October 26, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview—Correct usage of Crisp and Crispy

The follow post is intended for Wordniks:

I didn’t realize or pay much attention to the fact that crisp and crispy are actually two different words and have always used them indiscriminately and interchangeably when speaking or writing either crisp, crispy, or their derivatives.   However, each has their own definition, comparative and superlative adjectives.

I asked:

“In formal language are the following acceptable comparative adjectives for the word crisp?  crispy, crispier, and cripiest;  or should they be crispy, crisper and crispiest; and what about crispy, more crisp, and most crisp?”

AI Overview said:

In formal English, the adjectives crisp and crispy follow standard inflection and periphrastic comparison rules.

For the root adjective "crisp" (1 syllable)

• Comparative: crisper

• Superlative: crispest

• Note: "more crisp" and "most crisp" are generally avoided in strict formal writing for single-syllable adjectives, though they occasionally appear for stylistic emphasis.

For the derived adjective "crispy" (2 syllables ending in -y)

• Comparative: crispier (changing the -y to -i and adding -er)

• Superlative: crispiest (changing the -y to -i and adding -est)

• Note: Forms like "crisper" or "crispest" belong to the root word crisp, not crispy. Using "more crispy" or "most crispy" is grammatically acceptable in standard English for two-syllable adjectives, though the suffix forms (crispier / crispiest) are far more common and standard in formal usage.

______________________________

I asked:

“Does crisp and crispy mean exactly the same thing?”

AI Overview said:

No, "crisp" and "crispy" do not mean the exact same thing, though they overlap when talking about food.

Key Differences

• Crisp is a broader word. It describes food (like fresh apples, lettuce, or celery that snap cleanly), weather (cool, dry, and refreshing air), or clean/neat items (like a freshly ironed shirt or a brand-new dollar bill).

• Crispy is more specific. It mostly describes dry, cooked, or fried food items with a light, brittle texture (such as potato chips, french fries, or crispy bacon).

_____________________

Comment:

This is one of the most important things you will ever read on this website.

October 10, 2026  Google's Nano Banana -- AI Image Generation

Google Chrome asks for an idea so I gave it one to replicate a scene from a late 1940s to early 1950s bowling alley and 1930s billiards establishment after the prohibition era (notice the beer bottles).  It took a few tries for each scene but Nano Banana was willing to adjust its initial image based on further instructions until we got  it right.  There are still few glitches in the rotation between front and back views but all four are acceptable for my purposes.

The bowling alley scenes required about 3 prompts each while the Billiards Establishment was a bit more tricky to reverse.  

Nano Banana listened carefully to several more explicit instructions--which is not always the way it goes with some of the other image generators--at least their free, tier 1 versions.  Good job Nanner!  

Some of the issues that  I encountered were:

• The first pool room scenes has a few hallucinations beneath one of the billiards table  and the the benches and stools are improperly placed.

• The 3-C billiard table (pocketless table) was modeled after a modern design-- I edited the legs to reflect a 1930s design and erased an extra carom billiards ball with GIMP.

• The Snooker Table (scene 1 below) is missing the Two and Three Ball (because it was the reversal of the image with two men with their backs to the camera that had obscured the view of the Two and Three Ball placement).  That was my fault.

• Image reversal from front to back view is still flawed after a half dozen rewordings of instructions.  It was stated that 3D orientation modifications are difficult for this  AI Image Generator to  interpret.)

October 7, 2026  Conversation with AI  Overview -- Loan words -- English Language

I asked:

“Besides déjà vu, two words, what are other loan words that the English language borrows from, French, German, Latin, etc.?  Another that comes to mind is Zeitgist (sp ??), a German word, as well as other Latin phase words?”

AI Overview said:

The English language is famously a "linguistic sponge," with roughly 60% to 75% of its vocabulary borrowed from other languages. French, Latin, and German are among the heaviest contributors. [1, 2, 3]

The German word you are thinking of is spelled Zeitgeist (literally translating to "time spirit" or the mood of an era). [1]

The table below highlights everyday and advanced loanwords borrowed directly into English from these three foundational languages:

 Common English Loanwords by Origin:

Source Language

Loanword / Phrase

Original Meaning & English Usage

French

Carte blanche

"Blank document"; having complete freedom or authority to act.

Faux pas

"False step"; a socially awkward mistake or blunder.

Entrepreneur

"One who undertakes"; a person who sets up a business.

Cliché

Originally a printing plate; now means an overused phrase or idea.

German

Schadenfreude

"Harm-joy"; experiencing pleasure from someone else's misfortune.

Kindergarten

"Children's garden"; preschool or introductory school.

Angst

A deep feeling of anxiety, dread, or insecurity.

Doppelgänger

"Double-goer"; a lookalike or ghostly double of a living person.

Latin

Ad hoc

"For this"; created or done for a specific, temporary purpose.

Persona non grata

"An unwelcome person"; someone banned or unwelcome in a place.

Alibi

"Elsewhere"; evidence showing you were somewhere else during a crime.

Vice versa

"The position being reversed"; indicating that the reverse of a statement is also true.

________________________

Comment:

Often times, English does not provide a parallel word or phrase that can be expressed as concisely and/or as meaningfully.

