poetaster \POH-uh-tass-ter\ noun : an inferior poet
Example sentence: "Germaine Greer, Chair Of Judges For The National Poetry Competition 2000, Invites Entries From Readers, But Be Warned: Poetasters Need Not Apply" (Headline, _The_ [London] _Independent_, May 7, 2000)
Did you know? In Latin, the suffix "-aster" indicates partial resemblance. In both Latin and English, that often translates to "second-rate," or maybe even "third-rate." Not surprisingly, "poetaster" often goes hand in hand with "doggerel," meaning "verse marked by triviality or inferiority." "Most of the people who send me thick sheaves of handwritten or word-processed doggerel," Ms. Greer tells us, in the _Independent_ article we quote above, "appear never to have read any poetry, good or bad . . . . Every week poetasters, like literary flashers seeking to amaze and appal hapless passers-by with the sight of their grey flaccidities, send their effusions to people like me." Are there are other kinds of "-asters" out there? Yes indeed -- we have criticasters, philosophasters, and politicasters, among others.
poetaster \POH-uh-tass-ter\ noun : an inferior poet
Example sentence: "Germaine Greer, Chair Of Judges For The National Poetry Competition 2000, Invites Entries From Readers, But Be Warned: Poetasters Need Not Apply" (Headline, _The_ [London] _Independent_, May 7, 2000)
Did you know? In Latin, the suffix "-aster" indicates partial resemblance. In both Latin and English, that often translates to "second-rate," or maybe even "third-rate." Not surprisingly, "poetaster" often goes hand in hand with "doggerel," meaning "verse marked by triviality or inferiority." "Most of the people who send me thick sheaves of handwritten or word-processed doggerel," Ms. Greer tells us, in the _Independent_ article we quote above, "appear never to have read any poetry, good or bad . . . . Every week poetasters, like literary flashers seeking to amaze and appal hapless passers-by with the sight of their grey flaccidities, send their effusions to people like me." Are there are other kinds of "-asters" out there? Yes indeed -- we have criticasters, philosophasters, and politicasters, among others.
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As much as he tried to match his talents against the true masters, the only memorable lines of poetaster Alexander Thrush's entire body of work are: The garish hue of her rutilant lips/ matched perfectly that of her many zits.
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burgle \BUR-gul\ verb transitive senses *1 : to break into and steal from 2 : to commit burglary against intransitive sense : to commit burglary
Example sentence: Mike was aghast upon returning home to discover that someone had burgled his home while he was away.
Did you know? "Burglary," which means "forcible entry into a building especially at night with the intent to commit a crime (as theft)," and "burglar" ("one who commits burglary") have been with us since the 16th century. "Burgle" and its synonym "burglarize" didn't break into the language until the 19th century, however, arriving almost simultaneously around 1870. "Burgle" is a back-formation (that is, a word formed by removing a suffix or prefix) from "burglar." "Burglarize" comes from "burglar" as well, with addition of the familiar "-ize" ending. Both verbs were once disparaged by grammarians ("burgle" was considered to be "facetious" and "burglarize" was labeled "colloquial"), but they are now generally accepted. "Burglarize" is slightly more common in American English, whereas "burgle" seems to be preferred in British English.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
loath \LOHTH ("TH" as in "thin" or in "then")\ adjective : unwilling to do something contrary to one's way of thinking : reluctant
Example sentence: As autumn drew near, Patricia found herself loath to leave the quiet village where she had spent the summer.
Did you know? Many usage commentators point out that the spelling of "loath" the adjective is distinct from "loathe" the verb that means "to dislike greatly." Merriam-Webster dictionaries record "loathe" (along with "loth") as a variant spelling for the adjective, at the same time indicating that the spelling with an "e" is not as common as the form without it. Both words hark back to Old English, and the "e" ending in each has come and gone over the centuries -- but if you want to avoid the ire of those who like to keep the language tidy, stick with "loath" for the adjective and "loathe" for the verb.
condone \kun-DOHN\ verb : to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless
Example sentence: "If you are disrespectful of other students in my classroom," Ms. Pace warned on the first day of school, "I won't condone it."
