Word of the Week: Flummox
Flummox [origin unknown] (1837): Confuse
The word was found in a New York Times article today titled “Regulation of Offshore Rigs Is a Work in Progress.” The following is a link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/us/politics/17regulate.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp
The words that I usually pick captures my interest because of its unfamiliarity and “flummox” was no ex exception. I’ve never heard seen the word printed in text or heard it used anywhere else before. The thing that is peculiar about this word is that it has an unknown origin, so it’s a mystery where the word actually derived. The word was used in the following sentence:
“Even some simple questions, like whether a blowout preventer would be above or below water, seemed to flummox some officials, she said.”
When I first read the sentence, I assumed that the word meant to surprise. That’s what I inferred based on the context. “Flummox” actually reminds me of the word “perplex,” which has a similar meaning.
Catch of the Week:
There were two separate examples of grammar mistakes that I found on a blog. One of the signs states “FOR RESIDENT’S AND THEIR GUESTS ONLY.” The apostrophe should be taken out the word “RESIDENT’S” because the word is in plural form. The other sign states “MOM’S YOUR THE GREATEST HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.” Several things are wrong with that sign. The word “MOM” should not have an apostrophe because it’s not in the possessive, and “YOUR” should be in a contraction for the word “you are” and not a possessive form. MOTHERS should have an apostrophe because that is the correct spelling of the holiday. The following is a link to the pictorials with grammatical errors that I found on the website: http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/write-right/
Headline Challenge:
The Alligator wrote an article on Thursday with the headline “Police ask for students' help in search for local rapist.” To make the headline dense with information, it should be changed to “Rape occurs near campus, police asks students for help.” Here is the article as it appeared on the newspaper’s website:
Police ask for students' help in search for local rapist
Posted: Thursday, April 14, 2011 11:30 pm | Updated: 10:11 am, Fri Apr 15, 2011.
Kat Bein, Alligator Staff Writer | 0 comments
The Gainesville Police Department is calling on UF students to help them identify, catch and arrest a wanted man who robbed and raped a local woman Sunday.
Because the suspect and the victim are both of college age, and because the crime occurred so near the campus area, police have reason to believe students are their best chance of bringing the suspect to justice, said GPD spokeswoman Tscharna Senn.
On Sunday morning at about 4:30 a.m., a black man unknown to the victim knocked on the door of her home, located near campus on Southwest First Avenue.
When the victim opened the door, the man threatened her with a knife and pushed her through the entrance.
He took her iPod, cellphone and some cash. He then ordered her to strip and forced her to have sex with him.
He left the house on foot.
The man is described as a college-aged black man about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a slim build with short, cropped hair.
He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, denim jeans and M&M boxer shorts.
Anyone who believes they may have information about the crime or the suspect is asked to call Detective Lorraine Fair at 352-393-7610, or give an anonymous tip at 352-372-7867.
Gainesville Police have canvassed the victim’s neighborhood as well as notified university authorities who have taken it upon themselves to distribute a flier among the Student Body describing the suspect and the crime.
Beyond the hope that students may help catch the rapist, police would like to remind students to be aware of their surroundings and the dangers of answering their doors for strangers.
“He appears to be a stranger, which we don’t see hardly in Gainesville … parents have been calling from all over the place,” Senn said.
“We want to make sure [students] are being very careful who they open their doors to and not to walk alone at night.”
Favorite Passage of the Week:
My favorite passage of the week comes from a profile story of Dr. McKeen that appeared in the Communigator, which can be viewed online by clicking on the following link:
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