doublet, triplet, trifecta, exacta, didtich, couplet, double-act, strong opinions

卡洛爾就是這樣一個喜愛文字遊戲的人，即使在《愛麗絲夢遊奇境》之外也毫不保留地展露這個興趣。1868年到1914年的英國週刊《Vanity Fair》曾在1879年3月29日號，刊載了卡洛爾稱為「Doublet」的文字遊戲。遊戲內容是改變某個單字的每個字母，最後變成另一個意思不同的單字。規則是，在兩個字母數相同的單字間，插入數個其他單字，然後串聯起來。聽起來很簡單，但相當耗費腦力。

譬如題目是把「HEAD換成TAIL」，作法就是更動「HEAD」的每個字母，最後聯到「TAIL」。模範解答是「HEAD」→heal→teal→tell→tall→「TAIL」。困難之處在於，每個經過的單字，如 heal（治療）、teal（野鴨）都一定要有確實的意思，字母亦不能互換。盡量用最少的單字數過關。實際上出在《Vanity Fair》的題目，都是「把PIG（豬）趕進STY（豬舍）」「把PEN（筆）浸到INK（墨水）」「把HARE（野兔）做成SOUP（湯）」「讓POOR（窮人）變成RICH（富人）」等，兩個單字間皆有關係的題目。

 The seminal paper on the matter hit the presses in 1952. Messrs Hodgkin and Huxley thus beat that other famous biological double-act, Watson and Crick, by a year. That their paper is less well known now reflects that pair’s flair for publicity, as much as the relative importance of the work. Sir Andrew, in fact, often showed his strong opinions in wry smiles rather than words.




Last week, a trifecta of Japan's most-celebrated electronics companies—Sony, Sharp and Panasonic—gave up hope for an annual profit, projecting combined losses of nearly $17 billion for the fiscal year ending in March.


trifecta(trī-fĕk'tə)
n.
A system of betting in which the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence. Also called triple.

[TRI- + (PER)FECTA.]

exacta

(ĭg-zăk'tə)
n.
A method of betting, as on a horserace, in which the bettor must correctly pick those finishing in the first and second places in precisely that sequence. Also called perfecta.

[From American Spanish quiniela exacta, exact quiniela (a game of chance), from Spanish exacta, feminine of exacto, from Latin exāctus. See exact.]

dou·blet (dŭb'lĭt)
n.

1. A close-fitting jacket, with or without sleeves, worn by European men between the 15th and 17th centuries.
2. 1. A pair of similar or identical things.
   2. A member of such a pair.
   3. Physics. A multiplet with two members.
3. Linguistics. One of two words derived from the same historical source by different routes of transmission, such as skirt from Scandinavian and shirt from English.
4. An imitation gem composed of two parts, as of an inferior stone layered beneath a precious gem.
5. doublets Games. A throw of two dice in which the same number of dots appears on the upper face of each.

[Middle English, from Old French, diminutive of double, double. See double.]

doublet 

Pronunciation: /ˈdʌblɪt/ 

NOUN

1A pair of similar things, in particular two words of the same derivation but having different meanings, for example fashion and faction, cloak and clock.

Example sentences

1.1(doublets) The same number on two dice thrown at once.

Example sentences

1.2Physics & Chemistry A pair of associated lines close together in a spectrum orelectrophoretic gel.

Example sentences

1.3A combination of two simple lenses.

Example sentences

2A man’s short close-fitting padded jacket, commonly worn from the 14th to the 17th century:they were wearing red velvet doublets and hose

More example sentences

Origin

Middle English: from Old French, 'something folded', also denoting a fur-lined coat, fromdouble 'double'.

derivation 

Pronunciation: /dɛrɪˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ 

NOUN

[MASS NOUN]

1The action of obtaining something from a source or origin:the derivation of scientific laws from observation

More example sentencesSynonyms

1.1The formation of a word from another word or from a root in the same or another language.

Example sentences

• Often, he explains the linguistic derivation of a word or idiom.
• These differences relate to the historical derivation of the words in question: whether they were acquired directly from Latin or through French.
• On this account, the word based theories posit that lexical relations in Semitic languages are linked to derivations involving lexemes and morphemes.
• Get more examples

Synonyms

1.2Origin; extraction:music of primarily Turkish derivation

More example sentences

1.3[COUNT NOUN] Something derived; a derivative:a good dictionary includes derivations

triplet crossing

Dictionary: trip·let (trĭp'lĭt)
n.

1. A group or set of three of one kind.
2. One of three children born at one birth.
3. A group of three lines of verse.
4. Music. A group of three notes having the time value of two notes of the same kind. Also called tercet.
5. Physics. A multiplet with three components.
6. Genetics. A unit of three successive nucleotides in a molecule of DNA or RNA that codes for a specific amino acid; a codon or anticodon.

[TRIPL(E) + (DOUBL)ET.]

 double-act

 n.
The partner in a comedy team who feeds lines to the other comedian, who then makes witty replies.






cou・plet


━━ n. 【韻律】（詩の）対句.

⇒couple



dis・tich
Meaning #1: two items of the same kind

Synonyms: couple, doubleton, pair, twosome, twain, brace, span, yoke, couplet, duo, duet, dyad, duad




━━ n. ＝couplet.