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Definition: Things |
ThingsNoun1. Any movable possession (especially articles of clothing); "she packed her things and left". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "things" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
For thing as an English word for a generic object, see Philosophy, Entity, Widget.
A Thing is the governing assembly in Viking societies made up of the free men of the community.
In the pre-Christian clan-culture of Scandinavia the members of a clan were obliged to avenge injuries against their dead and mutilated relatives. A balancing structure was necessary to reduce tribal feuds and avoid social anarchy. We know from the North-Germanic cultures the balancing institution as the Thing ("ting" or "þing"), although similar assemblies are reported also from other Germanic peoples.
The Thing was the assembly of the free men of a hundred (härad/herred) or a similar district. Hierarchies of things could exists, so that the local things were represented at the thing for a larger area, for a province or land.
At the thing disputes were solved and political decisions were made. The place for the Thing was often also the place for public religious rites and for commerce.
The Thing met at regular intervals, legislated, elected chieftains, and judged according to the law, memorized and recited by the "law speaker" (the judge). The Thing's negotiations were presided over by the law speaker or the chieftain. In reality the thing was of course dominated by the most influential members of the community, the heads of clans and wealthy families, but in theory one-man one-vote was the rule.
Gotland, as an example, had in late medieval time twenty things, each represented at the island-Thing (landsting) by its elected judge. (The judge also conducted the local Thing.) New laws were decided at the landsting, which also took other decisions regarding the island as a whole. The landsting's authority was successively eroded after the island being occupied by the Teutonic Order in 1398, then sold to Eric of Pomerania and after 1449 ruled by Danish governors.
In late Swedish medieval time the Thing-court consisted of twelve representatives for the farmers (free-holders or tenants). Still in the 20th century ting is the name of the lowest courts of justice: "Häradsting" and "Tingsrätt".
"Landsting", which is the Swedish name for the current County Councils of Sweden, was also used as the name of the highest thing in the regions that later became the historical Provinces of Sweden.
References
- Nordic FAQ of soc.culture.nordic (with permission)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Thing."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Anti-dog-eat-dog RuleThe Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule is passed by the National Alliance of Railroads in section 145, allegedly to prevent "destructive competition" between railroads. The rule gives the Alliance the authority to forbid competition between railroads in certain parts of the country. It was crafted by Orren Boyle as a favor for James Taggart, with the purpose of driving the Phoenix-Durango out of Colorado.
Bracelet
The very first thing made from Rearden Metal is a bracelet. The bracelet is used to illustrate Rand's Theory of Sex.
The bracelet symbolizes the value created by Hank Rearden's long struggle to invent Rearden Metal. When he gives it to Lillian Rearden as a present in section 121 she says "It's fully as valuable as a piece of railroad rails." However, Lillian fully grasps the significance of the gift - her snide remark is her way of denigrating her husband's ethos.
In section 161, Lillian wears this bracelet at a party thrown on her anniversary. She makes fun of it all night long, and when Dagny Taggart hears Lillian say she would gladly trade it for a common diamond bracelet, Dagny takes her up on it.
The bracelet appears in sections 121 and 161.
Cub Club
A night club in New York. When Francisco d'Anconia returns to New York in section 141, he explains he came because of a hat-check girl at the Cub Club and the liverwurst at Moe's Delicatessan on Third Avenue.
Equalization of Opportunity Bill
A bill designed by the Looters that proposes to limit the number of businesses any one person can own to one. It is aimed primarily at Hank Rearden who owns Rearden Ore, which he uses to guarantee Rearden Steel with a supply of copper. By passing this Bill, the Looters can seize Rearden's other businesses for themselves, and then deny him the copper he needs to run his steel mills.
They claim the Bill is meant to give a chance to the little guy.
The Equalization of Opportunity Bill is appears in section 161.
Galt's Gulch
A secluded refuge in a valley of Colorado where the men of ability have retreated after relinquishing participation in American society. Nicknamed "Galt's Gulch" by its inhabitants, it is in fact the property of "Midas" Mulligan, one of the early strikers to follow John Galt's call. This call was to the great men of mind and action to abandon the increasingly slave-state inclinations of a decaying United States - to go on strike - thereby withdrawing the only thing supporting the parasites and looters.
Sarcastically nicknamed Midas in the press because everything he seemed to touch turned to gold, Mulligan adopted the nickname during his explosive investment career before dropping out of sight. He had purchased this land among his far-ranging speculative endeavors, and subsequently retreated to it upon his disappearance. Other strikers soon followed him there, including John Galt, renting or buying land for summer retreats as a respite from continuing their search for fellow strikers among the increasingly collapsing American society. Eventually, a society develops in Galt's Gulch as more people live there year-round as the outside world becomes virtually unsafe to visit.
We are introduced to this place in the first chapter of the final section the Novel, the chapter titled Atlantis. The people live with each other in completely free society and embody everything which is the thesis of the Novel - the appropriate values for a society of Mankind - philosophical, moral, economic, legal, aesthetic, sexual, among others too numerous to mention.
