A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Mon Jan 3 00:01:07 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--skookum X-Bonus: Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols. -Thomas Mann, novelist, Nobel laureate (1875-1955) skookum (SKOO-kuhm) adjective Powerful; first-rate; impressive. [From Chinook Jargon, from a Chehalis word meaning spirit or ghost.] "Beth Baker of Knik may be an Iditarod rookie, but she's a skookum one." Opinion; Anchorage Daily News (Alaska); Mar 18, 1994. "His big seller is the Zooper Buddy, an all-terrain vehicle with three inflatable tires, an adjustable handle bar, amazing suspension and a skookum reclining seat." Karen Gram; Stroller Envy; Vancouver Sun (Canada); Oct 21, 2003. A peaceful and rewarding new year to you! The year 2005 has been designated as The Year of Languages in the US: http://yearoflanguages.org . There are numerous material reasons to learn a new language. But the one I believe most crucial is this: once we speak the language of a people, it's much harder to hate them. And once they are no longer alien to us, it's much more difficult to drop bombs on them. Ninth century king Charlemagne once said, "To know another language is to have a second soul." His words are still true in the twenty-first century. Learning a language is more than just learning words in the new language. It's also learning the culture of the people, understanding their dreams, their spirit, and their values. When you learn another language, you can see the world with a whole new set of eyes. If none of this convinces you that learning another language is a good idea, check out this article on research showing that language learning boosts the brain: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3739690.stm This week AWAD will feature five words we've borrowed from different languages. Instead of the more popular languages like Spanish or French, we've selected words that came to English from lesser-known languages: Chinook, Basque, Turkish, Romany, and Persian. Even though they're not as well-known to most of us, they are still spoken by thousands or millions of people. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jan 4 00:01:09 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chaparral X-Bonus: What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. -J.D. Salinger, writer (1919- ) chaparral (shap-uh-RAL, chap-) noun A dense, often impenetrable, growth of shrubs and thorny bushes. [From Spanish chaparral, from chaparro (dwarf evergreen oak), from Basque txapar (thicket).] "Satwiwa Loop Trail: an easy 1.5- mile stroll through grasslands and chaparral." Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa; Ventura County Star (Ventura, California); Dec 31, 2004. "But most of the images I'd shot were nothing but blue sky and some out-of-focus chaparral." Chris Welsch; Point and Shoot; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Dec 26, 2004. This week's theme: words borrowed from other languages. -------- Date: Wed Jan 5 00:01:11 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bosh X-Bonus: Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart. -Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) bosh (bosh) noun, interjection Nonsense. [From Turkish bos (empty). The term was popularized in English by its use in the novels of James J. Morier (1780-1849).] noun The lower sloping part of a blast furnace, between hearth and stack. [Apparently from German.] "'I was a flop in movies,' Mary Martin once told me. Bosh! She was rewriting history. Martin made a dozen Hollywood musicals, all successful, before decamping to Broadway fame." Jim Bawden; Very Special; Toronto Star (Canada); Sep 25, 1993. "The Advertising Standards Authority say it's OK to call Germans 'Krauts'. The Mirror disagrees and will not be using this obviously offensive term to describe our German friends." Talking Bosh; The Mirror (London, UK); Oct 24, 2001. This week's theme: words borrowed from other languages. -------- Date: Thu Jan 6 00:01:17 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nark X-Bonus: A faith that cannot survive collision with the truth is not worth many regrets. -Arthur C Clarke, science fiction writer (1917- ) nark (nark) noun 1. An annoying person. 2. A stool pigeon or informer verb intr. 1. To irritate or annoy. 2. To be an informer. [From Romany nak (nose). Ultimately from the Indo-European root nas- (nose) that is also the source of other words for nose: English nose, Hindi nak, Spanish nariz, French nez, and related words nuzzle, nostril, and nasal.] noun A variant of narc: a police officer involved in investigating narcotics violations. [From shortening of narcotic.] "He's a nark, complaining all the time." Today's Footie Latest; The Sun (London, UK); Dec 3, 2004. "They were going to teach the Heremaia boys a lesson - you don't nark on patched gang members." Bridget Carter; The Short Sad Life of a Youth Who Took the Wrong Path; The New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Dec 4, 2004. This week's theme: words borrowed from other languages. -------- Date: Fri Jan 7 00:01:10 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--peri X-Bonus: Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can't read them either. -Gore Vidal (1925- ) peri (PEER-ee) noun 1. A fairy in Persian mythology. 