A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Fri Oct 1 00:01:39 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--boffin X-Bonus: I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received. -Antonio Porchia, writer (1886-1968) boffin (BOF-in) noun A scientist, especially one involved in research. [Of unknown origin.] If a pocket protector could be considered an official accessory of a nerd, white lab coat, glasses and clipboard would be the equivalent for a boffin. The term first appeared as a moniker given by members of Britain's Royal Air Force to scientists doing research on radar. But like most slang, the how and why of this are unknown. "Wheeling out boffin Gerhard Nordlund, a researcher at Umeå University, Aftonbladet explained tired school kids need practical help in getting the most out of school." Jon Buscall; School Doze; The Local (Sweden); Sep 3, 2004. "Edwards dresses up in irredeemably square glasses, lab coat and hairdo to play Brains, the speccy, stuttering boffin." James Rampton; A Part With the Right Specs; The New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Sep 4, 2004. This week's theme: slang. -------- Date: Mon Oct 4 00:01:51 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lassitude X-Bonus: Best they honor thee Who honor in thee only what is best. -William Watson, poet (1858-1935) lassitude (LAS-i-tood, -tyood) noun Weariness; listlessness; lethargy. [From French, from Latin lassitudo, from lassus (weary). Ultimately from Indo-European root le- (to let go or slacken) that's also the ancestor of words such as late, last, alas, allegiance, and lenient.] "In order to appear busy, one should pace around the office clutching files. ... The best part of this ancient ritual is that it tends to make one's colleagues look away - just in case you and your papers are going to interrupt their own lassitude." Is Slacking the Only Way to Survive the Office?; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Aug 16, 2004. "'At Euro 2004 and the 2002 World Cup,' Blatter commented this week, 'many stars were physically and mentally exhausted, and left an aftertaste of nonchalance and lassitude.'" Rob Hughes; Soccer: The Olympic Flame Running Low on Fuel; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Aug 11, 2004. Usually the words in AWAD form a theme but once in a while we simply feature words that are engaging by themselves. Consider this a cross-country drive through the dictionary, with no itinerary in hand. We'll make several stops along the way, but who knows where we might stop and why? Let's see what kind of words we might come across. We'll meet words that are long or short and unusual or familiar, but all of them, just like people, are interesting if we care enough to learn about them. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Oct 5 00:01:33 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--calefacient X-Bonus: It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of those liberties which make the defense of our nation worthwhile. -Earl Warren, jurist (1891-1974) calefacient (cal-uh-FAY-shunt) noun A substance (e.g. mustard) that produces a sensation of warmth when applied to a part of the body. adjective Producing warmth; heating. [From Latin calefacient-, stem of calefaciens, present participle of calefacere (to make warm), from calere (to be warm) + facere (to make). Other (some hot, some not) words derived from the Latin root calere are chafe, chauffeur (literally, a stoker) and nonchalant.] "Over the calefacient sidewalks of forty-eighth street last summer there echoed the sounds of workmen at their tasks." A Theatre Comes of Age; The New York Times; Oct 11, 1931. "The effect was tonic and calefacient, hence a cooling regimen was needed." Joseph Needham and C. Cullen; Science and Civilisation in China; Cambridge University Press; 1986. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Wed Oct 6 00:01:45 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--salubrious X-Bonus: I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed. -Matthew Henry, minister (1662-1714) salubrious (suh-LOO-bree-uhs) adjective Promoting health or well-being; wholesome. [From Latin salubris, from salus (health), ultimately from Indo-European root sol- (whole) which is also the source of words such as solid, soldier, salutary, salute, salvage, safe, sage, solicit, solemn, and consolidate.] "What better way to beat the heat in the Capital, both climatic and political - than head for the salubrious environs of a hill station!" Jagdish Bhatt; Priyanka Chills Out in Shimla; The Times of India (New Delhi); Jun 9, 2004. "Her most recent series of large paintings of hedges and garden paths is done in energetic, loose brushstrokes daubed with salubrious colors." Garden of Inspiration; Orlando Sentinel (Florida); Jun 5, 2004. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Thu Oct 7 00:01:24 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--armillary X-Bonus: The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance. -Ansel Adams, photographer (1902-1984) armillary (AHR-muh-ler-ee, ahr-MIL-uh-ree) adjective Of or pertaining to rings, circles, or hoops. [From Latin armilla (bracelet, ring), from armus (shoulder).] An armillary sphere is an ancient instrument made up of rings around a sphere, depicting the relative positions of important circles of the celestial sphere. Nowadays, they are popular as garden adornments. An armillary sundial: http://sundials.org/faq/setup/armill_bowstg.htm "Betty planted a box honeysuckle hedge in a semi-circle at the far end but the focal point in her vista is an armillary sphere--a skeletal metal globe." Formal Invitation; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Mar 15, 2003. "A terrestrial globe housed within a series of 11 interlocking armillary rings." Mary Kay Ricks; Chart a Course to the Library of Congress; The Washington Post; Mar 10, 1999. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Fri Oct 8 00:01:26 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bonhomie X-Bonus: A great war leaves the country with three armies - an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves. -German proverb bonhomie (bon-uh-MEE) noun Friendliness; affability; geniality. [From French bonhomie, from bonhomme (good-natured man), from bon (good) + homme (man).] "We have watched how athletes, sportsmen and women from all around the world fought for supremacy in different disciplines in a fiercely competitive yet perfectly friendly way. They upheld peace and bonhomie above everything else." Olympics End; The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh); Aug 31, 2004. "By the time (Gary) Orfield finishes, the banter and bonhomie have given way to head shaking." John Wolfson; The Road to Perdition; Boston Magazine; Aug 2004. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Mon Oct 11 00:21:13 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hebetudinous X-Bonus: There is one art, no more, no less: to do all things with artlessness. -Piet Hein, poet and scientist (1905-1996) hebetudinous (heb-i-TOOD-n-uhs -TYOOD-) adjective Dull or lethargic, especially relating to the mind. [From Late Latin hebetudo (dullness), from Latin hebes (dull).] "Examination of precedents led the judge to his conclusion, but he had something to say first: 'It would be hebetudinous and obtuse to fail to be cognizant of the adverse consequences of a ruling in this case." James J. Kilpatrick; A Clown And a Blowhard on the Bench; Buffalo News; Apr 10, 1993. "The audience waits in a kind of hebetudinous fixation, perhaps astonished at the perfectly sustained level of mediocrity." Kevin Kelly; 'Aspects of Love': Unlovable; The Boston Globe; Apr 27, 1990. "I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am." Those candid words of Samuel Johnson, lexicographer extraordinaire, provide a perceptive observation on the human condition. A language is a mirror of its people. As a disinterested record of the language, a dictionary serves as an accurate window to the culture. It's not surprising that there are more words to describe people who fall on the wrong side than on the good. In this week's AWAD we'll look at words for people on both sides. -------- Date: Tue Oct 12 00:01:29 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--polyonymous X-Bonus: Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it. -Donald Knuth, computer scientist (1938- ) polyonymous (pol-ee-ON-uh-muhs) adjective Having or known by many names. [From Greek polyonymos, from poly- (many) + -onyma (name).] "She (Hecate) protects roads and she is polyonymous, she has lots of names." Michael P. Clark; Revenge of the Aesthetic: The Place of Literature in Theory Today; University of California Press; 2000. "The Antonine dynasty polyonymous senator whose names included 'Velleius Blaesus'." Anthony Birley; Marcus Aurelius; Routledge; 2000. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Wed Oct 13 00:01:29 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--magisterial X-Bonus: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882) magisterial (maj-uh-STEER-ee-uhl) adjective 1. Having the characteristics of a master or teacher; authoritative. 2. Domineering or overbearing. 3. Of or relating to a magistrate. [From Late Latin magisterialis (of authority), from magisterium, from Latin magister (master), ultimately from Indo-European root meg- (great) that's also the source of words such as magnificent, maharajah, mahatma, master, mistress, maestro, maximum, and magnify.] "'Divination is a very woolly discipline', sniffs Hermione, ever ready with a magisterial put-down." Anthony Quinn; The Shadowy World of the Sorceror; The Belfast Telegraph (Northern Ireland); Jun 4, 2004. "Jaap Stam looked magisterial in the Dutch defense." Peter Berlin; Dutch Last Ones Standing in Penalty Shootout; International Herald Tribune (France); Jun 28, 2004. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Thu Oct 14 00:01:35 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--heretic X-Bonus: He's the best physician who knows the worthlessness of the most medicines. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790) heretic (HER-i-tik) noun One who holds unorthodox or unconventional beliefs. adjective Not conforming to established beliefs. [From Middle English heretik, from Middle French heretique, from Late Latin haereticus, from Greek hairetikos (able to choose), from haireisthai (to choose).] "(George) Keithley offers a portrait of a Galileo who is anything but a heretic: In these poems, we glimpse a devout, spiritual Galileo who, because of the wonders of the sky, is vigilant and in awe of the 'divine creator'." Jenny Boully; Keithley's The Starry Messenger; Maisonneuve (Montreal, Canada); Sep 12, 2004. "In other words, by holding out until they (Belle and Sebastian) had a fan-base, they could interfere in their own records, a heretic notion in the modern pop world of talentless synchronised pretty boys and spurious Spice persons." Luke Davidson; Ring Out the Belles; Scotland on Sunday (Edinburgh); Oct 3, 2004. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Fri Oct 15 00:01:30 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fogram X-Bonus: Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (1809-1882) fogram or fogrum (FO-gruhm) noun A person with old-fashioned or overly conservative attitudes. [Of uncertain origin.] "...so civil to all the old fograms, you would make one imagine you liked nobody so well." Frances Burney, Margaret Anne Doody, and Peter Sabor; Cecilia: Memoirs of an Heiress; Oxford Press; 1999. "Just as he had done making himself up, in came another old fogram of his acquaintance, by name the Count of Asumar. This genius made no secret of his grey locks; leant upon a stick, and seemed to plume himself on his venerable age instead of wishing to appear in the hey-day of his prime." A.R. LeSage; The Adventures of Gil Blas (translated from French by Tobias Smollett); George Routledge & Sons; 1912. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Mon Oct 18 00:01:29 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stump speech X-Bonus: It is always the secure who are humble. -G.K. Chesterton, essayist and novelist (1874-1936) stump speech (stump speech) noun A political speech, delivered on a campaign tour. [Originally, campaigning politicians often stood on tree stumps when addressing voters. Today, the stump is used metaphorically in expressions such as "stump speech" (a campaign speech) or "on the stump" (on the campaign trail).] Hustings is the British equivalent of the US word stump. Until 1872 Hustings was the raised platform from which candidates were nominated for the British Parliament, and where they addressed electors. "What was supposed to be a debate between the two 14th District candidates ended up being a stump speech by the one candidate who showed up Monday at the Akron Press Club." Stephen Dyer; US Congressman Skips Akron Press Club Debate; Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio); Sep 28, 2004. "Addressing the association members, (Bob) Brown delivers his standard stump speech, sprinkled with a joke or two, about his fiscal and energy proposals." Charles S. Johnson; Brown Takes Quiet Approach to Politics; Missoulian (Missoula, Montana); Oct 10, 2004. In just two weeks, United States citizens will vote for their next president. The US presidential election is one event that determines the fate of not just one country but also of much of the rest of the world. If you think about it, it's astounding how one office can have so much power over the lives of so many -- power that can be used as the winner chooses: to make a difference in the people's lives or to brush them aside. The word election comes from the Indo-European root leg- (to choose) that is also the source of such words as intelligent, diligent, logic, dialog, and legal. In fact, that's probably not a bad way to choose a candidate: one who is intelligent, one who is diligent in solving problems, one who uses logic, one who prefers to engage in a dialog, and one who employs legal means. If you're a United States citizen, make your vote count this November 2. Be informed. Think of the country. Think of the world. And vote with your conscience. In the meantime, enjoy this week's words from the world of politics and elections. My name is Anu Garg and I approved this message. -------- Date: Tue Oct 19 00:01:22 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--spin doctor X-Bonus: The Hollow Men: Between the idea / And the reality / Between the motion / And the act / Falls the Shadow. -T.S. Eliot, poet (1888-1965) spin doctor (spin DOK-tuhr) noun A representative who is adept in presenting a favorable interpretation of events, utterances, and actions for a politician or some other public figure; one who manipulates news. [Spin, from ballgames (e.g. baseball) where spinning a ball helps a player project it in the desired direction; doctor (expert) or from the verb to doctor (to tamper or falsify).] Politics has been around for ages but surprisingly the term spin doctor is relatively recent. It arose during the 1984 US presidential election. This term is also used facetiously to refer to people in a number of other professions, e.g. disk jockey, vertigo specialist, bicycle mechanic, and a player who is good at