We find industrious, ambitious, happy people continuing their chosen fields of endeavor without the yokes of any taxation or regulation. Conversely, there is a reverence for private property - everything transacted is paid for with the re-invented currency of solid gold coin struck from the reserves of Midas Mulligan's bank which now resides in the valley. The townspeople receive services from the various heroes we have met throughout the Novel, who all now reside and produce in the valley - they purchase power inexpensively from Galt and his invention of the static electricity motor, maintain their anonymity from the outside world via Galt's invention of the air-wave reflection device (giving the view from above the camouflage of reflected images of other mountainsides nearby), and some attend Galt's lectures on Physics, where he explains his discoveries on new fundamental laws and applied mathematics. The people purchase medical treatment from the care of Dr. Hendricks, who uses his invention of a portable x-ray machine to initially diagnose Dagny Taggart upon her crash landing into the valley, attend concerts of new musical compositions of Richard Halley who has continued to compose in the Valley, acquire raw materials from the efforts of Francisco D'Anconia's excavations around the valley, attend philosophy lectures from the now-retired pirate Ragnar Danneskold, receive loans from Midas Mulligan, etc.
Rand's description of Galt's Gulch was inspired by a visit she and her husband Frank O'Connor took to Ouray, Colorado while researching Colorado for the novel.
Halley's Fifth Concerto
Richard Halley disappeared after he had written only four concertos. In section 112 Dagny Taggart, an enthusiastic fan of Halley's music, hears an unfamiliar theme being whistled by a brakeman on the Taggart Comet. She asks him what it is and he says Halley's Fifth Concerto. When Dagny says Halley only wrote four concertos, the brakeman says he made a mistake and denies knowing what the song was.
Later, Dagny calls Mr. Ayers to find out if Halley wrote a fifth concerto. He says he did not.
Halley's Fifth Concerto is mentioned in sections 112, 114 and 152.
Halley's Fourth Concerto
The last thing Richard Halley wrote before he disappeared. It is a song of rebellion and defiance that seemed to say agony and suffering were not necessary. Dagny Taggart listened to this song in section 141.
It is mentioned in section 152.
Heaven's In Your Backyard
A film. Mort Liddy wrote the score, using a bastardized version of Halley's Fourth Concerto. It is mentioned in section 161.
John Galt Legends
Since everyone across the country is asking, "Who is John Galt?", it is not surprising that some people have come up with answers. A number of John Galt Legends are told, each of which, ironically, turns out to be true, at least symbolically.
Legend 1 (section 161): A spinster at Lillian Rearden's party tells Dagny the story. John Galt was a man of inestimable wealth who found the sunken island of Atlantis while fighting the worst storm ever wreaked upon the world. The site was so beautiful that, having seen it, he could never go back to the world, so he sank his ship and took his fortune down with him.
The actual John Galt was a man who created something of inestimable value, a new motor, and who discovered the secret to what was wrong with the world while fighting the most evil social philosophy ever put into practice. The world he envisioned was so beautiful that he refused to live in the world that was, and disappeared, taking the secret of motor with him.
Atlantis, the Isles of the Blessed, is a place where no one could enter except those who had the spirit of a hero. Described in these terms, it is the same as Galt's Gulch.
Moe's Delicatessan
A delicatessan in New York. When Francisco d'Anconia returns to New York in section 141, he explains he came because of a hat-check girl at the Cub Club and the liverwurst at Moe's Delicatessan on Third Avenue.
National Alliance of Railroads
An industry group formed to promote the welfare of the industry as a whole, requiring members to sacrifice their individual interests for the common good. Orren Boyle has friends on the National Alliance of Railroads, and he gets them to support the Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule that uses a string of pretenses to drive the Phoenix-Durango out of Colorado.
The National Alliance of Railroads is mentioned in sections 131, 145 and 146.
National Council of Metal Industries
An industry group that uses political pull to get its way. James Taggart has friends on the National Council of Metal Industries, and he gets them to support legislation that will hurt Rearden Steel and help Associated Steel.
The National Council of Metal Industries is mentioned in section 131.
Patrick Henry University
The most prestigious university in the world. It was attended by John Galt, Francisco d'Anconia, and Ragnar Danneskjold, where they met and became friends. Hugh Akston and Robert Stadler taught there. It is located in Cleveland.
Rio Norte Line
A branch of Taggart Transcontinental that runs from Cheyenne, Wyoming to El Paso, Texas.
It is mentioned in sections 111, 114, 131 (alluded to), 132, 133, 141, 146, 147 and 148.
Rockdale Station
A station on the Taggart Transcontinental line, located five miles from the Taggart estate overlooking the Hudson River. It was the site of Dagny Taggart's first job with the railroad, night operator, at age 16.
It appears in section 152.
