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Analysis of Literary Language ·  Advanced Professional Papers ·  The History of the English Language ·  First Internship: Tutoring in a Writing Workshop ·  Second Internship: Advanced Instruction: Tutoring Writing

Visual Literacy Seminar (A First Course in Methodology) ·  Theories of Communication & Technology (A Second Course in Methodology) ·  The Writer's Guild

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The Shipka Spaces: Language in Society

Communicative Objective #2 (CO2): A hyper-modest proposal for two un-researched communicative practices within the study of language in society

Presentation/Activity: "Back to the Little Red Schoolhouse: A re-articulation of the index card method of organization for research papers"

The History of "this" Space: "Welcome to the Anti-Apathy Club: A study of UMBC student culture within the Shipka Spaces"

Blackboard Weekly Posts (A Bulletin Board Community)

Communicative Objective #1 (CO1): Re-contextualization of the definition of the word Annoy
from the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

An Explanation of How to Read "This" Objective ·  Parameters for Re-contextualizing the Definition of a Word from the OED ·  Photos of the OED Annoy Artifacts ·  The OED Annoy Goals and Choices

The OED Annoy Process Narrative-Sketch ·  The OED Rolling Credits: Who Contributed to "This" Objective ·  The OED Word Definition Workshops One and Two: Brainstorming Ideas within a Social Context ·  The OED Blackboard Community Post

A List of OED Words that were Researched, Tested, and Abandoned

The Oxford English Dictionary Fairy Tale Radio Hour Archive Script
Narrator: Welcome to the Oxford English Dictionary Fairy Tale Hour with your host Samuel Brainsample. Today's fairy tale is a delightful story about a Free Mason or a carpenter but first a word from our sponsor.

Announcer: "EXPAND YOUR MIND with MIND EXPANDING CEREAL...
WITH A MIND EXPANDING GAME IN EVERY BOX!

OED Man: Brought to you by the Oxford English Dictionary.

Narrator: Wow! My mind really feels expanded now, how about yours? The word used in today's fairy tale is the word "annoy." The word is "annoy."

(The 5 year old girl is acting out, running around the room, jumping up and down on the bed as the father walks in to find out what all the noise is all about.)

Note: S. Miller had various choices here as I opened a space and suggested that at any time she could improvise as she felt necessary. There were many objects scattered around the room so making noise would have been an easy task: slamming books, rustling papers, making loud noises and/or other choices. Miller chose to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

5 year old girl: I don't want to go to sleep! I'm not sleeeeeeeeeeepy.
Father: You will go to sleep because I said so.
5 year old girl: NO!
Father: Yes you will.
5 year old girl: NO! No, no, no, no, no, NO!
Father: You little girl are setting out to annoy me.
5 year old girl: What does annoy mean?

Father: Well according to the Oxford English Dictionary annoy means "intr. To be hateful, odious, offensive, or a cause of trouble (to, or with dat.) Obs.

c1340 Ayenb. 162 To huam et e wordle anoy uor e perils..huerof hi is al uol. c1374 CHAUCER Boeth. I. v, Ne e forsweryng ne e fraude..ne a-noye not to schrewes. c1386 --Melib. 31 As Motthes in the shepes flees anoyeth [v.r. annoye , -oyen] to the clothes..so anoyeth [v.r. annoie , anoy e] sorwe to the herte."

5 year old girl: What?
Father: Never mind. If I tell you a fairy tale will you then go to sleep?
5 year old girl: Mmmmmmmmmmmm... Okay!

Father: A long, long time ago, during the Middle Ages, there was a carpenter or a Free Mason. He was like everyone else and could not read. But being a Free Mason he knew 33 useful facts that he learned as being an apprentice in the craft of carpentry from a Master Free Mason. The Master Free Mason made him swear never to repeat the 33 useful facts that he taught him: keep them a secret. So the Free Mason would build a town filled with shops for the tin smith, the cobbler, and the baker. The tin smith, the cobbler, and the baker were very happy. Why do you ask? Because people always needed pots repaired, shoes repaired, and bread baked. But the Free Mason was annoyed...

5 year old girl: But what does annoy mean?

Father: (exasperated) Annoy means... "trans. To be hateful or distasteful to; to trouble, irk, bore, weary. (= Fr. ennuyer.) In passive const. w. of. Obs.

a1300 Havelok 1734 at is e storie for to lenge, It wolde anuye is fayre genge. a1300 Leg. Rood (1871) 20 Of is lif he was anuyd [v.r. anuy ed]. a1400 Rel. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. 17 And sythen when ou has am at i will, an erte ou of thaa thynges annoyede. 1534 LD. BERNERS Gold Bk. M. Aurel (1546) Kij, Ye all are anoyed and wery of all goodnes."

