The Ellipsis--Hot, Hot, Hot, Dot, Dot, Dots. . . And the Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017

      This week's Partial Ellipsis of the Sun will focus on the ellipsis in our blog title as well as the upcoming solar eclipse, visible in the U.S. on August 21, 2017. 

     I discovered this week that three dots on clothing labels signifies hot, hot, hot (ok, truly just "hot," but you get the idea)

.  .  .and look at our logo!

      Ellipsis, from the Ancient Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission" or "falling short") is a series of three dots that usually indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning (Look! A typewriter!)

      Depending on their context and placement in a sentence, ellipses can indicate an unfinished thought, a slight pause, an echoing voice, a leading statement, or a nervous or awkward silence. 

     Aposiopesis is the use of an ellipsis to trail off into silence, for example: "I wonder about where to go to view the August 2017 eclipse. . ." When placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, the ellipsis can also inspire a feeling of wonder, sadness, or imagining.

     The most common form of an ellipsis is a row of three periods or full stops (. . .)

or a precomposed triple-dot glyph (…). The triple-dot punctuation mark is also called a suspension point, points of ellipsis, periods of ellipsis, or colloquially, framed as "dot-dot-dot".

     In Anne Toner's book on the ellipsis, Ellipsis in English Literature: Signs of Omission  she suggests that the first use of the punctuation in the English language dates to a 1588 translation of Terence's Andria, by Maurice Kyffin. In that case, however, the ellipsis consists not of dots but of short dashes.

    
     There are numerous widely acknowledged types of ellipsis. Nine of them are: 1) gapping, 2) stripping, 3) VP-ellipsis, 4) pseudogapping, 5) answer fragments, 6) sluicing, 7) N-ellipsis, 8) comparative deletion, and 9) null complement anaphora. However, rather than getting into further discussion of these nine types of ellipses. . .

let's move on to the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. 

     The eclipse has its own website. Maizie and I are already planning a camping trip with friends to Wyoming to view the eclipse. How about you? Will your path cross with the solar eclipse. . .?

Only 219 days to go!
Steph

Wow! { { { Photograph by Walker Berg, Oregon: CROWS ON SNOW} } }

Partial Ellipsis of the Sun's 100th Post: Lichen it to a Litmus Test

     Today's post is inspired by the discovery that the dyes used in litmus paper are derived from lichen. I'd lichen that to paronomasic perfection (thanks SuperZee) for our 100th week. 

      Gadzooks! That must mean Partial Ellipsis of the Sun's two-year anniversary is just around the corner. 

     "Litmus" is derived from Old Norse lit-mosi, from litr "dye" + mosi "moss." Litmus paper is one of the things I have used but never investigated its origin, via either the word origin or the actual compounds.

       A variety of lichen such as this one, Roccella tinctoria, a relatively bland-looking organism that is a combination of algae or cyanobacteria (or both) living among a fungus in a symbiotic relationship,

and contains the compounds to make the colorful dark-purplish, red, and blue dyes used in litmus powder (the compounds are used also for dyeing rugs and fabrics).

        A brief refresher of high school chemistry: The pH scale ranges from 0 (a strong acid which turns blue litmus paper red) to 7 (neutral) to 14 (a strong base which turns red litmus paper blue).

        pH, which stands for potential Hydrogen, can actually be measured more accurately with a pH meter or pH paper giving more specific numbers all along the logarithmic pH scale from 0 to 14.

     

        In politics, of course, a litmus test is a question asked of a potential candidate for high office, the answer to which would determine whether the nominating official would proceed with the appointment or nomination.

        Sadly, we cannot dip politicians in lichen to determine their pHenomenal true and honest answers to critical questions.

      At least, not yet.

       I'll stick to chemistry. And geology. And biology. And physics. And astronomy. . .I lichen these topics much more (magnified lichen below):

      Thanks very much for your support these past nearly two years to the pHilosophy and pHun that is "Partial Ellipsis of the Sun."

       I truly appreciate your being my litmus test for interesting, inspiring, controversial, funny, and paronomasic topics.

pHinally and gratefully,
StepH ;-)

     I can only stay focused on the lichen on the rock for so long. . .Here's some sandstone from today's walk. You can almost hear the wind blowing. . .