San Sebastian
A community built to house the workers of the San Sebastian Mines and their families. As it turns out, the houses, roads, and everything of practical value is built so poorly that the community can be expected to fall apart within a year or two. Only the church was built to last.
It is mentioned in section 152.
San Sebastian Line
A branch of Taggart Transcontinental that serves the San Sebastian Mines in Mexico.
The mines were developed by Francisco d'Anconia and attracted significant investments from James Taggart and Orren Boyle, who assumed Francisco could be counted on to deliver a winner.
The San Sebastian Line is nationalized by the Mexican government soon after completion.
When it is nationalized in section 142, it is referred to as the San Sebastian Railroad.
It is mentioned in sections 114, 131, 132, 133, 142, 143 and 152.
San Sebastian Mines
San Sebastian Mines is a copper mining project in Mexico founded by Francisco d'Anconia and named after his ancestor Sebastian d'Anconia. Francisco's reputation as a businessman is so great that investors flock to him, begging to invest money in the enterprise. Investors include James Taggart and Orren Boyle. James Taggart goes so far as to build a new branch of Taggart Transcontinental, the San Sebastian Line, to serve the mines, sinking $30 million into the project. When the development of the mines appears complete, the Mexican government nationalizes them as well as the San Sebastian Line, only to discover there is no copper and there never was.
When James Taggart tells Francisco he considers the Mines a rotten swindle (section 161), Francisco explains that Taggart should be pleased with the way he ran the mines. He says he put into practice those moral precepts that were accepted around the world. The world says it is evil to pursue a profit - he got no profit from the worthless mines. The world says the purpose of an enterprise is not to produce, but to give a livelihood to its employees - it produced nothing, but created jobs that would never have existed if one was only concerned with developing a real mine. The world says the owner is an exploiter and the workers do all the real work - he left the enterprise entirely in the hands of the workers and did not burden anyone with his presence. The world says need is a more important than ability - he hired a mining specialist who needed a job very badly, but had no ability.
In short, the San Sebastian Mines were an illustration of what happens when this moral code is put into practice, and a warning of what will soon happen to the world as a whole.
The San Sebastian Mines appear in sections 111, 131, 132, 142, 151, 152 and 161.
Taggart Building
A skyscraper in New York, the headquarters of Taggart Transcontinental, and the location of the Taggart Terminal.
Taggart Comet
The Taggart Comet is Taggart Transcontinental's flagship train. It runs from New York to San Francisco and has never been late.
The Taggart Comet appears in sections 112, 113 and 152.
The Future
Information refactored into Characters in Atlas Shrugged: Bertram Scudder.
The Heart Is A Milkman
The Heart is a Milkman is a novel being written by Balph Eubank. It is about the central fact of human existence, frustration. Eubank says he will dedicate it to Lillian Rearden.
It is mentioned in section 161.
The Octopus
Information refactored into Characters in Atlas Shrugged: Bertram Scudder.
The Vulture Is Molting
A best selling novel that captures the spirit of the times, The Vulture Is Molting is "a penetrating study of a businessman's greed. A fearless revelation of man's depravity." The book is mentioned in section 141 as one of the artifacts of popular culture that depress Dagny Taggart with its baseness.
Wayne-Falkland Hotel
A luxurious hotel in New York, it is considered the best hotel left in the world. It is where Francisco d'Anconia stays when he is in town. It was also the scene of Dagny Taggart's debut ball when she was seventeen.
The Wayne-Falkland Hotel is mentioned in sections 141, 151 and 152.
Wyatt Oil Fields
The Wyatt Oil Fields are in Colorado. They are a bunch of old, abandoned oil wells that were revived by a new technique invented by Ellis Wyatt. This has almost single-handedly revitalized the economy of Colorado.
The Wyatt Oil Fields appear in sections 111 and 161.
- See also : Atlas Shrugged
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Things in Atlas Shrugged."