Did you know? Since some folks don't condone even minor usage slips, you might want to get the meaning of this word straight. Although English speakers sometimes use "condone" with the intended meaning "approve of" or "encourage," the more established meaning is closer to "pardon" or "overlook." "Condone" comes from the Latin verb "condonare," which means "to give" or "to forgive." "Condonare" in turn combines the Latin prefix "con-," indicating thoroughness, and "donare," meaning "to give" or "to grant." Not surprisingly, "donare" is also the source of our words "donate" and "pardon."
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The media has expressed surprise that I would condone such behaviour, but really what's the big deal? I mean who hasn't gotten high on OxyContin, stolen a backhoe, and driven it down main street while singing Freebird and waving your pants over your head?
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suffrage \SUH-frij\ noun 1 : a vote given in deciding a disputed question or in electing a person to office *2 : the right of voting : franchise; also : the exercise of such right
Example sentence: The ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920, ended a vigorous campaign for women's suffrage.
Did you know? Why would a 17th-century writer warn people that a chapel was only for "private or secret suffrages"? Because since the 14th century, "suffrage" has been used to mean "prayer" (especially a prayer requesting divine help or intercession). So how did "suffrage" come to mean "a vote" or "the right to vote"? To answer that, we must look to the word's Latin ancestor, "suffragium," which can be translated as "vote," "support," or "prayer." That term produced descendants in a number of languages, and English picked up its senses of "suffrage" from two different places. We took the "prayer" sense from a Middle French "suffragium" offspring that emphasized the word's spiritual aspects, and we elected to adopt the "voting" senses directly from the original Latin.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
hard-boiled • \HARD-BOYLD\ • adjective 1 a : devoid of sentimentality : tough b : of, relating to, or being a detective story featuring a tough unsentimental protagonist and a matter-of-fact attitude towards violence *2 : hardheaded, practical
Example sentence: The young tycoon proved that to be successful in the cutthroat world of business you need to occasionally put aside hard-boiled business practices and go with your gut instincts.
Did you know? As a writer of local color, Mark Twain often used colloquialisms and regionalisms that were unfamiliar to many of his readers. When some of these expressions eventually caught on in the language at large, they were traced back to Twain. For example, he is credited with the first printed use of "blow up" ("to lose self-control") in 1871, of "slop" ("effusive sentimentality") in 1866, and of the phrase "sweat out" ("to endure or wait through the course of") in 1876. "Hard-boiled" is documented as being first used by Twain in 1886 as an adjective meaning "hardened." Apparently, Twain and others saw the boiling of an egg to harden the white and yolk as a metaphor for other kinds of hardening.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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hiatus • \hye-AY-tus\ • noun 1 : a break in or as if in a material object : gap 2 a : an interruption in time or continuity : break *b: a period when something (as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted
Example sentence: After the summer hiatus (during which he mostly put his brain on hold), Tony returned to school ready for some serious studying.
Did you know? "Hiatus" comes from "hiare," a Latin verb meaning "to gape" or "to yawn," and first appeared in English in the middle of the 16th century. Originally, the word referred to a gap or opening in something, such as a cave opening in a cliff. Occasionally, it has been used to describe holes in clothing, as when Laurence Sterne wrote in Tristram Shandy of "the hiatus in Phutatorius's breeches." These days, "hiatus" is usually used in a temporal sense to refer to a pause or interruption (as in a song), or a period during which an activity is temporarily suspended (such as a hiatus from teaching).
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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eighty-six • \ay-tee-SIKS\ • verb slang : to refuse to serve (a customer); also : to get rid of : throw out
Example sentence: "I think it's about time you eighty-sixed those sneakers, before they simply disintegrate," Ben's mother informed him.
Did you know? In the early 1900s, people began using the verb "nix" to mean "to veto" or "to reject." Approximately 50 years later the verb "eighty-six," which may have been created as a rhyming slang word for "nix," began popping up in the lingo of restaurant and bar employees. If you work in a restaurant or bar, you might eighty-six (or "eliminate") an item from the menu offerings, or you might eighty-six (or "cut off") a customer who should no longer be served. "Eighty-six" is still used in this specific context, but it has also entered the general language. These days, you don’t have to be a worker in a restaurant or bar to eighty-six something—you just have to be someone with something to get rid of or discard.
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Mirandize \muh-RAN-dyze\ verb : to recite the Miranda warnings to (a person under arrest)
Example sentence: In accordance with police procedures, the officers had to Mirandize the suspect to make sure that he was aware of his rights.
