In newspaper terminology, a "take" is a page of copy.

It would follow then (wouldn't it?) that a "short take" would be somewhat less than a page. Like the following items -- call them briefs, if you like.

"Words on Words: A Dictionary for Writers and Others Who Care About Words" was written in 1980 by John B. Bremner, who taught at the University of Kansas.

"Words do grow from their roots. Some do change their meaning," he wrote in the book's introduction.

He quoted from "The Dictionary of Do's and Don'ts" by Harry G. Nickels who likened words to "hair and toenails."

Nickels observed that words are "like hair and toenails -- they cannot be denied their normal growth."

He continued: "but reason and good taste suggest the etymology of a word will introduce one to the meanings of many similar words, apply reason and good taste to change in meaning, expand vocabulary and develop a command of words to organize and beautify the logic and rhetoric of ideas."

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Trying for brief-ly in this space ... here are some items.

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There were 600,000 deaths in the Civil War (1861-65). The population of the United States was then 31 million. Eleven million lives (four million of them were slaves) were lost in the South. Around 20 million were killed in the North.

At the Cathedral of St. John the Divine the 15th annual reading of Dante's "Inferno" was presented. The cathedral's organist lent an improvisatory hand in creating a suitable atmosphere for a trip through Hell.

Band names: Devil Driver, Napalm Death, 36 Crazyfists and Invitro (a pop-ish, punk-metal band).

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A café advertises: "Taste of Home Healthy Cooking -- Healthy makeovers from our test kitchen ... big on home cooked flavors, lean on fat and calories."

Notes (in my hand scrawl) say:

Pearls before Swine is a summer jam session ... A hog roast will be held for the benefit of an area fire chief ... That Kansas is 19th in pork-barrel spending and that Alaska is first and Arizona is last.

Citizens Against Waste -- special spending earmarks outside the normal appropriations process released its "2008 Congressional Pig Book" for roasting lawmakers for their special projects -- pork-barrel spending. Pork per capita rate.

Dandelion Greens and Christmas Lima Bean Tacos are a perfect spring pairing. I read that somewhere. Dandelion greens are becoming plentiful in our lawn but there's not a lima bean taco anywhere out there.

Initial-ly. United States Agency for International Development is hiring an additional 300 foreign service officers, reversing a 30-year decline in the work forces of:

FFP -- Food for Peace. DLI -- Development Leadership Institute. CAFTA -- Central America Free Trade Agreement. DR -- Dominican Republic. CHF -- Cooperative Housing Foundation. CIMCAW -- Continuous Improvement in the Central American Workplace. GOPAC -- Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruptions. OSCE -- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. FSN -- Foreign Serve Nationals. CPA -- Comprehensive Peace Accord. OTI -- Office of Transition Initiatives.

Also initial-ly: TFMSC for Tractor and Farm Machinery Safety Course. GM for Genetically Modified. ASA for American Sales Association. And HOT for Hazardous Occupation Training.

E-mail Dolores Hope at dandchope@juno.com.