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Post by Felix on Aug 29, 2010 17:05:25 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: August 29, 2010Word of the Day quorum \KWOR-um\ DEFINITIONnoun1 : a select group *2 : the number (as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business FELIX'S EXAMPLEOne of many parliamentary maneuvers designed to slow down or avoid a vote on a disputed measure is to repeatedly suggest the absence of a quorum, forcing a roll call to count legislators present. DID YOU KNOW? In Latin, "quorum" means "of whom," which is itself the genitive plural of "qui," meaning "who." At one time, Latin "quorum" was used in the wording of the commission issued to justices of the peace in England. In English, "quorum" initially referred to the number of justices of the peace who had to be present to constitute a legally sufficient bench. That sense is now rare, but it's not surprising that "quorum" has come to mean both "a select group" and "the minimum people required in order to conduct business." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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Post by Felix on Aug 30, 2010 15:31:12 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: August 30, 2010 Word of the Day flat-hat \FLAT-hat\ DEFINITIONverb: to fly low in an airplane in a reckless manner : hedgehop FELIX'S EXAMPLE In almost every film bio of the pioneers of aviation, military or otherwise, some hot young pilot flat-hats instructors, commanding officers or even the control tower. DID YOU KNOW? Legend has it that the term "flat-hat" originated with an incident back in the days of barnstormers in which a pedestrian’s hat was crushed by a low-flying airplane. According to one version of the tale, the reckless pilot was subsequently required to purchase a new hat for the hapless pedestrian. It seems unlikely that such an event actually took place, but we can well imagine how fear of having one’s hat smashed flat by a passing airplane might have given rise to such a vivid verb. "Flat-hat" first appeared in English in 1940; another word for flying low to the ground, "hedgehop," debuted 14 years earlier.
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Post by Felix on Sept 1, 2010 7:19:34 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: August 31, 2010Word of the Day dram \DRAM\ DEFINITION noun1 : a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 1/16 ounce 2 : a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 1/8 ounce 3 : a unit of liquid capacity equal to 1/8 fluid ounce 4 a : a small portion of something to drink b : a small amount FELIX'S EXAMPLEIn Treasure Island, the character Billy Bones destroys his health, dram by dram, with massive quantities of rum. DID YOU KNOW? In avoirdupois weight -- that is, the system of weights commonly used by English speakers in North America and the United Kingdom -- a dram is equal to 1/16 ounce (1.772 grams). The word "dram" was borrowed from the Anglo-French and Late Latin word "dragme," which was originally used for a silver coin used by the ancient Greeks (now known in English as the "drachma") and for the coin's approximate weight. In the 16th century, English speakers also began using "dram" for a weight of fluid measure (also called a "fluid dram") equal to 1/8 fluid ounce, and more loosely for any small portion of something to drink. "Dram" is also used figuratively for any small amount, in much the same way as "grain" and "ounce."
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Post by Felix on Sept 1, 2010 7:28:50 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 01, 2010Word of the Day hector \HEK-ter\ DEFINITION verb1 : to play the bully : swagger 2 : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure FELIX'S EXAMPLE Should a playmate of your child hector and harass other children, a calm and measured response is appropriate, remembering that children are not complete in their emotional development. DID YOU KNOW? In Homer's Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. How did the name of a Trojan paragon become a verb meaning "to bully or harrass"? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves "Hectors." They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property. By 1660, "hector" was being used both as a verb and as a noun meaning "bully."
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Post by Felix on Sept 2, 2010 16:10:28 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/02/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 02, 2010
Word of the Day
vulpine * \VUL-pine\
DEFINITION
adjective 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox 2 : foxy, crafty
FELIX'S EXAMPLE In the byzantine twistings of Washington lobbyists, legislative operatives and the vulpine wielders of media knives, government goes by default to the most moneyed and least principled.
DID YOU KNOW?
In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated." Thoreau's was far from the first use of "vulpine"; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since at least the 15th century, and the Latin parent of our term, "vulpinus" (from the noun "vulpes," meaning "fox"), was around long before that.