Did you know? "You have the right to remain silent . . . ." These seven words typically begin the notification that police recite during an arrest to inform a suspect of his or her rights while in custody. The law requiring this recitation stemmed from a 1966 U.S. Supreme Court decision (_Miranda v. Arizona_) in which the court overturned the conviction of Ernesto A. Miranda on charges of rape and kidnapping. The court had determined that Miranda confessed to the crime without being informed that he could remain silent during questioning. The list of rights that must be recited to a suspect during an arrest subsequently became known as "the Miranda warnings." And in the 1980s, the verb "Mirandize" began appearing in print.
Example sentence: "It would be naive to suggest that the success of an idea can be totally dissociated from the personality of the man or woman who propounds it." (Ronald W. Clark, _The Survival of Charles Darwin_)
Did you know? "Dissociate" and its synonym "disassociate" can both mean "to separate from association or union with another." "Associate" is from Latin "ad-," meaning "to," and "sociare," meaning "to join." "Dis-" means "do the opposite of." So both "dissociate" and "disassociate" indicate severing that which is united, but some commentators argue that "disassociate" is illogical because it indicates separating and uniting simultaneously. "Dissociate" is slightly older, dating from 1582; "disassociate" dates from 1603. "Dissociate" is recommended by a number of commentators on the ground that it is shorter, which it is by a grand total of two letters -- not the firmest ground for decision. Both words are in current good use, but "disassociate" is used more often in the U.S.
doxology \dahk-SAH-luh-jee\ noun : a usually short hymn of praise to God
Example sentence: During the worship service, the congregation sang a joyous doxology that reflected the beauty and warmth of the glorious sunny morning.
Did you know? "Doxology" passed into English from the Medieval Latin "doxologia," which in turn comes from the Greek term "doxa," meaning "opinion" or "glory," and the suffix "-logia," which refers to oral or written expression. It's logical enough, therefore, that "doxology" has referred to an oral expression of praise and glorification since it first appeared in English around 1645. The word ultimately derives from the Greek verb "dokein," meaning "to seem" or "to seem good." Two cousins of "doxology" via "dokein" are "dogma" and "paradox"; more distant relatives include "decent" and "synecdoche." The _Gloria in Excelsis_ and the _Gloria Patri_ are two of the best-known and most often sung doxologies in contemporary Christianity.
ostracize \AHSS-truh-syze\ verb : to exclude from a group by common consent
Example sentence: As a result of her penchant for gossip and lying, Jane has been ostracized by her coworkers and now sits alone in the company lunchroom.
Did you know? In ancient Greece, prominent citizens whose power or influence threatened the stability of the state could be exiled by a practice called ostracism. Voters would elect to banish another citizen by writing that citizen's name down on a potsherd (a fragment of earthenware or tile). Those receiving enough votes would then be subject to temporary exile from the state (usually for ten years). The English verb "ostracize" can mean "to exile by the ancient method of ostracism," but these days it usually refers to the general exclusion of one person from a group at the agreement of its members. "Ostracism" and "ostracize" derive from the Greek "ostrakizein" ("to banish by voting with potsherds"). Its ancestor, the Greek "ostrakon" ("shell, potsherd"), also helped to give us the word "oyster."
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He tried to come across as a hard-boiled type, Mirandizing all the old ladies, threatening to eighty-six Matlock viewing in the rec room, dissociating some of the men from their dentures, but the other residents of the retirement center soon had enough of Harold's suffrage (especially when he forced through a bylaw that limited the distribution of pudding cups to twice a week) so during the brief hiatus while Harold was off in Branson, they stripped him of his chairmanship and ostracized him from the association board. An act which led to the murmuring of a spontaneous, albeit somewhat high-pitched doxology by many of the female residents and a hoarse huzzah! (followed by a fit of coughing) by most of the men.
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I had just decided there was no way to combine the newest four . . . when I saw that Zalmoxis had managed all of them, and several earlier ones. Kudos! Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Example sentence: According to my sister's convoluted reasoning, I still owed her $20.