2. A beautiful, graceful girl or woman. [From Persian peri, variant of pari (fairy), from Avestan pairika (witch or female demon.] "'I am unworthy of such gifts,' he said to the peris." Amy Friedman; Simple Act of Generosity Multiplies, Returns; The Augusta Chronicle (Georgia); Jan 19, 2003. This week's theme: words borrowed from other languages. -------- Date: Mon Jan 10 00:01:08 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--grip X-Bonus: Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time. -Viktor Frankl, author, neurologist and psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor (1905-1997) grip (grip) noun A general assistant on a movie set responsible for handling production equipment, such as setting up and moving camera dollies, lighting, etc. The head grip is called the key grip. [From English grip since the task required firmly holding bulky material.] "'When I write a novel, I'm the writer, director, producer, best boy, grip, actor. I'm in control,' he (Brad Meltzer) says." Connie Ogle; Big Name, Zero Game; Miami Herald (Florida); Mar 15, 2004. "Ben Younger: I also worked as a grip on indie features like Walking and Talking. I got a ton out of that, especially technical proficiency.'" Matt Diehl; Celluloid Heroes; Rolling Stone (New York); Apr 13, 2000. What does it take to make a movie? A producer, a director, actors, and what else? Lots of money, of course. Often overlooked are hundreds of other people who work for months or often years behind the scenes to help create a couple of hours' magic. If you ever stay behind at the end of a movie (or stay tuned on TV) to read the rolling credits you'll see many funny sounding titles. They describe people who are essential to the movie-making business. Without them no movie would be possible, no matter how good the actors or director. What do those titles mean? This week's AWAD defines them. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jan 11 00:01:08 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gaffer X-Bonus: Scriptures, n. The sacred books of our holy religion, as distinguished from the false and profane writings on which all other faiths are based. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (1842-1914) [The Devil's Dictionary] gaffer (GAF-uhr) noun 1. The head of the electrical department responsible for the lighting setup on a movie or television set. 2. An old man, especially a country man. 3. A foreman, supervisor, or boss. [Contraction of godfather, influenced by grandfather.] Sense 1 comes from the fact that in the beginning longshoremen were employed to move heavy lighting equipment on a production set. They worked in a hierarchy and the one at the top was called gaffer as a term of respect. Sense 2 and 3 are chiefly British. The feminine equivalent of sense 2 is gammer (contraction of godmother). "The entire team is made up of Jaime Bengzon (executive producer and cinematographer), Alvin Santiago (production manager), Eric Jose Pancho (production designer), Elmo Redrico (art director), Manny Abanto (assistant Cameraman) and Tony Nugod (gaffer)." Francis Rex Alger; Behind the Scenes; The Manila Times (Philippines); Jul 28, 2003. "He (Bruce Willis) insists that these days it's almost as much fun giving money away as it is raking it in. He likes to stuff a paper bag with dozens of hundred-dollar bills and let the entire movie crew - down to the last grip and gaffer - hold a lottery to win it." David Hochman; Tough Guise; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Aug 9, 2003. This week's theme: words related to movie making. -------- Date: Wed Jan 12 00:01:20 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--best boy X-Bonus: We all love animals. Why do we call some "pets" and others "dinner?" -k.d. lang, singer (1961- ) best boy (best boi) noun The first assistant to the gaffer (head electrician) of a film crew. [Apparently borrowed from the sailing terminology.] "Cast and director commentaries are one thing, but do we really need one from the post-production team, as we've seen on the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King? What's next? 'Reflections from the Key Grip and Best Boy?'" Mike Snider and Thomas K. Arnold; Press 'Repeat' or 'Skip'; USA Today (Washington DC); Dec 28, 2004. This week's theme: words related to movie making. -------- Date: Thu Jan 13 00:01:11 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--foley X-Bonus: I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914) foley (FO-lee) adjective Of or relating to the sound effects. [After Jack Donovan Foley (1891-1967) who pioneered the techniques of adding sound effects during his three decades at Universal Pictures.] Why wouldn't they use the actual sounds in a movie? They could, but often very little is real on a studio set. Clanging of plastic swords isn't going to help the scene appear realistic. Also, ambient noise often precludes use of the actual sounds. That's where foley artists come in; they can recreate almost any sound in their studio, from footsteps to creaking of the floor and breaking of bones. Some tips on how you can create these sounds yourself: http://www.marblehead.net/foley/specifics.html "When Helga throws a pie at a cafeteria bully, the foley team adds the noise you hear in the final cartoon." Eric Unmacht; Here's How They Make a Cartoon; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Nov 9, 1999. "Stephen Hodges worked with his percussion like a foley artist, making sound effects more than rhythms." Neil Strauss; Tom Waits's Night on Earth; The New York Times; Mar 24, 1999. This week's theme: words related to movie making. -------- Date: Fri Jan 14 00:01:08 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stuntman X-Bonus: We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities...still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (1809-1882) stuntman (stunt-man) noun A man who substitutes for an actor in scenes involving dangerous feats. Also known as double. [From English word stunt (an unusual or dangerous feat) which is of unknown origin.] "Don Haggerty, 78, wrestler turned actor and stunt man, portrayed imposing characters in 22 films and more than 100 TV shows." Dixie Reid; Farewell Tour; Sacramento Bee (California); Dec 31, 2004. "After all, here is a man who had endured the torturous regime of a traditional Hong Kong film academy where he was trained as a stuntman for 10 years." Jackie Chan's Real-life Hero; The Star (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Dec 23, 2004. This week's theme: words related to movie making. -------- Date: Mon Jan 17 00:01:10 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--odium X-Bonus: What humbugs we are, who pretend to live for Beauty, and never see the Dawn! -Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (1865-1946) odium (O-dee-uhm) noun 1. Hatred accompanied by contempt. 2. A state of infamy or disgrace. [From Latin odium (hatred), from odisse (to hate). Ultimately from Indo-European root od- (to hate) that is also the source of the words annoy, noisome, and ennui.] Don't confuse this term with odeum: https://wordsmith.org/words/odeum.html "If we do not do what our duty tells us must be done, we will live in odium in the history of our progeny and our posterity." John Maxwell; Struggle For the Future; Jamaica Observer (Kingston); Jan 9, 2005. "Sir Humphrey Davy Abominated gravy. He lived in the odium Of having discovered sodium." Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875-1956). See: https://wordsmith.org/words/clerihew.html While growing up in India, I watched many puppet theaters, dramas, and movies. And my favorite: the magic shows! In the magic shows, besides the standard fare -- sawing a girl in half, making rabbits disappear, and the like -- there was a serial performance called the Water of India. After every few acts, the magician would walk to a pitcher on the table in one corner of the stage, lift it dramatically up in the air and say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Water of India!" He would turn the pitcher upside down to let the water pour out. The vessel was supposedly empty then, but after 15 minutes he would repeat this action, and more water would pour from the jug. While he performed that trick and I marveled at the magic pitcher that replenished itself, his assistants would set up the next trick. Well, consider this week's miscellaneous words theme the AWAD equivalent of the Water of India. Every few weeks we come up with, "Ladies & Gentlemen, here are the Miscellaneous Words!" while we think of more creative ways to arrange words in themes. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jan 18 00:01:09 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--presentism X-Bonus: In a pond koi can reach lengths of eighteen inches. Amazingly, when placed in a lake, koi can grow to three feet long. The metaphor is obvious. You are limited by how you see the world. -Vince Poscente, Olympian (1961- ) presentism (PREZ-uhn-tiz-uhm) noun Evaluating past events and people by present-day values. [From English present, from Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praesent- (stem of praesens), from present participle of praeesse (to be present before others), from prae- (pre-) + esse (to be).] Presentism is the application of current ideals and moral standards to interpret historical figures and their actions. For example, consider Mr. John Teacher who caned pupils in his 1889 class. A presentist would say that Mr. Teacher engaged in unacceptable violence against children while one with an opposing view would claim that since it was considered OK to hit children at the time, Mr. Teacher isn't to be blamed. Absenteeism isn't an opposite of presentism. Rather, it refers to chronic absence, e.g. from work or school. Another sense of the term presentism is the idea that the prophecies of Scripture (especially of the Apocalypse) are now being fulfilled. "In apocalyptic style, he (Jonathan Clark) says that presentism 'reaches back into the past to silence its message'." Stephen Howe; Fade to Blue; Independent (London, UK); Jul 12, 2003. "Presentism is very often advanced in defense of America's founders. It is comforting to think that their generation, so distant in time from us, lived in a condition of moral ignorance, and thus innocence, regarding slavery. But that is not the case. Even Thomas Jefferson, some of whose statements exhibit an almost demented racism, could see clearly that slavery utterly compromised the nation: 'I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.'" Henry Wiencek; Yale and the Price of Slavery; The New York Times; Aug 18, 2001. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Wed Jan 19 00:14:10 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--repine X-Bonus: Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have. -Emile Chartier, philosopher (1868-1951) repine (ri-PYN) verb intr. 1. To feel discontent; to fret. 2. To yearn for something. [From re- + pine, from Middle English, from Old English pinian (to suffer). Ultimately from Indo-European root k(w)ei- that's also the source of words such as pain, penal, punish, impunity, and subpoena.] "The rest of her life was to be spent in a wheelchair. She did not repine." Elisabeth Sheppard-Jones; The Times (London, UK); Mar 4, 2004. "But Oswald was a patient man and he never murmured or repined." John Gould; With Hannah, Oswald Didn't Need a Telephone; Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Aug 28, 1998. -------- Date: Thu Jan 20 00:01:10 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--diriment X-Bonus: That man is truly good who knows his own dark places. -Beowulf diriment (DIR-uh-ment) adjective Nullifying. [From diriment-em, present participle of dirimere (to separate or interrupt), from emere (to take). Ultimately from Indo-European root em- (to take or distribute) that is also the source of words such as example, sample, assume, consume, prompt, ransom, vintage, and redeem.] "Arguably, sometime Illinois senatorial candidate Jack Ryan is a cad. One might even contend that he is a dummy. However, neither of these characteristics have ever been a diriment impediment to service in the United States Senate." Andrew Greeley; Will Voters Reject the Media Feeding Frenzy?; Chicago Sun Times; Jul 2, 2004. "Thus are we able to report that the Bishop of London's hamster has shuffled off the treadmill, that there is a lively correspondence over whether Worzel Gummidge may lawfully marry Aunt Sally ('surely there are two diriment impediments to such a union')." Mike Amos; John North - In Search of Kate Adie; Northern Echo (Darlington, UK); Sep 27, 2001. -------- Date: Fri Jan 21 00:01:10 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--animus X-Bonus: A teacher who is attempting to teach, without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn, is hammering on a cold iron. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (1796-1859) animus (AN-uh-muhs) noun 1. Hostility; ill will. 2. Purpose; disposition; governing spirit. 3. In Jungian psychology, the masculine part of a woman's personal unconscious. [From Latin animus (spirit, mind).] "The NDP rebels have no great personal animus toward McDonough. It is the weight of logic that is carrying them." Lawrence Martin; Alexa's Turn: NDP Braces For Blood Bath; Halifax Daily News (Canada); Jun 8, 2001. "First, writer Gavin McInnes reserves his only consistent animus for one category: sandaled men. Otherwise he is an equal-opportunity hater." Doug Harvey; Materialistic Fetishism Reconsidered; LA Weekly; Dec 24-30, 2004. -------- Date: Mon Jan 24 00:01:12 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--airy-fairy X-Bonus: In the absence of touching and being touched, people of all ages can sicken and grow touch-starved. -Diane Ackerman, writer (1948- ) airy-fairy (AIR-ee FAIR-ee) adjective 1. Light, delicate, fragile. 2. Fanciful, impractical, unrealistic. [From Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 1830 poem Lilian whose opening lines are: Airy, Fairy Lilian, Flitting, fairy Lilian, When I ask her if she love me, Claps her tiny hands above me, Laughing all she can.] "The slated Indian tour in Pakistan, one must remember, is not an airy-fairy attempt to bridge the subcontinental divide." Pad Up And Play; Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India); Feb 11, 2004. "Rita is no airy-fairy artistic pipe-dreamer." Liz Kennedy; Wouldn't It Be Cool to Have An Iceberg?; The Belfast News Letter (Northern Ireland); Aug 10, 2004. It's time for The Reduplicatives. That could be the name of a rock band - the one known for razzle-dazzle and their hoity-toity demeanor. They come in pairs, make a little chit-chat, and then hurry-scurry off to their next go-go gig. Reduplicatives are words formed when a term is either repeated exactly (as in bonbon), or with a slight variation in the vowel (as in ping-pong), or consonant (as in higgledy-piggledy). This process of compound word formation is known as reduplication. So let's not shilly-shally or be wishy-washy but look at the mish-mash of such super-duper terms, sometimes also called ricochet words, this week. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jan 25 00:02:04 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hubble-bubble X-Bonus: I'm always amazed that people will actually choose to sit in front of the television and just be savaged by stuff that belittles their intelligence. -Alice Walker, writer (1944- ) hubble-bubble (HUB-buhl-BUB-buhl) noun 1. A form of hookah: a smoking device in which the smoke is passed through a bowl of water, making a bubbling noise, before being drawn through a long pipe. 2. Commotion, uproar, turmoil. [Reduplication of the word bubble.] "A 32-year-old Bahraini man was engulfed in flames when his hubble-bubble pipe set his clothing ablaze." Soman Baby; Man Burned in Hubble Bubble Pipe Fire Critical; Gulf Daily News (Bahrain); Feb 26, 2004. "Gosh, it could almost be the hubble-bubble talk of the political and business hot spots of the nation." Shelley Gare; Something Filthy About Being Rich; The Australian (Sydney); Jun 16, 2001. This week's theme: reduplicatives. -------- Date: Wed Jan 26 00:01:08 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--riprap X-Bonus: Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626) riprap (RIP-rap) noun 1. A protective foundation, embankment, etc. made of loose chunks of stones placed together. 2. Material used for such a construction. verb tr. To construct, or strengthen with, a riprap. [Reduplication of rap.] "Access to Everett's waterfront has been blocked by railroad tracks, asphalt and political riprap, said Peggy Toepel, head of the Everett Shorelines Coalition, which advocates for public waterfront access." Janice Podsada; Once Pipeline is Finished, New Beach Can Emerge; Daily Herald (Everett, Washington); Dec 1, 2003. "The seawall, which lies beneath the sand, is constructed of riprap, topped by imported dune grass from Holland." Carolyn Leal; Windows to the World; Santa Cruz Sentinel (California); Nov 23, 2003. This week's theme: reduplicatives. -------- Date: Thu Jan 27 00:01:12 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--niminy-piminy X-Bonus: Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900) niminy-piminy (NIM-uh-nee PIM-uh-nee) adjective Affectedly delicate or refined. [Origin uncertain; probably alteration of namby-pamby.] We do know where the term namby-pamby came from - from the name of poet Ambrose Philips (1674-1749). His contemporary literary rivals, poets Henry Carey, John Gay, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift poked fun at him and Carey coined namby-pamby from his name: amby after first syllable of Ambrose and rhyming compound pamby after Philips. "'I detest rude, unladylike girls!' 'I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits!'" Louisa May Alcott; Little Women; 1868. "'We have far too much niminy-piminy music,' wrote W.R. Anderson in The Gramophone; music 'afraid to let itself go, or having nowhere to go if it did'." Geoff Brown; Classical Collector; The Times (London, UK); Mar 21, 2000. This week's theme: reduplicatives. -------- Date: Fri Jan 28 00:01:09 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--holus-bolus X-Bonus: All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. -Federico Fellini, film director, and writer (1920-1993) holus-bolus (HO-luhs BO-luhs) adverb All at once. [Apparently a reduplication of bolus (lump), or a rhyming compound based on the phrase whole bolus.] "On the 30th anniversary of the Canadian switchover, metric enthusiast Greg Peterson, who runs the One Metre website, said the new speed signs came in largely holus-bolus. 'There was no question about it, there was no gradual phase-in period,' he said." Estanislao Oziewicz; Ireland Makes the Switch to Metric Speed Limits; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jan 20, 2005. "The unions are somewhat encouraged by the fact that new public enterprises minister Alec Erwin appears to have moved back significantly from the 'policy juggernaut' of holus-bolus privatisation for Spoornet." Lynda Loxton; Spoornet is a Beast of Missed Opportunities; Business Report (Johannesburg, South Africa); Jan 17, 2005. This week's theme: reduplicatives. -------- Date: Mon Jan 31 00:15:37 EST 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--diglot X-Bonus: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (1876-1973) diglot (DY-glot) adjective Bilingual. noun A bilingual book, person, etc. [From Greek diglottos, from di- (two) + -glottos, from glossa (tongue, language).] "On their traditional, and legally defined, ground, he (Bagster) challenged the privileged presses directly, with pocket editions of the New Testament, while his diglot editions of the Bible, in English with accompanying German, French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese, were aimed partly at the cosmopolitan immigrant market." David McKitterick; A History of Cambridge University Press: Vol 2; Cambridge University Press; Aug 27, 1998. "The oldest inscriptions in a Berber language - two diglot inscriptions found at Dugga in Tunisia - are written in Tifinag." George L. Campbell; Concise Compendium of the World's Languages; Routledge; 1995. A diglot isn't someone who digs a lot. Nor is it one who digs much or one who digs a parcel of land. Rather, the term refers to one who is bilingual or speaks two languages. And a diglot book is one that has side-by-side text in two languages, on the same or opposite page. From digging lots to digging languages -- it's quite a far reach. But that's what happens sometimes when we try to guess the meaning of words. We tend to parse them among familiar boundaries, leading to unusual results. We've collected five misleading words for this week's AWAD -- words that aren't what they appear to be. Maybe we should call them politician words.