid, rail, rain, raise, rake, range, rank, rare, rash, rate, raw, ray, reach, read, real, reap, rear, reef, rent, rest, rhyme, rib, rice, rich, rid, ride, ridge, right, rind, ring, riot, ripe, rise, risk, road, roam, roar, roast, rob, robe, rock, rod, role, roll, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rot, rouge, rough, round, rouse, route, row, rub, rude, rug, ruin, rule, run, rush, rust.

sac, sack, safe, sail, saint, sake, same, sand, sane, sauce, save, saw, scale, scar, scarce, scare, scarf, scene, scent, scheme, scoff, scold, score, scorn, scout, scrape, scratch, scream, screen, screw, script, sea, seal, search, seat, seed, seek, seem, seize, self, sell, send, sense, serve, set, sew, sex, shade, shake, shall, shame, shape, share, sharp, shave, she, shed, sheep, sheer, sheet, shelf, shell, shield, shift, shine, ship, shirt, shock, shoot, shore, short, shot, shrug, should, shout, show, shrewd, shriek, shrink, shrug, shut, shy, sick, side, siege, sigh, sight, sign, silk, sin, since, sing

jack, jail, jam, jar, jaw, jazz, jet, job, jog, join, joint, joke, joy, judge, jug, juice, jump, just.

keen, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, kin, kind, king, kiss, kit, kite, kith, knee, kneed, kneel, knife, knit, knock, knot, know.

lace, lack, lad, lag, lake, lamb, lame, lamp, lance, land, lane, lap, large, last, late, laugh, launch, law, lawn, lay, lead, leaf, leak, lean, learn, least, leave, left, leg, lend, length, lense, lent, less, lest, let, liar, lick, lid, lie, life, lift, light, like, limb, lime, limp, line, link, lion, lip, lisp, list, live, load, loaf, loan, lock, lodge, log, long, look, loose, lord, lose, loss, lot, loud, lounge, love, low, luck, lump, lunch, lung, lux.

mab, mad, maid, mail, main, maize, make, male, man, map, march, mark, marsh, mask, mass, mat, match, mate, may, me, meal, mean, means, meat, meet, melt, men, mend, mere, mesh, mess, midst, might, mild, mile, milk, mill, mince, mind, mine, miss, mist, mix, moan, mob, mock, mode, moist, mole, monk, month, mood, moon, more, mosque, most, moth, mount, mourn, mouse, mouth, move, mow, much, mud, mug, mule, mum, muse, must, mute, myth.

nab, nail, name, naught, near, neat, neck, need, neigh, nerve, nest, net, new, news, next, nice, nick, niece, night, nil, nine, ninth, no, nod, noise, none, noon, nor, norm, north, nose, not, note, noun, now, nun, nurse, nut, nymph.

oak, oar, oath, odd, of, off, oil, old, on, once, one, or, ore, ought, our, ours, out, owe, owl, own, ox.

pace, pack, pad, page, pain, paint, pair, pale, palm, pan, pane, pang, pant, par, park, part, pass, past, paste, pastry, pat, patch, path, pause, pave, paw, pawn, pay, pea, peace, peach, peak, pear, pearl, peek, peel, peep, peer, pen, per, pet, phase, phone, phrase, pick, piece, pierce, pig, pile, pill, pin, pinch, pink, pint, pious, pipe, pit, place, plain, plan, plane, plank, plant, plate, play, plead, please, plot, plough, pluck, plug, plum, plump, plus, point, pole, pond, pool, poor, pop, pork, port, post, pot, pound, pour, praise, pray, preach, press, prey, price, prick, pride, priest, prime, prince, print, prize, proof, proud, prose, prove, pub, pull, pulse, pump, punch, pure, purse, push, put.

quack, quail, quaint, queen, queer, quench, quest, queue, quick, quiet, quit, quite, quote.

race, rack, raft, rag, rage, raid, rail, rain, raise, rake, range, rank, rare, rash, rate, raw, ray, reach, read, real, reap, rear, reef, rent, rest, rhyme, rib, rice, rich, rid, ride, ridge, right, rind, ring, riot, ripe, rise, risk, road, roam, roar, roast, rob, robe, rock, rod, role, roll, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rot, rouge, rough, round, rouse, route, row, rub, rude, rug, ruin, rule, run, rush, rust.

skull, sky, slack, slap, slave, sleep, sleeve, slice, slide, slight, slim, slip, slit, slope, slot, slow, smack, small, smart, smash, smell, smile, smoke, smooth, snack, snail, snake, snap, snatch, sneer, sneeze, sniff, snow, soak, soap, soar, sob, sober, sock, soft, soil, sole, solve, some, son, song, soon, sore, sort, soul, sound, soup, sour, source, south, sow, space, spade, spare, spark, speak, speech, speed, spell, spend, spill, spin, spit, spite, splash, split, spoil, sponge, spoon, sport, spot, spread, spring, square, squat, squeeze, stab, staff, stage, stain, stair, stairs, stale, stall, stamp, stand, star, stare, start, starve, state, stay, steal, steam, steel, steep, steer, stem, step, stern, stick, stiff, still, sting, stir, stitch, stock, stone, stool, stoop, stop, store, storm, stout, stove, straight, strain, strange, strap, straw, streak, stream, street, strength, stress, stretch, strict, stride, strife, strike, string, strip, stripe, strive, stroke, strong, stuff, stunt, style, such, suck, suit, sum, sun, sure, swamp, sway, swear, sweat, swell, swift, swim, swing, switch, sword.

tab, tack, tail, take, tale, talk, tall, tame, tan, tank, tap, tape, tar, task, taste, tax, tea, team, teach, tear, tell, tempt, ten, tend, tense, tent, tenth, term, test, text, than, thank, that, their, them, theme, then, there, these, they, thick, thief, thin, thing, think, third, thirst, this, thorn, those, though, thought, thread, threat, three, thrill, thrive, throat, throne, throng, through, throw, thumb, thus, tide, tie, tight, tile, till, time, tin, tip, tire, toast, toe, toil, ton, tone, tongs, tongue, too, tool, tooth, top, torch, toss, touch, tough, tour, town, toy, trace, track, trade, trail, train, tram, tramp, trap, tray, tread, treat, tree, trench, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trim, trip, troop, truck, true, trunk, trust, truth, try, tub, tube, tug, tune, turn, twelve, twice, twin, twist, two, type, tyre.

up, urge, urn, us, use, used.

vade, vague, vain, valve, van, vase, vast, vault, veil, verse, very, vest, vice, view, voice, vogue, vote, vow.

