A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Tue Jun 1 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hallmark X-Bonus: The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth. -Henry Beston, naturalist and author (1 Jun 1888-1968) This week's theme: Words related to gold hallmark (HAHL-mark) noun 1. A mark of quality, genuineness, or excellence. 2. A distinguishing feature or characteristic. [After Goldsmiths' Hall in London, where articles of gold and silver were appraised and stamped. Earliest documented use: 1721.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hallmark Gold hallmark on a pair of scissors https://wordsmith.org/words/images/hallmark_large.jpg Photo: Chatsam / Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallmark#/media/File:Poin%C3%A7on_or.JPG JOKE: A man prayed and prayed and prayed. "These humans! Next time I flood the Earth no one is getting out alive," God mumbled. "Thank you for calling heaven. Your call is important to us. How may I help you?" He finally said. "Someone gave me fake gold for my birthday. Can you make sure I get only the real stuff, you know, hallmark?" the man asked. The man started receiving cheesy birthday cards from then on. "She was full of the fierce self-reliance that had been a hallmark of her life. 'You mustn't worry about me,' she assured me as we parted." Solveig Torvik; Nikolai's Fortune; University of Washington Press; 2014. -------- Date: Wed Jun 2 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--midas X-Bonus: The business of the poet and the novelist is to show the sorriness underlying the grandest things and the grandeur underlying the sorriest things. -Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (2 Jun 1840-1928) This week's theme: Words related to gold midas (MY-duhs) noun 1. One with the ability to easily turn anything profitable. 2. One who is extremely wealthy. [After the legendary King Midas who was given the power that anything he touched turned into gold. Earliest documented use: 1584. Also see: Midas touch https://wordsmith.org/words/midas_touch.html and Midas-eared https://wordsmith.org/words/midas-eared.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Midas Midas's daughter turns to gold https://wordsmith.org/words/images/midas_large.jpg Illustration: Walter Crane, in "A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls" (1892) by Nathaniel Hawthorne JOKE: A king once prayed and prayed and prayed. "Why did I even make these creatures? Always begging for something," God muttered to Himself. "Even kings! Especially kings! Next time I'm shutting evolution down right after chimps." "What is it?" He finally said in His booming voice. "I want everything I touch to turn into gold." "You have really thought this through, haven't you? But what do I care, My job is to answer prayers." God granted his wish, but it didn't turn out so well. So the man prayed again. "What is it now?" "God, everyone is social distancing from me, like I have Covid. Take it back, please!" "There's no undo button on My celestial console. But, as a consolation I'll make you a word in the language. Very few have that honor, actually." "Which show created by TV midas David Croft wasn't a hit?" Jack Seale; Be Kind, Don't Rewind; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 30, 2016. -------- Date: Thu Jun 3 00:01:01 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--golden parachute X-Bonus: 'Writing' is the Latin of our times. The modern language of the people is video and sound. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) This week's theme: Words related to gold golden parachute (GOL-den par-uh-shoot) noun An agreement to pay generous compensation to a company executive if dismissed. [From the idea of a parachute softening the blow of an ejection from a high office and the color golden alluding to the large payment received on dismissal. Earliest documented use: 1981.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/golden%20parachute Iceland sentenced nine crooked bankers to 46 years in jail. Meanwhile in America: Wells Fargo CEO got a $134 million golden parachute for ripping off thousands of customers. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/golden_parachute_large.png Image: https://me.me/i/iceland-sentenced-9-cr00ked-bankers-to-46-years-in-jail-4090600 JOKE: A hedge-fund CEO negotiated the best compensation package he could. A private jumbo jet, a yacht, and so on. Also, a huge payout if he were to leave the company for any reason. Once he was flying on a trip when the pilot announced, "Folks, both engines have failed. We are going down. Please pray." The man asked his assistant to look for his parachute in his carry-on. "Good luck," she said as she handed him his golden parachute. "His faux optimism only made Brooke wonder how big a golden parachute the new owners must have opened for him. He was no doubt making a soft landing into a pile of several million dollars." Talia Carner; Hotel Moscow; William Morrow; 2015. "The documentary spends a lot of time on Adam Neumann, who ended up with a $1.7 billion golden parachute. Through various interviews with reporters, customers, and employees, the