Topic: Vocabulary: Describe this wine-glass in not less than 100 words!

[KevinH]

... the fact it has been used shows that it was useful and descriptive, and so filled the gap

I take the point, Lynne, but with my pedantic hat on, I have to say that just because a particular terminolgy is used, does not mean it was necessarily useful and descriptive.

The collective noun "Flange" for Baboons, as mentioned above, is a case of something that has become accepted without regard to whether it was even true, let alone useful! It was just assumed to be ok because somebody else had said it! Baboons already had at least two "meaningful" collective nouns (*) in the words "Troop" and "Congress".
(*) three if we include "Tribe" as well - depends where we look for our research info.

[Andy]

These disagreements and misunderstandings are typical when you get a 'globule' of glass collectors
together

[Anne]

I thought we were a gather of glass collectors, Andy? 

[nigel benson]

Jay,

I have been following a few threads in the Events section of the Board and, on scrolling down I found your entry in which you give a link to your site. My apologies for not visiting it before!

I now realise that the idea of Bickerton et al might well not entirely suit your purposes, although I am sure that you would glean useful terminology from them. I think some of that terminology could be adapted and extended to your needs.

Failing that you might find useful terminology, or descriptions, used by the manufacturers themselves in Trade magazines from pre and post war that could put you on the right track. Sadly, if it's like the UK, you will have to locate a museum with a good collection of these and plough through them since they don't come to the market often and when they do they're not cheap.

I do not believe what you require has been done for 20th century drinking glasses, so I suggest basing anything that you may consider introducing on existing terminology as it will give it continuity and help its validity through an associated 'familiarity'.

I have a suspicion that what you thought was a simple idea is about to turn into something quite complicated and potentially valuable to the glass world. I certainly recognise the symptoms from projects I have embarked upon myself  :huh:

Nigel
   

[Jay]

Well there were three museums in NL with an interest in glass and they are all closed (one will re-open at the end of next year (perhaps).
I've spent years already tying to get any reader access to the collections, but just get ignored.

I've been told that much of the material was destroyed by fire.
To the best of my knowledge I have all the published works, anyway (except for the deceased and missing catalogues).
The material which has been published is all in Dutch, so of limited use for English. (Catalogues were usually just line drawings and cat. no's).
The Dutch vocabularly could be translated in some cases but would contradict the English terms all too easily, especially if I don't have a decent list of 'previously defined terms' to work from (avoid) at the beginning. (Dutch authors hadn't read Bickerton!)

Finally I'm just a bit niggled that the request for information has resulted in everyone talking about books which are not available online (actually, in practical terms for me, impossible to consider obtaining), but whose copyright is apparently still asserted if you want to decribe a 100 year-old object.

Personally, I very much doubt whether this part of information (in Bickerton) is liable to copyright (although the pictures might be), Likwise, quotation in review, with clear attribution to the source would seem to be enough? (Otherwise we're back in the realms of banning the word 'orange' because it's been copyrighted by a telephone company!; and I'm sure everybody is familiar with the 'Macjob' decision, saying a term that passes into common useage can no longer be protected by copyright!)
Does Bickerton assert copyright-ownership of 'barley-twist stem' I wonder?, does that means we can't use it anymore??
Or that we can only use it if we own his book?

My question was therefore 'what terms do people here recognise as being in GENERAL (and specific) use, and can we agree on a definition between the assembled members?'

Excessive dissemination through the GMB would potentially impact copyright. Unless the terms are quoted in response to particular questions and give the source.

I'm not sure why Frank suggests that the lack of 'specificity' in my question is a good reason not to answer it?!

I'm well aware that we all stand on the shoulders of giants!, but sometimes I feel it's like listening to the voice of God... and then, just at the end, he whispers "But of course you mustn't repeat this to anyone!' LOL!
(Thanks to all giants here present!)

P.S. Surely the collective noun is an 'epergne' of glassaholics!