Life is full of optical illusions and deceits as there are tricks everywhere and you cannot trust your eyes.
An illusion is an effect which is different from reality.Everything is in our heads. You´ll see double or even see things that never existed. You´ll have to put everything in perspective as both your eyes and your mind will be tricked. Does your mind´s eye see what it´s really out there or just what it thinks it sees? The French coined the term "trompe l´oeil" or trick the eye to define this phenomenon.
You´ll see imaginary things: both an old lady and a young lady , both two faces and two cups, someone both angry and happy at the same time, a man and a woman. What we see is partly invented...We´ll see some impossible figures and situations, like How many legs has a particular elephant got? or How many prongs does a particular pitchfork have?
Perceptions are one thing, reality another and, in general, we may be full of wishful thinking to make life bearable.
As the Spanish folk song goes" daisies dreaming of becoming rosemary", or Mª Ángeles Pérez López´s
poem "scissors dreaming of becoming keys", nowhere will you find all this better expressed than in surrelist painters, such as Dali or Magritte´s hallucinatory imaginations.

Let´s start by mentioning some of Salvador Dali´s most surprising paintings:

THE LOBSTER TELEPHONE

DREAM CAUSED BY THE FLIGHT OF A BEE AROUND A POMEGRANATE A SECOND BEFORE AWAKENING

THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY (melting clocks)

THE MAE WEST LIPS SOFA

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF NARCISSUS

THE GREAT MASTURBATOR

LEDA ATOMICA

THE PROFANATION OF THE HOST

THE BIRTH OF LIQUID DESIRES

SWANS REFLECTING ELEPHANTS

ANTHROPOMORPHIC BREAD

MORPHOLOGICAL ECHO

THE BURNING GIRAFFE

APPARITION OF FACE AND FRUIT DISH ON A BEACH

FOUNTAIN OF MILK FLOWING USELESSLY ON THREE SHOES

SLAVE MARKET WITH THE DISAPPEARING BUST OF VOLTAIRE

TRY TO SEE THE IMAGES OF THE FOLLOWING WORKS BY MAGRITTE:

MEMORY

THE MAN OF THE SEA

THE KEY TO DREAMS

THE KEY TO THE FIELDS

PERPETUAL MOTION

THE MARCH OF SUMMER

THE THERAPEUTIST

VICTORY

PHILOSOPHY IN A BOUDOIR

THE CHILDHOOD OF ICARUS

THE MAN IN THE BOWLER HAT

EVERY DAY.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT M.C. ESCHER´S IMPOSSIBLE FIGURES & BUILD YOUR OWN ILLUSION.

from Optical illusions, a D.K. book Pearson
Revista de Occidente July- August 2014 nº 398-399

lunes, 22 de septiembre de 2014

Prime time : RHYME TIME

jueves, 18 de septiembre de 2014

English: a language of monosyllables

viernes, 12 de septiembre de 2014

Scientific laws and life principles

PARKINSON´S LAW:" Work expands to fill the time available" The more time workers have to complete their task, the less efficcient they become.

Jean Baptiste SAY´S LAW: "Supply creates its own demand" Every time industrial or agricultural output rises, so does income.

GRESHAM´S LAW :"Bad money drives out good" If a government issues debased currency instead of gold and silver, the old "pure" currency disappears from circulation.

The Iron Law of Wages: "Wages are always set at subsistence level" If earnings fall below it, workers won´t be fit to work; if earnings rise above it, the working population grows, and increased competition for jobs forces wages back down to subsistence levels. David Ricardo

The law of Diminishing Returns: "In any venture there comes a point at which further investment ceases to bring a worthwhile profit" A. R. J. Turgot

RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Now it´s your turn to describe the basic laws of the following subjects:

PHONETICS: OSTHOFF, VERNER; GRIMM; ,G.K. ZIPF´S or The Law of Least Effort,etc..

CHEMISTRY: ARCHIMEDES,BERNOUILLE´S, POISEUILLE´S, STOKE´S,etc...

PHYSICS: NEWTON´S THREE LAWS OF MOTION, NEWTON´S LAW OF GRAVITATION,EULER´S, MAXWELL´S, HOOKE´S LAW, SNELL´S LAW, BRAGG´S LAW, PLANCK´S LAWetc..

ELECTROMAGNETISM: GAUSS´S, FARADAY´S, AMPERE´S, MAXWELL´S,OHM´S LAW,COULOMB´S, etc...

BIOLOGY: MENDEL´S INHERITANCE LAWS...

MATHEMATICS LAWS: PYTHAGORAS´,H. GROSSMAN´..

ASTRONOMY: 3 KEPLER´S LAWS, HUBBLE´S LAW...

PSYCHOLOGY: ABRAHAM MASLOW´S , PAULOV´S, J.M. KEYNES,etc..

THERMODYNAMICS LAWS,etc..

lunes, 1 de septiembre de 2014

Optical & Mind illusions