Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

As to Military commands, officers are taught to call commands in a way that can be comprehended across a parade field. After about 15 ft fricitves are lost to the wind. Thus if you were to call "forward, March!" The third or so rank will be unable to hear the F, and likely won't catch the M. The command is modified to "o-ward, harch" to allow the commander to produce a louder sound, and for the subordinate to comprehend and obey the command. Further, a command given on the march (while moving) must be executed within two steps, with only "harch" on the second step. That makes clearly annunciating multiple consonants especially difficult. Just try to say "right oblique" in one breath between steps. Below are examples of other command contractions for your reading pleasure.

"Ite hace" right face
"yeft hace" left face
"arade, hest" parade rest
"ya-bout hace" about face

How interesting to hear a caller bring up the question of 'biologist' vs. 'naturalist': as a biologist, I have wondered the same thing. Biologists are people who work in the area of biology, like people who band birds and study their migration or life history, or people who study elephant social behavior, or people who raise fruit flies in a lab to study. 'Biologist' also refers to people who study plants, though they are usually specified as 'botanists'. Ecologists are people who study systems of biology, like coastal dunes, which incorporate plants, animals, soils, and climatic conditions. 'Naturalist' in the field of biology seems to refer to people who study nature in an explicitly empirical way (based on personal observations), and tend to share their observations with others through teaching or writing.

"The panel has declared pottery from Israel as the finest," Tom said judiciously.

"That English nobleman looks to have gotten quite a lot of sun," Tom said tangentially.

"Hmm, I seem to have amputated an extremity," Tom said offhandedly.

That's all I got.