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Clothing | Noun: clothing, investment; covering; dress, raiment, drapery, costume, attire, guise, toilet, toilette, trim; habiliment; vesture, vestment; garment, garb, palliament, apparel, wardrobe, wearing apparel, clothes, things; underclothes. |
Eventuality | The world, life, things, doings, affairs in general; things in general, affairs in general; the times, state of affairs, order of the day; course of things, tide of things, stream of things, current of things, run of things, march of things, course of events; ups and downs of life, vicissitudes of life; chapter of accidents; (chance); situation; (circumstances). |
Property | Personal property, personal estate, personal effects; personalty, chattels, goods, effects, movables; stock, stock in trade; things, traps, rattletraps, paraphernalia; equipage. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Things |
| Specialty definitions using "things": Best Things ♦ Saccharine Principle in Things, Stolen Things are Sweet ♦ Things Hackers Detest and Avoid. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "things": watershed. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Things" is also a word in the following language with the English translation in parentheses. Spanish (steaks). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | But maybe things would be better for you if I disappeared for a while (The American President; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin.) Got to love the Lord for making things like that (A Time to Kill; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman) And that's the day I knew there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever (American Beauty; writing credit: Alan Ball) Who knows? That's the way these things go. (The Matrix; writing credit: Andy Wachowski; Larry Wachowski) I had thought of all the things I had done, and couldn't undo (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles; writing credit: Anne Rice) | |
Lyrics | All the, small things (All the Small Things; performing artist: Blink 182) Won't keep us from the things we plan (THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER; performing artist: Howard Jones) The finer things I feel in me (The Finer Things; performing artist: Steve Winwood) Do a thousand things (Clockwork Creep; performing artist: 10CC) Tha same drama when things went wrong we blamed mama (Dear Mama; performing artist: 2Pac) | |
Clever | Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example. (references; author: Mark Twain) Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn (references; author: unknown) To do two things at once is to do neither. (references; author: unknown) A smile is a curve that sets things straight. (references; author: unknown) We see things not as they are, but as we are. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | The Shape of Things (2003) Things in Their Season (1974) The Shape of Things (1973) Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) How Things Have Changed (1971) | |
Song Titles | Things Can Only Get Better (performing artist: Howard Jones) All The Things I Should Have Known (performing artist: K-Ci & JoJo) The Best Things In Life Are Free (performing artist: Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson) Good Things (performing artist: Paul Revere and The Raiders) The Finer Things (performing artist: Steve Winwood) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References | |||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies |
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Music |
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High Tech |
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | "Just one of those things" Steel truck on collapsed bridge 26 miles from any habitation. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | "Another one of those things" Freshet - 10' wall of water washes truck down creek bed. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Currents carry many dead things to Punuk Island making it the graveyard of the Bering Sea. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | Sometimes fisheries folks do the darndest things!. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | Sweet Corn. Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, honey, maple syrup, baked goods and other wonderful things are found at the USDA Farmers Market held on a parking lot at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC. Market day is every Friday during the growing and harvest season. Credit: USDA. |  | Green beans, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, honey, maple syrup, baked and canned goods and other wonderful things are found at the USDA Farmer's Market held on a USDA parking lot every Friday during the growing season. Credit: USDA. |
 | Yellow squash. Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, honey, maple syrup, baked goods and other wonderful things are found at the USDA Farmers Market held on a parking lot at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC. Market day is every Thursday during the growing and harvest season. Credit: USDA. |  | Petit Pan Squash. Fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, honey, maple syrup, baked and canned goods and other wonderful things are found at the USDA Farmer's Market held on a USDA parking lot every Friday during the growing season. Credit: USDA. |
 | For people who can't see well, here are some things to look into. |  | When regular eyeglasses don't help, other things might. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Things 1" by Isaac Esteban Commentary: "Usual objects in my life." | "Golden pretty small things 4" by Gilbert Tremblay Commentary: "It's very difficult to speak with my mouth full of gold - Ramasutra." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Benjamin Franklin | The things which hurt, instruct. |
Desiderius Erasmus | All things obey money. |
Henry David Thoreau | Things do not change, we do. |
Horace | There is measure in all things. |
Ovid | Time the devourer of all things. |
Terence | Moderation in all things. |
W. S. Gilbert | Things are seldom what they seem. |
