Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2007 October 10

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October 10

what is the difference between contagious and infectious

if any —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.0.158.222 (talk) 13:57, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Very good question! According to the British Medical Association "Complete Family Health Encyclopedia", an Infectious disease is any disease caused by a specific microorganism. A Contagious disease is a disease that can be spread from person to person by ordinary social contact, such as sharing a home or a workplace. All contagious diseases, such as the common cold, chickenpox or measles, are infectious, but many infectious diseases, such as typhoid, syphilis or AIDS, are not contagious (being spread by other means of transmission, such as contamination of food or water by infected human excreta, by sexual contact, or by contaminated blood). DuncanHill 14:05, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

When used metaphorically, as in infectious laughter or contagious enthusiasm, there is no difference.  --Lambiam 16:37, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

When applied to a person who has the disease and is likely to infect others ("Stay away from me, I'm..."), I believe the proper term is "infectious", but "contagious" is heard informally. --Anon, 21:54 UTC, October 10.

• Contagious means a transmission between hosts (i.e. from person to person). Infectious is when the viral particles (I'm not talking about bacteria) are not expelled from the body and start hijacking cells. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:17, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Duckwalk

I keep coming across this term in detective novels, especially the Lucas Davenport series. What, please, is a "duckwalk"?86.194.122.237 15:07, 10 October 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

The only duckwalk I know of is a Chuck Berry/Angus Young thing. DuncanHill 15:28, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Apart from the Duck Walk Duncan mentions, it puts me in mind of a conflation of "duckboard" and "boardwalk". Perhaps you could quote us a paragraph for context? FiggyBee 15:34, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

According to the OED, it's a duckboard track. In other words, a wooden track for walkers (often to take them over a boggy or fragile surface).--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:45, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Yep, that's what I meant by duckboard/boardwalk. :) And here's another one; there's also a "duck walk" which is part of military fitness tests. It's basically walking in a squatting position. FiggyBee 15:47, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

In the context of a detective novel, could it be the same as a "frog march"? In which two policemen take the arms of an arrested indidividual and forcefully march him out of the location and into a prison cell/waiting partrol car? Corvus cornix 20:37, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, according to the dictionary definition, no, although it could simply mean to walk like a duck. Some context would be very useful here. Incidentally, frog-march originally meant four people carrying someone face down by all four limbs.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:25, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

I've heard it used in the context Corvus Cornix mentioned, and that's the image I got from it - where you are held from behind with your arms down (not necessarily a bear hug) and forced to walk with the same pace/speed/etc. as the person behind you. However, Figgybee's squatting waddle does make me think of ducks. That could be what they were talking about. Steewi 02:05, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the help. I understand the word, but have never met it, and cannot trace it despite careful search. Context requested, here are two examples from John Sandford's SUDDEN PREY

• criminals securing entry: ...Sandy just run up to the house with the bag in your hand. She ran and at the same moment Martin duckwalked down the front of the house until he was on the right side of the door....*

• Sandy has hidden, now begins to escape: ...Nobody in view... she pushed open the door, duckwalked out into the snow, all clear....*

Next step can only be to contact the author?90.0.133.226 10:08, 12 October 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

Okay, now that makes me think that they're 'ducking and walking - keeping their head down while moving around. Computer gamers and animators would call that "crouch walking" FiggyBee 06:34, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

Interesting... unfortunately Sandford uses the word simply to describe careful movement at crime scenes, etc. i.e. where no threat exists. (Sorry about my choice of quotes, they gave the wrong impression.) I have written to John S, hopefully he will reply. If he does I'll post his reply here.86.216.250.225 12:00, 13 October 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

Formal word request

Apologies if you feel this would be better suited to the Humanities desk.

I've been writing up a nice design for a lunch pass (card which allows the bearer to skip the queue at lunch) for my school's debating society. It's written in the same style as the Queen's message in British passports (Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern" etc.).

Unfortunately, I can't figure out what to change Majesty into. Instead of the Queen I'm referring to a philosophy teacher at my school, who is in charge of the society, so instead of Britannic I've put Philosophic. However, I can't figure out what I can replace Majesty with that both fits the wording and person, and is not already used officially (ie Excellency or Grace).

Thus, in my despair, I turn to you, the members of the Languages Reference Desk, hoping that you can save me.

Thank you, Daniel (‽) 17:04, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

The Queen is Her Majesty because she is Majestic. So pick a characteristic of the person in question. Perhaps His/Her Learnedness for a teacher? FiggyBee 17:14, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

How about "Eminence"? —Angr 17:15, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

"is not already used officially". Eminence is a term of address used for Cardinals. FiggyBee 17:26, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

After edit conflict:

Angr: Eminence is taken by various high-ranking religious figures.

FiggyBee: Yes, but His Learnedness hardly sounds very correct. Is there any kind of synonym which can be used (like majesty) as a suffix-free adjective? (Would this be an adjectival noun?)

Thanks, Daniel (‽) 17:31, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Prominence, Potency, Dignity.  --Lambiam 19:32, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

You might make up a word based on the person's name. "His Philosophic Johnsonity requests and requires..." (And I won't mention "Heil Hitler" if you don't) --His Suggestic Anonymity, 22:02 UTC, October 10, 2007. Unsigned by 207.176.159.90

Again, Luminary would be possible. Bessel Dekker 22:02, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

A luminary is a bright object, not the brightness itself. —His Obliquity Tamfang 21:55, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

Another edit conflict:

Lambiam: Those are almost exactly what I was thinking of. However, they aren't very related to teaching or learning. Is there anything else you (or others) can think of?

Sorry to be so demanding, but it seems to be the best way of getting the most out of you RDers. Daniel (‽) 22:03, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Related to wisdom more than teaching or learning: Perspicacity, Sagacity.  --Lambiam 22:54, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Anonymity: I don't think that some of the other members of the society (we have some very punctilious conservatives) would go along with that, but it's a nice idea which hadn't occured to me.

Bessel: Thank you! That one is currently my top suggestion for the time being.

Thank you all, Daniel (‽) 22:06, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Does it have to end in -y? How about Your Erudition, Your Proficiency, Your Awareness, Your Mastery(!) ? Bessel Dekker 22:10, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Pedantry? Pedagogy? —Angr 22:18, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Punditry. --Milkbreath 22:30, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Profoundity? Clarityfiend 05:26, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

(That's "profundity". —Angr 06:29, 11 October 2007 (UTC))

Now that's "profund". Clarityfiend 04:39, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

How about His/Her Philosophic Tutorship (cf. Lordship)? — Kpalion^(talk) 08:01, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Moff or kemosabe. 38.112.225.84 14:13, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Thank you all for your suggestions. In the end I've gone with Tutorship, but they were all very impressive, and far more than I could have come up with myself.

Thanks, Daniel (‽) 16:19, 11 October 2007 (UTC)