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Post by Felix on Sept 4, 2010 7:46:10 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/03/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 03, 2010
Word of the Day
clitic \KLIT-ik\
DEFINITION
noun
: a word that is treated in pronunciation as forming a part of a neighboring word and that is often unaccented or contracted
FELIX'S EXAMPLE
A gap in the English language has been filled in the American South by the clitic "y'all," which restores a separate form for the second person plural, lost in the Norman Conquest.
DID YOU KNOW?
We hear clitics every day in sentences like "This'll be fine" and "C'mon over here." There are two kinds of clitics: "enclitics" and "proclitics." An enclitic is a clitic that is associated with the word that comes before it. Contractions, such as the "ve" in "would've" and the "ll" in "it'll," are enclitics. A proclitic is associated with the word that follows it. Proclitics are transcribed into print far less often than enclitics are, but we hear them frequently in speech. For example, the sentence "They love to dance" is typically pronounced with the "to" truncated to a "t" that gets tacked onto the front of "dance."
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Post by Felix on Sept 4, 2010 12:47:07 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 04, 2010Word of the Day bona fides \boh-nuh-FYE-deez\ DEFINITION noun1 : good faith : sincerity 2 : evidence of one's good faith or genuineness 3 : evidence of one's qualifications or achievements FELIX'S EXAMPLE The 2008 campaign established Sarah Palin as a cheerleader for the rightmost wing of the Republican Party, but left in doubt serious questions about her bona fides as potential President DID YOU KNOW? "Bona fides" looks like a plural word in English, but in Latin, it's a singular noun that literally means "good faith." When "bona fides" entered English, it at first stayed very close to its Latin use -- it was found mostly in legal contexts and it meant "honesty or lawfulness of purpose," just as it did in Latin. It also retained its singular construction. Using this original sense one might speak of "a claimant whose bona fides is unquestionable," for example. But in the 20th century, use of "bona fides" began to widen, and it began to appear with a plural verb in certain contexts. For example, a sentence such as "the informant's bona fides were ascertained" is now possible.
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Post by Felix on Sept 5, 2010 15:22:17 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/05/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 05, 2010
Word of the Day
Sisyphean \sis-uh-FEE-un\
DEFINITION
adjective : of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort
FELIX'S EXAMPLE
Where satisfying a person who revels in dissatisfaction is the task, the labor is Sisyphean, and the result will assuredly be failure.
DID YOU KNOW?
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who annoyed the gods with his trickery. As a consequence, he was condemned for eternity to roll a huge rock up a long, steep hill in the underworld, only to watch it roll back down. The story of Sisyphus is often told in conjunction with that of Tantalus, who was condemned to stand beneath fruit-laden boughs, up to his chin in water. Whenever he bent his head to drink, the water receded, and whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches moved beyond his grasp. Thus to "tantalize" is to tease or torment by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach -- and something "Sisyphean" (or "Sisyphian," pronounced \sih-SIFF-ee-un\) demands unending, thankless, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts.
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Post by Felix on Sept 6, 2010 13:44:51 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 06, 2010Word of the Day paranymph \PAIR-uh-nimf\ DEFINITIONnoun1 : a friend going with a bridegroom to fetch home the bride in ancient Greece; also : the bridesmaid conducting the bride to the bridegroom 2 a : best man b : bridesmaid FELIX'S EXAMPLEJohn Alden famously agreed to be paranymph for Miles Standish, approaching Priscilla Mullens with an offer of marriage from his friend, only to be accepted on his own behalf by Standish's intended. DID YOU KNOW?"Paranymph" resulted from the marriage of the Greek prefix "para-" and the Greek word for bride, "nymphē." The prefix "para-" can mean "beside" or "alongside of," as is apparent in the word "parallel," from the Greek word "parallēlos," a union of "para-" and the word "allēnōn," meaning "of one another." At one time, the word "paranymph" also was used for a person who solicits or speaks for another -- that is, an advocate -- but that sense is now very rare.
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Post by Felix on Sept 10, 2010 8:26:00 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 07, 2010Word of the Day laconic \luh-KAH-nik\ DEFINITIONadjective: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious FELIX'S EXAMPLEThe laconic western hero of films reached its apotheosis in Clint Eastwood's portrayal of Josey Wales in the eponymous movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales. DID YOU KNOW?Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece, bordering on the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. "Laconic" comes to us by way of Latin from Greek "Lakonikos," which is derived from "Lakon," meaning "native of Laconia." It has been with us since the 16th century and has sometimes been used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants" (though we’re more apt to use "Laconian" for this meaning today). In current use, "laconic" means "terse" or "concise," and thus recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible.