William Shakespeare | Remembrance of things past. |
| Small things make base men proud. | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Magna Carta | 1215 | And we shall procure nothing from anyone, directly or indirectly, whereby any part of these concessions and liberties might be revoked or diminished; and if any such things has been procured, let it be void and null, and we shall never use it personally or by another. (reference) |
John Locke | 1690 | To which in the state of nature there are many things wanting. (Second Treatise of Government) |
US Declaration of Independence | 1776 | We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. (reference) |
US Bill of Rights | 1795 | Amendment IV. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. (reference) |
Marbury v. Madison | 1803 | If such be the real state of things, this is worse than solemn mockery. (reference) |
Communist Manifesto | 1848 | To preserve this class is to preserve the existing state of things in Germany. (reference) |
The Emancipation Proclamation | 1862 | Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: "That on the 1st day of January, A.D. 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom." (Abraham Lincoln) |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | The German Government must in all cases furnish at its own cost all labour and material required to effect the deliveries and the works of destruction, dismantling, demolition, and of rendering things useless, provided for in the present Treaty. (reference) |
Winston S. Churchill | 1946 | Indeed, it was at Westminster that I received a very large part of my education in politics, dialectic, rhetoric, and one or two other things. ("Iron Curtain" Speech) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | But though I was always doing wrong things, they were very bad wrong things, and such as did me no service |
Sylvie and Bruno | Carroll, Lewis | But the unsolved problem did not worry me so much as at another time it might have done, there were so many other things to attend to. |
A Christmas Carol | Dickens, Charles | Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard |
Scarlet Letter | Hawthorne, Nathaniel | The heart, making itself guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | We are unlearning certain things, and we do well, provided that while unlearning one thing we are learning another |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | Dante knew a lot of things. |
King Richard III | Shakespeare, William | Is all things ready for the royal time |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | If you who own the things people must have could understand this, you might preserve yourself |
Gulliver's Travels | Swift, Jonathan | Some of the latter had already been to see me, and reported strange things of my beauty, behavior, and good sense |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | They are but one appetite, and we only need to see a person do any one of these things to know how great a sensualist he is. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Chooses things by size (big, little). (references) | |
The liver does many things to keep you alive. (references) | ||
Look at the things listed in dark print below. (references) | ||
Business | This has resulted, among other things, in declining retail prices. (references) | |
There is an increasing trend to make things just in time, which will spur more investments to bring in the necessary new technology. (references) | ||
As an April 28, 2000 AsiaWeek article entitled “8 Things You Didn’t Know About the Chinese Consumer” pointed out, “the internet’s for the future. (references) | ||
Children | Laos | Education is free and compulsory through the fifth grade; however, fees for books, uniforms, and equipment, among other things, preclude children from rural areas and poor urban families from complying with this requirement. (references) |
Iceland | The Office of the Children's Ombudsman in the Prime Minister's Office has a mandate to protect children's rights, interests, and welfare by, among other things, exerting influence on legislation, government decisions, and public attitudes and has done so. The government-funded Agency for Child Protection coordinates the work of 56 committees around the country that are responsible for managing child protection issues (for example, adoption and foster care) in their local areas. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Afghanistan | PVSV officials stated that taking pictures of living things was forbidden. (references) |
Economic History | Ukraine | However, U.S. firms should keep two things in mind. (references) |
Ghana | However, there is an increasing demand for U.S.-made goods and a liking for things "American" in general. (references) | |
Ireland | This legislation will, among other things, makes it a criminal offense to offer bribes to foreign officials. (references) | |
Human Rights | Malaysia | He said that, among other things, he had been knocked from a chair while handcuffed. (references) |
Portugal | Early in the year, prisoners went on a series of hunger strikes to protest, among other things, prolonged periods of preventive detention. (references) | |
Thailand | It requires, among other things, that the prosecutor, a forensic pathologist, and a local administrator participate in the investigation and that family members may have legal representation at the inquests. (references) | |
Minorities | East Timor | Ethnic Chinese businessmen have been subjected to extortion and harassment, at times from elements reportedly associated with the CNRT, which accuses the Chinese businessmen (who make up less than 1 percent of the population) of, among other things, financially backing rival groups. (references) |
Political Economy | JAMAICA | Among other things the Act establishes an Anti-Dumping and Subsidies Commission. (references) |
ALGERIA | The 1973 law is being amended to include protection for, among other things, videos and radio programs. (references) | |
Political Rights | Trinidad and Tobago | When the President appointed PNM leader Patrick Manning, the UNC declared the decision unconstitutional, and refused to participate in an earlier agreement on the appointment of a Parliamentary Speaker, among other things. (references) |
