A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Fri Mar 1 00:26:38 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--supposititious X-Bonus: There is no point at which you can say, 'Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap.' -Carrie Fisher sup.pos.i.ti.tious \s*-.pa:z-*-'tish-*s\ aj [L suppositicius, fr. suppositus, pp. of supponere to substit] [influenced in meaning by supposition]ute 1a: fraudently substituted : SPURIOUS of a child 1b1: falsely presented as a genuine heir 1b2: ILLEGITIMATE 2: of the nature of a supposition : HYPOTHETICAL - sup.pos.i.ti.tious.ly av -------- Date: Sat Mar 2 00:25:32 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scholiast X-Bonus: 2 rules to success in life. 1. Don't tell people everything you know. scho.li.ast \'sko--le--.ast, -le--*st\ \.sko--le--'as-tik\ n [MGk scholiaste-s, fr. scholiazein to write scholia on, fr. Gk (Xscholion : a maker of scholia : COMMENTATOR, ANNOTATOR - scho.li.as.tic aj -------- Date: Sun Mar 3 00:25:33 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--thirl X-Bonus: The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross MacDonald 1. thirl \'th*r-(-*)l\ n [ME, fr. OE thyrel, fr. thurh through - more at THROUGH] dial : HOLE, PERFORATION, OPENING 2. thirl vt dial Brit 1: PIERCE, PERFORATE dial Brit 2: THRILL -------- Date: Mon Mar 4 02:10:51 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mitigate X-Bonus: The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. mit.i.gate \'mit-*-.ga-t\ \.mit-*-'ga--sh*n\ \'mit-*-.ga-t-iv\ \-.ga-t-*r\ \'mit-i-g*-.to-r-e-, -.to.r-\ vt [ME mitigaten, fr. L mitigatus, pp. of mitigare to soften, fr]. mitis soft + -igare (akin to L agere to drive); akin to OIr mo-ith soft - more at AGENT 1: to cause to become less harsh or hostile : MOLLIFY 2: to make less severe or painful : ALLEVIATE - mit.i.ga.tion n -------- Date: Tue Mar 5 00:26:31 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--oppugn X-Bonus: Even the boldest zebra fears the hungry lion. op.pugn \*-'pyu:n, a:-\ vt [ME oppugnen, fr. L oppugnare, fr. ob- against + pugnareX to fight - more at OB-, PUNGENT 1: to fight against : ASSAIL 2: to call in question : CONTROVERT - op.pugn.er n -------- Date: Wed Mar 6 00:26:34 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--reprise X-Bonus: Every man has one thing he can do better than anyone else - and usually it's reading his own handwriting. -G. Norman Collie 1. re.prise \ri-'pre-z, 1 is also -'pri-z\ n [ME, fr. MF, lit., action of taking back, fr. OF, fr. reprendre to take b]ack, fr. re- + prendre to take, fr. L prehendere 1: a deduction or charge made yearly out of a manor or estate - usu. used in pl. 2: a recurrence, renewal, or resumption of an action 3a1: the repetition of the exposition preceding the development 3a2: RECAPITULATION 3b: a repeated instance : REPETITION 2. re.prise \ri-'pri-z, 3 is -'pre-z\ vt [MF reprise action of taking back] archaic 1: to take back; esp : to recover by force archaic 2: COMPENSATE 3: to repeat the performance of {~ a song} -------- Date: Thu Mar 7 00:24:54 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--restaurateur X-Bonus: To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. -Bertrand Russell res.tau.ra.teur also res.tau.ran.teur \.res-t*-r*-'t*r\ \-.ra:n-\ n [F restaurateur, fr. LL restaurator restorer, fr. L restauratus)X, pp. of restaurare : the operator or proprietor of a restaurant -------- Date: Fri Mar 8 00:25:28 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--solicitous X-Bonus: Next week there can't be any crisis. My schedule is already full. -Henry Kissinger so.lic.i.tous \s*-'lis-*t-*s, -'lis-t*s\ aj 1: full of concern or fears : APPREHENSIVE 2: full of desire : EAGER 3: meticulously careful 4: manifesting or expressing solicitude - so.lic.i.tous.ly av -------- Date: Sat Mar 9 00:25:14 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tergiversation X-Bonus: Boredom is a vital problem for the moralist, since at least half of the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it. -Bertrand Russell ter.gi.ver.sa.tion \.t*r-ji-(.)v*r-'sa--sh*n, (.)t*r-.jiv-*r-\ n 1: desertion of a cause, party, or faith 2: evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : EQUIVOCATION -------- Date: Sun Mar 10 00:25:39 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sapient X-Bonus: To gain that worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else. -Bernadette Devlin Cross references: 1. wise sa.pi.ent \'sa--pe--*nt, 'sap-e--\ aj [ME, fr. MF, fr. L sapient-, sapiens, fr. prp. of sapere to t]aste, be wise : SAGE, DISCERNING - sa.pi.ent.ly av -------- Date: Mon Mar 11 00:26:49 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--outre X-Bonus: All rights left. All lefts reserved. All reserves removed. All removes right. ou.tre \u:-'tra-\ aj [F, fr. pp. of outrer to carry to excess] : violating