PS: Don't anyone go back and delete any posts -- I suspect that's what messes up threads (or one of the things). We'd like to keep this one going awhile longer if we can.
Patrick wins!
[This message has been edited by Bob_Scopatz (edited July 05, 2002).]
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Jeez, you slackers, you let this fall to the 3rd page.
kibitzer • \KIH-bit-ser\ • (noun) : one who looks on and often offers unwanted advice or comment especially at a card game; broadly : one who offers opinions
Example sentence: Sue's uncle was an inveterate kibitzer, and worse, he usually offered bad advice.
Did you know? The Yiddish language has given English some particularly piquant terms over the years, and "kibitzer" is one such term. "Kibitzer," spelled "kibitser" in Yiddish, came to that language from the German word "kiebitzen," meaning "to look on (at cards)." "Kiebitzen" may or may not be derived from a German word for "lapwing," a type of bird noted for its shrill and raucous cry. (We can speculate that the bird's cry reminded people of the shrill commentary of onlookers at card games.) The word became more popular and widespread after the 1929 play The Kibitzer came out. Although "kibitzer" usually implies some sort of meddling, there is a respectable body of evidence for the word simply meaning "spectator," regardless of whether the onlooker interferes in the action.
Hm...I wonder who that could be. Looks like a picked a good day to revive this.
homily • \HAH-muh-lee\ • (noun) 1 : a usually short sermon *2 : a lecture or discourse on a moral theme 3 : an inspirational catchphrase; also : platitude
Did you know? Gather around for the history of "homily." The story starts with ancient Greek "homilos," meaning "crowd, assembly." Greeks used "homilos" to create the verb "homilein" ("to talk with" or "to make a speech"), as well as the noun "homilia" ("conversation"). Latin speakers borrowed "homilia," then passed it on to Middle French. By the time it crossed into Middle English, the spelling had shifted to "omelie," but by the 14th century the term had regained its "h" and added the "y" of the modern spelling.
manqué • \mahn-KAY\ • (adjective) : short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents -- used postpositively
Did you know? The etymology of "manqué" is likely to vex left-handers. English speakers picked up "manqué" directly from French more than two centuries ago, and it ultimately comes from Latin "manco," meaning "having either hand crippled." But in between the Latin and French portions of this word's history came the Italian word "manco," which means both "lacking" and "left-handed." Lefties may be further displeased to learn that "manqué" isn't the only English word with a history that links left-handedness with something undesirable. For example, the word "awkward" comes from "awke," a Middle English word meaning both "turned the wrong way" and "left-handed." And the noun "gawk" ("a clumsy stupid person") probably comes from an English dialect "gawk" meaning "left-handed."
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I've had this manqué sense that perhaps I'm not as musically talented as I always thought I was.
um, what does "postpositively" mean?
I feel manqué about my role at Hatrack whenever Bob posts anything, but I'm unwilling to register for the m-w word of the day. Anybody else want to revive this thread?
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lavation • \lay-VAY-shun\ • noun : the act or an instance of washing or cleansing
Did you know? It sounds logical that you would perform a "lavation" in a "lavatory," doesn't it? And it is logical: both these words come from the Latin "lavare," meaning, appropriately, "to wash." English picked up a few other words from this root as well. In medicine, the therapeutic washing out of an organ is "lavage." There is also "lavabo" (in Latin, literally, "I shall wash") which in English can refer to a ceremony at Mass in which the celebrant washes his hands, to the basin used in this religious ceremony, or to other kinds of basins. Even the word "lavish," via a Middle French word for a downpour of rain, comes to us from "lavare."
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In an airplane, I do not recommend elevated lavation in what is essentially a levitating lavatory. The consequences can certainly outweigh the benefits.
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I'm wondering what was said in my last post that made me edit it two and a half months later...
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variegated \VAIR-ee-uh-gay-tid\ adjective 1 : having discrete markings of different colors 2 : varied
Did you know? "Variegated" has been adding color to our language since the mid-17th century. It has been used in botany to describe the presence of two or more colors in the leaves, petals, or other parts of plants, and it also appears in the names of some animals ("variegated cutworm"). It can be used by the general speaker to refer to anything marked with different colors ("a variegated silk robe") or to things that are simply various and diverse ("a variegated collection"). "Variegated" has a variety of relatives in English -- it's ultimately derived from the Latin root "varius," meaning "varied," which also gave us "vary," "various," and "variety."
(c) 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
"No honey, I said I wanted to live in a 'gated' community, not a 'variegated' community."
Beltane \BEL-tayn\ noun : the Celtic May Day festival
Did you know? To the ancient Celts, May Day was a critical time when the boundaries between the human and supernatural worlds were removed and people needed to take special measures to protect themselves against enchantments. The Beltane fire festival originated in a spring ritual in which cattle were herded between two huge bonfires to protect them from evil and disease. Perhaps the earliest mention of Beltane (then spelled "belltaine") appears in an Old Irish dictionary commonly attributed to Cormac, a king and bishop who lived in Cashel, Ireland, toward the end of the first millennium. The "Beltane" spelling entered English in the 15th century by way of Scottish Gaelic.