Did you know? Convolutions, in the concrete sense, are folded, winding shapes. (The irregular ridges on our brain are convolutions.) "Convoluted" and "convolution" are from Latin "volvere," meaning "to roll." "Volvere" has given English many words, but one of the following is NOT from "volvere." Can you pick it out?
vault voluminous volley voluble devolve
The path from "vault" to "volvere" leads (rather convolutedly) through Middle English, Anglo-French, and Vulgar Latin to Latin "volutus," past participle of "volvere." "Voluble" meant "rolling easily" before it meant "speaking readily," and "voluminous" first meant "consisting of many folds." "Devolve" ("to pass down," as in "the stewardship devolved upon the son") once meant literally "to roll down." The word that doesn't belong is "volley." It's from Latin "volare," meaning "to fly."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence
I tried to be convoluted on purpose, but it was just way too much work so I decided to simply be diluted. I'm like the Country Time Lemonade of aestheticists.
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megillah \muh-GHIH-luh\ noun slang : a long involved story or account
Example sentence: Mom could never make a long story short --- she always had to tell the whole megillah in excruciating detail.
Did you know? Although "megillah" is a slang word in English, it has perfectly respectable Hebrew origins. "Megillah" derives from the Yiddish "megile," which itself comes from the Hebrew word "megillah," meaning "scroll" or "volume." ("Megillah" is especially likely to be used in reference to the Book of Esther, which is read aloud at Purim celebrations.) It makes sense, then, that when "megillah" first appeared in English in the mid- 20th century, it referred to a story that was so long (and often also tedious or complicated) that it was reminiscent of the length of the megillah scrolls. The Hebrew word is serious, but the Yiddish "megile" can be somewhat playful, and our "megillah" has also inherited that lightheartedness.
haruspex \huh-RUSS-peks\ noun : a diviner in ancient Rome basing his predictions on inspection of the entrails of sacrificial animals
Example sentence: The haruspex declared that the outcome of the battle would be favorable.
Did you know? "Haruspex" was formed in Latin by the combination of "haru-" (which is akin to "chorde," the Latin word for "gut") and "-spex" (from the verb "specere," meaning "to look"). Appropriately, "haruspex" can be roughly defined as "one who looks at guts." The ancient Romans had a number of ways of determining whether the gods approved of a particular course of action. Such divination was called "augury," and a haruspex was a type of "augur," an official diviner of ancient Rome. (Other augurs divined the will of the gods through slightly less gruesome means, such as observing the behavior of birds or tracking celestial phenomena.) "Haruspex," like "augur," has developed a general sense of "one who prophesies," but this use is somewhat rare.
prolegomenon \proh-lih-GAH-muh-nahn\ noun : prefatory remarks; specifically : a formal essay or critical discussion serving to introduce and interpret an extended work
Example sentence: The book is introduced by a lengthy prolegomenon, which is followed by 17 chapters of analysis.
Did you know? "Prolegomenon" is the singular and "prolegomena" is the plural of this scholarly word, though people sometimes mistakenly interpret "prolegomena" as the singular. The word, which comes from the Greek verb "prolegein" ("to say beforehand"), first appeared in print around 1652. It has appeared in the titles of noteworthy scholarly and philosophical works, but it has never been as common in general use as its older cousin "prologue." "Prologue" usually refers to an introduction to a literary work or to a speech addressed to the audience at the beginning of a play. "Prolegomenon" is most often used of the introduction to a work of scholarly analysis. Both words can also be used in a broader sense to refer generally to something that serves as an introduction.
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I wanted to get a clear look at the results of the exteme opera challenge so I would know which soprano to bet on, but unfortunately I had left my haruspex at home.
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repine \rih-PYNE\ verb *1 : to feel or express dejection or discontent : complain 2 : to long for something
Example sentence: "They saw less of each other, and Robyn was aware that this did not cause her to repine as much as perhaps it should have done." (David Lodge, _Nice Work_)
Did you know? In longing, one can "repine over" something ("repining over her lost past"), or one can "pine for" something. The two words, used thus, mean close to the same thing, but not exactly. "Pining" is intense longing for what one once knew. "Repine" adds an element of discontent to any longing -- an element carried over from its first sense ("to feel or express dejection or discontent"), which has been in use since the16th century. (Washington Irving used the first sense in his 1820 work _The Sketch Book_: "Through the long and weary day he repines at his unhappy lot.") "Pine" and "repine" are from Old English "pinian" ("to suffer") and probably ultimately from Latin "poena" ("punishment"). "Poena" also gave us our word "pain."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. (c) 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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fastidious \fass-TIH-dee-uss\ adjective 1 : having high and often unpredictable standards *2 : showing a meticulous or demanding attitude
Example sentence: The celebrated imperial Easter eggs designed by goldsmith Peter Carl Faberge are regarded as the ultimate in fastidious workmanship.
Did you know? There's nothing offensive about fastidious workmanship, and yet the word "fastidious" traces to the Latin noun "fastidium," meaning "disgust." "Fastidium" itself is most likely a combination of the Latin words "fastus," meaning "arrogance," and "taedium," meaning "irksomeness." ("Taedium" also gave us our "tedium.") In keeping with its Latin roots, "fastidious" once meant "haughty" or "scornful" or "disgusting" or "disagreeable," although those uses are now archaic or obsolete. The word then came to be applied to someone who was overly difficult to please or squeamish, and later, to work which reflected a demanding or precise attitude.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
agita \AJ-uh-tuh\ noun : a feeling of agitation or anxiety
Example sentence: The prosecuting attorney's aggressive cross-examination seemed to give the defendant agita.
Did you know? Judging by its spelling and meaning, you might think that "agita" is simply a shortened version of "agitation," but that's not the case. Both "agitation" and the verb "agitate" derive from the Latin "agere" ("to drive"). "Agita," which first appeared in English in the early 1980s, comes from a dialectical pronunciation of the Italian "acido," meaning "heartburn" or "acid," which derives from the Latin "acidus." For a while its usage in American English was limited to New York City and surrounding regions, but the word became more widespread in the mid-90s.
bamboozle \bam-BOO-zul\ verb *1 : to deceive by underhanded methods : dupe, hoodwink 2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely
Example sentence: Tommy bamboozled his parents into believing he was too sick to go to school last Friday.
Did you know? In 1710, Irish author Jonathan Swift wrote an article on "the continual Corruption of our English Tongue" in which he complained of "the Choice of certain Words invented by some pretty Fellows." Among the inventions Swift disliked were "bamboozle," "bubble" (a dupe), "put" (a fool), and "sham." (Perhaps he objected to the use of "sham" as a verb; he himself used the adjective meaning "false" a couple of years previously.) What all these words appear to have in common is a connection to the underworld as jargon of criminals. Other than that, the origin of "bamboozle" remains a mystery, but the over 300-year-old word has clearly defied Swift's assertion that "All new affected Modes of Speech ... are the first perishing Parts in any Language."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
evanescent \eh-vuh-NEH-sunt\ adjective : tending to vanish like vapor
Example sentence: For Marcy, the enchantment of the elegant ballroom was as evanescent as Cinderella's gilded coach -- it vanished the instant Dudley appeared.
Did you know? The fragile, airy quality of things "evanescent" reflects the word's etymology. "Evanescent" derives from the Latin verb "evanescere," which means "to evaporate" or "to vanish." English has several other words that mean lasting or staying only a short time. "Ephemeral" and "transitory" apply to what is bound to pass ("superstardom is transitory"); "ephemeral," especially, implies striking brevity of duration ("fads, by their very nature, are ephemeral"). "Fugitive" and "fleeting" imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult ("a fugitive smile flitted across his face"; "caught a fleeting glimpse"). "Fugacious," which we featured as a Word of the Day in July, is used of all things fleeting and transitory; it's also the least common of these synonyms.
trichotillomania • \trih-kuh-tih-luh-MAY-nee-uh\ • noun : an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair
Example sentence: Randolph’s affliction with trichotillomania left him with an unfortunate array of bald spots along the crown of his head.
Did you know? The word "trichotillomania" derives from the Greek "trich-" ("hair") and "tillein" ("to pull, pluck"), along with the suffix "-mania" (from "mainesthai," meaning "to be mad"). People suffering from trichotillomania will routinely pluck hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes or other parts of the body, usually impulsively but sometimes with careful deliberation (such as by using tweezers). Some researchers believe that it may be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The word for this condition first appeared in English around the dawn of the 20th century (it’s generally thought to have been first coined in French by a dermatologist named François Hallopeau). It has been only recently, however, that the condition has been given significant attention by medical researchers.
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The Word of the Day for Oct 24 is: brouhaha \BROO-hah-hah\ noun : hubbub, uproar
Example sentence: The unexpected arrival of the company president caused a huge brouhaha in the office, sending everyone scurrying to tidy their desks and try to look as busy and efficient as possible.
