A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed Dec 1 00:01:23 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sic X-Bonus: The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. -Thomas Carlyle, writer (1795-1881) sic (sik) verb tr. To incite to attack, especially as a command to dog: "Sic 'em!" [Variant of seek.] adverb Thus; so. (Used after an incorrect or unusual word or phrase to indicate that it has been quoted verbatim.) [From Latin sic.] "Richard Nixon promised to 'bring us together' and sicced Spiro Agnew and Chuck Colson on his enemies. " Tom Blackburn; Campaigns Effectively Push the Negatives; The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida); Nov 1, 2004. "The man accused of siccing the animal on him was arrested Wednesday." Ian Demsky; Man Says Mix-up at Party Led to Dog Attack; The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee); Nov 5, 2004. This week's theme: short words. -------- Date: Thu Dec 2 00:01:12 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scry X-Bonus: A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition. Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation. Lend and borrow to the maximum. -Henry Miller, novelist (1891-1980) scry (skry) verb intr. To predict the future by crystal-gazing. [Shortening of descry (discover), from Middle English descrien, from Old French descrier (to call or cry out), from dis- + crier (to cry out).] "Spend enough time scrying a glass bowling ball and your self knowledge and universal understanding will expand faster than the federal budget deficit." Pitt Dickey; Great Crystal Bowling Balls of Fire!; Up & Coming Weekly (Fayetteville, North Carolina); Oct 20, 2004. "Also, the Reserve Bank will release its quarterly Statement on Monetary Policy, which the market will scry for clues on the timing of possible rate rises." Stocks' 10th Day of Gold; The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia); Nov 8, 2004. This week's theme: short words. -------- Date: Fri Dec 3 00:01:13 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tog X-Bonus: Life without industry is guilt, industry without art is brutality. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (1819-1900) tog (tog) noun 1. A coat. 2. Togs: Clothes. verb tr. To dress up for a particular occasion or activity. [From shortening of earlier cant togeman, from Latin toga (toga), ultimately from Indo-European root (s)teg- (to cover) that's also the ancestor of other words such as thatch, deck, tile, and detect.] Tog is also the unit of thermal insulation of clothing. Another such unit is clo (shortening of clothes). "Malkin, 47, allows the new arrival a minute to gaze in awe at his collection, eyes adjusting to its psychedelic glamour. Togging out the office like this 'may be a bit over the top' but was in part a reaction to moving to the new place, which lacks the human proportions and lawn views of the old law building on the main campus." Wendy Tuohy; The Colourful Arm of the Law; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Nov 15, 2004; "We wore our best surfing togs: light blue Levi cords, Pendleton shirts, Converse sneakers." Tim Ryan; Big Waves, Big Screen; Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Hawaii); Oct 24, 2004. This week's theme: short words. -------- Date: Mon Dec 6 00:01:24 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--contango X-Bonus: Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (1694-1773) contango (kuhn-TANG-goh) noun A premium paid by the buyer to the seller for deferring payment. [From alteration of continue or contingent.] "Gold markets are generally in contango because there is an infinite supply of gold in the vaults of central banks or in private hands." Jim Jones; Hedging: It Takes Two to Tango on the Market; Business Day (Johannesburg, South Africa); Feb 08, 2002. "In addition, the one-year contango, or the difference between spot prices and forward prices, has narrowed to $3 an ounce, from $15 a few years ago." Bernard Simon; Gold Producers Are Split On Whether to Hedge; The New York Times; Jan 24, 2002. Before coming to the Seattle area two years ago, we organized a moving-sale to dispose of our furniture and other household goods. It seems it was our then-kindergartener Ananya's first direct experience in the world of commerce but we didn't realize how much she had picked up until we'd settled in our new home. There's a knock on the door of my home-office downstairs and Ananya enters with a smile on her face. "Would you like to buy this pen?" "Maybe," I say while I continue typing. "How much is it?" "One cent." "That sounds like a good price. I'll take it." In exchange for a shiny penny, I become the proud owner of a pen from our kitchen. A little later, there's another knock-knock on the door. "Would you like to buy this painting for two cents?" "Hmmm.. that's a bit expensive," I haggle, "How about one cent?" "Nope, two cents! I made it myself." One look at the bright crayon rainbow in her tiny hand and my heart overrides my head. I'm ready to splurge just to acquire that masterpiece for my collection. "Oh, that's a beautiful painting. It's priceless!" "No, it's not price less. It has a price: two cents." Another transaction takes place in the world of business, and I become the proud owner of a work of art that still adorns my computer monitor. A few more such business deals and Ananya has sold out. But that doesn't deter a determined