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Post by Felix on Sept 10, 2010 8:37:27 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 08, 2010Word of the Day zenith \ZEE-nith\ DEFINITIONnoun1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer 2 : the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body 3 : culminating point : acme FELIX'S EXAMPLEThe economy of the United States reached its zenith relative to all other global economies in the years after the end of World War II, when among all industrial nations, only the United States had virtually untouched industrial base and infrastructure. DID YOU KNOW? When you reach the zenith, you’re at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. "Zenith” developed from Arabic terms meaning "the way over one’s head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used "zenith" to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, "zenith" was being used for other high points as well. As in our example sentence, "zenith" is often contrasted with "nadir." In celestial contexts, the nadir is the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, "nadir" simply means "the lowest point."
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Post by Felix on Sept 11, 2010 14:46:12 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/09/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 09, 2010
Word of the Day
auxiliary \awg-ZILL-yuh-ree\
DEFINITION
adjective 1 a : offering or providing help b : functioning in a subsidiary capacity 2 : constituting a reserve : supplementary
FELIX'S EXAMPLE A dictionary serves as an auxiliary part of writing, or reading, expanding the range of vocabulary and correcting spelling.
DID YOU KNOW?
"Auxiliary" can be used in a wide range of capacities in English to describe a person or thing that assists another. A fire department may bring in auxiliary units, for example, to battle a tough blaze, or a sailboat may be equipped with auxiliary engines to supply propulsion when the wind disappears. In grammar, an auxiliary verb assists another (main) verb to express person, number, mood, or tense, as "have" in "They have been informed." The Latin source of "auxiliary" is "auxilium," meaning "help."
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Post by Felix on Sept 11, 2010 15:03:29 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 10, 2010Word of the Day synchronicity \sing-kruh-NISS-uh-tee\ DEFINITIONnoun1 : the quality or fact of being simultaneous 2 : the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events FELIX'S EXAMPLEAt least once in his life, my father experienced psychic synchronicity when one morning during World War II a powerful feeling of some disaster befalling his cousin went through him, that moment later proving to have been simultaneous with his cousin's death. DID YOU KNOW?"It happens to everyone sooner or later: A certain number pops up wherever you go; an old friend you haven't seen in 20 years since high school appears the same day you're looking at her picture in a yearbook; you're singing a song and turn on the radio -- and the same song is playing." Such coincidences, here described by Thomas Ropp in the Arizona Republic, March 29,1999, are examples of synchronicity. The concept is linked to the psychology of Carl Jung. Jung didn't coin the word (the "simultaneousness" sense of "synchronicity" was already in use), but he gave it special importance in his writings. Jung believed that such "meaningful coincidences" play an important role in our lives. Today, some people even look to synchronicities for spiritual guidance.
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Post by Felix on Sept 11, 2010 15:39:36 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/11/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 11, 2010
Word of the Day
debacle \dee-BAH-kul\
DEFINITION
noun
1 : a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river 2 : a violent disruption (as of an army) : rout 3 a : a great disaster b : a complete failure : fiasco
FELIX'S EXAMPLE
Decades in the making, the 2008 collapse of the mortgage markets ranks as the most serious economic debacle since the Great Depression.
DID YOU KNOW? "Debacle" comes from the French noun "débâcle," which comes from the verb "débâcler," meaning "to clear," "to unbolt," or "to unbar." That verb is from Middle French "desbacler," which joined the prefix "des-" (equivalent to our "de-," meaning "to do the opposite of") with the verb "bacler" ("to block"). In its original uses, "debacle" meant a breaking up of ice, or the rush of ice or water that follows such an occurrence. Eventually, "debacle" was used also to mean "a violent, destructive flood." Naturally, such uses led to meanings such as "a breaking up," "collapse," and finally "disaster" or "fiasco."
