This week’s theme
Birds

This week’s words
black swan
gowk
lame duck
henpeck
ostrichism


This week’s comments
AWADmail 1020

Next week’s theme
Words borrowed from Hebrew

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(OS-tri-chiz-uhm)

MEANING:

noun: The act or policy of refusing to face reality or unpleasant facts.

ETYMOLOGY:

From the erroneous popular belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when facing danger. From Old French ostrusce/ostriche, from Latin struthio (ostrich), from Greek strouthos. Earliest documented use: 1834.

NOTES:

The ostrich doesn’t really bury its head in the sand. This flightless bird puts its head and neck close to the ground for camouflage. Also, they nest their eggs in holes in the ground. It’s the largest (up to 9 ft or 2.7 m) and fastest bird (43 miles/hour or 70 km/hour) on the planet and can kill a lion with a kick. If you ever upset an ostrich, do not bury your head in the sand. Try apologizing. If not, be ready to be ostracized.

USAGE:

“Deciding that ostrichism is the better part of valor, I keep my eyes closed.”
Adam Davies; Mine All Mine; Riverhead; 2008.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: