A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Thu Feb 1 00:25:31 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--odyssey X-Bonus: You don't have to fear defeat if you believe it may reveal powers that you didn't know you possessed. -Napoleon Hill od.ys.sey \'a:d-*-se-\ n [the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the long wandering]s of Odysseus : a long wandering usu. marked by many changes of fortune -------- Date: Fri Feb 2 00:27:00 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mentor X-Bonus: Why kill time when one can employ it. -French proverb men.tor \'men-.to.(*)r, 'ment-*r\ n [L, fr. Gk Mento-r] cap 1: a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Telemachus 2: a trusted counselor or guide 3: TUTOR, COACH -------- Date: Sat Feb 3 00:26:36 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--harpy X-Bonus: Beware of small expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship. -Benjamin Franklin har.py \'ha:r-pe-\ n [L Harpyia, fr. Gk] cap 1: a foul malign creature of classical mythology that is part woman and part bird 2a: a predatory person : LEECH 2b: a shrewish woman -------- Date: Sun Feb 4 00:25:20 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--argus X-Bonus: Expert: Avoids the small errors while sweeping on to the grand fallacy. Ar.gus \'a:r-g*s\ n [L, fr. Gk Argos] 1: a hundred-eyed monster of Greek legend 2: a watchful guardian -------- Date: Mon Feb 5 00:25:55 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rurban X-Bonus: I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. -Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 rur.ban \'r*r-b*n, 'ru.(*)r-\ aj [blend of rural and urban] : of, relating to, or constituting an area which is chiefly residential but where some farming is carried on -- Portmanteau or blend words have always been very popular among linguaphiles. Here is the first portmanteaux week of this year. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Feb 6 00:25:21 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--meld X-Bonus: When things go wrong - don't go wrong with them. 1. meld \'meld\ vb [G melden to announce, fr. OHG meldo-n; akin to OE meldian] to announce, OSlav moliti to ask for : to declare or announce for a score in a card game 2. meld n : a card or combination of cards that is or can be melded in a card game 3. meld vb [blend of melt and weld] : MERGE -------- Date: Wed Feb 7 00:28:25 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--slimsy X-Bonus: Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon slim.sy or slimp.sy \'slim-ze-, 'slim(p)-se-\ aj [blend of slim and flimsy] : FLIMSY, FRAIL -------- Date: Thu Feb 8 00:26:13 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--squiggle X-Bonus: Security is when everything is settled. When nothing can happen to you. Security is the denial of life. -Germaine Greer 1. squig.gle \'skwig-*l\ \-(*-)lin\ vb or squig.gling [blend of squirm and wriggle] 1: SQUIRM, WRIGGLE 2: to write or paint hastily : SCRIBBLE 1: SCRIBBLE 2: to form or cause to form in squiggles 2. squiggle n : a short wavy twist or line : CURLICUE; esp : an illegible scrawl -------- Date: Fri Feb 9 00:26:03 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--weeny X-Bonus: This sentance has threee errors. wee.ny \'we--ne-\ aj [wee + tiny] : exceptionally small -------- Date: Sat Feb 10 00:25:21 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--guesstimate X-Bonus: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (1890-1960) guess.ti.mate \'ges-t*-.ma-t\ \-m*t\ vt [blend of guess and estimate] slang : to estimate without adequate information - guess.ti.mate n -------- Date: Sun Feb 11 00:25:35 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--contraption X-Bonus: When you've seen one non-sequitur, the price of tea in China. con.trap.tion \k*n-'trap-sh*n\ n [perh. blend of contrivance, trap, and invention] : CONTRIVANCE, GADGET -------- Date: Mon Feb 12 00:29:16 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scissile X-Bonus: People who live in windowed environments shouldn't cast pointers. scis.sile \'sis-*l, -.i-l\ aj [F, fr. L scissilis, fr. scissus, pp. of scindere to split m more at SHED : capable of being cut smoothly or split easily -------- Date: Tue Feb 13 00:26:58 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--conge X-Bonus: It's not the load that breaks you down - it's the way you carry it. con.ge \ko-n-'zha-, 'ka:n-.ja-\ n [F, fr. L commeatus going back and forth, leave, fr. commeatus, pp.] of commeare to go back and forth, fr. com- + meare to go - more at PERMEATE 1a: a formal permission to depart 1b: DISMISSAL 2: a ceremonious bow 3: FAREWELL 4: an architectural molding of concave profile -------- Date: Wed Feb 14 00:15:25 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nimiety X-Bonus: Thesaurus: n. ancient reptile with large vocabulary. ni.mi.ety \nim-'i--*t-e-\ n [LL nimietas, fr. L nimius too much, adj., fr. nimis, adv.] : EXCESS, REDUNDANCY -------- Date: Thu Feb 15 00:25:58 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--congeries X-Bonus: Arithmetic is being able to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes. -Mickey Mouse con.ge.ries \'ka:n-j*-(.)re-z; 'ka:n-g*-(.)re-z, -gre-z\ \same\ n or congeries [L, fr. congerere] pl : AGGREGATION, COLLECTION -------- Date: Fri Feb 16 09:55:33 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cosset X-Bonus: Sorry, but my karma just ran over your dogma. 