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Challenge! Presidents' Day International - Part 1


kiavonne

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This is a challenge to FPN!

 

And, this being a challenge (and a battle of words), it means there will be a champion, and there will be a special gift from me to the champion!

 

This is a two-part challenge. The first part will not win favor with any gifts, but it will set up part two where the real challenge will take place and the champion will be had. Even if you decide not to enter this challenge for the gift, please help set up those who do with your input by participating in part one. Part two will be posted for the actual challenge entries after part one has been completed on January 24, 2014, and run through February 17, 2014, Presidents’ Day.

 

First, though, I’m going to start by telling you about my gift for the champion of the challenge. This way, if you don’t like the gift from winning the challenge, you can run off now, and skip the following narrative and the truly obligatory uglies (disclaimers, fine print, yada yada) if you don’t want to participate.

 

I will put all the uglies in a separate thread and come back and link it HERE, so as not to clutter up the challenge posting – but don’t skim or skip reading all of it, there is a silver lining hidden in the ugly cloud.

 

 

MY GIFT TO THE CHAMPION:

 

The choice of any (one) production model Edison Pen with stock steel nib, and a $101 USD gift certificate from the Goulet Pen Company. The combined value of the Edison Pen and Goulet Pen Company gift certificate is $250 USD.

 

Here are pictures of the Edison Pen production pen line, posted with permission of the Goulet Pen Company (and does include the Edison Nouveau Premiere, non-limited edition, also by permission):

 

Beaumont, Collier, Herald

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Edison%20Pen%20Co/Beaumont_zpsb4669031.jpg http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Edison%20Pen%20Co/Collier_zps8f0f372a.jpg http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Edison%20Pen%20Co/Herald_zpse0212834.jpg

 

Hudson, Pearlette, Premiere

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Edison%20Pen%20Co/Hudson_zps2acac4e7.jpg http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Edison%20Pen%20Co/Pearlette_zpsb00ffce0.jpg http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Edison%20Pen%20Co/Premiere_zpse44760a5.jpg

 

 

CHALLENGE - PART ONE

 

A long time ago in a thread far, far away…

 

In 2008, I fell in love with a thread called “Difficult Words” in this forum. Folks talked about the words which gave them the most difficulty, headaches, and nightmares when trying to write them in cursive. After a half a dozen posts or so, someone else took a little creative initiative and took the words already listed and put them together into a practice sentence. The practice sentence grew with as more words were posted, and it eventually became a one-sentence mini story. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it ended up being the practice sentence to beat all that included words with lots of z’s, x’s, q’s, double letters, multiple descenders and ascenders, words so long they hurt to write, and various combinations thereof. I have a copy of that sentence saved so I can practice with it still. However, I’m ready for a new practice sentence, and I want you to help me get it.

 

For part one, please help to set up a new practice sentence. From now to Friday, January 24, 2014, please start listing all the words and/or letter combinations you absolutely hate to write (um, let’s avoid the naughty words, though). All the words must be real words. Please let us know why the words or letter combinations you put up give you nightmares to write. If it is a really strange word, also add a brief definition.

 

In addition, if you can come up with one, please include a word containing both the letters B and G - but avoiding the suffix “ing” - along with your difficult word. A B/G word is not a requirement, but some added zing is always welcome.

 

For inspiration, here is just the first part of that long ago practice sentence, and some of the words or letter combinations behind it:

 

“Disturbed by his colleagues' lack of enthusiasm, again and again the Egyptian astrophysicist visiting the observatory in Mississippi analyzed the multi-part transcription of telecommunications from the Galileo probe for the minimum of errors and maximum of syzygy,”

 

capital letter D - difficult to write consistently

double letters - m’s and n’s and r’s especially bad

telecommunication – takes a long time to write right

Mississippi – multiple sets of double letters that can make the eyes cross

minimum – m’s, n’s, i’s and u’s kind of run together and tend to morph into something else

Egypt - those annoying descenders

syzygy – see Egypt, and throw in a z, too (real word, something about alignment of the stars)

Galileo - upward loops and strokes in a row that want to all become loopy pen trials

maximum - more m’s and i’s and u’s and they had to throw in an x for good measure

again – because I seem to have a strikeout every time I write the word, and it isn’t such a hard word, is it?

 

rutabaga – B/G word

beggar – B/G word, with double letters, and double descenders

 

So, there is the start of a list of difficult words, and the start of the challenge. Please champion my cause and tell me, what are all the words which are difficult for you to write? You are not limited to single posts, the more the merrier!

 

Kimy

 

edits: only for emphasis and spelling. Content has not been altered!

Edited by kiavonne

Scribere est agere.

To write is to act.

___________________________

Danitrio Fellowship

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  • kiavonne

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I have difficulties writing:

 

Clackmannanshire (which is a little awkward as I live there).