documentary tries to characterize the man. But my favorite characterization comes from Neumann himself. A montage of clips from public interviews shows Neumann repeatedly telling the same story about what his wife Rebekah once told him: 'You have a lot of potential, but you're full of shit.'" Danielle Abril; WeWork's Distorted Reality; Fortune; Apr 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210408190337/https://fortune.com/2021/04/08/weworks-distorted-reality/ -------- Date: Fri Jun 4 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pyrite X-Bonus: If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) This week's theme: Words related to gold pyrite (PY-ryt) noun 1. A shiny yellow mineral of iron disulfide. Also known as iron pyrites and fool's gold. https://wordsmith.org/words/fools_gold.html 2. Something that appears valuable but is worthless. [From Latin pyrites (flint), from Greek pyrites lithos (stone of fire, flint), from its shiny surface and its use for starting fire. Earliest documented use: 1475.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pyrite https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pyrite_large.jpg Photo: Didier Descouens / Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrite#/media/File:Pyrite_elbe.jpg JOKE: This man was too busy golfing to pray. So he held his Bible upside down and tweeted to God: "God, can you make everything around me pyrite. Who would know?" "I would, and at least 81 million people would, https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/president but whatever. I'd grant you the wish if you promise never to bring My holy name on your lips again." "Deal!" And God answered his prayers too. https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/melania-donald-and-barron-trump-at-home-shoot "Consider some successes, and what came after them. The Beatles were gold; Wings were pyrite. Bruce Lee is a legend; Bruce Li is a punchline." Kurt Blumenau; MJ Cafe to Follow the Loop, But with a Different Menu; Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Apr 17, 2007. -------- Date: Mon Jun 7 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Humpty Dumpty X-Bonus: There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. -Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor (b. 7 Jun 1943) Rock-a-bye, baby, on a treetop ... Twinkle, twinkle, little star ... A mother's soothing voice singing a lullaby or a nursery rhyme to her child. What could be a more blissful sight than that! Reminds us of nursery rhymes we heard as babies that since then have become a part of us. While the nursery rhymes appear innocuous, on second thought, they can be gruesome https://me.me/i/so-these-three-little-mice-are-blind-and-the-farmers-2773036 , can be taken as a metaphor or riddle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty#Meaning , interpretation of political events, and more. Today we see them in memes https://me.me/i/trumpty-dumpty-ca-nursery-rhyme-update-trumpty-dumpty-wanted-a-7761659 , parodies https://poetryarchive.org/poem/jack-and-jill/ , science https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty#In_science , and they are such a part of us that characters and things from these rhymes have become a part of the language. This week we'll see five words and phrases that have their origins in nursery rhymes. Humpty Dumpty (HUHM-tee DUHMP-tee) noun 1. A short, rotund person. 2. Something or someone broken beyond repair. [After Humpty Dumpty, a character in a nursery rhyme, who is irreparably broken after a fall. He's typically shown as an anthropomorphic egg. Earliest documented use: 1785.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Humpty%20Dumpty https://wordsmith.org/words/images/humpty_dumpty_large.jpg Illustration: William Wallace Denslow, 1902 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty#/media/File:Humpty_Dumpty_1_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546.jpg NOTES: The most common version of the nursery rhyme goes: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses And all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again. Did you know who pushed Humpty Dumpty? The mystery is finally solved. See this investigative book "Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries" https://amazon.com/dp/0375841954/ws00-20 "Owner Bubba McCutcheon ... a Humpty Dumpty figure who gives customers tapes of Christian music he records on a karaoke machine." Susan Hogan-Albach; After the Ashes; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Mar 23, 1997. "My AirPod was now a Humpty Dumpty in so many pieces I'd never be able to reassemble it again." Geoffrey A. Fowler; Everyone's AirPods Will Die; The Washington Post; Oct 8, 2019. -------- Date: Tue Jun 8 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tuffet X-Bonus: Many wealthy people are little more than janitors of their possessions. -Frank Lloyd Wright, architect (8 Jun 1867-1959) The week's theme: Words from nursery rhymes tuffet (TUHF-it) noun 1. A clump of something. 2. A mound. 3. A low seat, stool, cushion, etc. [Diminutive of tuft, from French touffe (tuft). Earliest documented use: 1553.