spinning a ball in cricket, tennis, billiards, or some other game. "In the heat of the court battle, tempers at times flared as De Bourbon tried to corner the slippery spin doctor." Mugabe's Spin Doctor Grilled Over 'Defamation'; Sunday Times (Johannesburg, South Africa); Jun 20, 2004. "As soon as Thursday night's presidential debate was over, commentators and spin doctors began declaring victory for one candidate or the other." Debates, Round One; Winston-Salem Journal (North Carolina); Oct 3, 2004. This week's theme: words from politics and elections. -------- Date: Wed Oct 20 00:01:11 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--October surprise X-Bonus: Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. -Aldous Huxley, novelist (1894-1963) October surprise (ok-TOH-buhr suhr-PRYZ) noun A last minute surprise, especially one orchestrated by a candidate to influence an election. [The US presidential elections take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The idea of an October surprise stems from the belief that a significant event taking place just before the election would influence the voters and change the result. The term originated in the 1980 US presidential elections. US embassy personnel were held hostage in Tehran, leading to speculation that the incumbent president would secure their release just before the election, in order to boost his prospects for re-election.] More on October surprise from Wikipedia, an online collaborative encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Surprise "'Consumers should get ready for an October surprise from their banks when this new check processing law is implemented,' said Gail Hillebrand, senior attorney with Consumer's Union." Teresa Mcusic; Savvy Consumer: New Law Raises Your Risk of Bouncing Checks; Fort Wayne News Sentinel (Indiana); Sep 27, 2004. "The possibility of a US October surprise on North Korea was flatly rejected yesterday by Washington's top envoy to Seoul." Choi Soung-ah; 'No US October Surprise in Korea'; Korea Herald (Seoul, South Korea); Oct 8, 2004. This week's theme: words from politics and elections. -------- Date: Thu Oct 21 00:01:10 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ward heeler X-Bonus: The buck stops here. -Harry Truman, 33rd US president (1884-1972) ward heeler (ward HEE-luhr) noun A low-level political operative who solicits votes and performs chores for his political bosses or political machine. Also called heeler. [From ward, a subdivision of a city for voting or administrative purposes. Heeler, from the idea of a hanger-on following at the heels of his boss, and also as a reference to his door-to-door canvassing for votes. The term has negative connotations and a ward heeler is generally considered to be an unscrupulous character.] "He (Pierre Trudeau) ... dispensed patronage like the best ward heeler." Jeffrey Simpson, et al; Pierre Elliott Trudeau; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 29, 2000. "This time around, ward heelers worked their toxic magic in a dozen different ways, from unduly influencing voters to manipulating the final count with bogus votes." Richard S. Dunham, et al; Sleight of Hand at the Polls; BusinessWeek (New York); Nov 27, 2000. This week's theme: words from politics and elections. -------- Date: Fri Oct 22 00:01:22 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ostracize X-Bonus: People rarely win wars; governments rarely lose them. -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (1961- ) ostracize (OS-truh-syz) verb tr. To exclude or shun from a group. [From Greek ostrakizein, from ostrakon (shell or potsherd), from the fact that in ancient Greece these were used as ballots in voting to banish someone. Ultimately from Indo-European root ost- (bone) that gave birth to such words as oyster, osteopathy, ossify, and Sanskrit asthi (bone).] "He (Lloyd Anderson) did endure gender prejudices during his career, including being ostracized by older female nurses who felt men did not belong in their profession." Man Broke Barriers As Male Nurse; The Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan); Oct 6, 2004. "Some responses said: 'A child given such a name would likely be bullied or ostracized,' or 'It would cause social problems.'" In Japan, You Can't Name Your Kid 'Mistress' or 'Piles'; The Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo, Japan); Sep 28, 2004. This week's theme: words from politics and elections. -------- Date: Mon Oct 25 00:01:09 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Cook's tour X-Bonus: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. -George Santayana, philosopher (1863-1952) Cook's tour (kooks toor) noun A guided but cursory tour, covering only the main features. [After Thomas Cook (1808-1892), English travel agent.] "The rest of the novel is an episodic Cook's tour of Filipino hell." Carolyn See; Heir to a Misfortune; The Washington Post; Sep 3, 2004. "Never one to be subtle, Mr. Sinelli welcomed Bryant Keil with a 25-cent cook's tour." Cheryl Hall; Former Genghis Grill Owner Sees Sandwiches as Success in the Bag; The Dallas Morning