(c) 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
In Boston, Beltane coincides with a rapid increase in methane. Could be all the beans.Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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Did you know? Is it your fate to tie macrame while drinking coffee and eating sherbet in a minaret? That would be an unusual destiny, but if it turns out to be your kismet, you will owe much to Turkish and Arabic. We borrowed "kismet" from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately derives from the Arabic "qismah," meaning "portion" or "lot." Several other terms in our bizarre opening question (namely, "macrame," "coffee," "sherbet," and "minaret") have roots in those languages too. In the case of "macrame" and "minaret," there is a little French influence as well. "Coffee" and "macrame" also have Italian relations, and "sherbet" has an ancestor in a Persian name for a type of cold drink.
(c) 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
When kizmet kaz, the world ended. For them anyway.Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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I'm utterly convinced that it was kizmet when Posable_Girl came into my life here at Hatrack. Either that, or someone's pulling my leg, again. No! Not again! I only have one foot left!!! Ouch! Stop it!
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pullulate \PUL-yuh-layt (the first syllable rhymes with "dull," not with "bull")\ verb 1 a : germinate, sprout b : to breed or produce freely 2 : swarm, teem
Example sentence: The coastal resort town is quiet now, but with summer approaching it will soon be pullulating with tourists.
Did you know? To remember the history of "pullulate," think chickens. This may sound like odd advice, but it makes sense if you know that "pullulate" traces ultimately to the Latin noun "pullus," which means not only "sprout," but also "young of an animal" and, specifically, "chick." "Pullus" is also an ancestor of "pullet" ("young hen"), "poult" (meaning "young fowl" and especially "young turkey"), and even "poultry" ("domesticated fowl"). At first "pullulate" referred to sprouting, budding, and breeding around the farm; only later did it gain its "swarm" sense.
Actual sentence... Well, my mind is pullulating with ideas for sentences but none seem quite good enough.
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tempestuous \tem-PESS-chuh-wus\ adjective : of, relating to, or resembling a tempest : turbulent, stormy
Did you know? Time is sometimes marked in seasons, and seasons are associated with the weather. This explains how "tempus," the Latin word for "time" could have given rise to an English adjective for things turbulent and stormy. "Tempus" is the root behind the Old Latin "tempestus," meaning "season," and the Late Latin "tempestuosus," the direct ancestor of "tempestuous." As you might expect, "tempus" is also the root of the noun "tempest"; it probably played a role in the history of "temper" as well, but that connection isn't as definite.
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Gone With the Wind is the story of a tempestuous time in America's history, as reflected in the lives of a blow-hard and his stormy consort. Whew!
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*Shan leaves to cry mightily into her - oops, no Rhett's - hankie, before coming back to stomp her feet, shake her golden locks and declare "I'll think about it tomorrow - after all, tomorrow IS another day" before wandering off singing in a little girl voice "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I luv ya, tomorrow - you're only a day away . . . OHHHHHHHH, tomorrow . . . *
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temporize \TEM-puh-ryze\ verb 1 : to act to suit the time or occasion : yield to current or dominant opinion : compromise 2 : to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time
Did you know? "Temporize" comes from the Medieval Latin verb "temporizare" ("to pass the time"), which itself comes from the Latin noun "tempus," meaning "time." ("Tempus" is also the root of such words as "tempo," "contemporary," and "temporal.") If you need to buy some time, you might resort to temporizing -- but you probably won't win admiration for doing so. "Temporize" can have a somewhat negative connotation. For instance, a political leader faced with a difficult issue might temporize by talking vaguely about possible solutions without actually doing anything. The point of such temporizing is to avoid taking definite -- and possibly unpopular -- action, in hopes that the problem will somehow go away. But the effect is often just to make matters worse.
vinaceous \vye-NAY-shuss\ adjective : of the color wine : dark red
Did you know? The first recorded evidence of "vinaceous" in English dates from 1688, about the time of the accession of Mary II. If ever the queen used "vinaceous," she was probably in the confines of her landscaped garden, admiring the vinaceous shades of petals or looking indifferently at the vinaceous cap of a mushroom; since its beginning, "vinaceous" has flourished in the earthy lexicon of horticulture and mycology. It has also taken flight in the ornithological world as a descriptive word for the unique dark-red coloring of some birds, like the vinaceous amazon or vinaceous rosefinch. You probably won't encounter these exotic birds while enjoying the spring weather in your neighborhood, but you might see someone tossing a vinaceous Frisbee or jogging by in a vinaceous T-shirt .
