A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed May 1 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--squarely X-Bonus: A misery is not to be measured from the nature of the evil, but from the temper of the sufferer. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1 May 1672-1719) This week's theme: Words from geometry squarely (SKWAIR-lee) adverb 1. In a straightforward or frank manner. 2. Firmly. 3. Directly. 4. At right angles. [From square, from Latin exquadrare (to square). Earliest documented use: 1557.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/squarely https://wordsmith.org/words/images/squarely_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "After writing and revising three chapters of what I envisioned as my first book, I showed a draft to my wife, an endocrinologist. She read them, and then looked at me squarely. 'They’re awful,' she said." Jerome Groopman; The Scalpel and the Pen; The New Yorker; Jul 25, 2022. -------- Date: Thu May 2 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tangent X-Bonus: It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen. -Jerome K. Jerome, humorist and playwright (2 May 1859-1927) This week's theme: Words from geometry tangent (TAN-juhnt) noun: 1. A line of thought or action that diverges from the main topic or course. 2. A line that touches a curve or a surface at one point but doesn't cross it. adjective: 1. Straying from the main topic. 2. Touching a curve or a surface at one point without crossing it. [From Latin tangere (to touch). Earliest documented use: 1594.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/tangent https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tangent_large.jpg Cartoon: Christopher Burke http://mrburkemath.blogspot.com/2020/01/off-on-tangent.html "Be cognizant of the exact question you were asked and make sure to answer it fully before going off on a tangent." Ryan Joseph; Job Interview Etiquette; Security Business (Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin); Nov 2023. "If once this tangent flight of mine were over, and I were returned to my wonted leisurely motion in my old circle, I may probably endeavour to return her poetic compliment in kind." Robert Burns; The Letters of Robert Burns, vol 1; Oxford University Press; 1986. -------- Date: Fri May 3 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--asymptote X-Bonus: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) This week's theme: Words from geometry asymptote (AS-im-toht) noun 1. Something or someone that gets closer and closer but never touches. 2. A straight line whose distance to a curve approaches zero as the curve approaches infinity. [From Greek asymptotos (not falling together), from a- (not) + syn (with) + ptotos (falling), from piptein (to fall). Earliest documented use: 1656.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/asymptote Mathematics Love Stories https://wordsmith.org/words/images/asymptote_large.jpg Cartoon: theroundpanda https://www.reddit.com/r/comics/comments/9f808t/math_love_stories_oc/ "Language, in relation to thought, must ever be regarded as an asymptote." F.W. Farrar; Essay on Origin of Language; John Murray; 1860. "If I were a function, you would be my asymptote. I always tend toward you." Penny Reid; Neanderthal Seeks Human; Cipher-Naught; 2013. "He scooped her into his arms and carried her into the interior part of the house. A place where they would pledge their love and become the asymptote that defied all the odds, when it dared to intersect and join lovers as one." Tina Beckett; How to Win the Surgeon’s Heart; Harlequin; 2021. -------- Date: Mon May 6 00:01:03 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--snail mail X-Bonus: What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now they are content with burning my books. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) You've got mail. Well, I first got mine in 1990. As a freshly minted software engineer, I worked in a telecom lab in New Delhi where I was given my first email account. I wanted to go for higher education so I sent an electronic mail to Dr. Lee White, the head of computer science at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. When I arrived at work the next morning and logged in at my terminal, Dr. White's reply was waiting for me. He had answered my questions and encouraged me to apply for grad school. It felt like magic. Sending a message 8000 miles and receiving a reply back in a short time, even with a ten-and-a-half hour time difference. Electronic mail became e-mail, which became email, which simplified further to just mail. Now, we use the retronym snail mail to differentiate it from electronic communications. But there are many kinds of mail: - Email and postal mail, from Old French malle (bag) - Chain mail, an armor made of interlinked rings, from Old French maile (loop) - Blackmail, from Middle English male (rent or tribute) These three types of mails are homonyms -- they have the same spelling and pronunciation -- but they are distinct words with distinct origins. This week we'll explore words that relate to one or more senses of the word mail. Share your snail mail, email, chain mail, and other mail stories on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/snail_mail.html or write to us at words@wordsmith.org include your location (city, state). You could even snail mail us at: Wordsmith.org PO Box 2155 Woodinville WA 98072-2155 USA snail mail or snailmail (SNAYL-mayl) noun: The physical delivery of letters and other material. Also, a piece of such mail. verb tr., intr.: To send a letter or other material by the postal system. [From snail, known for its sluggishness, from Old English snægl + mail, from Old French malle (bag). Earliest documented use: 1929.] A public service ad that encourages the use of ZIP codes when mailing letters through the US Postal Service https://wordsmith.org/words/images/snail_mail_large.jpg Image: LIFE, Nov 22, 1968 https://books.google.com/books?id=-VMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA112-IA5 NOTES: Snail mail alludes to the slow speed of postal service compared to email. You'd think the term is relatively recent, but we have the earliest known use of the term from 1929, long before the Internet, even before computers. The OED cites an "Indianapolis Star" article in which the term snail mail was used because the letter arrived three years after mailing. The term remained largely unused until the rise of email, when it gained popularity as a way to distinguish traditional mail from digital communication. Snail mail as it has been popularized is an example of a retronym, a word coined to describe something when a new format takes over the former meaning. Before electric guitars became popular, what was earlier simply a guitar had to be called an acoustic guitar. With the popularity of ebooks and audiobooks, now sometimes we have to explicitly specify paper books. "Brent once told me you still keep up with your friends by snail mail, and I think that's so special, but writing things by hand requires a personal touch." Ginny Baird; The Duplicate Bride; Entangled Publishing; 2020. "He also hadn't called, texted, snail mailed, or courier pigeoned." Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen; Him; Rennie Road Books ; 2021. -------- Date: Tue May 7 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--greenmail X-Bonus: Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) This week's theme: Words related to mail greenmail (GREEN-mayl) noun: The practice of buying a large quantity of a company's stock as a means of hostile takeover, then selling it back to the company at a higher price. verb tr.: To subject a company to this tactic. [From green (money), from greenback (US currency note, from the color of its printing) + mail (as in blackmail), from Middle English male (rent or tribute), from Old English mal (agreement, pay), from Old Norse mal (agreement). Earliest documented use: 1983.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/greenmail https://wordsmith.org/words/images/greenmail_large.jpg A 1987 Herblock Cartoon, © The Herb Block Foundation https://www.loc.gov/item/2012641958/ "The team pulled together by the bond holders ... suggests that they are in for the longer haul -- not just for a quick buck through greenmail." Richard Gluyas; Surprise Move Adds to the Turbulence in Airline Dogfight; The Australian (Canberra); Jun 25, 2020. -------- Date: Wed May 8 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--postal X-Bonus: Jazz arises from a spirit of love, it comes from the mind and heart and goes through the fingertips. -Mary Lou Williams, pianist, arranger, and composer (8 May 1910-1981) This week's theme: Words related to mail postal (POHS-tuhl) adjective 1. Relating to the mail or the post office. 2. Very angry, insane, or violent. [From French poste, from the posting of horse riders at intervals to transport letters along a route. Earliest documented use: sense 1: 1842, sense 2: 1993.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/postal "But he calms my anxiety." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/postal_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ NOTES: In the 1980s and 1990s, a series of unconnected shootings by disgruntled workers of the US Postal Service (USPS) led to the phrase "going postal". This term highlights extreme anger or violence, gaining prominence despite the homicide rate at USPS being only a fraction of that in the general workplace. With over half a million employees at the USPS, these incidents notably stood out. "'I still have every expectation that you'll be nominated by the White House and confirmed by the Senate as the youngest woman on the federal appeals bench, to say nothing of the prettiest.' ... 'Any more flattery like that today and I'll go postal.'" Elizabeth Lowell; The Wrong Hostage; Avon; 2006. -------- Date: Thu May 9 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mailed fist X-Bonus: The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it. -J.M. Barrie, novelist and playwright (9 May 1860-1937) This week's theme: Words related to mail mailed fist (MAYLD fist) noun A threat or show of force to maintain control. [Translation of German gepanzerter Faust (mailed fist), from Panzer (armor) + Faust (fist). The word mail here is an armor made of interlinked rings, as in chain mail, from Old French maile (loop). Earliest documented use: 1897.