September 29, 2026  Go Beyond Your Standard Keyboard Characters (MS Word).

I asked:

“What are the alternate keystrokes in MS Word to obtain the following characters:   degrees, cents, left arrow, and right arrow?”

AI Overview said:

•  Degrees:  Ctrl @ + space = degrees   °

•   Cents:  Ctrl / + c = cents   ¢

Today’s examples moved to this Google Sites webpage:

        98.6°  😄 75¢ 😀

Important:

Unfortunately,  Some of the other special characters entered in this fashion do not translate correctly if text containing these characters are pasted into the New Google Sites webpage. 

The Ctrl keystroke sequence for degrees and cents work O.K. but the character combinations such as <--, <==, -->, and ==> do not.

For the arrows, another way (but not the most convenient) is to enter them is by selecting the special character from beneath the Symbols Option in MS Word and add them to the MS Word document. Lastly, paste the text block into the webpage editor.

At this point, if there are many special characters, I might decide to, instead, save the word document, convert it to PDF, and link the PDF file to my webpage.   However, there other less dramatic options

Here's an easier solution using  Copy & Paste, (PDF file, 486 words, 3 pages).

 Or, just copy and paste these:

Thin Arrows:

 ← (Left)

 → (Right)

 ↑ (Up)

 ↓ (Down)

 ↔ (Left-Right)

Thick / Bold Arrows:

 ◄ (Left)

 ► (Right)

 ▲ (Up)

 ▼ (Down)

 ➔ (Thick Right)

 ➜ (Heavy Right)

and these too:

Diagonal up and down arrow symbols like ↖, ↗, ↘, and ↙ can be used on a web page via Unicode and HTML entities. [1]

• North West Arrow (↖): HTML code &#8598; or hex &#x2196;

• North East Arrow (↗): HTML code &#8599; or hex &#x2197;

• South East Arrow (↘): HTML code &#8600; or hex &#x2198;

Notice that all of these arrows are not the same type as thos entered with <-- or <== using MS Word.

September 17, 2026  Conversation with Gemini AI – Adding  Elements to  a Scene (Old Kitchen)

Here's another nostalgic peek at the past.  Today's image  focuses on a corner of the kitchen and the small multi-use kitchen cupboard found in many homes.  Food was prepared here and served as a location for washing dishes and washing your hands and face if no other facilites were available.

Click here to read the prompt provideed for Gemini as well as view elements that were to be added to the image it generated:  Old Kitchen Cupboard,  (PDF file,  705 words, 9 pages).

Need a quick overview?
The T. Bolton Digital Art Chatbox can help you explore website topics and selected PDF material. Ask for a summary, examples, explanations, comparisons, or observations. Start by mentioning the title or subject of the post you are viewing.

The teapot. cups and sugar bowl were rendered from SkettchUp Export images and were included in the kitchen image by use of the prompt instructions.

September 3, 2026  Gemini's Imagery

Gemini does nice work.  It took a few prompts before Gemini created this scene.  Several prompts were required to get the sack of tobacco and pull string looking authentic and to position and size it correctly.  It was also necessary to describe the scene, clothing, and how the rolling paper is dampened on the lower lip (or tongue) as shown in the image below.

August 22, 2026  Conversation with AI Overview – Ice Boxes

This post is an excerpt from a longer conversation about the day’s before refrigerators.  It reflected on the procedures for daily ice delivery—especially in the South where ice was not obtained from natural means (ice blocks cut from frozen lakes or riverbeds). Instead, many areas required manufactured ice from ice plants to provide stores, fishing boats, rail transportation, and homes with a way to keep perishable meats, vegetables, and dairy products fresh.

Cold storage utilizing ice continued to be used in many households into the 50s.  I remember having an ice box in our Florida kitchen during the early 1950s.  Refrigerators were  still pretty new (and expensive).  If you've ever used a cooler with crushed ice, it's about the same thing as what you'd get with an Ice Box--it was not a freezer by any means.  Ice Boxes would keep milk from souring most of the time.

I said:

“All I remember about the ice box was its unique smell of metal and cold as it blended with the smells of chilled food items.”

AI Overview said:

That sensory memory is incredibly accurate and something that modern plastic-lined refrigerators just can't replicate.

That unique "icebox smell" was a distinct combination of three specific things:

•  The Metal Lining: Most mid-century iceboxes were lined with galvanized zinc, tin, or porcelain-enameled steel to prevent the wooden outer frame from rotting. When damp, those metals gave off a sharp, distinct metallic tang.
  
  

•  Stagnant Humidity: Unlike modern refrigerators that circulate dry air to prevent frost, an icebox relied on a 100% humidity environment created by the melting ice block. That heavy, cold, damp air trapped and amplified the aromas of whatever was inside.
  
  

• The Drip Pan: Because the ice was constantly melting, water flowed down a small tube into a drip pan underneath the box. If it wasn't emptied daily, the standing water mixed with tiny food particles or dust, creating a very specific, slightly musty underlying scent.

It truly was a sensory experience unique to that era—the heavy thud of the insulated wooden door, the latch clicking into place, and that immediate rush of metallic, cold, food-mingled air.

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