Did you know? Don't worry -- be insouciant. Perhaps your mind will rest easier if we explain that English speakers learned "insouciance" from the French in the 1700s (and the adjective "insouciant" has been part of our language since the 1800s). The French garnered their term from Latin; its most immediate ancestor was the verb "sollicitare" (meaning "to disturb"), which in turn traces to "sollicitus," the Latin word for "anxious." If it seems to you that "sollicitus" looks a lot like some other English words you've seen, you're right. That root also gave us "solicit" (which now means "to entreat" but which was once used to mean "to fill with concern or anxiety"), "solicitude" (meaning "uneasiness of mind"), and "solicitous" ("showing or expressing concern").
interdigitate \in-ter-DIH-juh-tayt\ verb : to become interlocked like the fingers of folded hands
Did you know? It probably won't surprise you to learn that "interdigitate" comes from the prefix "inter-," as in "interlock," and the Latin word "digitus," meaning "finger." "Digitus" also gave us "digit," which is used in English today to refer to (among other things) the finger or toe of any animal. "Interdigitate" usually suggests an interlocking of things with fingerlike projections, such as muscle fibers or the teeth of an old-fashioned bear trap. The word can also be used figuratively to imply a smooth interweaving of disparate things, such as the blending of two cultures within a shared region.
prestidigitation \press-tuh-dih-juh-TAY-shun\ noun : sleight of hand, legerdemain
Did you know? The secret to performing magic tricks is all in the hands -- or at least, that's what is suggested by the etymologies of "prestidigitation" and its two synonyms "legerdemain" and "sleight of hand." The French word "preste" (from Italian "presto") means "quick" or "nimble," and the Latin word "digitus" means "finger." Put them together and -- presto! -- you've got "prestidigitation." Similarly, "legerdemain" was conjured up from the French phrase "leger de main," which translates to "light of hand." The third term, "sleight of hand," involves the least etymological hocus-pocus; it simply joins "hand" with "sleight," meaning "dexterity."
copious \KOH-pee-uss\ adjective 1 a : yielding something abundantly b : plentiful in number 2 a : full of thought, information, or matter b : profuse or exuberant in words, expression, or style 3 : present in large quantity : taking place on a large scale : lavish, abundant
Did you know? "Copious" derives from Latin "copia" ("abundance"), which in turn combines the prefix "co-" and "ops" ("wealth"). "Copious" and "opulent" (also from "ops"), along with "ample," "plentiful," and "abundant," all mean "more than sufficient." "Ample" implies a generous sufficiency to satisfy a particular requirement ("ample proof"). "Copious" puts emphasis upon largeness of supply more than on fullness or richness ("copious toasts to the bride and groom"). "Plentiful" implies a rich, and usually more than sufficient, supply ("a plentiful supply of textbooks"). "Abundant" suggests a greater or richer supply than "plentiful" does ("moved by the abundant offers to help"). But use "opulent" when the supply is both abundant and infused with a richness that allows an extra measure of gratification ("the opulent blossoms of the cherry trees").
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The closet monster drooled a copious volume of saliva as he waited for little Timmy to settle down for the night.
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: an excursion especially on foot or to a foreign country : journey
Did you know? We begin our narrative of the linguistic travels of "peregrination" with the Latin root "peregrinus," which means "foreign" or "foreigner." That root also gave us the words "pilgrim" and "peregrine," the latter of which once meant "alien" but is now used as an adjective meaning "tending to wander" and a noun naming a kind of falcon. (The peregrine falcon is so named because it was traditionally captured during its first flight — or pilgrimage — from the nest.) From "peregrinus" we travel to the Latin verb "peregrinari" ("to travel in foreign lands") and its past participle "peregrinatus." Our final destination is the adoption into English in the 16th century of both "peregrination" and the verb "peregrinate" ("to travel especially on foot" or "to traverse").
Did you know? According to Greek mythology, Alkyone, the daughter of the god of the winds, became so distraught when she learned that her husband had been killed in a shipwreck that she threw herself into the sea and was changed into a kingfisher. As a result, ancient Greeks called such birds "alkyon" or "halkyon." The legend also says that such birds built floating nests on the sea, where they so charmed the wind god that he created a period of unusual calm that lasted until the birds' eggs hatched. This legend prompted people to use "halcyon" both as a noun naming a genus of kingfisher and as an adjective meaning either "of or relating to the kingfisher or its nesting period" or "calm."
popinjay \PAH-pin-jay\ noun : a strutting supercilious person
Did you know? Popinjays and parrots are birds of a feather, etymologically speaking. "Popinjay" was borrowed from a Middle French word for "parrot" back in the 1500s, when parrots were rare and were considered exotic. At that time, it was quite a compliment to be called a "popinjay" after such a beautiful bird. But as parrots became more commonplace, their gaudy plumage and vulgar mimicry helped "popinjay" develop the pejorative sense we use today.
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