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/tuffet NOTES: The nursery rhyme goes: Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet ... What was that tuffet? Nobody knows. Apparently, it was a mound https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Miss_Muffet#/media/File:Arthur_Rackham_Little_Miss_Muffet.jpg but it has been variously interpreted as a cushion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Miss_Muffet#/media/File:Little_Miss_Muffet,_Mother_Goose,_Richardson_1915.jpg , a stool https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Miss_Muffet#/media/File:Kate_Greenaway_Little_Miss_Muffet.jpg , etc., and accordingly developed those senses in the English language. Little Miss Muffet https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tuffet_large.png Art: John Everett Millais, 1884 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_Miss_Muffet_-_Sir_John_Everett_Millais.png "Richard Dormer is a hairy tuffet of charisma in the lead role." Robbie Collin & Tim Robey; Film; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Mar 30, 2013. "'Sharon 1975' was painted when she was 40 and features her sitting on a tuffet and holding a single red rose." Mark Brunswick; Sharon Olson, Pinup Model; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Oct 29, 2015. -------- Date: Wed Jun 9 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Mother Hubbard X-Bonus: Live and let live, be and let be, / Hear and let hear, see and let see, / Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ... Live and let live and remember this line: / "Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine." -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) The week's theme: Words from nursery rhymes Mother Hubbard (MUHTH-uhr HUHB-uhrd) noun A loose shapeless dress for a woman. [After Mother Hubbard, a character in the nursery rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard". Earliest documented use: 1877.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Mother%20Hubbard https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mother_hubbard_large.jpg Illustration: From "Mother Goose's Melodies", 1879 by Alfred Kappes https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Old_Mother_Hubbard#/media/File:Mother_Goose's_melodies_-_or_Songs_for_the_nursery_(1879)_(14583153197).jpg NOTES: "Old Mother Hubbard" is a nursery poem which details adventures of Mother Hubbard and her dog. In illustrations she's depicted as wearing a loose-fitting unbelted gown. The first stanza of the poem goes: Old Mother Hubbard Went to the Cupboard, To give the poor Dog a bone; When she came there, The Cupboard was bare, And so the poor Dog had none. "She wore loose Mother Hubbard of gray cloth in which there had once been colored flowers, but the color was washed out now." John Steinbeck; The Grapes of Wrath; Viking; 1939. -------- Date: Thu Jun 10 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sukey X-Bonus: [Destroying rainforests for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929) The week's theme: Words from nursery rhymes sukey (SOO-kee) noun A tea-kettle. [After Suki, a girl in the nursery rhyme "Polly Put the Kettle On". Earliest documented use: 1803.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sukey_large.jpg Illustration: Kate Greenaway, 1898 NOTES: In the nursery rhyme "Polly Put the Kettle On", a tea party is going on: Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on, We'll all have tea. Suki take it off again, Suki take it off again, Suki take it off again, They've all gone away. The two characters are girls and/or dolls named Polly (a pet form of the name Mary) and Suki (pet form of the names Susan/Susanna). Over time the the name Suki became an eponym for a tea-kettle. "I'll just get the sukey going, and then we'll have a nice cup of tea." Marghanita Laski; The Village; Cresset Press; 1952. -------- Date: Fri Jun 11 00:01:01 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Simple Simon X-Bonus: When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jun 1949) The week's theme: Words from nursery rhymes Simple Simon (SIM-puhl SY-muhn) noun A simpleton. [After Simple Simon, a foolish boy in a nursery rhyme. Earliest documented use: 1673.] NOTES: The first stanza of the nursery rhyme goes: Simple Simon met a pieman Going to the fair; Said Simple Simon to the pieman, "Let me taste your ware." In the rest of the poem, he fishes for a whale in a bucket, tries to roast a snowball, looks for plums on a thistle plant, and has other adventures. https://ingeb.org/songs/simplesi.html Simple Simon asking the pieman for a tasting https://wordsmith.org/words/images/simple_simon_large.jpg Illustration: E. Boyd Smith, from the book "The Boyd Smith Mother Goose" 1920 "The bespectacled, plump, Roshu came across as earnest and tentative, a Simple Simon." Shefalee Vasudev; The Powder Room; Random House; 2012. -------- Date: Mon Jun 14 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bolshie X-Bonus: The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) If you are one of those people for whom a contraction, such as za for pizza or k for OK, looks like a major faux pas, take a deep breath and imagine the sound of ocean waves and birds chirping. Abbreviations and contractions have been a part of language, any language, since, well, forever. It's just that some of these shortenings have been with us for so long that we don't realize that what we are using is a condensed version of something bigger. This week we'll see five such words. What contractions and abbreviations do you use that are not a part of the language yet? Some of these may be just in your family, in your field, in a recreational activity, for example. Share them on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/bolshie.