Monday, June 30, 2008

Icthyologist

ICTHYOLOGIST, n. A. Jo. Redding.

2008 Update: An administrative theologian.

Incidentally, anybody know who Bierce was talking about?

The answer, supplied by the crack research team of Amoeba, TLP and Weirsdo:

22 comments:

tsduff said...

Icthyologist: one who enjoys looking into the jaws of Heterodontus daily amidst the scales and the slime.

A. Jo. Redding doesn't ring any bells.

Anonymous said...

A Google search reveals one Joseph D. Redding of SF who wrote FAY-YEN-FAH, the first American opera to be produced in France. His librettist was Charles Templeton, a scion of a family connected with the railroad, who also practiced icthyology.

Anonymous said...

Itchyologist? You're making that up.

Sorry the only Redding name I know of is Otis.

Anonymous said...

icthyologist: One who studies "ick" within the confines of the western world's judeo-christian ethic and capitalistic socio-economic brackets...or something like that.

TLP said...

Say what?

Maybe the person who designed all those Jesus Fish car magnets. I know those make Jesus proud.

mireille said...

Or fishnet stockings. Maybe he designed those. *just trying to help* xoxo

Anonymous said...

ICHTHYOLOGIST, n. A brother in crime to this amoeba. One of the few people who can say "something's fishy around here" and live.

There are more undescribed species of fish than of any other vertebrate animal. Though that doesn't come close to the number of undescribed species of bacteria.

More on Joseph D. Redding. Doesn't explain the A. Unless that's "Author". Or "Attorney".

Tom & Icy said...

There's something fishy about this.

Anonymous said...

I am commentless but that's never stopped me

Anonymous said...

Ick theologist

One who worships ick?

Doug The Una said...

Terry, heterodontus is a cetacean not a fish. Just sayin'.

Well done, Weirsdo. That has to be the right guy, an American maestro in France and the scion of a railroad family would have been too much provocation for Bierce to resist forever.

Nope, Jenn. Maybe your next book can be about a shapely icthyologist and a wereshark.

Precisely, Poobah, I suppose.

TLP, wouldn't that be an ictheotheophagus?

Thanks, Mireille. Another contribution to science from an expert nose.

Amoeba, as TLP pointed out, the "A" might have been a indefinite article.

Icy, did you check the cats?

Pia, the only cost is the verifier.

Quilly, wouldn't that be all of us, somehow? Homo Nastisus.

Jim said...

Icthyologist: I cthy London, I cthy Paris, I cthy someone's underpants.

Icthyologist: I cthy a big ol' yologist right in the middle of the lane.
..

Doug The Una said...

Sounds good, A-bell. You buyin'?

Jim, what do you think the chances are that was supposed to be England and France rather than London and Paris? It's reassuring your second childhood hasn't started yet.

Nessa said...

? (Just so you know I was here.)

Anonymous said...

Had a semi-answer but then Mirielle had to say something about fishnets. Which brought a visual of Cheryl Tiegs in her fishnet bikini to my mind. Dunno which is better or worse... but pronouncing icthyologist is like sticking yer tongue into a jar of really cheap peanut butter.

Anonymous said...

I was hoping the word was itchyologist as I'm covered in poison today not poissons.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the extra info, Amoeba; I only had time to do a quick search. He was a really interesting guy.

TLP said...

Rabbit rabbit! Get up already! It's July. Time's awastin'.

Lila said...

Rabbit, rabbit!

Doug The Una said...

Nessa, I get it. Thanks for leaving a note.

Good analogy, Sauerkraut. That Sports Illustrated cover made me a man.

By poison, Cooper, you mean francophilia?

Weirsdo, you can see why Bierce singled him out, too. He seems to have only lacked a protectionist politic to run the gamut of Bierce's spites.

TLP, this is the month we love our country. I'm doing my part sleeping in.

Rabbit rabbit, SIs!

Cooper said...

No, Rhus vernix.

Doug The Una said...

Ai. That's itchy.