Travel | Austria | Make things easy for your customer. (references) |
Austria | Showing understanding for the Austrian way of doing things will prove rewarding. (references) | |
Women | Taiwan | The committee, among other things, ensures that the various prevention and control centers are functioning effectively, and that other government agencies, such as the police, are handling domestic violence cases appropriately. (references) |
Pakistan | Police are reluctant to take the complaint and sometimes are abusive toward the victim; the courts do not have consistent standards of proof as to what constitutes rape and what corroboration is required; and judges, police, and prosecutors are biased against female rape victims, tending towards a presumption of female consent and the belief that women lie about such things. (references) | |
Worker Rights | India | Work by children under 14 years of age is barred completely in "hazardous industries," which includes among other things, passenger, goods, and mail transport by railway. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | ORTHOGRAPHY, n. The science of spelling by the eye instead of the ear. Advocated with more heat than light by the outmates of every asylum for the insane. They have had to concede a few things since the time of Chaucer, but are none the less hot in defence of those to be conceded hereafter. A spelling reformer indicted For fudge was before the court cicted. The judge said: "Enough -- His candle we'll snough, And his sepulchre shall not be whicted." |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Art Linkletter | Or terrible stories of things that are happening to them, and they're just wallowing in this. And there's more than one that does that. |
Dennis Miller | But as an adult, I like to think of myself as confident, because I am comfortable letting things go, delegating my power to those I trust, and generally relinquishing the need to control everything in my life. |
Dick Van Dyke | We do benefits, children's hospitals, things like that. We do a lot of benefits, fundraising thing. And we do all kids' songs. |
Gennifer Flowers | Networks, newspapers that have said very ugly things, and made huge assumptions and reported things that weren't true. And I appreciate that. |
Jodie Foster | Yeah, they would. They would also blame things on you. Like if the other actor was late or they were mad at them, they would just yell at the kids. |
John Hartmann | Jim, let me tell you something. There's going to be a whole bunch of things we don't tell Mrs. Clinton. |
Rush Limbaugh | Congress talks and runs for cover when things get hot. |
Sarah Ferguson | If they're regular human beings, they're going to talk about regular human being things. And I would say the news is a regular thing to discuss. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Washington | 1789-1797 | If the state of things had afforded reason for the continuance of my presence with the army, it would not have been withholden. |
Thomas Jefferson | 1801-1809 | Our duty is, therefore, to act upon things as they are and to make a reasonable provision for whatever they may be. |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | The causes which prevent it are seated in the nature of things, and can not be entirely counteracted by human means. |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | To accomplish this, it is not intended that the Federal Government should do things that can be done as well for the Nation by private enterprise, or by State and local governments. |
Dwight Eisenhower | 1953-1961 | For as such things come to pass, the more certain will be the coming of that day when our peoples may freely meet in friendship. |
Gerald Ford | 1974-1977 | Last January, most things were rapidly getting worse. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | You all knew that some things are worth dying for. |
George Bush | 1989-1993 | It's doing the things that give democracy meaning. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | One, I want you to help us to do three things. |
George W. Bush | 2001-2005 | Sometimes in life we are called to do great things. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Things" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 99.95% of the time. "Things" is used about 42,386 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (plural) | 99.95% | 42,364 | 194 |
| Lexical Verb (-s form) | 0.04% | 17 | 85,106 |
| Total | 100.00% | 42,386 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "things". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Adummim | N/A | Biblical | Bloody things |
| Phylacteries | N/A | Biblical | Things to be especially observed |
| Zaphnath-paaneah | N/A | Biblical | One who discovers hidden things |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
| Country | Name |
| USA | Linens 'n Things |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
Expressions using "things": ability to visualize things ♦ above all things ♦ ad all things considered ♦ all sorts of things ♦ all things ♦ all things considered ♦ amassment of things ♦ among other things ♦ and other things ♦ and things like that ♦ arrange things ♦ arrange things with ♦ as things are ♦ as things go ♦ as things run ♦ ball things up ♦ be on top of things ♦ carry things too far ♦ change the face of things ♦ craze things ♦ creeping things ♦ do things by halves ♦ do things in a hurry ♦ drop things on the floor ♦ dumb things ♦ eat sweet things ♦ eating sweet things ♦ end of all things ♦ first things first ♦ fungible things ♦ get things done ♦ get things into trim ♦ get things moving ♦ get things square ♦ get two things apart ♦ good things ♦ he does not forget things easily ♦ he has a jaundiced view of things ♦ he makes things hum ♦ he takes things too seriously ♦ hidden things ♦ however things are ♦ in the natural line of things ♦ keep things under control ♦ knit things for ♦ known things ♦ let things drift ♦ let things go hang ♦ let things slide ♦ let things take their course ♦ like it of all things ♦ little things ♦ living things ♦ look on the dark side of things ♦ make a mess of things ♦ make the best of things ♦ make things hot ♦ make things hot for ♦ make things hot for smb. ♦ make things hum ♦ make things pleasant ♦ make things warm for smb. ♦ make things with smb.'s hands ♦ mess things up ♦ new things ♦ not to do the things by halves ♦ of all things ♦ old things ♦ outward things ♦ overdo things ♦ piece things together ♦ play things down ♦ playing things down ♦ put a face on things ♦ put things ♦ put things straight ♦ say things openly ♦ see things ♦ see things through rose spectacles ♦ send things flying ♦ set things ♦ set things one on another ♦ smooth things over ♦ spin things out ♦ spoil things ♦ stir things up ♦ stop at the surface of things ♦ sweet things ♦ take smb.'s mind off things ♦ take things as they come ♦ take things easy ♦ take things in the right spirit ♦ talk things out ♦ tell two things apart ♦ the mind running on other things ♦ the ordinary run of things ♦ things are all anyhow ♦ things Hackers Detest and Avoid ♦ things have so turned out that ♦ things have taken a good turn ♦ things look blue. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "things": things-as-they-are, things-cups, things-for, things-in-themselves, things-just, things-the, things-to-do, things-were-just-getting-interesting. | |
Ending with "things": man-things, tea-things. | |
Containing "things": all-things-bright-and-beautiful, all-things-considered, all-things-in-one. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "things"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | goed (fine, good, nice, OK, okay, well). (various references) | |
Albanian | rroba (clothes, dress, duds, laundry, raiment, tog, toggery, togs, vesture, wardrobe), plaçkë (belongings, chattel, clobber, cloth, loot, plunder, quarry, spoil, stuff, swag, trap), gjëra (stuff). (various references) | |
Arabic | معدات (equipment, gear, kit, outfit, paraphernalia, supply, tools), مخلوق (creature, duck). (various references) | |
Basque | deklaragarririk (things to declare). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | съдове (vasa), сечива, вещи (effects, movables, possessions), багаж (baggage, belongings, goods, impedimenta, impediments, luggage, traps), принадлежности (accessories, adjuncts, appendages, appointments, belongings, clobber, equipage, etceteras, findings, fittings, fixings, habiliment, materials, paraphernalia, requisites, tackle, trimming), прибори (fixings, furniture), инструменти (tackle), дрехи (clothes, clothing, dress, duds, gear, get up, toggery, togs). (various references) | |
Catalan | coses. (various references) | |
Chinese | 事 (thing). (various references) | |
Czech | vìci (belongings). (various references) | |
Danish | ting (article, object, thing). (various references) | |
Dutch | dingen (stuff), spullen (stuff). (various references) | |
Esperanto | aferojn, aĵoj (stuff). (various references) | |
Estonian | asjad. (various references) | |
Finnish | kapineet. (various references) | |
Flemish | dingen. (various references) | |
French | choses, affaires, trucs. (various references) | |
Galician | cousas (thing). (various references) | |
German | Sachen (belongings, property, stuff), Dinge (doings). (various references) | |
Greek | πράγματα. (various references) | |
Haitian Creole | bagay. (various references) | |
Hebrew | יקום (cosmos, creation, living things, macrocosm, space, universe), להפוך את היוצרות (make a mess, turn things topsy-turvy), להזיז הענינים (make things hum), להכניס סדר (put things straight), לסדר (arrange, array, fix, ordain, order, organize, put in order, put things straight, settle, straighten, trim), נגלות (known things), נסתרות (hidden things, secrets). (various references) | |
Hungarian | ruhanemû. (various references) | |
Indonesian | rebahan (a place to lie down, things that are overturned), memunguti (collect many things, pick up), mempergesek-gesekkan (rub things together), memperdekatkan (bring things near to), memetiki (pick many things), memberatkan (burdensome, load with hallast, make things difficult for, strengthen). (various references) | |
Irish | rudaí. (various references) | |
Italian | cose. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 物事 (everything), 事物 (affairs), 事共 (matters). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ことども (matters), ものごと (everything), じぶつ (affairs). (various references) | |
Korean | 것 (thing). (various references) | |
Luganda | ebyogerwa (things aresaid, things that are said, what is said), byonna (all the things). (various references) | |
Luxembourgish | saachen. (various references) | |
Manx | siyn tey (tea things), lieh (behalf, half, makeshift, moiety, one of two things, part). (various references) | |
Norwegian | tingene (the things). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | ingsthay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | pertences (belongings, paraphernalia, pertinent), coisas (affair, stuff). (various references) | |
Romanian | lucruri (goods), lucru (act, activity, article, belongings, business, cert, deed, employment, happening, implement, job, labor, labour, matter, object, occurrence, operation, predecessor, service, situation, thing, traps, work, working), calabalâc (belongings, crowd, trap, traps). (various references) | |
Russian | пожитки (belongings). (various references) | |
Scottish | steill (a peg or pin for things hung), solar (a provision, providing, purveying useful things), fise faise (interjection - noise of things breaking), ealachainn (a peg to hang things on, a stand on), ealach , ealachainn (a peg to hang things on), crionna (attentive to small things), cothlamadh (things of a different nature mixed together). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | stvari (belongings, stuff). (various references) | |
Slovene | stvari. (various references) | |
Somali | waxyaabahan (these things). (various references) | |
Spanish | enseres (chattels, equipment, gear, goods and chattels, tackle), cosas (belongings, business, gear, stuff, tackle). (various references) | |
Swahili | vitu. (various references) | |
Swedish | ställningen, servis (gun crew, service, set), redskap (appliance, gear, implement, instrument, pawn, tackle, tool, utensil), bagage (bagage, baggage, luggage). (various references) | |