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Post by Felix on Sept 13, 2010 7:17:30 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 12, 2010Word of the Day mayhap \MAY-hap\ DEFINITION adverb : perhaps FELIX'S EXAMPLE Mayhap the Democratic Party will retain control of at least one house of Congress this election year, but the signs appear to the contrary. DID YOU KNOW? If "mayhap" looks to you like a relative of its synonym "perhaps," you're right -- the words are related. Both ultimately derive from the Middle English noun "hap," meaning "chance" or "fortune." "Mayhap" was formed by combining the phrase "(it) may hap" into a single word. "Hap" here is a verb essentially meaning "happen" (the word "maybe," another synonym of "mayhap" and "perhaps," was developed similarly from "may" and the verb "be"), and the verb "hap" comes from the noun "hap." "Perhaps" came about when "per" (meaning "through the agency of") was combined directly with the noun "hap" to form one word. Today "mayhap" is a rare word in contrast with the very common "maybe" and "perhaps," but it does show up occasionally.
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Post by Felix on Sept 13, 2010 7:23:52 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/13/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 13, 2010
Word of the Day
flounder
\FLOUN-der\
DEFINITION
verb
1 : to struggle to move or obtain footing : thrash about wildly 2 : to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
FELIX'S EXAMPLE My floundering efforts at launching a viable farming business left me with great respect for the tenacity of farmers who succeed.
DID YOU KNOW? Despite the fact that "flounder" is a relatively common English verb, its origins in the language remain obscure. It is thought that it may be an alteration of an older verb, "founder." To founder is to become disabled, to give way or collapse, or to come to grief or fail. In the case of a waterborne vessel, to founder is to sink. The oldest of these senses of "founder," "to become disabled," was also used, particularly in reference to a horse and its rider, for the act of stumbling violently or collapsing. It may have been this sense of "founder" that, some 200 years later, appeared in altered form as "flounder" in the sense of "to stumble."
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Post by Felix on Sept 14, 2010 17:40:04 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/14/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 14, 2010
Word of the Day
countermand \KOUNT-er-mand\
DEFINITION
verb
1 : to revoke (a command) by a contrary order 2 : to recall or order back by a superseding contrary order
FELIX'S EXAMPLE
A number of nuclear weapons movies have hinged on countermanding launch orders for missile attacks, movies such as Fail Safe, Doctor Strangelove, and Crimson Tide.
DID YOU KNOW? In the military, one's mandate is to follow the commands (and sometimes the "countermands") of the officers. Doing their bidding is not particularly commendable -- it's simply mandatory. The Latin verb "mandare," meaning "to entrust" or "to order," is the authority behind "countermand." It's also behind the words "mandate," "command," "demand," "commend" (which can mean "to entrust" as well as "to praise"), and "mandatory." "Countermand" came to English via Anglo French, where the prefix "cuntre-" ("against") was combined with the verb "mander" ("to command"). It has been a part of our language since the 1400s.
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Post by Felix on Sept 23, 2010 5:29:27 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/15/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 15, 2010
Word of the Day antecessor \an-tih-SESS-er\
DEFINITION
noun : one that goes before
FELIX'S EXAMPLES
One presidential administration tends to blame problems on its antecessor, if of a different party.
Proverbially speaking, the wish is antecessor to the deed.
DID YOU KNOW? "Antecessor" may remind you of "predecessor," its synonymous and more familiar cousin -- and there's a good reason for that. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin verb "cedere," meaning "to go." "Antecessor" ultimately derives from a combination of "cedere" and the Latin prefix "ante-," meaning "before." "Predecessor" traces back to a different Latin prefix, "prae-," which also means "before," combined with "decessor," a "cedere" descendant meaning "retiring governor." Cedere" has many other descendants in English, including "decease," "necessary," and "succeed." Descendants of both "ante-" and "cedere" include "antecedent," "ancestor," and the verb "antecede," a synonym of "precede."
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/16/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 16, 2010
Word of the Day
jejune \jih-JOON\
DEFINITION adjective 1 : lacking nutritive value 2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull 3 : juvenile, puerile
FELIX'S EXAMPLES A political figure making jejune remarks on serious issues ought to quickly find herself rejected, but that is not the case in the year of the Tea Party and Mama Grizzlies.
