Did you know? Even if we didn't provide you with a definition, you might guess the meaning of "denegation" from the "negation" in there. Both words are ultimately derived from the Latin verb "negare," meaning "to deny," and both first arrived in English in the 15th century. "Negare" is also the source of our "abnegation" ("self-denial"), "negate" ("to deny the truth of"), and "renegade" (which originally referred to someone who leaves, and therefore denies, a religious faith). Even "deny" and "denial" are "negare" descendants. Like "denegation," they came to us from "negare" by way of Latin "denegare," which also means "to deny."
ennui • \ahn-WEE\ • (noun) : a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction : boredom
Did you know? The French loanword "ennui" comes from the very same Old French word that gave us "annoy." We borrowed "ennui" several centuries after absorbing "annoy" into the language. "Ennui" deals more with boredom than irritation—and a somewhat specific sort of boredom at that. It generally refers to the feeling of jadedness that can result from living a life of too much ease. The poet Charles Lloyd described it well in his 1823 "Stanzas to Ennui" when he referred to that world-weary sensation as a "soul-destroying fiend" which visits with its "pale unrest / The chambers of the human breast / Where too much happiness hath fixed its home."
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I'm starting to think that the EE in my EE600 class stands for "endless ennui". Then I look at the homework and realize it stands for "extra evil".
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catbird seat • \KAT-berd-SEET\ • (noun) : a position of great prominence or advantage
Did you know? "In the catbird seat" was among the numerous folksy expressions with which the legendary baseball broadcaster Red Barber delighted listeners. Some say he invented the expression, others say that he dug it up from his Southern origins. But the facts actually have an odd twist. In a 1942 short story titled "The Catbird Seat," James Thurber featured a character, Mrs. Barrows, who liked to use the phrase. Another character, Joey Hart, explained that Mrs. Barrows must have picked up the expression from Red Barber. To Red, according to Joey, "sitting in the catbird seat" meant "'sitting pretty,' like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him." But, according to Barber's daughter, it was only after Barber read Thurber's story that he started using "in the catbird seat" himself!
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Sylvester (he of the slurpy sibilence) thought he was in the catbird seat until the bottom fell out of Tweedy's cage which, for some reason, was suspended over a very active dog park.
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placate • \PLAY-kayt or PLAK-ayt\ • (verb) : to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : appease
Did you know? To this day, "placate" carries the essential meaning of its Latin parent, the verb "placare," which the Romans used to describe the process of soothing and changing bitterness or resentment into goodwill. "Placare" also gives us the adjective "placable," ("easily placated" or "tractable") and its familiar antonym "implacable" ("impossible to appease"). The earliest uses of "placate" as a verb in English date from the late 17th century (it appeared as an adjective a few years earlier, but that use was extremely rare and now is obsolete). Originally, it was usually an offended deity who needed to be placated, but today it can be anyone who is irritated or offended and in need of soothing.
indefeasible • \in-dih-FEE-zuh-bul\ • (adjective) : not capable of being annulled or voided or undone
Did you know? We acquired "indefeasible" in the mid-16th century by combining the English prefix "in-" ("not") with "defeasible," a word borrowed a century earlier from Anglo-French. "Defeasible" itself can be traced to an Old French verb meaning "to undo" or "to destroy." It's no surprise, then, that something indefeasible is essentially "un-undoable" or "indestructible." As you may have guessed, another member of the family is "feasible," meaning "capable of being done or carried out." Ultimately, all three—"indefeasible," "defeasible," and "feasible"—can be traced back to the Latin verb "facere," meaning "to do."
oenophile • \EE-nuh-file\ • (noun) : a lover or connoisseur of wine
Did you know? "It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth," wrote the 1st-century A.D. Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder. The truth about the word "wine" is that it goes back to Latin "vinum," but it is also a distant relative of the Greek word for wine, which is "oinos." It was the Greek word that modern English speakers chose to combine with "-phile" (Greek for "lover of") around 1930 to create "oenophile." Etymologically-inclined oenophiles are sure to know that "oenology" (the science of wine making) and "oenologist" (one versed in oenology) also trace back to the Greek root. And they may even know that "wine therapy" (use of wine for therapeutic purposes) is also known as "oenotherapy."
Did you know? When "jimjams" entered English in the 19th century, it referred to a specific kind of jitters—the "delirium tremens," a violent delirium caused by excessive drinking. "Jimjams" is not particularly common today, but when it is used in current American English it means simply "jitters." Etymologists aren't sure about the origin of the term. Some speculate that it came about as an alteration of "delirium tremens." Others, though uncertain of the origin of "jim" and "jam," notice that the word follows a pattern of similar words in which one sound is repeated or altered slightly. Interestingly, other words for "jitters" were formed in the same repetitive way—"whim-whams" and "heebie-jeebies" are examples.
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Jimmy, the boy who wears slim jams*, got the jimjams after eating five pounds of slim jims.
