Irontight

bfdc

I posited this question in the forum about the book Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer, but it's kind of quiet in there, and I'm still desirous of feedback.

On a page in the book, I found the word "irontight," used to mean "ironclad" or "airtight." I thought it was a unique word, especially since I haven't found it in a dictionary.

Is iron tight? And if something is irontight, does it follow that it could be "airclad"?

This new word needs properly defined, etymologized, and lexicographied. Can we fix it?

Bob/bfdc
 

LiamJackson

I've heard of iron-clad, iron-like, iron it out, flat iron, tire iron, i-ron-y (heard most frequently in Alabama and parts of Georgia), iron-poor blood, Iron Mike, and "the ire of Ernie."

However, I'm not familiar with irontight/iron-tight/iron tight. Of course, I'm not familiar with a great many things, so this confession should come as no surprise to anyone.

What was the question, again? :shrug
 

RichMar

There's also ironbound. Perhaps "tight" appealled to Jenna, or perhaps she was "tight" at the time--a rarely used definition is "intoxicated with alcohol."

I remember writing about a gaggle of geese turning "pondward." Somebody told me it wasn't in the dictionary and I should change it to "seaward." I would have if the geese were on the shores of a sea; however, I kept it as "pondward" because it was a pond that they turned to.

Since--thank the Lord--language isn't clad in iron, I say let napping dogs lie.
 

bfdc

I like "pondward." If nothing else, it could be enclosed in quote marks to show its individual nature, or at worst, hyphenated to show it's not really a closed compound word yet.

But let the language-building, napping dogs lie? Never, I say. Call each use out and get it explained. The craft must be honed and used as sharply as it can be. Each made-up word we let in, the more will follow if we don't take the time to test it, to put it to the flame. If it can't take the heat, then throw it out.

Let's give "irontight" a meaning, those of us whose sensibilities flame at the thought of a misplaced comma. Does it not deserve at least that much? Who will fight for this word?

Bob/bfdc
 

ChunkyC

I'll give it a go....

Irontight: as in gripped with excessive strength

He was held irontight against his will as the aliens prepared their experiments.

PS - I like pondward too. Any word that instantly calls an image to mind is a good word, IMHO.
 

RichMar

Hmmm

Nope, had I put "pondward" in quotes it would've distracted the reader. I figure even Noah Webster would've grasped it without wondering if he ever included it in his dictionary.

Sorry, I believe the cutting edge of writing is honed by those who have a firm grasp of language and who are also willing to apply the whetstone to fit the use of the blade.

Personally, as much as I like and admire Jenna, I think, for one brief moment in time, she was somewhat on the "tight" side.
 

bfdc

Re: Hmmm

Cool, Chuck. Imagine, we could be on the brink of the smoldering pool of destiny wherein was hatched a new word, like a new form of protozoa slithering out of the slime.

Somebody call Merriam-Webster!

Bob/bfdc
 

RichMar

Hmmm

I'm Curious, what with the wordage of "Ulysses" and "Finnigan's Wake" still hot and brewing, why would "Irontight" cause this much chatter?
 

maestrowork

Re: Hmmm

Ironclad is fine. Airtight is fine. Irontight, problem. Just not tightass.
 

wwwatcher

Irontight and Pondward

Irontight and Pondward - These two words remind me of my childhood....

We moved to a new farm that had a giant pond in the middle of the front field. It was one of the first things we explored when we got moved in. Someone had dragged a large iron tank out to it and it was sitting just on the shore. I recognized it as the kind of fuel-storage tank I had seen sitting beside an old furnace (probably in our old farm house).
(It seems to me that my parents might have had to install a new furnace in this new house.)

Anyway...
I was thirteen with a younger borther and an older sister so we were "explorers". The tank was totally rusty with just one hole in it, about eight inches square. It was made of cast iron and very heavy - the iron was at least half an inch thick. My brother and I decided to push it out into the water to see if it would sink or float. It was so heavy. We finally managed to leaver it into the water with a shovel handle. The pond was quite shallow only waistdeep in the middle; I was pretty sure it was going to sink. If it did it would make a great dock.

Well, we finally got it in. We had stuck a pole in the hole and tied some rope to it so we'd still have a-hold of it if it floated. And it did.

It gave me insight as a kid into how those big steel ships are able to float. Well that was our metal raft and we spent countless hours lying on it and drifting, watching the pond-life in the summer. It was a great place to sit and tie our skates in the winter, too. (We were Canadian kids, you know.)

Now to the definition of "irontight". If we took you, Bfdc and we crammed you in through that eight inch square hole. And we welded it shut (my brother is now an auto mechanic). That fuel tank would be irontight. You would know within an hour because you would have used up all your oxygen supply.

:shrug
Faye

(I think it's a Canadian word.)
 

bfdc

Re: Irontight and Pondward

Very funny, Faye. Methinks my fat head would have troubles getting into an eight-inch square opening.

But looking back at the possible word meanings, to be airtight is to hold air. So to be irontight should be to hold iron, wouldn't you say?

Something that is airtight does not allow air to escape or enter. An irontight something does not allow iron to escape or enter.

I think if the Titanic had been more irontight rather than airtight it might not have sunk.

Bob/bfdc
 

reph

Re: Irontight and Pondward

The Titanic's flaw was that it wasn't sufficiently icetight.
 

wwwatcher

Re: Irontight and Pondward

The people on the Titanic were looking for any way to get more "tight" in the last two hours, as well. This is the only tight I'm sure of.

Faye8o
 

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I adjure you by all that's decent, please refrain from the archival archaelogy. It's hard enough for me to keep up with all the new posts.

If yer extra nice, I've got a box of year old Thin Mints in the freezer I'd love to get rid of to the right person.

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April Chaos Day is over in the farthest reaches of the continental US as of 45 minutes ago.

We're indulging in Cleaning Up The Nursery, now.

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