The new television season tends heavily toward jejune entertainment, short of style, intelligence or creativity, but long on vulgarity and crude humor.
DID YOU KNOW?
Starved for excitement? You won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin "jejunus," which means "empty of food," "meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used "jejune" in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites" and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager rarely satisfies, and before long "jejune" was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its "childish" sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word "jeune," which means "young."
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Post by Felix on Sept 23, 2010 7:03:03 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 18, 2010 Word of the Day scintillate * \SIN-tuh-layt\ DEFINITION verb1 : to emit sparks : spark 2 : to emit quick flashes as if throwing off sparks : sparkle FELIX'S EXAMPLES The cable TV political commentator cannot always scintillate, so on those occasions when wit fails, his fallback option is raising the volume of his comments. The boring TV comic not only didn't scintillate, he barely showed a flicker of animation. DID YOU KNOW? In addition to its literal use, "scintillate" can mean "to sparkle" in a figurative sense -- that is, to be lively, or to perform brilliantly. It is also frequently seen in its adjectival form, "scintillating," with the meaning "very clever, amusing, and interesting," as in "a scintillating discussion." The history of "scintillate" began with a spark -- or with the Latin word for "spark," at least. That word, "scintilla," is also the source of other words in English. There is "scintilla" itself (used as a noun meaning "a little bit"), "scintillant" (an adjective describing something that scintillates), and "scintillation" (which, among other things, means "a brilliant outburst").
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Post by Felix on Sept 23, 2010 11:14:57 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 19, 2010Word of the Day fret \FRET\ DEFINITION verb1 : to eat or gnaw into : wear, corrode; also : fray 2 : to become vexed or worried 3 : agitate FELIX'S EXAMPLES Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. William Shakespeare, Macbeth V, 1 I fret, fume and wish myself other than I am, then go back to behavior already proven feckless. DID YOU KNOW? Since its first use centuries ago, "fret" has referred to an act of eating, especially when done by animals, in particular small ones. You might speak, for example, of moths "fretting" your clothing. Like "eat," "fret" also developed figurative senses to describe actions that corrode or wear away. A river could be said to "fret away" at its banks or something might be said to be "fretted out" with time or age. "Fret" can also be applied to emotional experiences so that something that "eats away at us" might be said to "fret the heart or mind." This use developed into the specific meaning of "vex" or "worry" with which we often use "fret" today.
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Post by Felix on Sept 23, 2010 11:53:47 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 20, 2010Word of the Day plaintive \PLAYN-tiv\ DEFINITIONadjective: expressive of suffering or woe : melancholy FELIX'S EXAMPLESMessage boards and social networks echo with plaintive cries of damaged psyches. Untainted by plaintive pains, the unconstrained painter stained again and again the coarse-grained canvas. DID YOU KNOW? Like its relative "plangent," "plaintive" is often used to describe sad sounds. "A plaintive wail," for example, is a common use. "Plaintive" and "plangent" (along with relatives "plaintiff" and "complain") ultimately derive from the Latin verb "plangere," meaning "to strike," "to beat one's breast," or "to lament." This Latin verb led to "plaint," an Anglo-French word (and now also an English word) meaning "lamentation." "Plaint" is the root of Middle English "plaintif" (meaning "lamenting" or "complaining"), which gave rise to "plaintive" as well as the noun "plaintiff."
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Post by Felix on Sept 23, 2010 12:53:33 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 21, 2010 Word of the Day caravansary \kair-uh-VAN-suh-ree\ DEFINITIONnoun1 : an inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night 2 : hotel, inn FELIX'S EXAMPLESAhead, distorted by waves of heat from the baking sand, the leading drovers in the procession could see the weathered tan walls of the caravansary, a few clouds of green foliage extending above the roof, signaling the presence of a spring to water travelers and animals. "The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on," André Gide said to Truman Capote after a bad review of some Capote work, an observation owing more to the New York literary scene, no doubt, than to any familiarity of the author with caravansaries. DID YOU KNOW?In the Middle East, caravans often lodged at caravansaries. These inns were quadrangular in form and enclosed by massive walls with small windows near the top. The central court, which was surrounded by an arcade and storerooms, was large enough to hold 300 to 400 camels. The name was formed from the word "caravan" and the Persian word "sarāī," meaning "palace" or "inn." "Caravansary" can also be spelled "caravanserai," and the word "serai" is used as a synonym for it.
