I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.

I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.
I will learn how to spell phylloxera correctly.

[David M. Bueker]

Just as long as Dolores Umbridge isn't makig you do that...

[James Roscoe]

Don't tell me you read those dreadful Harry Potter books David?

[David M. Bueker]

Don't tell me you read those dreadful Harry Potter books David?

Each book one time just to keep myself in the loop.

[James Roscoe]

Don't tell me you read those dreadful Harry Potter books David?

Each book one time just to keep myself in the loop.

I will admit to reading them more than once, intellectual opinion be damned. Of course I have the excuse of being an elementary school teacher. That means I'm supposed to know how to spell phylloxera correctly.

Now, can phylloxera be used correctly in a sentence?

[David M. Bueker]

Now, can phylloxera be used correctly in a sentence?

Hermione grabbed her wand and used the phylloxera charm to disable the Whomping Willow.

Oops mixing up my context.

I always thought that phyll ox era described a period of time when a folksinger of that name was popular. No wonder those discussions confused me.

I always thought that phyll ox era described a period of time when a folksinger of that name was popular. No wonder those discussions confused me.

Oh, Alan, that was a stretch---but cute

Now, what can you do with vastatrix?
The 2nd part of the name.

[David M. Bueker]

I always thought that phyll ox era described a period of time when a folksinger of that name was popular. No wonder those discussions confused me.

Wow. A Phil Ochs reference. Now that takes me back to a time before I even existed.

I had a great deal of trouble with this word in my early wine going, but the OED helped me parse it out:

phyllo -- form
+ xera -- dry

I had phyllox + era in my head, and couldn't parse it correctly.

You might find the alternative name easier to remember: Viteus vitifolii.

Pretty rare usage, that.

Regards, Bob

I always thought that phyll ox era described a period of time when a folksinger of that name was popular. No wonder those discussions confused me.

Wow. A Phil Ochs reference. Now that takes me back to a time before I even existed.

Which is after the time "when I'm gone..." Always loved that song.

Bob,

Really good point! Even if you forget the root -xera, one you have phyllo you're set! I always get tripped up on which letters are doubled the "r's" or the "l's"...

I don't know Thomas. I'm not really very good at this, I just get lucky now and then.

How about a really, really fat women.

In graduate school I had to do a bibliography on books on someone who died before 1900 and ended up using the Duke of Wellington. I started off my bibliographical essay with "Well, a ton of books later..." and also worked in the Wellesley family motto (which I've now forgotten). The regimental motto is "Fortune favours the brave" but I'm not sure if that was also the family motto.

I don't know Thomas. I'm not really very good at this, I just get lucky now and then.

How about a really, really fat women.

Well, I got the "trix" part of it...

A roommate in graduate school introduced me to the music of Phil Ochs and I especially liked the song "Pleasures of the Harbor." (It mentions a sip of wine and also whiskey but it was the melody and bluesy sentiments I liked about it.)

Bob,

Really good point! Even if you forget the root -xera, one you have phyllo you're set! I always get tripped up on which letters are doubled the "r's" or the "l's"...

I feel your pain, Alan. The only word I ever got tripped up on in a grade school speling bee was "tyranny," which I unfortunately spelled with a double r and single n. My teacher exhibited a rare moment of glee at that lapse, since it meant that someone else would (finally) win. I bear those deep emotional scars to this day

Mark Lipton

Try this on for size, Thomas.

If vastator = one who devastates (m), then vastatrix should = one who devastates (f). The mechanism by which the devastation takes place is unclear. It could be a low-cut blouse and short skirt or an MP5 and semtex. It would matter to the devastatee. Perhaps someone with a better education than I can help out.

JC,

I know the motto as:

Fortus fortuna uvat.

I use that too. Didn't realize it came from the Duke Ellington. Or whatever.

Alan,

It's fun when I've been tasting a few wines and I get phylloxera mixed up with botulism. As in "Try this Sauternes, you'll love it. It's a sweet wine because of botox. I mean... uh... hey what was that fungus called?"

Mark,

Seperated/Separated was always my downfall...

The only word I ever got tripped up on in a grade school speling bee was "tyranny," which I unfortunately spelled with a double r and single n.

Mark Lipton

So Mark, what's a speling bee??? Oh, the tyrrany of other eyeballs...

In grade school I went out on one spelling bee on potato (putting an "e" at the end) so I can somewhat sympathize with Dan Quayle (though only on the spelling issue.) I also have trouble with words like accommodate, Philippines, battalion (which consonants are doubled) and used to have trouble with analysis until I devised the mnemonic "Alice Noble always loved Yolanda Smith's ink scribbles" (Alice Noble was my great aunt.) Mnemonic is another tricky spelling. I can't think of any other words that start with "mn." "Pn" yes--pneumonia, pneumatic.

I can think of two more J.C. -- mneme -- a word I learned years ago in psych I -- and Mnium -- a very pretty reddish moss that grows in boggy areas. I had a hiking companion who was an expert in mosses and lichen, and words like "Mnium" tripped off his tongue as we wandered.

Regards, Bob

Pretty impressive Bob...a web search came up with the words:

mnemonic mnemonics mnemonist mnemosyne mniaceae mnium

and didn't even have mneme.

Mnemosyne is the Greek Goddess of memory (can't believe I didn't know that)

and

mniaceae is the family of mosses to which you refer: "family of erect mosses with club-shaped paraphyses and the hexagonal cells of the upper leaf surface; sometimes treated as a subfamily of Bryaceae'