About as well as might be expected. We've been continual best friends since before I can remember anything as a young child; being flummoxed about patents came long after and I didn't notice any change then; so I guess it mustn't be all that important to us.
And with you? ;)
Jon
my
Every once in a while ther has been talk to improve or fix the patent system; most recently to decrease fraudulent apps as well as decrease "patent farms" that do nothing but sue or sell for profit (most especially WRT IT). Only dust so far..
I still have to figure out what having been or being in the process of being flummoxed is... :-)
flummox (flùm´eks) verb, transitive flummoxed, flummoxing, flummoxes Informal.
To confuse; perplex.
[Probably of English dialectal origin.]The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved.
Hehe. This was also quick to come up:
Example sentence: Peter was flummoxed by the directions given to him by the gas station attendant, as they called for him to turn the wrong way onto a one-way street.
Did you know? No one is completely sure where the word "flummox" comes from, but we do know that its first known use in English is found in Charles Dickens' 1837 novel _The Pickwick Papers_. One theory expressed by some etymologists is that it was influenced by "flummock," a word of English dialectical origin used to refer to a clumsy person (and perhaps this word is the source of "lummox" as well). By no means is "flummox" just a relic of the Victorian era -- by the end of the 19th century the word had become quite common in both British and American English.
1837 Probably British. It doesn't sound like a word an American would have made up.
So when you say "English" regarding etymology, you should probably be a bit more specific.
But only remained in British usage in the 20th century.
Hehe. Okay, so I picked it up from some British friends. :P
Jon
Actually, everything I posted there was quoted from a book. Including the bracketed part. I had hoped the copyright notice at the end told you as much. I guess that didn't come across. Anyway, you will probably need to complain to Houghton Mifflin about their notes if you want them changed.
Since you wrote as though those were my words, I'll tell you what I actually imagine. I suspect that it comes from flummery and oxen and that it is obviously also related to lummox. Flummery was (the word has grown) custard or pudding -like and I suspect that someone came up with a word that conjured up both a pudding-head and clumsy-as-an-ox in one word, shortening the flummery to flum(m) as an adjective to ox. Probably no one misunderstood the connotations.
Of course, I'm just guessing.
Jon
At least when I hunt something up, I try to refrain from direct cut and paste unless appropriate, and then attributed at least by a commentary reference. I assumed you wrote it. Not a big deal anyway.
The definitions I found also mentioned unknown etymological origin, but suggested English. The year is what gives it focus. It was used in both places, which shows that immigration was strong at the time, and proves it is Brit origin as well since it fell out of use here, after a short couple decades, yet remained in use over there.
No problem. I let it fly as it was because of the copyright notice at the end and wrongly assumed that few would mistake the source. My mistake. (I certainly could have easily done a little bit more to have been clearer and it appears I should have, as well.)
Some of the references I looked at suggested earlier times than an
1837 novel alone suggests, but that appears to be the earliest written record found so far. I don't know if that novel used a word that was alreadyI seem to imagine slightly different connotations for flummox versus stupify, for example. While I think it "feels right" to say that the patent situation being described here flummoxes me, it doesn't feel right to say it stupifies me or that I'm in a stupor about it. I'm not exactly dizzy, numb or insensible over the issue. But like the example I quoted,
Peter was flummoxed by the directions given to him by the gas station attendant, as they called for him to turn the wrong way onto a one-way street.
... when considering the issue of patent law itself (similar it seems to 'conflicting directions'), I do feel a bit like Peter must have.
I felt the word quite apt to the situation and I'm not sure what else may fit still better. You have any suggestions to consider?
Jon
...in use.
Sorry about the loss of a couple of trailing words there.
Jon
Well, simple removal of all color usually does it. If the definition is "confused", then the term "confused" is the most base resolve and takes nothing away from the reference to your reaction to the situation.
Still... no one anywhere along the way did anything wrong. I just thought it was an odd word.
I have heard of a video trailer, but a text trailer??
Yes, you too can view the text trailers for many of my current and upcoming, highly anticipated posts. Limited seating is available. :)
Jon
But confused doesn't apply nearly so well. At least, I don't think so.
I know.
Jon
I'll only come if you pay me to be a shill.
They are towed behind Bookmobiles.
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Merely flummoxed? With the billions of dollars at stake with the present idiocy in the system. Wake up child.
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