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mailed_fist_large.jpg Image: Niroflex http://niroflex.com/ NOTES: On Dec 16, 1897, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany sent his brother, Prince Henry, to take action in China with the instructions "fahre darein mit gepanzerter Faust ..." No, the emperor wasn't telling his little brother to read Goethe's literary work "Faust", which explores themes of power and ambition. Faust here is, literally, a fist (nouns are capitalized in German). Here, "Faust" literally means "fist", emphasizing a direct approach using military strength. "[Field Marshal John French] always felt conflicted over Ireland and vacillated between the mailed fist and the hand of friendship towards the Irish." Ronan McGreevy; An Irishman's Diary; Irish Times (Dublin); May 8, 2018. -------- Date: Fri May 10 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--graymail X-Bonus: The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -Bono, musician and social activist (b. 10 May 1960) This week's theme: Words related to mail graymail (GRAY-mayl) noun: 1. A defense tactic in an espionage trial where the accused threatens to reveal secrets to avoid prosecution. 2. Email that the recipient no longer finds valuable even though it's not spam. For example, a newsletter from a company where one has shopped. verb tr.: To compel the prosecution to drop charges by threatening to disclose sensitive information. [Formed on the pattern of blackmail, utilizing "gray" to denote something that is indeterminate or falls into a "gray area". The word mail here (as in blackmail) is from Middle English male (rent or tribute), from Old English mail (agreement, pay), from Old Norse mal (agreement). Earliest documented use: 1978.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/graymail_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "We plan to embarrass the hell out of them. We're going to graymail them. Bring out operation info, stuff they don't want out in the daylight." Joseph Finder; High Crimes; William Morrow; 1998. "She was going through the graymail, trashing unwanted messages, of which we'd had a rash last night." Craig Johnson; Another Man's Moccasins; Penguin; 2008. -------- Date: Mon May 13 00:01:01 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--galvanic X-Bonus: Modern English is the Wal-Mart of languages: convenient, huge, hard to avoid, superficially friendly, and devouring all rivals in its eagerness to expand. -Mark Abley, writer and editor (b. 13 May 1955) Sometimes we name a person after a word. Consider the names Hope, Charity, Chastity (what a burdensome name to saddle a person with), Mercy, and so on. Less often, we name a word after a person. For example, the words boycott https://wordsmith.org/words/boycott.html , atlas https://wordsmith.org/words/atlas.html, and guy https://wordsmith.org/words/guy.html are all coined after someone. A word coined after someone is called an eponym, from Greek epi- (upon) + -onym (name). You have to do something really good, bad, or unique for a word to be coined after you. This week we'll feature such words, words coined after people who may be real, fictional, mythical, or literary. What eponyms would you like to coin after someone in your personal life or someone widely known. Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/galvanic.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. Include your location (city, state). galvanic (gal-VAN-ik) adjective 1. Stimulating; energizing; shocking. 2. Relating to electric current, especially direct current. [After Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), physician and physicist known for his pioneering experiments on the electrical stimulation of animal tissues, which demonstrated the existence of electricity within biological organisms. Earliest documented use: 1797.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/galvanic Luigi Galvani experimenting on frogs, assisted by his wife Lucia Galeazzi https://wordsmith.org/words/images/galvanic_large.jpg Art: Antonio Muzzi, 1862 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antonio_Muzzi,_Luigi_Galvani_compie_esperimenti_con_la_macchina_elettrostatica_alla_presenza_dei_familiari,_1862.png "[The demonetization] caused economic carnage -- but also gave digital payments a galvanic boost." E-Rupification; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 8, 2019. "The face sensors supplied one set of data points. So did a device that analyzed galvanic skin response." Sue Halpern; Flying Aces; The New Yorker; Jan 24, 2022. -------- Date: Tue May 14 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stan X-Bonus: Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978) This week's theme: Eponyms stan (stan) noun: An extremely zealous or obsessive fan. verb tr., intr.: To be or act as such a fan. [After Stan (short for Stanley), the title character of rap artist Eminem's song from the year 2000. Earliest documented use: 2000.] "Stan" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLZFdqwh7E (6 min.) NOTES: The song "Stan" tells the story of a fan who becomes increasingly obsessive, ultimately leading to tragic consequences. Stan dresses up like his idol Eminem, adopts the rapper's hairstyle, emulates his style, and obsessively writes to him. Even imagines life with him instead of his pregnant wife. Some have speculated that the term Stan is a blend of stalker + fan, but the name was likely chosen for the rhyme. "Trump loves to encourage his brainwashed stans to boo and hiss at 'the media'." Vinay Menon; As Trump Shovels, the