Talk:shapesmith

RFV discussion: October–December 2012

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shapesmith

This can be found in many dictionaries going back at least a century or two, but I can't find it anywhere else. Chuck Entz (talk) 22:01, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

It was featured on the British TV show QI just now (an hour ago, or so) and it was in Dr Johnson's dictionary. Of course we don't use the same rules as he used back then. Mglovesfun (talk) 22:19, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

I have cited the spelling shape-smith, but I don't know what definition fits the cites. See Citations:shapesmith. Those four pretty much exhausted the valid cites at Google Books. DCDuring TALK 23:33, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

I wouldn't include the one from the Edda, since it seems like there are several calque-like literalish translations there. The other three seem to fit the definition in question, though. It's odd that the only cites are spelled differently than the dictionary entries.

I should mention that there was one other definition in Google Books referring to a type of craftsman, and the name of a computer application by that name. On Usenet it was all just the computer application and user names apparently associated with it. Chuck Entz (talk) 00:40, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

I also just found this Chuck Entz (talk) 01:10, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

I could not find any spelling of shapesmith at that last link. DCDuring TALK 03:43, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

"This inclination to obesity has always been a heavy source of discomfort and annoyance to Mr Strumcerner and it is known that he has been in training under a multitude of shape-smiths to effect if possible a reduction of that fleshy knobbiness which so materially interferes with the symmetry of his form." Chuck Entz (talk) 04:19, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

Excellent. I wonder why I couldn't see it. DCDuring TALK 04:30, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

And I agree with you about the Edda. I strongly suspected calque, but, given the scarcity, I kept it. DCDuring TALK 03:45, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

So, move it to the attested spelling? - -sche (discuss) 05:22, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

• I understood a shapesmith was someone who made corsets. Ƿidsiþ 05:25, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

  Per your comment, I've added that sense, to spur people to sort the citations under the relevant sense, so we can see if either or any sense is attested. - -sche (discuss) 22:16, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

RFV-failed for now, since it is unclear which sense, if any, is attested. - -sche (discuss) 22:26, 17 December 2012 (UTC)