convention or propriety : BIZARRE -------- Date: Tue Mar 12 00:25:02 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--phatic X-Bonus: Despise not a small wound, a poor kinsman, or a humble enemy. -English Proverb phat.ic \'fat-ik\ \-i-k(*-)le-\ aj [Gk phatos, verbal of phanai to speak] : revealing or sharing feelings or establishing an atmosphere of sociability rather than communicating ideas {~ communion} - phat.i.cal.ly av -------- Date: Wed Mar 13 00:26:49 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sedulous X-Bonus: To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour. -Robert L. Stevenson Cross references: 1. busy sed.u.lous \'sej-*-l*s\ aj [L sedulus, fr. sedulo sincerely, diligently, fr. se without]+ dolus guile - more at IDIOT, TALE : diligent in application or pursuit : ASSIDUOUS - sed.u.lous.ly av -------- Date: Thu Mar 14 00:25:43 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--humdinger X-Bonus: In great matters men show themselves as they wish to be seen; in small matters, as they are. -Gamaliel Bradford hum.ding.er \'h*m-'din-*r\ n [prob. alter. of hummer (humdinger)] : a person or thing of striking excellence -------- Date: Fri Mar 15 03:12:56 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--edacious X-Bonus: Thesaurus: n. ancient reptile with large vocabulary. eda.cious \i-'da--sh*s\ \i-'das-*t-e-\ aj [L edac-, edax, fr. edere to eat] 1: of or relating to eating 2: VORACIOUS - edac.i.ty n 1866 R. CHAMBERS, Ess. Ser. II. 182 "His edacious peculiarities-whether..he was..most partial to lamb or turkey." -------- Date: Sat Mar 16 00:25:40 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--infundibuliform X-Bonus: People who think they know everything greatly annoy those of us who do. in.fun.dib.u.li.form \-l*-.fo.rm\ aj [NL infundibulum + E -iform] : having the form of a funnel or cone 1753 CHAMBERS, Cycl. Supp., "Infundibuliform Flowers, or funnel-fashioned flowers..." -------- Date: Sun Mar 17 00:25:06 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--decant X-Bonus: Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong. -Dandemis de.cant \di-'kant\ \.de--.kan-'ta--sh*n\ vt [NL decantare, fr. L de- + ML cantus side, fr. L, iron ring r]ound a carriage wheel 1: to pour from one vessel into another 2: to draw off without disturbing the sediment or the lower liquid layers - de.can.ta.tion n 1959 T. S. ELIOT, Elder Statesman II. 47 "Let's hope this [conversation] was merely the concoction Which she decants for every newcomer." -------- Date: Mon Mar 18 00:25:45 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--festschrift X-Bonus: Fossil flowers come from the Petrified Florist. fest.schrift \'fest-.shrift\ \-.shrif-t*n\ \-.shrif(t)s\ n or fest.schrif.ten or fest.shrifts [G, fr. fest festival, celebration + schrift writing] pl often cap : a volume of writing by different authors presented as a tribute or memorial esp. to a scholar 1943 Mind LII. 370 "This volume, a Festschrift presented to M. Maritain on his sixtieth birthday, comprises some twenty papers written by American admirers of his writings." -- "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." So wrote Francis Bacon, English philosopher, essayist and statesman. This week, we taste (and maybe chew and digest) seven words about books. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Mar 19 08:52:40 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fascicle X-Bonus: It's better to be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right. fas.ci.cle \'fas-i-k*l\ \-k*ld\ n [L fasciculus, dim. of fascis] 1: a small bundle : as 1a: an inflorescence consisting of a compacted cyme less capitate than a glomerule 1b: FASCICULUS 2: one of the divisions of a book published in parts - fas.ci.cled aj 1887 Homeop. World 1 Nov. 521 "The Sixth Fascicle completes this beautiful work." -------- Date: Wed Mar 20 00:25:15 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hornbook X-Bonus: Every man has one thing he can do better than anyone else - and usually it's reading his own handwriting. -G. Norman Collie horn.book \-.bu.k\ n 1: a child's primer consisting of a sheet of parchment or paper protected by a sheet of transparent horn 2: a rudimentary treatise 1874 MOTLEY, Barneveld II. xi. 30 "Ignorant of the very hornbook of diplomacy." -------- Date: Thu Mar 21 00:24:27 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pericope X-Bonus: And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. -Abraham Lincoln pe.ric.o.pe \p*-'rik-*-pe-\ n [LL, fr. Gk perikope- section, fr. peri- + kope- act of] cutting; akin to Gk koptein to cut - more at CAPON : a selection from a book; specif : LECTION 1884 D. HUNTER, tr. Reuss's Hist. Canon i. 3 "These passages..were disconnected fragments,..simply pericopes or lessons, as they were called afterwards in the Christian Church." -------- Date: Fri