entrepreneur, as I soon discover. "Would you like this penny for four cents?" I realize this business model needed a little tweak. "Well, you've to give something of equal value. Why would I give four cents to have just one cent? Sorry, no!" "Oh, come on, you want to," she says, with a beguiling smile. I take her comments at face-value, that there is some value in this exchange. I dig into my wallet only to discover that my buying spree has taken toll on my bottom-line. "I'm out of pennies," I tell her, "you can take this nickel." "Nope, I want four pennies." Thanks to a generous credit-line extended by the friendly banker at our very own First National Home Bank, I'm able to borrow emergency funds and close the sale. "So what are you going to do with all this money?" I ask her. "I'm going to give it to Coins for Kids," she proudly announces. Coins for Kids is a program at her elementary school that encourages students to donate pennies to provide winter clothing for needy children. Sometimes it takes just a few hours to get a lifetime's instruction in the school of business and life. This week in AWAD: words from the world of money and finance. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Dec 7 00:01:14 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--danegeld X-Bonus: Courage without conscience is a wild beast. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (1833-1899) Danegeld (DAYN-geld) noun, also Danegelt 1. An annual tax imposed on English landholders (c. 10-12th century) to buy off Danish invaders, continuing later under the name tallage. 2. Protection money, or some other coercive payment. [From Middle English, from Dane + geld (payment, tribute), from Old English.] Here is Rudyard Kipling's poem on Danegeld: http://poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/dane_geld.html "Russia successfully cajoles and bullies more Danegeld out of the IMF and the West." A Puzzling Progress; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 13, 1999. "What's unfair is that we make it tough for young people to get a job unless they pay danegeld to a four-year college to get a certificate that says it's okay to employ them." James Michaels; Truth in Packaging; Forbes Magazine (New York); Dec 28, 1998. This week's theme: words from the world of money and finance. -------- Date: Wed Dec 8 00:01:12 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--usance X-Bonus: If you torture data sufficiently, it will confess to almost anything. -Fred Menger, chemistry professor (1937- ) usance (YOO-zuhns) noun 1. The customary length of time allowed for the settlement of a foreign bill. 2. Usage; custom. [From Middle English, from Old French, probably from Vulgar Latin usare, from Latin uti (to use).] "The trading houses have also been denied issuance of usance trade bills by the banks." Year-End Export Climate Dim; The Korea Times (Seoul, South Korea); Nov 27, 1998. "Such approval may be given even in cases where usance bills are to be drawn for the shipment, provided the relative letter of credit covers the full export." Submit Export Declaration to Authorised Dealer: RBI; Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Feb 13, 2004. This week's theme: words from the world of money and finance. -------- Date: Thu Dec 9 00:01:11 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sumptuary X-Bonus: When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it? -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and writer (1884-1962) sumptuary (SUMP-choo-er-ee) adjective 1. Relating to or regulating expenses. 2. Regulating personal habits or behavior on moral or religious grounds. [From Latin sumptuarius, from sumptus expense, past participle of sumere (to take up), 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.] "The monthly Sumptuary Allowance for both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker has been raised to Tk 6,000 from Tk 5,000 and Tk 3,000." Remunerations of PM, Speaker, Ministers Up; The Independent (Bangladesh); Jul 8, 2003. [Tk is the abbreviation for Taka, the principal unit of currency in Bangladesh.] "A ban on advertising of junk foods in schools, especially candies and soft drinks with high sugar content. Sumptuary taxes on soft drinks as well - sure to be opposed bitterly by the lobbyists. If alcohol and tobacco advertisements cannot be allowed on children's TV, why allow advertising of foods that promote obesity and future health ills on a par with them?" Ian Williams; Big Food's Real Appetites; The Nation (New York); May 6, 2002. This week's theme: words from the world of money and finance. -------- Date: Fri Dec 10 00:01:08 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--backwardation X-Bonus: Being rich is having money; being wealthy is having time. -Stephen Swid, executive (b. 1941) backwardation (BAK-wuhr-DAY-shuhn) noun A premium paid by the seller to the buyer for deferring delivery of stock or some other product. Opposite of contango. [From backward, from Middle English bakwarde.] "Another major reason for backwardation or lower volumes in derivatives is that for selling the underlying trader needs to have holding of shares and, therefore, this kind of arbitrage is only possible by a few." Abhishek Parekh; The Future(s) is Here; Business India; Feb 3, 2002. "The LME's (London Metal Exchange) suspicions were aroused by the fact that none of the economic conditions justified a backwardation in the aluminium