1. cos.set \'ka:s-*t\ n [origin unknown] : a pet lamb; broadly : PET 2. cosset vt : to treat as a pet : FONDLE -------- Date: Sat Feb 17 02:09:49 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--enchiridion X-Bonus: Life is not so much a matter of position as of disposition. en.chi.rid.i.on \.en-(.)ki--'rid-e--*n\ n [LL, fr. Gk encheiridion, fr. en in + cheir hand - more at]IN, CHIR- : HANDBOOK, MANUAL -------- Date: Sun Feb 18 00:24:50 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--attar X-Bonus: When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil. -Max Lerner at.tar \'at-*r, 'a-.ta:r\ n [Per 'atir perfumed, fr. 'itr perfume, fr. Ar] : a fragrant essential oil (as from rose petals); also : FRAGRANCE -------- Date: Mon Feb 19 00:25:17 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dentulous X-Bonus: Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path. -Ralph Waldo Emerson den.tu.lous \'den-ch*-l*s\ aj [back-formation fr. edentulous] : having teeth -- A back-formation is a word created by removing rather than adding an element, e.g. the verb "to edit" has been formed from the noun "editor". Back-formations are often denounced when they first appear, but many times they fill a real need. This week's words are all back-formations. Interestingly, to back-form is itself a back-formation. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Feb 20 00:26:18 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cathect X-Bonus: If everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. ca.thect \k*-'thekt\ vt [back-formation fr. cathectic] : to invest with libidinal energy -------- Date: Wed Feb 21 00:25:58 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cerebrate X-Bonus: Still round the corner there may wait,/ a new road or a secret gate. -J.R.R. Tolkien cer.e.brate \'ser-*-.bra-t\ \.ser-*-'bra--sh*n\ vi [back-formation fr. cerebration, fr. cerebrum] : THINK - cer.e.bra.tion n -------- Date: Thu Feb 22 00:26:19 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--callithump X-Bonus: The most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war. -Erasmus (1466-1536) cal.li.thump \'kal-*-.th*mp\ \.kal-*-'th*m-pe--*n\ n [back-formation fr. callithumpian, adj., alter. of E dial. gallithumpi]an disturber of order at elections in 18th cent. : a noisy boisterous parade - cal.li.thump.ian aj -------- Date: Fri Feb 23 00:25:08 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--darkle X-Bonus: There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings. -Hodding Carter dar.kle \'da:r-k*l\ \-k(*-)lin\ vi or dar.kling [back-formation fr. darkling] 1: to become concealed in the dark 2a: to grow dark 2b: to become clouded or gloomy -------- Date: Sun Feb 25 00:24:32 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--esthesia X-Bonus: Do you know what a pessimist is? A person who thinks everybody as nasty as himself, and hates them for it. -George Bernard Shaw es.the.sia \es-'the--zh(e--)*\ n [NL, back-formation fr. anesthesia] : capacity for sensation and feeling : SENSIBILITY -------- Date: Mon Feb 26 00:26:38 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--factotum X-Bonus: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead fac.to.tum \fak-'to-t-*m\ n [NL, lit., do everything, fr. L fac do + totum everything] : an employee with various duties -------- Date: Tue Feb 27 00:25:58 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nescience X-Bonus: Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. -William James ne.science \'nesh-(e--)*n(t)s, 'ne-sh-; 'nes-e--*n(t)s, 'ne-s-\ \-(e--)*nt\ n [LL nescientia, fr. L nescient-, nesciens, prp. of nescire] not to know, fr. ne- not + scire to know - more at NO, SCIENCE : lack of knowledge or awareness : IGNORANCE - ne.scient aj -------- Date: Wed Feb 28 00:25:05 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--portal-to-portal X-Bonus: I would rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the one who sold it. -Will Rogers portal-to-portal aj : of or relating to the time spent by a workman in traveling from the entrance to his employer's property to his actual working place (as in a mine) and in returning after the work shift -------- Date: Thu Feb 29 00:24:55 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--risibility X-Bonus: In order to see birds its is necessary to become a part of the silence. -Robert Lynd ris.i.bil.i.ty \.riz-*-'bil-*t-e-\ n 1: the ability or inclination to laugh - often used in pl. 2: LAUGHTER, MERRIMENT