Mar 22 00:24:28 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--auctorial X-Bonus: Sign on bank: We can loan you enough money to get you completely out of debt. auc.to.ri.al \o.k-'to-r-e--*l, -'to.r-\ aj [L auctor author - more at AUTHOR] : of or relating to an author 1949 WELLEK, & WARREN, Theory of Lit. iii. 27 "Eliot makes the judgment of responsibility depend on both auctorial intention and historic effect." -------- Date: Sat Mar 23 00:23:14 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scholium X-Bonus: Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. -Mark Twain scho.li.um \'sko--le--*m\ \-le--*\ n or scho.lia or scho.li.ums [NL, fr. Gk scholion comment, scholium, fr. dim. of schole- lect] pl ure 1: a marginal annotation or comment (as on the text of a classic by an early grammarian) 2: a remark or observation subjoined but not essential to a demonstration or a train of reasoning 1904 R. C. JEBB, Bacchylides (Proc. Brit. Acad.) 9 "From a scholium on the Iliad (24. 496) we know that Bacchylides spoke of Theano as having borne fifty sons to Antenor." -------- Date: Sun Mar 24 00:23:10 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--screed X-Bonus: The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. -Linus Pauling screed \'skre-d\ n [ME screde fragment, fr. OE scre-ade - more at SHRED] Scot 1: RENT, TEAR 2a: a lengthy discourse 2b: an informal piece of writing 3: a strip (as of plaster of the thickness planned for the coat) laid on as a guide 1902 A. DOBSON, S. Richardson v. 117 "Richardson's reply is a screed of malevolence." -------- Date: Mon Mar 25 00:23:39 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--soigne X-Bonus: Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. soi.gne or soi.gnee \swa:n-'ya-\ aj [F, fr. pp. of soigner to take care of, fr. ML soniare] 1: elegantly maintained : MODISH {a ~ restaurant} 2: WELL-GROOMED, SLEEK 1959 Good Food Guide 35 "The prices remain fairly high but the cooking is genuinely soigne." -------- Date: Tue Mar 26 00:23:27 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eclaircissement X-Bonus: Law...begins when someone takes to doing something someone else does not like. -Karl Llewellyn eclair.cisse.ment \a--kler-se--sma:n\ \-sma:n(z)\ n or eclaircissements [F] pl : CLARIFICATION, ENLIGHTENMENT 1815 SCOTT, Guy M. xx, "Such..restraints as might prevent any engagement or eclaircissement taking place." -------- Date: Wed Mar 27 00:25:26 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eclat X-Bonus: This above all: to thine own self be true, \ And it must follow, as the night the day, \ Thou canst not then be false to any man. -Shakespeare eclat \a--'kla:\ n [F, splinter, burst, e`clat] 1: dazzling effect : BRILLIANCE 2a: ostentatious display : PUBLICITY archaic 2b: NOTORIETY 3a: brilliant or conspicuous success 3b: ACCLAIM, APPLAUSE 1847 MRS. SHERWOOD, Lady of Manor II. x. 44 "The glitter and eclat of foreign levity." -------- Date: Thu Mar 28 00:23:41 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pourboire X-Bonus: Q: What do you call a clairvoyant midget who just broke out of prison? A: A small medium at large. pour.boire \pu.(*)rb-'wa:r\ n [F, fr. pour boire for drinking] : TIP, GRATUITY 1979 Times 5 Dec. 14/3 "Commissioners may acquire the much-coveted Cabinet boxes..if they pay for them... Until [1978]..the boxes were a kind of pourboire." -------- Date: Fri Mar 29 00:24:09 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pourparler X-Bonus: Give us the fortitude to endure the things which cannot be changed, and the courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to know one from the other. -Oliver J. Hart pour.par.ler \.pu.(*)r-(.)pa:r-'la-\ n [F] : a discussion preliminary to negotiations 1900 Nation (N.Y.) 11 Oct. 279/2 "Meanwhile, the Powers are doing a vast amount of negotiating and pourparlering with each other." -------- Date: Sat Mar 30 00:23:42 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--praxis X-Bonus: The only thing one can do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself. -Oscar Wilde prax.is \'prak-s*s\ \'prak-.se-z\ n or prax.es [ML, fr. Gk, doing, action, fr. prassein to pass through, practice - mo] pl re at PRACTICAL 1: exercise or practice of an art, science, or skill 2: customary practice or conduct 1892 J. ROBERTSON, Early Relig. Israel xv. 390 "This code is merely the embodiment of praxis or the crystallisation of custom." -------- Date: Sun Mar 31 00:24:36 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--megrim X-Bonus: Those who would have nothing to do with thorns must neve attempt to gather flowers. 1. me.grim \'me--gr*m\ n [ME migreime, fr. MF migraine] 1a: MIGRAINE 1b: VERTIGO, DIZZINESS 2a: FANCY, WHIM pl 2b: low spirits : BLUES 2. megrim n [origin unknown] : any of several small flatfishes; esp : a European flounder (Arnoglossus laterna)