Wednesday, May 10, 2017

SearchResearch Challenge (5/10/17): Things I had to look up this week


After that last Challenge, it's time for some fun.  



As I read and write and wander about, I often come across things that I have to look up.  This week's Challenge questions aren't especially hard, but as always, be sure to verify that you found the correct answer.  (You'll almost always want to do at least two searches to make sure.)  

Here are my personal SearchResearch Challenges from the past week.  

1.  What's placket?  (This might be obvious to you, but it's a word I've only ever heard before, so I had to look it up.  In the book I was reading, it seems to refer to both shirts AND petticoats, which doesn't seem to make any sense.  Can you tell me what it is and what the shirt / petticoat connection is?) 
2.  Speaking of clothing, what's that little loop on the back of a man's shirts called? And WHY is it there?  
3.  At the local pond, red-winged blackbirds  (Agelaius phoeniceus) are out in force. But this year, their songs seem slightly different.  Can you find out if their songs change from year-to-year? 

Let us know what you find out!  Be sure to show your work.  HOW did you figure out the answers?  

I'll be back on Monday with what I found.  

Search on! 


4 comments:

  1. Hello Dr. Russell and everyone

    1. What's placket? (This might be obvious to you, but it's a word I've only ever heard before, so I had to look it up. In the book I was reading, it seems to refer to both shirts AND petticoats, which doesn't seem to make any sense. Can you tell me what it is and what the shirt / petticoat connection is?)

    I don’t have a clue what is a placket or a petticoat (at least not in English) so, [define placket] and [define petticoat] and translate the words: Placket (solapa) Petticoat (enagua, fondo)

    What is a placket”...For people who are curious about word origins, “placket” comes from the Old French plaquer, which means “to lay on,”...A placket is always installed at the time of sewing, as it is an integral part of a garment….”

    [petticoat around(3) placket]

    Finishing Your Victorian Skirts with a Hidden Placket Opening

    In Wikipedia article about placket, mentions historical uses.

    [textile industry placket definition]

    These are finished openings which are normally kept closed (to have a tight fit) and are opened only while wearing or taking off the garment

    [placket in clothing]

    Plackets are almost always used to allow clothing to be put on or removed easily

    [men placket female placket]

    The Curious Case of Men and Women's Buttons
    More on the button topic

    To find the second part of the Q1, [ petticoat history fashion]
    Petticoat History

    The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History: 1501-1800 “Shirt had its hey day when petticoat breeches come into fashion”

    Also good information about petticoat searching in the left searching option of the book on Google

    [ Shirts history intext:petticoat] not what we looking for

    Answer: Placket is:

    2. Speaking of clothing, what's that little loop on the back of a man's shirts called? And WHY is it there?

    [male shirt loop behind]

    The Reason For The Loop On The Back Of Your Shirt Is...”...According to fashion history, the loops were originally used by East Coast sailors....In 1960 called locker loops…”

    The shirt loop played a significant role in dating

    Answer: Looker Loop and was used to hang clothes to dry or to hang them

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    Replies
    1. Searched Shirt in Fashion History to check for the connection

      Shirts appeared first in European dress in the seventeenth century as a kind of underwear...At first, shirts were put on by being pulled over the head until 1871 In text also mentioned placket : “In the early twenty-first century, a similar style of shirt to those originally produced by Brown, Davis & Co. is available in either plain or placket front. The placket is used to give the shirt extra strength and consists of an extra fold of fabric where the shirt is buttoned... “

      Shirts Wikipedia shows lots of information


      3. At the local pond, red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are out in force. But this year, their songs seem slightly different. Can you find out if their songs change from year-to-year?

      [red-winged blackbirds song changes year]

      All about birds: Red-winged Blackbird Song and calls.

      The red-wing's scientific name is Agelaius phoeniceus. Agelaius comes from the Greek word "agelaios" which means "flocking." Phoeniceus comes from the Greek word "phoinikeos" for "red," because ancient Phoenicians brought to Greece red dye that they made from shellfish. Redwings change their diets with the season: Over the course of a year, their diet is about 73% plant and 27% animal.

      [Birds song calls]

      What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls?

      [red-winged blackbirds song|call changes]

      THE “MEANINGLESS” CALLS OF RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS: “...The form of the call might depend on location...Each Redwing in their study area gave seven different calls,...”

      [red-winged blackbirds song|call changes over years]
      Eastern Bluebirds Alter their Song in Response to Anthropogenic Changes in the Acoustic Environment Ctrl- F “red-wing” ...This is a pattern previously reported for red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)

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  2. Songbirds (which include the red-winged blackbird) generally learn their songs from parents. https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/birdsong/ So songs can vary, in a number of ways: early in the season, you can hear young birds learning their songs, and imitating their parents badly; it's common for their to be regional variation (as with human accents); and songs vary slightly between generations. Generational variation is a very slow process (birds have surprisingly long lives for small wild animals), so I'd guess it's more likely that you're hearing young birds in the process of learning.

    ReplyDelete