* as opposed to the 'husky' fit jams. Toughskins came in 'husky.' I was a scrawny runt so I wore the slim fit ones. I had a pair of green ones (with slightly darker green knee patches) and a pair of rust ones in addition to the classic blue.
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A similar word in sound: flim-flam. Although I prefer gimcrack when searching for an adjective to describe something of shoddy quality and dubious origin.
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Did you know? When the weather suddenly turns warm in the midst of the chilly days of fall, we usually say we're having "Indian summer." Back when folks in England still spoke Middle English, they would call such a reprieve from the onset of winter "gossomer," literally "goose summer." It's not completely clear why people chose that name for a late-season warm spell, but it may be because October and November were the months when people felt that geese were at their best for eating. In Middle English, "gossomer" was also the name of the filmy cobwebs that often float in the autumn air, apparently because somebody thought the webs looked like the down of a goose.
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Gossamer people have a higher potential to slip out of roller coaster harnesses, or so I feared before riding Alpengeist at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg.
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regimen • \REH-juh-mun\ • (noun) *1 : a systematic course of treatment or training 2 : government, rule 3 : a government in power : regime
Did you know? We borrowed "regimen" straight from Latin, spelling and all. But in Latin, it simply meant "rule" or "government." In English, it usually means a system of rules or guidelines, often for living a healthy life or taking a regular dose of exercise. The Latin "regimen" derives from another Latin word, the verb "regere," which means "to lead straight" or "to rule." If you trace straight from "regere," you'll find that "regimen" has plenty of lexical kin, including "correct," "erect," "region," "rule," and "surge."
incommunicado • \in-kuh-myoo-nuh-KAH-doh\ • (adverb or adjective) : without means of communication; also : in solitary confinement
Did you know? "Incommunicado" ultimately comes from Latin, but it made its way into English via Spanish. Journalist George Wilkins Kendall is the first known English writer to have used the word. In his 1844 Narrative of the Texan Santa Fe Expedition he wrote, "Now that I was incomunicado—now that all intercourse with my friends was cut off, . . . my situation became irksome in the extreme." The word comes from the past participle of the Spanish verb "incomunicar," meaning "to deprive of communication." The Spanish word, in turn, derives from the Latin prefix "in-" and the verb "comunicare," meaning "to communicate."
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So I was at the bus stop the other day and I, like, realized that I, ummmm, had left my cell at Mauve's house, and it was like so horrible. I had nothing to do and the bus didn't come for like a whole ten minutes. It was like I was totally incommunicado. You know what I mean? I was like, where's a damn volleyball, you know? That movie was kind of gross though. The all hairy, big-foot, Chewbacca, Robin Williams look just really doesn't work for Tom Hanks. You know what I mean?
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dreadnought • \DRED-nawt\ • (noun) 1 : a warm garment of thick cloth; also : the cloth 2 : battleship *3 : one that is among the largest or most powerful of its kind
Did you know? "Fear nothing"—that's essentially what "dread" plus "nought" means. The name might seem a strange one for a garment, but if you consider that dreadnoughts were worn on board ship, you can appreciate the colorful name perhaps as much as the seafaring men must have appreciated the thick protection. The clothes and the cloth, first called "fearnought" in the late 18th century, came long before the battleship. Not until 1906 did the British Navy launch the HMS Dreadnought, the first battleship to have a main armament consisting entirely of big guns all of the same caliber. All ships of this type were then called "dreadnoughts." That particular type of battleship soon became obsolete, but their legacy lives on in the extended third sense of "dreadnought."
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The dreadnought slid lazily through the water, swaying and rocking as it went like an obese man walking down a hill his suspenders too tight and his feet crammed into a pair of imitation leather loafers, the flesh bulging out and skirting over the shoes like a yeasted bread dough that's gone awry because it was left to rise too long and the kitchen is much too warm.
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dog days • \DOG-dayz\ • (noun plural) *1 : the hot sultry period of summer between early July and early September in the northern hemisphere 2 : a period of stagnation or inactivity
Did you know? Dogs aren't the only creatures uncomfortable in oppressive heat, so why does a dog get singled out in "dog days"? The dog here is actually the Dog Star, which is also called "Sirius." The star has long been associated with sultry weather in the northern hemisphere because its heliacal (i.e., early morning) rising coincides with the hottest days of summer. In the ancient Greek constellation system, this star (called "Seirios" in Greek) was considered the hound of the hunter Orion and was given the epithet "Kyon," meaning "dog." The Greek writer Plutarch referred to the hot days of summer as "hemerai kynades," literally "dog days," and a Latin translation of this expression as "dies caniculares" is the source of our English phrase.