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Post by Felix on Sept 23, 2010 13:13:33 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/22/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 22, 2010
Word of the Day
permeable \PER-mee-uh-bul\
DEFINITION
adjective : capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through
FELIX'S EXAMPLES The bookie's clothes were as permeable as Saran Wrap, dyed with colors only seen in nature following toxic seepage from a chemical factory.
Unfortunately for the young couple, the male had bought his condoms from an unreliable vending machine, and the cheap latex was quite permeable to the young man's seed.
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Felix
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Post by Felix on Sept 24, 2010 8:32:45 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 23, 2010Word of the Day reminisce \rem-uh-NISS\ DEFINITIONverb: to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences FELIX'S EXAMPLES When I reminisce about the events of my life, going deep into the past, I am drawing on the accumulation of experience which sums me up; these memories are the building blocks making me the individual I am. As usually happens following a death, my family reminisced about the life, wit, love and humorous details of my grandfather's life, a celebration of him, and of the gift his life was to all of us. DID YOU KNOW?"Reminisce" and its relative "reminiscence" come from the mind -- that is to say, they come from the Latin word for "mind," which is "mens." A root related to "mens" teamed up with the prefix "re-" to create the Latin verb "reminisci" ("to remember"), an ancestor of both words. "Reminisce" is one of several English verbs starting with "re-" that mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind." Others in this group include "remember," "recall," "remind," and "recollect." "Reminisce" distinguishes itself from the others by implying a casual recalling of experiences long past, often with a sense of nostalgia as in our example sentences. "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter -- 'tis the difference between the lighting bug and the lightning." -- Mark Twain
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Felix
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Post by Felix on Sept 24, 2010 9:09:38 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 24, 2010Word of the Day demeanor \dih-MEE-ner\ DEFINITIONnoun: behavior toward others : outward manner FELIX'S EXAMPLESMy parents and grandparents schooled me in a respectful demeanor towards adults, so when my elders entered a room, I would rise, and practice a timely use of "Sir" and "Ma'am"; these lessons, along with an inward nature, lent my demeanor a passive quality. DID YOU KNOW?There's a long trail from Latin "minari" (which means "to threaten" and has been connected to the threatening cries of cattle drivers) to English "demeanor." Along the way, we first encounter Latin "minare"; it means "to drive" and was once used specifically of driving animals for herding. From there, the path leads us to Anglo-French, where we pass by "mener" ("to lead") and then "demener" ("to conduct"). Next comes Middle English "demenen" and then Modern English "demean," both meaning "to conduct (oneself) in a certain manner." And, finally, we take one last step, and add the suffix "-or" to "demean" to get "demeanor."
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Felix
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Post by Felix on Sept 26, 2010 19:36:10 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/25/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 25, 2010
Word of the Day flippant \FLIP-unt\
DEFINITION
adjective : lacking proper respect or seriousness
FELIX'S EXAMPLES There was a young man so arrogant, Tho' the diamond he offered was elegant, A manner awfully rude, And language quite crude, Made the maiden's answer entirely flippant. It is a hazardous thing to attempt a piquant quip, often achieving a flippant flop worthy only of a pissant.
DID YOU KNOW?
"Flippant" did something of a flip-flop shortly after it appeared in English in the late 16th century. The word was probably created from the verb "flip," which in turn may have originated as an imitation of the sound of something flipping. The earliest senses of the adjective were "nimble" and "limber." One could be flippant not only on one's feet, but also in speech—that is, someone "flippant" might have a capacity for easy, flowing speech. Such flippancy was considered a good thing at first. But people who speak freely and easily can sometimes seem too talkative, and even impertinent. By the end of the 18th century, the positive sense of "flippant" had slipped from use, and the "disrespectful" sense had taken its place.