Media Grovels; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 18, 2024. -------- Date: Wed May 15 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--maecenatism X-Bonus: The past is never where you think you left it. -Katherine Anne Porter, writer and activist (15 May 1890-1980) This week's theme: Eponyms Maecenatism (my/mi-SEE-nuh-tiz-uhm) noun Patronage, for example, the support or financial sponsorship provided to artists, musicians, or writers. [After Gaius Cilnius Maecenas (c. 70-8 BCE), a wealthy adviser to the Roman Emperor Augustus. Maecenas was renowned for his generous patronage of poets like Horace and Virgil. Earliest documented use: 1606.] "Maecenas Presenting the Liberal Arts", 1743 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/maecenatism_large.jpg Art: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gaius_Maecenas_in_paintings#/media/File:Giovanni_Battista_Tiepolo_-_Maecenas_Presenting_the_Liberal_Arts_-_1743.jpg "In several port cities, museums and artists used to be sponsored by captains of port industry. ... In our view, port authorities should take initiatives aimed at reviving and structuring such port and shipping-based maecenatism." Eric Van Hooydonk; Soft Values of Seaports; Garant; 2007. -------- Date: Thu May 16 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--alastor X-Bonus: I want people to talk to one another no matter what their difference of opinion might be. -Studs Terkel, author and broadcaster (16 May 1912-2008) This week's theme: Eponyms alastor (uh-LAS-tuhr) noun An avenger. [After Alastor, a deity or spirit of vengeance in Greek mythology. The name is apparently from Greek a- (not) + lathein (to forget), alluding to this deity's role in ensuring that the members of a family remember acts of vengeance and commit fresh crimes, thus perpetuating the cycle of bloodshed (think Romeo & Juliet's families). Earliest documented use: 1603.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/alastor_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "It's too bad you went to Eton and Oxford, Roundsby. If you had been brought up by a gypsy grandmother, you would have recognized an alastor too, and perhaps taken steps to be rid of me." Rebecca J. Allred, et al.; Chilling Horror; Flame Tree; 2016. -------- Date: Fri May 17 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Pygmalion X-Bonus: A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) This week's theme: Eponyms Pygmalion (pig-MAYL-yuhn, -MAY-lee-uhn) noun: A mentor, especially a man who mentors a woman. adjective: Describing a word considered offensive, such as a swear word. [From George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play "Pygmalion". Earliest documented use: noun: 1926, adjective: 1914.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Pygmalion Flower girl Eliza Doolittle meets Professor Henry Higgins https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pygmalion_large.jpg Photo: Richard Maney/Friedman-Abeles/Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Doolittle#/media/File:Julie_Andrews_Rex_Harrison_My_Fair_Lady.JPG Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison in the musical "My Fair Lady", which was based on a 1938 film, which was adapted from Shaw's play, which was inspired by the Victorian play "Pygmalion and Galatea" by W.S. Gilbert, which was in turn inspired by the epic poem Metamorphoses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphoses by Ovid in ancient Rome. The chain of inspiration ends at the Greek myth of Pygmalion https://wordsmith.org/words/pygmalionism.html , the king of Cyprus, who fell in love with a statue he carved, which was then brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite https://wordsmith.org/words/aphrodisiac.html . NOTES: In George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion", professor Henry Higgins coaches a flower seller named Eliza Doolittle, so she can move in high society with ease and pass off as a duchess. The play was a success and the title of the play became synonymous with a mentor, especially a man who mentors a woman. The play has another distinction. At the time, the word "bloody" was considered highly obscene in the UK. In the play, Eliza Doolittle has the line, "Walk! Not bloody likely!" which created a big sensation. This resulted in people starting to use the word "Pygmalion" as an euphemism for "bloody", as in "Not Pygmalion likely". The word "bloody" was also known as the "Shavian adjective". Shaw was inspired by the Greek myth of Pygmalion https://wordsmith.org/words/pygmalionism.html , the king of Cyprus, who fell in love with a statue he carved, which was then brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite https://wordsmith.org/words/aphrodisiac.html . "So many parents fashion themselves novice Pygmalions, obsessed with the notion that their spawn will be the masterpiece of a lifetime." Jean-Louis Baroux; Terror Over the Vatican; L'Archipel; 2014. "Pat was enraged at the thought and told him so in no uncertain terms. 