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Jul 12, 2010 This week's theme Miscellaneous words This week's words paean mephitic equipoise risible folderol Read it today Discuss Feedback RSS/XML A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg Post No Bills. Have you ever seen a wall with that notice pasted on it? That reminds me of books, manuals, and annual reports with a "blank" page bearing the text: "This page intentionally left blank." In the same vein, this week's A.Word.A.Day theme is intentionally left blank. Instead, I've selected a potpourri of interesting words to examine this week. paean PRONUNCIATION: (PEE-uhn) MEANING: noun: An expression of praise, joy, or triumph, traditionally in the form of a song. ETYMOLOGY: From Latin paean, from Greek paian (hymn of thanksgiving to Apollo), after Paian, Paion (epithet of Apollo in the hymn). USAGE: "Hitch-22 is among the loveliest paeans to the dearness of one's friends." Dwight Garner; In Memoir, Christopher Hitchens Looks Back; The New York Times; Jun 1, 2010. Explore "paean" in the Visual Thesaurus. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human. -Aldous Huxley, novelist (1894-1963)

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