5 year old girl: Whaaaaaaaat?

Father: (further exasperated) Forget about it, may I go on with the fairy tale?
5 year old girl: Okay.

Father: (Has now lost his place) Where was I... oh yes. And the Mason was jealous of the tin smith, the cobbler, and the baker. Once he was done building the town, there was no more work left to do and he could not make money to eat, but the tin smith, the cobbler, and the baker always had work, so they could eat and were very happy. This annoyed the Free Mason...

5 year old girl: But what does it meeeeeeean!
Father: (now becoming annoyed) What does what mean?
5 year old girl: But what does IT meeeeeeean?
Father: What is IT?
5 year old girl: But what does annoy meeeeeeean?

Father: According the Oxford English Dictionary annoy means "impers. it annoys me...: it irks me. Obs. rare.

1382 WYCLIF 2 Cor. i. 8 It anoy ede [1388 anoiede] vs, he, for to lyue. 1388 --Numb. xxi. 4 It bigan to anoye the puple of the weie and trauel. c1386 CHAUCER Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 483 No thyng anoyeth me To lene a man a noble or two or thre."

5 year old girl: But what does IT mean?
Father: (beginning to lose it) What does IT mean or ANNOY mean?
5 year old girl: But what does IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT mean?
Father: I am totally lost now... can we go on with the fairy tale?
5 year old girl: Oh, okay... but I'm not the one stopping you...
Father: (mumbles to himself) I don't even know what I am talking about anymore... Something about a Free Mason... Oh! The Free Mason was in front of the baker's shop and kicked a clod of dirt near his foot. A pixie faerie as she flew past him saw the Free Mason kick the dirt and he was annoyed.

Father: Oh no what did I say,
5 year old girl: But what does annoy meeeeeeeeeean?
Father: God help me.
5 year old girl: What?

Father: Annoy means "trans. To affect (a person) in a way that disturbs his equanimity, hurts his susceptibilities, or causes slight irritation. (Refers to the feeling produced, rather than to the action producing it; hence commonest in the passive to be annoyed: to be ruffled in mind, troubled, vexed.)

1250 LAY. 2259 Corineus nas anued [1205 un-e e]. And wo on his mode. 1297 R. GLOUC. 487 King Philip was anuyd... That ther nas of him word non, bote al of Richard the king. c1315 SHOREHAM 36 ef he the schel anoye a t, Hyt wyle of-thenche hym sore. c1450 LONELICH Grail l. 324 if I wiste my lord not forto anoye. 1596 SHAKES. Tam. Shr. I. i. 189 She will not be annoy'd with suters. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle vii. 3156 Soe overioyde That through excesse therof he is annoide. 1743 TINDAL Rapin's Hist. VII. XVII. 104 He did not want good-will to annoy Elizabeth. 1855 MACAULAY Hist. Eng. III. 532 He felt some..vindictive pleasure in annoying those who had cruelly annoyed him."

Father: Can we please finish the fairy tale?
5 year old girl: Sure, but it's you who keeps using a word I don't understand...
Father: (growls) THE FAIRY SAYS, "Why are you so annoyed..." 5 year old: (Crys out) Annoy, annoy, annoy. What does annoy mean?

Father: You are setting out to annoy me! "Annoy to be annoyed after or for: to worry about, be anxious for. Obs. rare.

a1400 Rel. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. 17 ou erte anoyede eftire many thynges, and turment if ou hafe thaym noghte. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle vii. 2949 The thing, for which he erst was soe anoyde."

5 year old: Hahahaha. You're funny.
Father: (hisses through his teeth) "So Mr. Free Mason," said to the pixie faerie,
"You see I built these shops for the tin smith, the cobbler, and the baker. They were very kind and paid me for my work, but you see now that the town is built, there's no more work, and I have no more money to eat. I don't know what to do, they annoy me" said the Free Mason.

5 year old: But...
Father: Annoy, "To vex oneself, take offence, grieve. Obs.

c1300 K. Alis. 876 Nicolas him anoyed: With wraththe to Alisaundre he saide.

Father: Are you satisfied?
5 year old: Haha. Yes.
Father: "Oh, Mr. Free Mason that's so sad. But you do know 33 secrets don't you?"
"Yes, yes I do, but that won't buy me bread, said the Free Mason." "Oh yes it will," said the pixie faerie. "Come follow me we have to cross the land to a new place where I know there are other people who want a town."
"Are you out to annoy me faerie?"

Father: Dear Lord...
"Annoy may be used as intr. (refl. pron. omitted.) Obs.
c1374 CHAUCER Boeth. II. iv. 41 If at ou anoie nat or for enke nat of al i fortune.
a1555 LATIMER Serm. & Rem. 332 To profit with learning, with ignorance not to annoy."
5 year old: Hahahahahaha.

Father: So the pixie faerie and the Free Mason set out with his Mason's square underneath his arm and they arrived at a clearing where they met some people living in the clearing. A very hard and stern man came forward and said in a boisterous voice, "Who are you stranger and why are you here? Are you here to annoy me?"

Father: Annoy means "by transf. to the objective means: To molest, injure, hurt, harm; now esp. in military use.
c1380 Sir. Ferumb. 364 Wy my werres y haue a-nyed muche of cristendome. c1400 Destr. Troy xv. 6790 Theseus..the troiens anoyet. 1593 SHAKES. Hen. VI, III. i. 67 Thornes that would annoy our Foot. 1607 TOPSELL Four-footed Beasts 530 Infested and annoyed with Lice. 1667 MILTON P.L. VI. 369 Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy The atheist crew. 1759 MARTIN Nat. Hist. I. 41 A gallant Saxon, who annoyed this Coast. 1794 NELSON in Nicolas Disp. (1845) I. 368 The works on the hills would annoy the Town."

Father: (now hissing) The Free Mason replied, "I am a Free Mason and this pixie led me here because the people want a town." "Oh so you're a Free Mason here to annoy me?

5 year old: Hahahahaha. Annoy.

Father: This story is beginning to annoy me.
Why these three fellows with me are also Free Masons. But I know this because I have built several towns with them and they know the secrets of the Free Masons. But I don't know you, Stranger. If you are a Free Mason hand me your Mason's Square."
         The stranger handed the hard and stern man his Mason's square and the three men walked across the clearing and disappeared to a secret location where no one could see or hear. Some time went by and the three men returned across the clearing. The hard and stern Free Mason walked up to the Stranger Free Mason and handed back his Mason's square. As the hard and stern man did so, he slapped the stranger on the back let go a belly laugh. "Hahahaha, so you are a Free Mason! Come, join us. We need another man to build this town and when we are done, we shall go off and find another place where people need a town, Free Mason." So by keeping a secret, this was how the Free Masons made sure they always had work and managed to annoy...

Father: THAT'S IT! I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE. "To affect (a thing) in a way which interferes with its proper action; to interfere with detrimentally, affect injuriously. Obs.

Father: This has to be the most annoying fairy tale and the most annoying radio skit I have EVER participated in. I'm through with this. I've had it! (Tears up the script, stomps out of the room, and slams the door.)

5 year old: Whew! It's a good thing I know what the word "secret" means.

Narrator: Okay, so maybe for some this was a little bit more annoying than the OED entry. Or maybe it was annoying to just about everybody. Okay, maybe this skit was annoying to everybody except for me because I had to write it.
         But does "this" faerie tale really tell us what it is to annoy? Maybe. If you were not annoyed by the faerie tale you may now be asking...

5 year old girl: "Ooo! Ooo! What's the secret! What's the secret! I've got to know the Mason's secret! I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I know the secret!"
Narrator: Do you like games?
5 year old girl: "Yes! Yes! I like games."
Narrator: Do you like to draw?
5 year old girl: "Yes, yes. I love to draw."
Narrator: Okay, let's play a word game. I'm going to tell you in words what to draw on a sheet of paper. When you are done with the task, you will know step by step what the three Free Mason's did to see if the Stranger was telling the truth and you will also know the first secret of the Free Mason's. If not you'll just be annoyed.

(This text is now recited as fast as possible similar to a legal disclaimer in radio advertising)
Narrator: Draw a big circle and place a dot in the center of the circle. Now begin to draw a straight line outside the circle from left to right so that it passes through the dot and outside the circle on the right. Place your pen on the left part of the circle where the straight line and the circle meet. While at that point draw a straight line inside the circle such that it is at an angle and continues outside of the circle. Place your pen where this new line and the circle meet. Now draw a straight line down to the point where the first line and the circle meet.

(Recited at normal speaking speed)
Narrator: The secret is the man who was a Free Mason would have placed the two outer most points of his square where the straight line and the tow angled lines meet. If the square did not meet at those points, the Free Mason knew he was not ready to work because his square was bent and he would need to get a new one.

Narrator: And so ends our fairy tale for today. Bye, bye!

(Recited very quickly as a legal disclaimer by the narrator)
Narrator: 5 year old girl played by Sarah Miller
Narrator played by P. C. Paul
Announcer played by P. C. Paul
OED Man played by P. C. Paul
Father played by P.C. Paul
Script written by P.C. Paul
Sound Engineering by P. C. Paul
Production by P. C. Paul
Produced by P. C. Paul

(Shouted with excitement)
Good night Cleveland, wherever you are!