 

hallelujah

 

navvy

 

genuine

 

disappointed

 

rhetorical

 

accidentally

 

guillotine

 

commission

 

successfully

 

diarrhoea

 

unanimous

 

porpoise

 

comeuppance

 

 

The BG words:

 

flibbertigibbet

 

gobbledygook

 

Subgroup

 

flabbergasted

 

subterfuge

 

Then, just because I can not help it, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch which is a place name in Wales.

Writing and typing with the help of cats

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Does my B/G word have to be big? heh heh. Always one of us smart A's in the crowd, I know. hahaha

 

Hahahaha, works.

 

 

 

...Then, just because I can not help it, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch which is a place name in Wales.

 

:yikes: I hope you're ready for what you're getting yourself into...

Scribere est agere.

To write is to act.

___________________________

Danitrio Fellowship

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:yikes: I hope you're ready for what you're getting yourself into...

 

I really did try not to put it in, I knew it would be problematic, but, like a moth to a flame I just could not resist.

 

This is a wonderful challenge by the way with an extraordinarily generous gift. Thank you so much for coming up with the idea and the reward.

 

Fiona

 

FIona

Writing and typing with the help of cats

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"Quarry" is a tough one!

Scribere est agere.

To write is to act.

___________________________

Danitrio Fellowship

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/855/6x0m.jpg

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/571/2h1v.jpg

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/577/q8xo.jpg

 

(Montblanc 342 - B ..... Caran d´Ache Storm)

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hard words:

maneuverability – m,n,u and v in close proximity then a knot of ascenders

gypsy – so many descenders in such a short word

indubitably – well, just look at it. It's a shame, really, because I use this word far too often.

 

bg word:

braggart

 

Hope that helps – love the words so far and I too am looking for some more practice sentences... been away far too long and need a lot more practice.

 

Thanks,

The flexistentialist

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/801/mtmq.jpg

 

(Pelikan 100N - EF ..... Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa)

 

You should be made a saint. I got tired just reading it. I am motivated to try harder.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/855/6x0m.jpg

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/571/2h1v.jpg

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/577/q8xo.jpg

 

(Montblanc 342 - B ..... Caran d´Ache Storm)

 

Okay, lefthanded members. THIS is your inspiration. Thank you, Pterodachtylus.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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I have difficulties writing:

 

Clackmannanshire (which is a little awkward as I live there).

 

hallelujah

 

navvy

 

genuine

 

disappointed

 

rhetorical

 

accidentally

 

guillotine

 

commission

 

successfully

 

diarrhoea

 

unanimous

 

porpoise

 

comeuppance

 

 

The BG words:

 

flibbertigibbet

 

gobbledygook

 

Subgroup

 

flabbergasted

 

subterfuge

 

Then, just because I can not help it, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch which is a place name in Wales.

 

I am going send a letter to someone, maybe the postmaster, in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch , Wales.

 

Imagine the US Postal optical character readers trying to route this one. :lticaptd:

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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For some reason recently, I have been having trouble with words beginning with "under" (like "underwear") because I keep flipping the R and the E. Also words that have interior Ms and Ns.

You're gonna make me go look now, when I really shouldn't be on FPN at all -- I have to make beef stock tonight and pack up a bunch of stuff for the thing I'm going to tomorrow.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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a couple of questions.

 

1) What is the exact definition of a "real" word? For example, Jedi is in the Oxford English dictionary, and therefore, I should think, is a real word. But is Padawan considered a real word for purposes of the challenge?

 

2) More down to earth, are there any limits as to the languages from which we might draw our difficult words? I can see where a case could be made for excluding words from languages not written with the Roman alphabet or some variant, since it seems to be part of the common basis on which we communicated here--but then many words from languages not usually written in the Roman alphabet, at least not within their "native" territories, have Romanized versions: instances off the top of my head: Chinese, Japanese, Arabic. A simpler way to put it might be, how far afield are we permitted to stray from vocabulary bounded by Indo-European origin and use of the Roman alphabet in recording the language?

 

3) Are proper nouns permitted? I infer that they are from the inclusion in the sample of Galileo and Mississippi, but--my OCD is acting up. :)

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Ok, let's take care of that OCD, first, F104.

 

Thank you for your questions, they are very good ones.

 

1) A real word is one that I will find in the dictionary, a big dictionary. Oxford English works. Basically, we want words we may encounter every day, but are hard for us to write. The practice sentence is a way to help practice penmanship, but I'm going to be asking for it to be a story sentence, too, one we can bring as many of our difficult words as possible into play and the elements of what makes them difficult when we write, and that many different people will be able to use for practice. This is the ultimate goal.

 

Now, some words, like "Jedi" and "Padawan," are words so familiar to many of us through multimedia, that they become real to all of us. Honestly, let's try to use common sense to help us out, and say that I have to be able to find the word in a dictionary, or it must be a globally accepted word (not l334 speak or texting shortcuts), and - in answer to question 3 - proper nouns are allowed.