Did you know? There is a bit of a brouhaha over the etymology of "brouhaha." Some etymologists think the word is onomatopoeic in origin, but others believe it comes from the Hebrew phrase "bārūkh habbā'," meaning "blessed be he who enters" (Ps 118:26). Although we borrowed our spelling and meaning of "brouhaha" directly from French in the late 19th century, etymologists have connected the French derivation to that frequently-recited Hebrew phrase, distorted to something like "brouhaha" by worshippers whose knowledge of Hebrew was limited. Thus, once out of the synagogue, the word first meant "a noisy confusion of sound" — a sense that was later extended to refer to any tumultuous and confused situation.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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Uh huh, sure. The onomatopoeic explanation makes sense. The "baruch haba'a" one is not only debated by the best entymology site I know of, but makes no sense to me. I use the phrase. To welcome people. Sort of a combination of "Look who's here!" and "Come on in!" It seem unlikely that it would be used by "confused worshipers" -- especially on a regular basis.
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posted
The Word of the Day for Oct 25 is: beguile \bih-GHYLE\ verb
*1 : to deceive by cunning means 2 : to draw notice or interest by wiles or charm 3 : to cause (as time) to pass pleasantly
Example sentence: Austin's ingratiating manner and knowing air beguiled us all, and it was only after he had swindled us and disappeared with our money that we discovered his true nature.
Did you know? "Deceive," "mislead," "delude," and "beguile" all mean to lead astray or frustrate, usually by underhandedness. "Deceive" implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness (as in "they tried to deceive me about the cost"). "Mislead" implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional (as in "I was misled by the confusing sign"). "Delude" implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth (as in "we were deluded into thinking we were safe"). "Beguile" stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving (as in "they were beguiled by false promises").
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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The Word of the Day for Oct 27 is: abstemious \ab-STEE-mee-uss\ adjective : marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint
Example sentence: My 100-year-old aunt attributes her longevity to her abstemious habits.
Did you know? "Abstemious" and "abstain" look alike, and both have meanings involving self-restraint or self-denial. So they must both come from the same source, right? Well, that's partly true. Both get their start from the Latin prefix "abs-," meaning "from" or "away," but "abstain" traces to "abs-" plus the Latin verb "tenēre" (meaning "to hold"), while "abstemious" gets its "-temious" from a suffix akin to the Latin noun "temetum," meaning "intoxicating drink." (It makes sense, therefore, that abstemious behavior usually involves staying away from intoxicating drinks.) "Abstain" is the older word, first appearing in the 14th century; "abstemious" didn't turn up in print in English until 1609.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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The Word of the Day for Oct 29 is: untoward \ un-TOH-erd \ adjective
*1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable 2 a : marked by trouble or unhappiness : unlucky b : not favorable : adverse, unpropitious 3 : improper, indecorous
Example sentence: After a few obedience classes, Bowser's untoward behavior faded quite a bit, but he was still having trouble with "sit" and "stay."
Did you know? More than 700 years ago, English speakers began using the word "toward" of "forward-moving" youngsters, the kind who showed promise and were disposed to listening to their elders. After about 150 years, the use was broadened somewhat to mean simply "docile" or "obliging." The opposite of this "toward" is "froward," meaning "perverse" or "ungovernable." Today, "froward" has fallen out of common use, and the cooperative sense of "toward" is downright obsolete, but the "newcomer" to this series — "untoward" — has kept its toehold. "Untoward" first showed up in the 1400s, and it is still used, just as it was then, as a synonym of "unruly," "undisciplined," "unmanageable," and "fractious."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
: a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing
Example sentence: After learning about solipsism in Philosophy 101, Dan wondered if the things around him might just be products of his own mind.
Did you know? Fans of René Descartes credit the French philosopher with introducing solipsism as a major problem of modern philosophy, but the word "solipsism" most likely sprang from a French satire called La Monarchie des Solipses written by Giulio Clemente Scotti in 1652 (two years after Descartes's death). The term wasn't used in English until the late 19th century, when "solipsism," a composite of the Latin "solus" ("alone") and "ipse" ("self"), was applied purely in the philosophical sense. Recently the word has taken on another, more general sense, suggesting selfishness or self-indulgence. Be careful not to confuse it with "solecism," which refers to a grammatical error in speech, or to a breach of etiquette.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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The Word of the Day for Oct 31 is: palpable \ PAL-puh-bul\ adjective
1 : capable of being touched or felt : tangible *2 : easily perceptible : noticeable, manifest
Example sentence: There was a palpable excitement in the air as the children donned their costumes in preparation for Halloween trick-or-treating.