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Felix
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Post by Felix on Sept 30, 2010 5:04:30 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 26, 2010 Word of the Day phatic \FATT-ik\ DEFINITIONadjective: of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information FELIX'S EXAMPLESIn the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray, playing a TV weatherman with a sarcastic manner, answers the phatic question, "Think it'll snow?" with a weather forecast, complete with gestures as though he has a map behind him. When asked the phatic question, "How are you doing?" I usually answer "Better than I deserve, and not as well as I'd like - about average, in other words." DID YOU KNOW?“Phatic” was coined in the early 20th century by people who apparently wanted to label a particular quirk of human communication—the tendency to use certain rote phrases (such as the standard greeting "how are you?") merely to establish a social connection without sharing any actual information. It probably won't surprise you, then, to learn that "phatic" derives from the Greek "phatos," a form of the verb "phanai," meaning "to speak." Other descendants of "phanai" in English include "apophasis" ("the raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it"), "euphemism," "prophet," and the combining suffix "-phasia" (used to denote a speech disorder). You may also have spotted a similarity to "emphatic," but that turns out to be purely coincidence; "emphatic" traces back to a different Greek verb which means "to show."
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Post by Felix on Sept 30, 2010 7:38:42 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 28, 2010Word of the Day eternize \ih-TER-nyze\ DEFINITIONverb1 a : to make eternal b : to prolong indefinitely 2 : immortalize EXAMPLESNow, by my faith, lords, 'twas a glorious day: Saint Alban's battle won by famous York Shall be eternized in all age to come. Shakespeare, Henry VI Part II {V, 3} Thanks to his famous chalk talk on the word "potatoe," former Vice President Dan Quayle is eternized as an orthographic oracle. DID YOU KNOW?"Eternize" shows up in the works of literary greats, such as John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and Herman Melville, and it sees occasional use in modern-day sources, but it is far from common. The same can be said of its slightly longer and related synonym "eternalize." "Eternize" is the older of the two; our earliest evidence of the word dates to 1566, while evidence of "eternalize" dates to 1620. But there's a third relative that predates them both, and it's far more common than either of them. That would be "eternal," which has been with us since the 14th century. All three words are ultimately rooted in Latin "aevum," meaning "age" or "eternity."
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Post by Felix on Sept 30, 2010 8:28:22 GMT -5
… courtesy of [url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2010/09/29/ ]Merriam Webster[/url], with slight modifications by me:
September 29, 2010
Word of the Day
parlay \PAHR-lay\
DEFINITION
verb 1 : to bet in a parlay 2 a : to exploit successfully b : to increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value
FELIX'S EXAMPLES
Entertainers with slender rèsumés have often parlayed their quite modest talents into careers on television talk shows and game programs.
Handicapping the 2010 Congressional elections successfully will be like winning a six-way parlay with half the horses untried.
DID YOU KNOW?
If you're the gambling type, you may already know that "parlay" can also be used as a noun describing a series of bets in which a person places a bet, then puts the original stake of money and all of its winnings on new wagers. But you might not know that "parlay" represents a modified spelling of the French name for such bets: "paroli." You might also be unaware that the original French word is still occasionally used in English with the same meaning as the noun "parlay." Be careful not to mix up "parlay" with the similar word "parley," meaning "to confer." Although the spellings are very close, "parley" comes from the Latin word for "speech."
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Post by Felix on Sept 30, 2010 9:51:32 GMT -5
… courtesy of Merriam Webster, with slight modifications by me: September 30, 2010 Word of the Day raconteur \ra-kahn-TER\ DEFINITION noun: a person who excels in telling anecdotes FELIX'S EXAMPLES Those who have been raised in the southern states of the United States often develop skill as raconteurs, a legacy either of the loss of the Civil War, leaving time and inclination to explain that loss, or of a strong oral tradition from a homogeneous family and group background. My grandfather the Colonel, though born and raised above the Mason-Dixon line, was amongst the more accomplished of raconteurs, both with his adult friends and most particularly with his grandchildren. DID YOU KNOW?The story of "raconteur" is a tale of telling and counting. English speakers borrowed the word from French, where it traces back to the Old French verb "raconter," meaning "to tell." "Raconter" in turn was formed from another Old French verb, "aconter" or "acompter," meaning "to tell" or "to count," which is ultimately from Latin "computare," meaning "to count." "Computare" is also the source of our words "count" and "account." "Raconteur" has been part of the English vocabulary since at least 1828.
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