 

In example, it might be difficult for me to write my dog's name because of letters looping up or down or double letters that my hand just doesn't want to make and I transpose it all the time no matter how hard I try... like Ruth and her "underwear example" and me with the word "again." I can never seem to get it right. Proper names are a difficult thing, but let's run with it, we have to; but be careful, and be sure it is something that presents a difficulty for your to write, and tell us about it. My dog's name is Seamus, by the way, but I mucked the spelling to be phonetic for the vet to be able to pronounce, and he is, therefore, Shamus. I don't have issues with either spelling when I'm trying to write it in cursive, so I am not submitting it as a "difficult word." Your neighbor's name might be Annabelle, and that might be a whole different story, double letters, lots of loops, etc., like Galileo is for me (a loopy nightmare, in my eyes).

 

Things like, "pffftttttt" or "ummm" or just running the alphabet together, made up words and slang like meh and teh, these are the things we don't want to see. Am I going to disqualify someone for "Padawan?" No, but is that really a difficult word to write in cursive? If it is, put it up and tell us why you despise writing the word "Padawan." Maybe your practice sentence in part two of the contest will be the one everyone wants to write! Maybe someone else will relate and say, "oh, yeah, that one is hard for me, too," and will be inspired by it.

 

The hope is that when all is said and done here, we will all have multiple interesting and challenging penmanship practice sentences to help many of us overcome some of the difficulties we have when writing with pen and ink. It's likely there won't be many takers for using 58-letter words, it is going to an extreme, but hey, then again, someone might just see it and try to write it down just for practice itself with no sentence outside this contest. My wrist hurts just thinking about it, though, and I'll leave that to someone else. Ideas and inspiration and sparks of creativity - and practice - for the many is where we are going.

 

2) Languages do present a problem. I'd been asked to keep it to English, but I'd completely forgotten in my attempts to keep all the parameters within legal, but also rewarding and fun, limits. Trust me, this is not easy. You've heard, "you can't please all of the people all of the time...?" We will not be able to come up with something for everyone if we mix languages and alphabets, so, again, we'll let common sense play in. I am not bilingual, though I studied Russian some 15 years ago. Pterodactylus threw out the longest word in the German language (or one of, anyway), and explained it for us, but he also came back with the English words that taunt him and let us know his story. English is not his first language, but he uses it at FPN, as we all do, so we're going to stick with English unless the word is a commonly used word used between languages - and can be spelled in English.

 

That being said, although we want to keep the spelling of our words correct, with something like "honor" and "honour," both are acceptable. The spelling is only an old "us and them" issue and common sense tells me not to worry about it.

 

I am also taking folks at their word, when they say a word is difficult for them, though a why would be nice. The real contest begins in part two, when we start working with our "difficult words" list. Not all the words we put out there will be used in part two (at least, I doubt it), but the biggest thing here to remember is to have fun and let go and have a good time with something that is normally just a plain chore - practice writing. And, I promise to try and define entry parameters a little better for part two of the contest, without getting over wordy like my response has been.

Edited by kiavonne

Scribere est agere.

To write is to act.

___________________________

Danitrio Fellowship

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Sasha Royale - thank you for making me laugh, and for finding more inspiration for us!

 

Inkstained Ruth - I so know what you mean with the "under" words. My mess-it-up-every-time word is "again." I don't understand why, either.

 

Pterodactylus - thank you so much for sharing your story. I am so glad you are here helping us. Your handwriting is wonderful, by the way. I love reading it. This is what practice is all about - to help us out. I won't ever write as nicely as you, but my writing being legible is big for me. I hate that it has deteriorated over time, instead of improving.

 

the flexistentialist - wow, thank you, those are some good ones, too. I can hardly wait to see all we end up with at the end of a week for part two!

Scribere est agere.

To write is to act.

___________________________

Danitrio Fellowship

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Kimy called me up yesterday and it took me longer than it should have to understand this contest, mainly because I just couldn't believe the generosity and selflessness behind it. She refused to accept any special gifts or sponsorship of any kind! I'm obviously honored to be named/featured as a part of this contest, though I haven't done anything to warrant any credit for it :) I think this idea is just so cool, and I'm thrilled to see what's coming of this thread.

 

I don't have a huge contribution for words, but I think "benign" is a fun one. I hate uppercase Q's, and I refuse to write them like a #2!

 

This isn't a BG thing, but there are a lot of ink names that I have a hard time writing:

 

Private Reserve is always tough

Diamine Mediterranean Blue

Pilot Iroshizuku, especially Murasaki-Shikibu, Ajisai

Rohrer and Klingner Smaragdgrün and Leipziger Schwarz

Noodler's Tiananmen

 

...to name a few!

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Thank you, Brian! We like ink names, for sure! Tiananmen looks like a tough one.

Scribere est agere.

To write is to act.

___________________________

Danitrio Fellowship

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