Did you know? The word "palpable" has been used in English since the 14th century. It derives from the Latin word "palpare," meaning "to stroke" or "to caress." Although "perceptible" is synonymous with "palpable," there is a slight difference between the two. "Perceptible" applies to what can be discerned by the senses in general (as in "a perceptible difference in sound to a careful listener"), whereas "palpable," as its Latin root suggests, applies mostly to what has physical substance or to what is obvious and unmistakable ("the two fabrics had a palpable difference in quality"). If you are looking for a synonym that implies a more physical nature, then try "tangible," which suggests what is capable of being handled or grasped both physically and mentally ("no tangible evidence of UFOs").
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
posted
The Word of the Day for Nov 01 is: didactic \ dye-DAK-tik\ adjective
1 a : designed or intended to teach b : intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment *2 : making moral observations
Example sentence: Louise reported that the new collection of children's stories was "fun and well-written, but a little too didactic."
Did you know? "Didaktikos" is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from "didaskein," meaning "to teach." Something "didactic" does just that: teaches or instructs. "Didactic" conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. "Didactic" now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
posted
The Word of the Day for Nov 02 is: vicarious \ vye-KAIR-ee-us\ adjective
1 : acting for another 2 : done or suffered by one person on behalf of another or others *3 : experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another
Example sentence: Armchair travelers receive much vicarious pleasure through reading about other people's journeys to far-off lands.
Did you know? If you act in someone's stead, you take his or her place, at least temporarily. The oldest meaning of "vicarious," which was first recorded in 1637, is "serving in someone or something's stead." The word "vicarious" derives from the Latin noun "vicis," which means "change," "alternation," or "stead." "Vicis" is also the source of the English prefix "vice-" (as in "vice president"), meaning "one that takes the place of."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
posted
(BTW, is anyone actually reading this thread anymore? Or am I talking to myself again? )
The Word of the Day for Nov 03 is: arbitrary \ AR-buh-trair-ee\ adjective
1 : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law 2 : not restrained or limited in the exercise of power : ruling by absolute authority *3 : based on or determined by individual preference or convenience or by chance
Example sentence: The decision of where to go for dinner ended up being completely arbitrary.
Did you know? "Arbitrary" is derived from the same source as "arbiter." The Latin word "arbiter" means "judge," and so it's no surprise that English adopted it, via Anglo-French, with the meaning "one who judges a dispute" (although it can now also be used for anyone whose judgment is respected). "Arbitrary" traces back to the Latin adjective "arbitrarius" ("done by way of legal arbitration"), which itself comes from "arbiter." The English "arbitrary" first meant "depending upon choice or discretion," and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by a personal choice or whim.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
Pronunciation: "e-v&-'ne-s&n(t)s Function: noun Date: 1751 1 : the process or fact of evanescing (a gradual disappearance) 2 : a tendancy to evenesce, evanescent quality, transitoriness 3 : a really cool band
risible • \RIH-zuh-bull\ • adjective 1 a : capable of laughing b : disposed to laugh *2 : arousing or provoking laughter; especially : laughable
Example sentence: During the rain delay, the crowd was entertained by the risible antics of the baseball teams' mascots.
Did you know? "Risible" first appeared in English in the mid-16th century, deriving from the Latin verb "ridēre," meaning "to laugh," the same root that gave us the words "ridiculous" and "deride." The adjective "risible" has a number of applications, describing things that either cause laughter (such as a clown's act) or are simply related to laughter. Your "risible muscles," for example, are the ones that can be used for laughing—similarly, you also have a set of lesser-known muscles (called risorius muscles) around your mouth that help you smile. We sometimes encounter "risible" in English as a plural noun; a person who has the risibles has an easily triggered sense of humor.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
posted
Rivka's beguiling yet abstemious didactic efforts to expand reader's vocabulary were viewed by many as arbitrary and untoward, and she often wondered if it was a bootless and solipsistic task that was only the first step towards trichotillomania; Morbo made her efforts palpable to show her that her labors were not in vain, before her patience evanesced and a risable brouhaha of hair-pulling ensued.
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Uh huh, sure. The onomatopoeic explanation makes sense. The "baruch haba'a" one is not only debated by the best ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
It seem unlikely that it would be used by "confused worshipers" -- especially on a regular basis.
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