Thai | สิ่งที่เลี่ยงไม่ได้ (just one of those things). (various references) | |
Turkish | palto, şapka, işler (affairs, works), giysiler (wardrobe), eşyalar. (various references) | |
Turkmen | zatlar, goю (belongings, property). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | одяг (apparel, caparison, clobber, clothes, clothing, costume, dress, garb, garments, investment, outfit, rag, raiment, rig out, tailoring, togs, vestment, wear), майно (asset, aught, baggage, capital, estate, goods, holding, property, stuff, worth). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | ceteris paribus, ec, frequentia, frequentiae, rêbus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Matthew Chapter 17, Verse 11 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | O de ihsouV apokriqeiV eipen autoiV hliaV men ercetai prwton kai apokatasthsei panta |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | At ille respondens ait eis Helias quidem venturus est et restituet omnia |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | Þa andswerede he heom. Witodlicehelias ys toward & he ge-edniwað ealle þing. |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | He answeride, and seide to hem, Elie schal come, and he schal restore alle thingis. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | Iesus answered and sayd vnto them: Helyas shall fyrst come and restore all thinges. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | And Jesus answered and said to them, Elijah truly will first come, and restore all things: |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And in answer he said, Elijah truly has to come and put all things right: |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Matthew Chapter 17, Verse 11 |
| Cebuano | Ug kanila mitubag siya nga nag-ingon, "Tinuod nga si Elias kinahanglan magaanhi, ug igapasiuli niya ang tanang mga butang; |
| Chinese | 耶 穌 回 答 說 、 以 利 亞 固 然 先 來 、 並 要 復 興 萬 事 ． |
| Croatian | On im odgovori: "Ilija æe doduše doæi i sve obnoviti. |
| Danish | Og han svarede og sagde: "Vel kommer Elias og skal genoprette alting. |
| Dutch | Doch Jezus, antwoordende, zeide tot hen: Elias zal wel eerst komen, en alles weder oprichten. |
| Finnish | Jeesus vastasi ja sanoi: "Elias tosin tulee ja asettaa kaikki kohdalleen. |
| French | Il répondit: Il est vrai qu`Élie doit venir, et rétablir toutes choses. |
| German | Jesus antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Elia soll ja zuvor kommen und alles zurechtbringen. |
| Hungarian | Jézus pedig felelvén, monda nékik: Illés bizony eljõ elõbb, és mindent helyreállít; |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Yesus menjawab, "Memang Elia datang dan ia akan membereskan segala sesuatu. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka jawab Yesus, kata-Nya, "Memang Elias itu datang serta memperbaiki segala sesuatu. |
| Italian | Ed egli rispose: «Sì, verrà Elia e ristabilirà ogni cosa. |
| Manx Gaelic | Dansoor Yeesey as dooyrt eh roo, Hig Elias dy jarroo hoshiaght, as lhiassee eh dy chooilley nhee: |
| Maori | Na ka whakahoki a Ihu, ka mea ki a ratou, Ko Iraia ano e matua puta hei whakatika i nga mea katoa; |
| Norwegian | Han svarte og sa: Elias kommer visstnok og skal sette alt i rette skikk; |
| Portuguese | Respondeu ele: Na verdade Elias havia de vir e restaurar todas as coisas; |
| Rumanian | Drept rqspuns, Isus le -a zis: ,,Este adevqrat cq trebuie sq vinq kntki Ilie, wi sq aweze din nou toate lucrurile. |
| Shuar | Tuíniakui Jesus aikmiayi "Nekas Erías Tátiniaiti. Tura nii mash iwiarattawai. |
| Spanish | Y respondiendo dijo: --A la verdad, Elías viene y restaurará todas las cosas. |
| Swahili | Yesu akawajibu, "Kweli, Eliya atakuja kutayarisha mambo yote. |
| Swedish | Han svarade och sade: "Elias måste visserligen komma och upprätta allt igen; |
| Uma | Na'uli' Yesus: "Makono mpu'u-di, Elia kana rata mperi'ulu, apa' hi'a to mporodo hawe'ea-na. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words ending with "things": anythings, blacksmithings, breathings, clothings, farthings, gunsmithings, lathings, loathings, locksmithings, naethings, northings, nothings, overbreathings, playthings, sheathings, silversmithings, southings, teethings, tinsmithings, tithings, trithings, underclothings. (additional references) | |
| |
"Things" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: hings, thige, thines, thinge, thynge, thynges, tihange, toings. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "things" (pronounced thi"ngz) |
| 3 | -i" ng z | brings, clings, dings, flings, kings, rings, sings, slings, springs, stings, strings, swings, wings. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: nights. | |
| Words within the letters "g-h-i-n-s-t" | |
-1 letter: hints, nighs, night, sight, sting, thing, thins, tings. | |
-2 letters: ghis, gins, gist, gits, hins, hint, hisn, hist, hits, nigh, nits, shin, sigh, sign, sing, sinh, sith, snit, thin, this, ting, tins. | |
-3 letters: ghi, gin, git, hin, his, hit, ins, its, nit, nth, sin, sit, tin, tis. | |
-4 letters: hi, in, is, it, sh, si, ti. | |
| Words containing the letters "g-h-i-n-s-t" | |
+1 letter: hasting, histing, hosting, insight, knights, nighest, shuting, tushing, unsight. | |
+2 letters: etchings, gahnites, ghosting, gunsmith, heisting, hindguts, histogen, hoisting, huntings, hustings, hustling, infights, insights, itchings, lathings, lightens, nighties, nothings, scathing, scything, seething, sennight, shafting, sheeting, shifting, shirting, shooting, shorting, shotting, shouting, shunting, shutting, sighting, soothing, southing, stashing, sunlight, swathing, tightens, tithings, tonights, trashing, unsights, whisting, whitings. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Historic 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Spoken | 13. Quotations: Speeches 14. Usage Frequency 15. Names: Derived from 16. Names: Company Usage | 17. Expressions 18. Expressions: Internet 19. Translations: Modern 20. Translations: Ancient | 21. Bible Trace 22. Derivations 23. Rhymes 24. Anagrams | 25. Bibliography |
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