Thursday, October 19, 2006

Deracinate

To deracinate actually means to uproot. My daughter and her friend did some deracinating in the garden today, under the guise of creating a pixie hollow. It's getting harder each day to choose a "best guess" from the many great guesses contributed. Today I couldn't decide between Lachlan, who likened deracinating to eliminating embarrassing members of the royal family, and Ace, who suggested that deracinating could refer to eliminating or mitigating racially distinctive features, using the example of Michael Jackson. So Ace and Lachlan are both well deserved winners. Thanks to everyone who had a go. I hope you come back soon.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know when you have something in the fridge that is quite fatty or oily the top layer sets and goes semi-hard, leaving a more liquid layer underneath. Well, scraping and removing that semi-set layer from the top is to deracinate.

Anonymous said...

To change your mind repetitively.

Anonymous said...

I think it means to help eachother.

TPPS Library said...

I think it means to make something beautiful by hanging up balloons and putting up streamers.

Anonymous said...

Deracinate is what Michael Jackson did when he bleached himself white, and means to take steps to eliminate or mitigate racially distinctive features. More recent examples include Donna Awatere Huata

Anonymous said...

People deracinate when they really aren't sure if they should be deliberating or vacillating....I in fact spent quite some deracinating about what comment to write today.

Anonymous said...

the last thoughts that go through your mind as you hit the wall in a car race ******!!!!!!!!

Greta said...

Haha, Ace. You took the words right out of my mouth. Well...maybe not the Michael Jackson part...

Anonymous said...

It's when an elephant juggles luncheon meat.

Anonymous said...

Interrupting someone when they're reading a magazine.

Anonymous said...

To annoy your mother

Anonymous said...

To purge or vomit rancid food.

Anonymous said...

To eliminate embarrassing relatives to the royal family.

Anande said...

I think it's when you say something insulting without meaning to, and then you quickly start babbling trying to take it back.

Anonymous said...

I need to deracinate all my tax receipts from around the office and in my wallet so that I can do my GST return today.

Anonymous said...

To clear a polished wooden floor of marbles, spilled ballbearings or anything else spherical and perilous.

kimono hime said...

I've been doing a lot of deracinating in the garden lately. It's autumn here.