A.Word.A.Day		About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us

Home Today's Word Yesterday's Word Archives FAQ

This week's theme Words for physical characteristics used to describe people figuratively. This week's words louche clochard myopic dexterous ambisinister Next week's theme Why use a simple word? Have you seen this book? Published by Plume (an imprint of Penguin Group) "Garg's latest little gem will be enjoyed by anyone with a thing for words, language and history." -Publisher's Weekly Discuss Feedback RSS/XML A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg ambisinister PRONUNCIATION: (am-bi-SIN-uh-stuhr) MEANING: adjective: Clumsy with both hands. (Literally, with two left hands.) ETYMOLOGY: From Latin ambi- (both) + sinister (on the left side). USAGE: "Professor Fischer says that the reserve physicians 'were surgically ambisinister, medically at the zero point, and lacking in discipline, military skill and temperance.'" The Military Surgeon; Harvard University; 1914. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)

Subscribe: Sign up to receive A.Word.A.Day in your mailbox every day. "The most welcomed, most enduring piece of daily mass e-mail in cyberspace." Sponsored by: Give the Gift of Words Share the magic of words. Send a gift subscription of A.Word.A.Day. Anu on Words: Writer Magazine SF Gate SF Gate Globe & Mail Interact: Bulletin board Wordsmith Talk Moderated Chat Wordsmith Chat Readers' Voice AWADmail