enfant terrible • \ahn-fahn-teh-REE-bluh\ • (noun) 1 a : a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment *b : a person known for shocking remarks or outrageous behavior 2 : a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde
Did you know? "Enfant terrible," which literally means "terrible child" in French, sounds like something that might be uttered by a frazzled babysitter. Indeed, when English speakers first borrowed the term in the mid-19th century, it was used in reference to children—specifically, unpredictable children who blurted out outrageous remarks that embarrassed their elders. By the 1930s, the term had a broader application: an enfant terrible could be anyone—young or old—whose behavior shocked others. Now the term is also often applied to young, successful newcomers who shock or scare old-timers with their new approaches, easy successes, or disregard for tradition.
catercorner • \KAT-ee-kor-ner or KAT-uh-kor-ner\ • (adverb or adjective) : in a diagonal or oblique position : on a diagonal or oblique line
Did you know? "Catercorner" also has the variants "kitty-corner" and "catty-corner," but despite appearances, no cats were involved in creation of this word. "Cater" derives from the Middle French noun "quatre" (or "catre"), which means "four." English speakers adopted the word to refer to the four-dotted side of a die—a side important in several winning combinations in dice games. Perhaps because the four spots on a die can suggest an X, "cater" eventually came to be used dialectically with the meaning "diagonal" or "diagonally." This "cater" was combined with "corner" to form "catercorner."
From Merriam-Webster's® online Word of the Day
NOTE: I'll be gone for a few days. Feel free to post a word of the day yourself...
NOTE 2: I think we should allow Dobie the honor of the 1000th post.
crescent • \KREH-sunt\ • (adjective) : marked by an increase
Did you know? You probably know "crescent" as the shape of a moon that is less than half-illuminated. These days, "crescent" is generally used of either a waxing or waning moon, but that wasn't always the case. Originally, it referred only to the increasing illumination phase that immediately follows the new moon. That original meaning nicely reflects the meaning of the word's Latin ancestor "crescere," which means "to grow." The meaning of "crescere" also shines through when we use "crescent" as an adjective meaning "increasing" or "growing." English speakers have been using "crescent" in this way since the 16th century.
duress • \dur-RESS\ • (noun) 1 : forcible restraint or restriction *2 : compulsion by threat; specifically : unlawful constraint
Did you know? "Duress" is a word of hardy stock. It has been a part of the English language since the 14th century, and has a number of long-lived relatives. "Duress" itself came into Middle English through the Middle French "duresce" (meaning "hardness" or "severity"), which stems from the Latin "durus," meaning "hard." Some obvious relatives of this robust root are "durable," "endure" and "obdurate" (meaning "unyielding" or "hardened in feelings"). Some others are "dour" (meaning "harsh," "unyielding," or "gloomy") and "during." Some think the Latin word "durus" is related to the Sanskrit "daru," which means "wood."
bon vivant • \bahn-vee-VAHNT or bohn-vee-VAHN\ • (noun) : a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes especially in respect to food and drink
Did you know? Fans of fine French wine and cuisine won't be surprised to hear that the French language gave us a number of words for those who enjoy good living and good eating. "Gourmet," "gourmand," and "gastronome" come from French, as does "bon vivant." In the late 17th century, English speakers borrowed this French phrase, which literally means "good liver." No, we don't mean "liver," as in that iron-rich food your mother made you eat. We mean "liver," as in "one who lives"—in this case, "one who lives well."
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I'm hosting a group of bon vivants this weekend. I sure hope my kitchen is up to their standards.
Bob, stop it! This is the second time in a month one of your posts has made me look over my shoulder to see if you were there. I just finished reading an email about todays word. The other, I was listening to Cecelia when you posted part of it. Get out of my head!
emulate • \EM-yuh-layt\ • (verb) : to strive to equal or excel : imitate
Did you know? If imitation really is "the sincerest flattery," in the words of Charles Caleb Colton, then past speakers of English clearly had a great admiration for the Latin language. The verb "emulate" joined the ranks of Latin-derived English terms in 1582. It comes from "aemulus," a Latin term for "rivaling" or "envious." Around the same time came the adjectives "emulate" and "emulous," meaning "striving to emulate" or sometimes "jealous." But "emulous" is rare these days, and the adjective "emulate" is obsolete. The latter had a brief moment of glory, however, when the unmatchable Shakespeare used it in Hamlet:
Our last king, Whose image even but now appear'd to us, Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway, Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride, Dar'd to the combat. . . .
From Merriam-Webster's® online Word of the Day
As for prosiac, isn't that a antidepressant for robots?
umpteen • \UMP-teen\ • (adjective) : very many : indefinitely numerous
Did you know? "I'll go to bed and I'll not get up for umpty-eleven months." You know the feeling. The speaker here is war-weary Bill, a character in Patrick MacGill's 1917 novel The Great Push. His "umpty" originated in the wee years of the 20th century and stood for an indefinite number, generally largish. (It was probably created by analogy to actual numbers such as "twenty.") Soon, there followed "umpteen," analogous to the numbers ending with "teen." "Umpteen" is indefinite and always large -- so is the adjective "umpteenth." We only occasionally use "umpty" these days (and even more rarely "umptieth"), but you're bound to hear or read "umpteen" and "umpteenth" any number of times.
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