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org (include your location: city, state). bolshie or bolshy (BOL-shee) adjective: 1. Rebellious; uncooperative; combative. 2. Politically radical. noun: 1. Someone who is rebellious, uncooperative, combative, etc. 2. A politically radical person. [Abbreviation of Bolshevik (a person with radical views), from Russian Bolshevik, from bolshe (greater), referring to the faction of the Russian Social Democratic party that seized power in the October Revolution of 1917. Ultimately from the Indo-European root bel- (strong), which also gave us debility and Bolshoi Theatre (literally, Great Theater). Earliest documented use: 1918.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/bolshie "Radical, Anarchic, Bolshy, Scouse?" (Scouse = Someone from Liverpool, UK) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bolshie_large.jpg Photo: Andrew Taylor https://flickr.com/photos/dradny/5500065140/ "I was a bolshie teenager, full of argument." Katherine Hassell; Jeremy Vine: My Family Values; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 11, 2015. -------- Date: Tue Jun 15 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lackadaisical X-Bonus: One day I was speeding along at the typewriter, and my daughter -- who was a child at the time -- asked me, "Daddy, why are you writing so fast?" And I replied, "Because I want to see how the story turns out!" -Louis L'Amour, novelist (1908-1988) This week's theme: Contractions lackadaisical (lak-uh-DAY-zi-kuhl) adjective Lacking enthusiasm; indifferent; lazy. [From lackadaisy, alteration of lack a day, contraction of alack the day (an expression of regret, grief, or disapproval). Earliest documented use: 1768.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lackadaisical https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lackadaisical_large.jpg Photo: Stephen Reed https://flickr.com/photos/donhead/31558082258/ "Because its games have done so well, Tencent has been lackadaisical in monetising other parts of its business." WeFlat; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 10, 2018. -------- Date: Wed Jun 16 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--blitz X-Bonus: The [Nobel] prize is such an extraordinary honor. It might seem unfair, however, to reward a person for having so much pleasure over the years, asking the maize plant to solve specific problems and then watching its responses. -Barbara McClintock, scientist, Nobel laureate (16 Jun 1902-1992) This week's theme: Contractions blitz (blits) noun: 1. A swift, sudden military attack, especially aerial bombardment. 2. An intense campaign, for example, an ad blitz. verb tr.: To attack, destroy, conquer, etc. [Short for blitzkrieg https://wordsmith.org/words/blitzkrieg.html , from German Blitzkrieg, from Blitz (lightning) + Krieg (war). Earliest documented use: 1939. Also see coventrate https://wordsmith.org/words/coventrate.html .] People sheltering in the Elephant and Castle Underground Station during the London Blitz, Nov 1940 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/blitz_large.jpg Photo: Bill Brandt / Imperial War Museums https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/15-powerful-photos-of-the-blitz "I blitzed the final exam, so I'm now, officially, a starchy old accountant, stiff, dull, and sober." V.K. Black; Unexpected Places; Harlequin; 2014. -------- Date: Thu Jun 17 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--zounds X-Bonus: Just as appetite comes by eating so work brings inspiration. -Igor Stravinsky, composer (17 Jun 1882-1971) This week's theme: Contractions zounds (zaundz) interjection Used to express surprise or indignation. [Contraction of God's wounds! Earliest documented use: 1593.] "Zounds, you may be saying, it's disheartening to think that the esteemed Jersey columnist would have stooped to that." Neil Genzlinger; Sometimes the Medium Is the Message; The New York Times; Feb 18, 2001. -------- Date: Fri Jun 18 00:01:01 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--extrality X-Bonus: The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind, because God sure isn't going to change His. -Roger Ebert, film-critic (18 Jun 1942-2013) This week's theme: Contractions extrality (ek-STRAL-i-tee) noun Exemption from local laws: the privilege of living in a foreign country, but subject only to the home country's jurisdiction. [A contraction of extraterritoriality https://wordsmith.org/words/extraterritoriality.html , from Latin extra- (outside) + territorium (land around a