price. There was a glut of aluminium in the aftermath of the Asia meltdown and prices for all months other than January displayed the more usual premium of forward-over-spot prices, known as contango." Dan Atkinson; Finance: LMC Squeeze Inquiry Clears Players; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 29, 1999. This week's theme: words from the world of money and finance. -------- Date: Mon Dec 13 00:01:22 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--crinite X-Bonus: Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it. -Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (1601-1658) crinite (KRY-nyt) adjective Hairy. [From Latin crinitus, from crinis (hair). Ultimately from Indo-European root sker- (to turn or bend) that's also the fount of other words such as curve, crest, arrange, shrink, crow, and crisp.] "Clad in worn jeans with a matching shirt, construction boots and a straw cowboy hat, the crinite foreman ambulated about as he showed how adobe blocks were made." Thom Tansey; In Search of Lost Civilizations; Rainbow Books; 2000. Why is a hairless person called bald? Because his head is balled, etymologically speaking. The ball in balled in this case refers to a white patch (as in bald eagle). People have been resorting to all sorts of tricks -- even spray-painting their heads black -- as a fix to the problem. Next time you decide to comb-over to hide that white patch, know that you're using a patented technique. US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) awarded a patent for comb-over ( http://tinyurl.com/6qtq5 ) in 1975 though the patent has now expired. While we can't help restore that lost hair, we can offer words to describe the phenomenon. This is going to be a hairy -- and smooth -- week. This week's theme: hair today, gone tomorrow. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Dec 14 00:01:11 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--atrichia X-Bonus: The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from without. It has to come from within. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) atrichia (ay-TRIK-ee-uh) noun Absence of hair, typically congenital. Also called atrichosis. [From Greek a- (not) + trich- (hair).] "Who needs atrichia?" Jonathan Yardley; Words to Live By; The Washington Post; Apr 20, 1994. "Other work has shown that a malfunctioning hairless gene can cause another hair-loss disorder, called papular atrichia." Researchers Exploring Roles of 'Hairless' Gene; Columbian (Vancouver, Washington); Oct 22, 2001. This week's theme: hair today, gone tomorrow. -------- Date: Wed Dec 15 00:01:11 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pileous X-Bonus: Knowing ignorance is strength; ignoring knowledge is sickness. -Lao-Tzu, philosopher (6th century BCE) pileous (PY-lee-uhs, PIL-ee-) adjective Covered with hair. [From Latin pileus, from pilus (hair).] "What pileous sculptures was the young man creating on that lovely head?" Andrew Miller; Casanova in Love; Harvest Books; 2000. "A pileous alternative without slippage concerns is spray-on hair-in-a-can." Lyle Zapato; Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie; Outer Limits Press; 2003. This week's theme: hair today, gone tomorrow. -------- Date: Thu Dec 16 00:01:15 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lissotrichous X-Bonus: Whenever 'A' attempts by law to impose his moral standards upon 'B', 'A' is most likely a scoundrel. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956) lissotrichous (li-SO-tri-kuhs) adjective Having straight or smooth hair. [From Greek lissós (smooth) + trich-, from thrix, (hair). Some cousins of this word are cymotrichous (having wavy hair), trichotillomania (the compulsion to pull out one's hair), and its end result atrichia (baldness).] "Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour notwithstanding, women really aspire to be lissotrichous brunettes, since sleekness and shine - the season's chief criteria - show much better on dark hair." Pamela Swanigan; Blondness: It's Probably Not the Real Thing; Vancouver Sun (Canada); Jun 16, 2001. This week's theme: hair today, gone tomorrow. -------- Date: Fri Dec 17 00:01:28 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--calvity X-Bonus: During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. -George Orwell, writer (1903-1950) calvity (KAL-vi-tee) also calvities, noun Baldness. [From Latin calvities (baldness), from calv-us (bald).] "He wore his own hair - what there was left of it: short tight curls round a shining calvity, though he was in his thirties." Patrick O'Brian; Post Captain; W.W. Norton; 1990. This week's theme: hair today, gone tomorrow. -------- Date: Mon Dec 20 00:01:39 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--crispin X-Bonus: The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894) crispin (KRIS-pin) noun A shoemaker. [After St. Crispin, patron saint of shoemakers. He and his brother St. Crispinian were martyred as Christian missionaries. They made their living as shoemakers.] "The draft then draws on a block of material from the boot and shoe trade described by the Narrator as 'the Crispin trade'. Simon Trussler and Clive Barker; New Theatre Quarterly; Cambridge University Press; Aug 25, 2003. "And, lo! up starts the demon Drink. The joiner's bench, the mason's shed, The place of dough and smoking bread, The tailor's board, the Crispin's stool All, all proclaim the demon's rule!" Janet Hamilton; Lyrics of Drink; Poems, Sketches And Essays; 1885. There are thousands and thousands of them. In medicine, botany, chemistry, athletics, and other walks (and runs) of life. We use them all the time without even realizing it. They come with a whole story about themselves. They are words derived from people, real and fictional, from history and from mythology. They are known as eponyms and this week we'll meet five of these people and the words by which we remember them. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Dec 21 00:01:23 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--darwinian X-Bonus: Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910) Darwinian (dar-WIN-ee-uhn) adjective 1. Relating to Charles Darwin or his theory of natural selection. 2. Marked by competitive behavior, suggesting survival of the fittest. [After Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882), English naturalist and author who published his groundbreaking theory of natural selection.] "P&G traditionally was known as a conservative fortress, pitting teams of employees against each other in a Darwinian struggle that sometimes seemed to place a higher priority on winning within P&G than beating competition or appealing to consumers." Cliff Peale; P&G Loses Stodginess to Build Profits; The Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio); Dec 13, 2004. "(Lieutenant Harms) also observes subtler, almost Darwinian maneuvers by combat veterans to form teams of stronger soldiers to boost their chances of survival." Ann Scott Tyson; For Army, It's Operation Stretch; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Dec 9, 2004. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Wed Dec 22 00:01:12 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--goldwynism X-Bonus: To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. -John Burroughs, naturalist and writer (1837-1921) Goldwynism (GOLD-wi-niz-em) noun A humorous statement or phrase resulting from the use of incongruous or contradictory words, situations, idioms, etc. [After Samuel Goldwyn (1879-1974), Polish-born US film producer, known for such remarks. Born Schmuel Gelbfisz, he changed his name to Samuel Goldfish after he went to UK, and to Samuel Goldwyn after moving to the US.] Here are some examples of Goldwynisms: o Include me out. o When I want your opinion I will give it to you. o I'll give you a definite maybe. o If I could drop dead right now, I would be the happiest man alive. o Anybody who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined. o I may not always be right, but I am never wrong. o In two words im-possible. Continuing the tradition of such eponyms as malapropism, spoonerism, and goldwynism, will bushism enter the dictionaries as the latest eponym in this category? Only time will tell. "(Gregory) Peck also came up with a great Goldwynism: 'If they won't go to the box-office, you can't stop 'em.'" Iain Johnstone; Waxing Not Waning; The Times (London, UK); May 24, 1992. "There was an air of Goldwynism about the row over Sinn Fein's proposals which Bairbre de Bruin, following her leader's example, thought too delicate to be committed to print. (The unionists, reasonably enough, thought Gerry Adams's verbal commitment wasn't worth the paper it was written on.)" Dick Walsh; All Roads Lead Back to Belfast Agreement; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Jul 3, 1999. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Thu Dec 23 00:01:22 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rasputin X-Bonus: In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. -Jose Narosky, writer Rasputin (ra-SPYOO-tin) noun A person who holds great but corrupting influence on another. [After Rasputin, the nickname of Grigori Yefimovich Novykh (c.1871-1916), a Siberian peasant. Rasputin gained entrance into the court of Russian Czar Nikolai II and his wife, the Czarina Alexandra, by improving the condition of their hemophiliac son. Over the years, Rasputin's influence over the Czarina, and the court, increased tremendously. He was notorious for his debauchery and was later assassinated by Russian noblemen.] "It was immediately apparent that she (Luisa P. Ejercito-Estrada) had not yet fallen under the spell of a Rasputin or a self-appointed guru with fantastic ideas about holes in the sky and the Philippines being the center of the universe." AdLib: The New First Lady; BusinessWorld (Manila, Philippines); Dec 2, 1998. "The other major force in Earnhardt's life dominates the second half of the movie. His third wife and widow, Teresa (Elizabeth Mitchell), is almost a benevolent Rasputin." Brant James; Earnhardt's Fans Will Want More; St. Petersburg Times (Florida); Dec 11, 2004. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Fri Dec 24 00:01:50 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gallup poll X-Bonus: I am in the habit of looking not so much to the nature of a gift as to the spirit in which it is offered. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894) gallup poll (GAL-uhp pol) noun A survey of public opinion. [After George Horace Gallup (1901-1984), US statistician, who popularized the use of such surveys.] How does a survey of only 1000 people determine the opinion of millions? The idea is to use a representative cross-section of the population. It's somewhat similar to the way we can tell the sweetness of the whole cup of tea by sampling just a spoonful. How can such an assessment go wrong? If the sampling is not representative, just as when the sugar is not well-mixed in the cup, the taste test will be wrong. "In the 30-year old People's Choice Awards in America, the winner is chosen after carrying out a gallup poll." Joseph Batte; Take It Or Leave It, PAM Awards Are Ok; New Vision (Kampala, Uganda); Dec 10, 2004. "Polls routinely find a solid majority of Austrians against the idea. A September Gallup poll showed 76 percent against membership talks and 68 percent saying Turkey would not even be ready for membership in the next 10-20 years." Austria Seeks Open Option for Turkey; Baku Today (Azerbaijan); Dec 1, 2004. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Mon Dec 27 00:02:53 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--operose X-Bonus: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965) operose (OP-uh-roas) adjective 1. Tedious; diligent. 2. Requiring great effort. [From Latin operosus (laborious, painstaking; active), from oper-, from opus (work). Ultimately from Indo-European root op- (to work, produce) that is also the ancestor of words such as opera, opulent, optimum, maneuver, and manure.] "He (David Brown) is an operose Bachelor of Music, with a reading knowledge of Russian acquired in the national service, who has never been to Russia." Richard Taruskin; Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Feb 6, 1995. "'How do you feel?' asked Carol. 'Old, operose and obese,' he said pointing to his paunchy stomach." Linda Varsell Smith; With a Human Touch: Karen Harmony Rainbow; Rainbow Communications; 2003. From the most noble soul to the most dastardly individual, we all share traits that extend over the spectrum. It would be rare to find a person who can be completely characterized by a single word. This week AWAD discusses five adjectives that will help you describe people you may encounter. Can you see the face of a friend, relative, neighbor or co-worker in these assorted arrangements of the alphabet? -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Dec 28 00:02:53 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--reprobate X-Bonus: The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956) reprobate (REP-ruh-bayt) adjective Depraved. noun A wicked person. verb tr. To disapprove or condemn. [From Middle English, from Late Latin reprobatus, from reprobare (to disapprove), from re- + probare (to test, approve), from probus (good).] "Santa: con man and criminal, bilious reprobate, drunk, selfish, perverse. But like most Christmas stories, this one heads toward redemption, after the same journey traveled by that other seasonal reprobate, Ebenezer Scrooge." Stephen Hunter; Empty Suit; The Washington Post; Nov 25, 2004. "FRSC warned that such persons would be booked as reprobate offenders, adding that they risked being jailed." 'Use Old Number Plate And Go to Jail'; This Day (Lagos, Nigeria); Jan 31, 2003. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Wed Dec 29 00:02:29 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--renitent X-Bonus: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (1838-1923) renitent (re-NYT-uhnt, REN-i-tuhnt) adjective Resistant; recalcitrant. [From Latin renitent-, renitens, present participle of reniti (to resist), from re- + niti (to strive, to struggle).] "And this is the pledge for restoration of democracy. But our leaders are reluctant and renitent for that." Kalam Azad; No Compromise in Democratic Politics; The New Nation (Dhaka, Bangladesh); Nov 20, 2004. "One intuits that the potential for metapsychic calamity still lurks within the mind of this highly renitent people." Julian May; Jack the Bodiless; Ballantine; 1991. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Thu Dec 30 00:01:13 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pinguid X-Bonus: Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (1917-1963) pinguid (PING-gwid) adjective Fat; greasy; unctuous. [From Latin pinguis (fat).] "But after losing two stones, he (Andrew Roberts) has shucked off his old nickname of 'the pinguid Thatcherite historian'." Sholto Byrnes; Pandora; Independent (London, UK); Feb 12, 2003. "Turner always said that the news had to be the star for CNN to flourish--though he had a curious loyalty to pinguid idolator Larry King." Phil Rosenthal; What the Bleep?; Chicago Sun-Times; Feb 10, 2003. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Fri Dec 31 00:01:14 EST 2004 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--wroth X-Bonus: The most perfect technique is that which is not noticed at all. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (1876-1973) wroth (roth) adjective Extremely angry. [From Middle Middle English, from Old English wrath. Ultimately from Indo-European root wer- (to turn or bend) that is also the progenitor of words such as wring, weird, writhe, worth, revert, and universe.] "The movie has taken some flak for ethnic stereotyping... I can't wax too wroth, though, since the 'victims' themselves do most of the stereotyping." Ben Steelman; Harmless 'Shark Tale' Moves Along Swimmingly; Morning Star (Wilmington, North Carolina); Oct 2, 2004. "Humans said to their PDAs, 'Heat my house, for I am on my way home... Get my broker out of the shower, or the flushing place, and tell him that I am wroth!'" Christopher Buckley; Wireless Shrugged; Time (New York); May 29, 2000. This week's theme: words to describe people.