'Married to you? Not Pygmalion likely.'" Rebecca Shaw; Village Matters; Phoenix Books; 1996. "Emma Duffin reported that one of her charges 'used the Pygmalion word to me' (bloody), but she made him apologise." Julian Walker; Words and the First World War; Bloomsbury; 2017. -------- Date: Mon May 20 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pitch-perfect X-Bonus: The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. -John Stuart Mill, philosopher and economist (20 May 1806-1873) 80 to 116 beats per minute, that's good music. Anything outside of that range? Not good. This is according to Musa Dadayev, Minister of Culture in Chechnya. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/08/europe/chechnya-music-ban-scli-intl/index.html I support his beliefs. Dadayev can listen to music within that 37 bpm range in his car and in his home. He can even decide that only that kind of music will be played at the parties he throws. The problem begins when he decrees that other people must also listen only to music in that range. If some music is too slow or too fast for your liking, just don't listen to it. That would be the obvious answer, but what good is being a dictator if you can't impose your musical tastes on others? The same goes for stuff beyond music. For example, if your favorite book validates only attraction to people of the opposite sex, feel free to follow it. But your desire for imposing your retro norm on others is just as ludicrous as Dadayev imposing his metronome on you. Do whatever brings you joy. Heavy metal sounds discordant to my ears, but if it's your thing, who am I to tell you otherwise? I can enjoy jazz any time but if it doesn't do anything for you, that's perfectly cool. (But maybe try again -- it's the best.) Maybe we all can listen to Thoreau who once said, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." Don't hurt anyone; other than that do whatever your inner drummer tells you. Music is such a personal thing; it beats me why anyone would force it upon or deny it to anyone. This week we're all music. We'll feature terms from the world of music that are also used metaphorically. pitch-perfect (pich-PUHR-fikt) adjective 1. Perfect in every way, especially in being sensitive to a particular situation. 2. Right tone, pitch, mood, etc. [From pitch, from Old English pic + perficere (to finish), from per- (across) + facere (to do). Earliest documented use: 1902.] NOTES: Perfect pitch, also known as absolute pitch, is the ability to identify or sing a given pitch without the aid of an external reference. And what are *perfect* pitches, the right range of frequencies? You'll have to ask Dadayev. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pitch-perfect_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "Hanks captures the child's-eye view of the world with pitch-perfect accuracy." Emma Brockes; Tom Hanks Turns Author With "Uncommon Type"; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 14, 2017. -------- Date: Tue May 21 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fanfare X-Bonus: When I am asked, "What, in your view, is the worst human rights problem in the world today?" I reply: "Absolute poverty." This is not the answer most journalists expect. It is neither sexy nor legalistic. But it is true. -Mary Robinson, 7th President of Ireland (b. 21 May 1944) This week's theme: Words from music fanfare (FAN-fayr) noun 1. A showy public display. 2. A brief, lively sounding of brass instruments, especially trumpets, in a celebration. [From French, ultimately of echoic origins. Earliest documented use: 1605. Also see fanfaron https://wordsmith.org/words/fanfaron.html and fanfaronade https://wordsmith.org/words/fanfaronade.html . It's not known if these two words are related to today's word.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/fanfare https://wordsmith.org/words/images/fanfare_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "And so, a country so rich in bamboo, must celebrate the plant with much fanfare." Lakshana Palat; The Korean Damyang Bamboo Festival; Gulf News (Dubai); May 9, 2024. -------- Date: Wed May 22 00:01:02 EDT 2024 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--downbeat X-Bonus: I should dearly love that the world should be ever so little better for my presence. Even on this small stage we have our two sides, and something might be done by throwing all one's weight on the scale of breadth, tolerance, charity, temperance, peace, and kindliness to man and beast. We can't all strike very big blows, and even the little ones count for something. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) This week's theme: Words from music downbeat (DAUN-beet) noun: 1. The downward stroke of a conductor indicating the first or an accented beat of a measure. 2. The first beat of a measure. adjective: 1. Gloomy or pessimistic. 2. Understated, muted, or restrained. [From down, from Old English dun/dune, from adune (downward), from the phrase "of dune" (off the hill), from dun (hill) + beat, from Old English beatan. Earliest documented use: 1766.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/downbeat NOTES: There's nothing pessimistic about the first beat of a measure, so why the metaphorical sense? The first beat of a measure is, in fact, usually accented. The metaphorical sense apparently arose from the association of "downbeat" with "beaten down". https://wordsmith.org/words/images/downbeat_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "My friend Josh was even more downbeat, concerned it would undo all of the progress I'd made over the last year." Lynne Raimondo; Dante's Poison; Seventh Street Books; 2014.