From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2007-01-25T04:59:43+09:00
Subject: Re: New Singleton Class Word-of-the-Month ;-)

Paulus Esterhazy wrote:
> Phrogz schrieb:
>  > Trans wrote:
>  >> This months word:
>  >>
>  >>   quin�tes�sence
>  >
>  > a) LOL @ your topic :)
>  > b) Too long
>  >
>  >>   3 : the most typical example or representative <the quintessence of
>  >> calm>
>  >
>  > c) The most typical example or representative of an instance is its
>  > class, IMO; the eigenclass (I'm trying to get used to the word since
>  > Matz is leaning that way) is a special case.
>  >
>  >
>  >
> 
> If it's only too long, try:
> 
> quiddity
> haecceity
> 
> http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=haecceity

Not bad. It probably doesn't run the risk of conflicting with any prior 
use of those words in a ruby context!

If we're golfing... how about "qua"?

Meaning, "in the capacity of". (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Qua)

It's a bit of a stretch, I admit. We'd use it like this:

"I added a #size method to the qua-class of my object, so you can use it 
in your library that needs #size."

This is a way of saying that my object acts in the capacity of a sized 
object.

And then we have a fun bogus etymology for "qua-ck". We can use quack as 
the verb form of qua:

"The object quacks #size, because #size is defined in its qua-class"

0.02% serious.

-- 
       vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407