News; Sep 25, 2004. From cabinetmaking to tourmaking -- the story of Thomas Cook is a fascinating account of how this man came to be a trailblazing travel agent. Before he stumbled upon organized travel, Cook worked as a wood-turner, printer, and missionary. He was a champion of the temperance movement and that led to his career in travel. In 1841, an important conference of temperance supporters was to be held in Loughborough, UK. Cook convinced the railway company to run a special train for people wishing to attend. Later, he conducted excursions to the Paris Exposition of 1855. Eventually he expanded into running tours of Europe, Africa, and beyond, and soon his name become synonymous with travel and tourism. He may not have made many teetotalers, but he did make many travelers. From selling tickets for a train journey between Leicester and Loughborough for one shilling to a global empire of airplanes, hotels, and tour agencies: now that's a tour de force. This week we'll visit other terms derived from people's names. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Oct 26 00:01:12 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Horatio Alger X-Bonus: The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty. -John Adams, 2nd US president (1735-1826) Horatio Alger (huh-RAY-shee-oh, ho- AL-juhr) adjective Of, or characteristic of the novels of Horatio Alger, Jr. which depicted an impoverished youth who achieved success and great wealth through hard work, honesty, and virtue. [After Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899), author of hundreds of novels and stories for young adults. His books were immensely successful, selling hundreds of millions of copies.] Read Horatio Alger's novels online: http://gutenberg.org/author/Horatio+Alger "'Clinton reinvented himself as the boy from Hope, a political Horatio Alger,' said Stephen Wayne, the author of the 'The Road to the White House 2004' and a history professor at Georgetown University." John Tierney; Quick. Change the Brand. In Five Weeks; The New York Times; Sep 26, 2004. "Still, Seabiscuit is the Horatio Alger hero of the turf, the horse that came up from nothing on his own courage and will to win." Seabiscuit: Horatio Alger Hero of the Turf; Saturday Evening Post (Indianapolis, Indiana); Nov-Dec 2003. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Wed Oct 27 00:01:12 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sardoodledom X-Bonus: A person usually has two reasons for doing something: a good reason and the real reason. -Thomas Carlyle, historian and essayist (1795-1881) sardoodledom (SAR-doo-duhl-duhm) noun Plays having contrived melodramatic plot, concentrating excessively on the technique to the exclusion of characterization. [After Victorian Sardou (1831-1908), French playwright; coined by playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).] "Most of Lubitsch's other plot sources are hackneyed representatives of Sardoodledom." Gerald Mast; The Comic Mind: Comedy and the Movies; University of Chicago Press; Aug 17, 2004. "There is even the Secret of the well-made play, Sardoodledom's ultimate question: who is Godot? Will he come?" David Bradby, Michael Robinson; Waiting for Godot: Plays in Production; Cambridge University Press; Nov 15, 2001. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Thu Oct 28 00:01:10 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cyprian X-Bonus: It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell. -William Tecumseh Sherman, Union General in the American Civil War (1820-1891) Cyprian (SIP-ree-uhn) adjective 1. Of, or pertaining to Cyprus. 2. Lewd. noun 1. A native or inhabitant of Cyprus; a Cypriot. 2. A lewd person. [From Latin Cyprius (of Cyprus), from Greek Kyprios, from Kypros (Cyprus), birthplace of Aphrodite (also called Cypris), the goddess of love and beauty.] "Cyprian Okoro, 38, a GP in Beckenham, Kent, was found guilty of making lewd comments to two vulnerable women patients." Doctor Made 'Lewd' Comments; The Independent (London, UK); Apr 9, 2000. "The Starr report is lewd, Cyprian, gamy, racy, titillating, ithyphallic, Paphian, prurient, salacious, and ... er ... just plain dirty." George McEvoy; Hefner, Guccione, Flynt, Goldstein ... Starr; Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida); Sep 16, 1998. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Fri Oct 29 00:01:11 EDT 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--darbies X-Bonus: It is inaccurate to say I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956) darbies (DAR-bees) noun Handcuffs; manacles. [Shortening of Father Darby's/Derby's bands (or bonds). Apparently after the rigid terms of a 16th century English usurer of that name.] "Soon, however, tools began emerging on the scene that allowed bloggers to dash their computer darbies and perform mobile weblogging, or moblogging." John P. Mello Jr.; Blogging Now Wireless, With Photos; The Boston Globe; Apr 12, 2004. "'But the darbies,' said Hatteraick, looking upon his fetters." Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832); Guy Mannering. This week's theme: eponyms.