WRIT1152 Course Blog

For a while, we were hearing about the dangers of swine flu. Now it seems that it is more of an ordinary flu that is aggravated by other health considerations. This New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/health/09flu.html) about the epidemic shows that many factors contribute to our overall health—age, other existing conditions, diet, exercise. With all the factors that affect our health, it can be difficult to get a good idea of the dangers of a disease or the efficacy of a treatment. This is similar to what we read about in the Taubes HRT article and in Good Calories, Bad Calories.

Posted by Eli W at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

1. panacea-noun
a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases: the panacea for all corporate ills | the time-honoured panacea, cod liver oil.
(From The Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd edition revised) in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses)provided through the University of MN

1. palatable-adjective
(of food or drink) pleasant to taste: a very palatable local red wine. • (of an action or proposal) acceptable or satisfactory: a device that made increased taxation more palatable.
(From The Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd edition revised) in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses)provided through the University of MN

But this panacea for armies and navies still had a long way to go before it was either sufficiently cheap or palatable to be accepted by the general public(Pickled, Potted, and Canned, page 249).

sentences
He thought the psychiatrist's panacea would take care of his mental sufferings, depression, and diseases, but he was wrong.
Her daugter's mother's day breakfast was very palatable and began her day with such delight.

Posted by Tanna C at 2:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. abdicate-verb
[no obj.] (of a monarch) renounce one's throne: in 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated as German emperor | [with obj.] Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favour of the emperor's brother.
(From The Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd edition revised) in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses) using University of Minnesota database.

In 1814, only two months after Napoleon had abdicated and been exiled to Elba, leaving an exhausted and bewildered France and yet another Louis on the throne, Nicolas Appert made a visit to London(Pickled, Potted, and Canned, page 236-37)

Sentence- The British ruler abdicated his throne to marry his love, Whitney Creed, who had no royal blood and was just a poor peasant.

Posted by Tanna C at 1:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

carrion - noun
[mass noun] the decaying flesh of dead animals.
- ORIGIN Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French caroine, caroigne, Old French charoigne, based on Latin caro ‘flesh’.
(OED, 2nd Ed, accessed through U of MN Libraries)

Flies, of course, lay eggs on carrion, and their larvae then hatch out as wriggling maggots (A History of Food, page 663).

The vultures keen sense of smell lead them to the carrion which they immediately feasted upon.

Posted by Tanna C at 2:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

hermetic
1. hermetic-adjective
(of a seal or closure) complete and airtight. • insulated or protected from outside influences: a hermetic society.
(OED, 2nd Ed, accessed through U of MN Libraries)

"Those flasks which were not hermetically sealed were soon swarming with maggots, but the others remained free of them" (A History of Food, page 663).

Sentence: My mother's delicious beef stew was hermetically sealed so that I may enjoy again this winter.

Posted by Tanna C at 1:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)