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Old 03-September-2006, 06:52 PM
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Tobin Dax Tobin Dax is offline
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Middle of Nowhere, Kentucky
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tempus View Post
I buy that one.

Just as "bald" eagle means not "featherless", just "white headed".

Another common misnomer relating to the moon is "crescent". Widely used in English for "quarter", or close to quarter. But in fact, crescent comes from the French "croissant", which means "growing", aka "waxing".

So a "waning crescent" is a paradox.
1) A "crescent," in English, is a shape like that of a croissant roll.
2) Crescent phases of the moon are between new and quarter phases, as the lit part of the moon is similar to that shape.
There is no misnomer.
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