town), from terra (land). Earliest documented use: 1925.] "Numerous Americans ... went to great lengths to seek exemption from US jurisdiction, preferring to deal with the Chinese authorities; in the 1920s, American missionaries even asked the State Department to have extrality suspended -- without success." Lucian W. Pye; Recent Books on International Relations; Foreign Affairs (New York); Jan/Feb 2002. -------- Date: Mon Jun 21 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--myology X-Bonus: Life has no meaning a priori. ... It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) Magawa the rat is retiring from his job detecting landmines. In his long and distinguished career, this gold-medalist creature has sniffed out dozens of landmines and other explosives in Cambodia. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57345703 Magawa is special, but even ordinary rodents are smarter than some humans. I mean I have never met a rat who went around with orange spray tan on his face and thought it made him look good. Sure, rats and mice might infest buildings, but they never incited an insurrection. On the other hand, they have inspired poems. Robert Burns's "To a Mouse" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_a_Mouse tells us: "The best-laid schemes of mice and men / Go oft awry." They do. And best-laid landmines kill and maim decades after they have been planted. I propose a journalistic standard that whenever someone writes an article about landmines somewhere, they should also mention who put them there in the first place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_mines_in_Cambodia Also, I propose that after a person steps on a landmine, if they survive, when they hobble out of the hospital on crutches, a representative of the armament factory meets them at the hospital gate and presents them with a certificate of authenticity. It's the least they can do. Keyheed Martial Corporation Jun 25, 2021 Dear Phnom, This certificate of authenticity confirms that the landmine you stepped on was a genuine Keyheed(R) landmine. It was assembled by Karen Smith in our Oklahoma City plant. She has been a conscientious member of our team for more than two decades and during that time she has assembled more than 70,000 precision landmines of exceptionally high-quality. We can only imagine the results her meticulous work has produced. We are so proud of her. She volunteers in her church and loves God with her whole heart. She has two children, Susie, 9, who loves softball, and Max, 14, who made varsity soccer this year. When not attending her children's sports, she enjoys a round of golf herself. She wishes you a long and happy life. Regards, Keyheed Management PS: As a special perk of being a satisfied consumer of our products, we include a coupon that entitles you to a free tour of our landmine plant in Oklahoma City. On the other hand, why worry about all this? Phnom is probably the wrong religion and going to hell anyway. And if she didn't want her legs blown off, why did she choose to be born in the wrong country? Why did she pick the wrong skin color? And, above all, why did she go out to play in the open instead of staying in the nicely fenced and manicured backyard in her home? Fortunately, treaties are in place banning landmines, but some countries have not signed on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_mine#International_treaties No, we haven't maimed and killed enough people yet. H. sapiens*, literally "wise man". Wise indeed! Can we rename ourselves to something else? What happened to the truth-in-advertising laws? I propose H. nesciens or H. malevolens. Enough about humans and their despicable actions. Sometimes it takes a rat like Magawa to clean up after humans. This week we'll feature five words derived from rats and mice. *We are so wise that if I spell out the H in "H. sapiens" this email would be blocked by email filters at many schools and corporations as containing a slur. Because smart computers! High-tech! AI! If these email nannies were any smarter, they would filter out "landmines". myology (my-AH-luh-jee) noun 1. The study of muscles. 2. The muscular anatomy of a person or an animal. [From myo-/my- (muscle), from Greek mys (mouse, muscle). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mus- (mouse, muscle), which also gave us mussel (a respelling of muscle), mustelid (any member of the weasel family), and mysticete (baleen whale), from Greek ho mus to ketos (literally: the mouse, the whale so called). Earliest documented use: c. 1649.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/myology NOTES: What does a muscle have to do with a mouse? Some thought a flexing muscle (especially of the upper arm) resembled the movement of a mouse. Note that myopia has nothing to do with mice. Rather it's from Greek myein (to shut) + ops (eye), referring to the squinting of a myopic person. That said, people have used the term myopia as if relating to the mouse and used the term mouse-sight as a synonym for myopia. "When I flex my muscle, my hula girl tattoo looks like it's dancing!" "When I do a hula dance, my muscle tattoo looks like it's flexing!" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/myology_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "Visible contours have become a must-have status symbol for women ... and there are definitely people, Bella Hadid, for one, whose myology I feel I know better than their professional output." Zoe Williams; Why Six-Packs Are an Oppressive Status Symbol for Women; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 22, 2020. -------- Date: Tue Jun 22 00:01:01 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mouse potato X-Bonus: Him that I love, I wish to be free -- even from me. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, author and aviator (22 Jun 1906-2001) This week's theme: Rodents mouse potato (MAUS puh-tay-to) noun Someone who lives a sedentary life, spending large amounts of leisure time playing computer games, surfing the net, streaming videos, etc. [Formed on the pattern of couch potato https://wordsmith.org/words/couch_potato.html . Mouse refers to the electronic mouse typically used with a computer. Earliest documented use: 1993.] "I love being a recluse but you wouldn't believe how slow the Internet is here." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mouse_potato_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "'Why are you sweaty, by the way?' 'Because I just worked out, mouse potato.'" Natasha Mostert; Keeper of Light and Dust; Dutton; 2009. -------- Date: Wed Jun 23 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rat race X-Bonus: The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) This week's theme: Rodents rat race (RAT rays) noun A repetitive competitive activity, such as the modern working life in which one constantly struggles to attain wealth, status, etc. [From rat, from Old English raet (rat) + race, from Old Norse ras (race). Earliest documented use: 1937.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/rat%20race NOTES: The term started out as a literal racing of rats (earliest use 1783). Then it was used as military slang (1931) to refer to planes or ships chasing each other or racing. Eventually the term evolved into its current sense. Imagine a rat running through a laboratory maze to find another piece of cheese or an employee hoping to climb the next rung of the corporate ladder while sacrificing personal health and peace and you'd have a good idea of the term rat race. In French, a popular expression métro, boulot, dodo (commute, work, sleep) refers to the daily grind. Also see, sisyphean https://wordsmith.org/words/sisyphean.html . "Dude, have you found the cheese yet?" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rat_race_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "Tayler had submerged herself into this slowpaced life and wasn't ready to get back to the rat race." Bridget Anderson; When I Fall in Love; Harlequin Kimani; 2016. -------- Date: Thu Jun 24 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mousy X-Bonus: Life is an adventure in forgiveness. -Norman Cousins, author, editor, journalist, and professor (24 Jun 1915-1990) This week's theme: Rodents mousy or mousey (MAU-see/zee) adjective 1. Like a mouse in appearance, color, smell, etc. 2. Timid or shy. 3. Quiet or stealthy. 4. Dull or drab. 5. Infested with mice. [From Old English mus (mouse). Earliest documented use: 1812.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/mousy "If you startle them, they usually drop more food than you can get from their crumbs." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mousy_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "'Second First Impressions' attempts love for mousy office manager Ruthie Midona, who at 25 lives (and dresses) more like her opinionated elderly residents than her peers." Sally Thorne; Rom-Coms Offer Needed Relief, Escape; USA Today (McLean, Virginia); Mar 26, 2021. -------- Date: Fri Jun 25 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--clicktivism X-Bonus: Scientists do not join hands every Sunday and sing "Yes gravity is real! I know gravity is real! I will have faith! I believe in my heart that what goes up, up, up must come down, down, down. Amen!" If they did, we would think they were pretty insecure about the concept. -Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 25 Jun 1949) This week's theme: Rodents clicktivism (KLIK-ti-viz-uhm) noun The use of the Internet to signal support for a cause. [A blend of click, as in a mouse click + activism. Earliest documented use: 2006.] NOTES: Clicktivism can take many forms: signing an online petition, forwarding a message, sharing a posting, or changing the color or banner on one's website or social media in support of a cause, and so on. Clicktivism is sometimes derided as slacktivism https://wordsmith.org/words/slacktivism.html (slack + activism). It's seen as putting in minimal effort and getting a sense of doing something and feeling good about it, instead of getting deeply involved with a cause. While the criticism can be justified, clicktivism is better than doing nothing and, at least, it raises awareness. "Help me put an end to zombies by joining my Facebook group, No More Zombies! :)" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/clicktivism_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "[Purpose.com's] critics worry, however, that its brand of web-based activism is often skin-deep clicktivism. It is easy to click on a petition and then do nothing else." Profit with Purpose; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 26, 2013. -------- Date: Mon Jun 28 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dobber X-Bonus: What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? -Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) The shorter the word, the more meanings it has. The "Oxford English Dictionary" lists more than 500 senses of the 3-letter word "set". The 45-letter long pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis https://wordsmith.org/words/pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.html on the other hand, has one meaning and will forever have that one meaning. Don't expect it to evolve into having multiple senses in unrelated fields. Little potential for metaphors. Don't even think about turning it into a verb. As they say, it's not how long it is, but what you can do with it. This week we give you words, short and nimble, that have multiple meanings. dobber (DOB-uhr) noun 1. An informer. 2. In cricket, a bowler, especially a slow bowler. 3. A float for a fishing line. 4. A large marble. [For 1, 2: From dob (to inform, to put down, to throw). For 3: From Dutch dobber (float, cork). For 4: From dob, a variant of dab (lump). Earliest documented use: 1836.] "Members of the public regularly reported breaches of regulations to authorities. They identified those who made 'disloyal' utterances or had Germanic-sounding surnames, and denounced those who displayed unpatriotic behaviour. To be a dobber was to assert one's patriotism." Philip Deery; How Our Government Clamped Down on Civil Liberties During the First World War; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); May 23, 2020. "I am wiser now and sincerely hope one day to see the emergence of a dobber to rival the great Derek Shackleton, of Hampshire, who took 100 wickets in a season 20 times despite, or possibly because of, a pre-match warm-up that consisted of smoking a cigarette while combing his hair." Harry Pearson; How We Miss Alderman and the Trusty Trundlers; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); May 14, 2013. -------- Date: Tue Jun 29 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bruit X-Bonus: He who would travel happily must travel light. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) This week's theme: Words with many meanings bruit (broot) noun: 1. Rumor. 2. Report. 3. Noise. 4. An abnormal sound heard in internal organs in the body during auscultation https://wordsmith.org/words/auscultate.html . verb tr.: 1. To report. 2. To repeat. 3. To spread a rumor. [From Anglo-Norman bruire (to make a noise), from Latin brugere, a blending of rugire (to roar) + bragire (to bray). Earliest documented use: 1400.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/bruit "And the bruit -- which the Mayo doctor listened for months earlier -- is not always present." Lisa Sanders; Wasting Away; New York Times Magazine; Oct 16, 2016. "When Giannini was fired, the fashion press bruited about many names as possible successors." Rebecca Mead; Costume Drama; The New Yorker; Sep 19, 2016. -------- Date: Wed Jun 30 00:01:02 EDT 2021 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cameo X-Bonus: Life is a jest, and all things show it, / I thought so once, and now I know it. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) This week's theme: Words with many meanings cameo (KAM-ee-oh) noun 1. A small sculpture carved in relief on a background of another color. 2. A short description, literary sketch, etc., that effectively presents the subject. 3. A very brief appearance by a well-known actor or celebrity in a film, typically in a non-speaking role. 4. A brief appearance or a minor role. [From Italian cammeo, from Latin cammaeus. Earliest documented use: 1561.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cameo A cameo carved on a shell, 1925, Naples, Italy: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cameo1_large.jpg Image: Bellezzedinapoli ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_(carving)#/media/File:Cameo_of_Sardinian_conch,_Ascione_e_Antonio_Mennella_1925,_Museo_Ascione.jpg Hitchcock boarding a train in a cameo appearance in "Strangers on a Train", 1951: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cameo2_large.jpg Image: Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alfred_Hitchcock_cameo_appearances#/media/File:StrangersCameoPubReenact.jpg NOTES: Why hasn't anyone performed a cameo role while wearing cameo jewelry? That would be the most logical thing to do. "Hard-stone cameos are often in rings as well as in pendants." Stan Shelley; In Lesser Cameos, the Value Comes from the Metal Setting; Times News (Hendersonville, North Carolina); Dec 8, 2011. "Since then Egypt has largely avoided overseas adventures, save for an unimpressive cameo in the Gulf war in 1991." Showdown on the Nile; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 4, 2020.