A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Sun Jan 1 00:03:37 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--equipollent X-Bonus: Sign seen on door: C I T Y P L A N N ING equi.pol.lent \-*nt\ aj [ME, fr. MF, fr. L aequipollent-, aequipollens, fr. aequi- eq]ui- + pollent-, pollens, prp. of polle-re to be able 1: equal in force, power, or validity 2: the same in effect or signification - equipollent n -------- Date: Mon Jan 2 00:03:58 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quiddity X-Bonus: If at first you don't succeed, redefine success. quid.di.ty \'kwid-*t-e-\ n [ML quidditas essence, lit., whatness, fr. L quid what, neut. of Xquis who - more at WHO 1a: a trifling point : QUIBBLE 1b: CROTCHET, ECCENTRICITY 2: whatever makes something to be of the type that it is : ESSENCE -------- Date: Tue Jan 3 00:03:40 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--contretemps X-Bonus: To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. -Bertrand Russell con.tre.temps \'ka:n-tr*-.ta:n, ko-n-tr*-ta:n\ \-(.)ta:n(z)\ n or con.tre.temps [F, fr. contre- counter- + temps time, fr. L tempus] pl : an inopportune embarrassing occurrence : MISHAP -------- Date: Wed Jan 4 00:03:38 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--poltroon X-Bonus: When looking for faults use a mirror, not a telescope. 1. pol.troon \pa:l-'tru:n\ n [MF poultron, fr. OIt poltrone, fr. aug. of poltro colt, deri]v. of L pullus young of an animal - more at FOAL : a spiritless coward : CRAVEN 2. poltroon aj : characterized by complete cowardice -------- Date: Thu Jan 5 00:03:35 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--irenic X-Bonus: Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. -W. Somerset Maugham ire.nic \i--'ren-ik, -'re--nik\ \-'ren-i-k(*-)le-, -'re--ni-\ aj [Gk eire-nikos, fr. eire-ne- peace] : conducive to or operating toward peace or conciliation - ire.ni.cal.ly av -------- Date: Mon Jan 23 00:03:53 EST 1995 X-Bonus: Reason can answer questions, but imagination has to ask them. -Ralph Gerard lon.ga.nim.i.ty \.lo.n-g*-'nim-*t-e-\ n [LL longanimitas, fr. longanimis patient, fr. L longus long +] animus soul - more at ANIMATE : a disposition to bear injuries patiently : FORBEARANCE -- there was no posting during Jan 6-21. -------- Date: Tue Jan 24 00:03:53 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--subreption X-Bonus: A smile is a powerful weapon - you can even break ice with it. sub.rep.tion \(.)s*b-'rep-sh*n\ \.s*b-.rep-'tish-*s\ n [LL subreption-, subreptio, fr. L, act of stealing, fr. subreptu]s, pp. of subripere, surripere to take away secretly - more at SURREPTITIOUS : a deliberate misrepresentation; also : an inference drawn from it - sub.rep.ti.tious aj -------- Date: Thu Jan 26 00:03:18 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--splenetic X-Bonus: Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. -Robert Frost Cross references: 1. irascible sple.net.ic \spli-'net-ik, archaic 'splen-*-(.)tik\ \spli-'net-i-k(*-)le-\ aj [LL spleneticus, fr. L splen spleen] 1: SPLENIC archaic 2: given to melancholy 3: marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite - splenetic n -------- Date: Fri Jan 27 00:18:14 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--encomium X-Bonus: In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. -Ralph Waldo Emerson en.co.mi.um \en-'ko--me--*m\ \-me--*\ n or encomiums or en.co.mia [L, fr. Gk enko-mion, fr. en in + ko-mos revel, celebra] pl tion - more at IN, COMEDY : high or glowing praiseATION mean a formal expression of praise. ENCOMIUM implies enthusiasm and warmth in praising a person or thing; EULOGY applies to a prepared speech or writing extolling the virtues and services of a person; PANEGYRIC suggests an elaborate often poetic compliment; TRIBUTE implies deeply felt praise conveyed either through words or through a significant act; CITATION applies to the formal praise accompanying the mention of a person in a military dispatch or in awarding an honorary degree SYN syn ENCOMIUM, EULOGY, PANEGYRIC, TRIBUTE, CIT -------- Date: Sat Jan 28 00:03:14 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--levant X-Bonus: Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. -Larry Wilde le.vant \li-'vant\ vi [perh. fr. Sp levantar to break camp, deriv. of L levare] chiefly Brit : to run away from a debt -------- Date: Sun Jan 29 00:03:15 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--contumely X-Bonus: We must bring no Twilight/ to one who has lost her Dawn. -Emily Dickinson con.tu.me.ly \k*n-'t(y)u:-m*-le-; 'ka:n-t(y)*-.me--le-, 'ka:n-ch*-; 'ka n [ME contumelie, fr. MF, fr. L contumelia; perh. akin to L contum]B:n-t*m-le-acia : rude language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; also : an instance of such language or treatment -------- Date: Mon Jan 30 00:42:12 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chortle X-Bonus: Innovation is hard to schedule. -Dan Fylstra chor.tle \'cho.rt-*l\ \'cho.rt-lin, -*l-in\ \'cho.rt-l*r, -*l-*r\ vi or chor.tling [blend of chuckle and snort] 1: to sing or chant exultantly 2: to laugh or chuckle esp. in satisfaction or exultation - chortle n -- Chortle is a portmanteau word--a word formed by fusing the sounds and meanings of two other words. Lewis Carroll coined this and many other such words and called them portmanteau, as Humpty Dumpty explains in _Through the Looking Glass_: `Well, "slithy" means "lithe and slimy." ... You see it's like a portmanteau--there are two meanings packed up into one word.' Look for more portmanteaus during the rest of this week. -------- Date: Tue Jan 31 00:03:15 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--contrail X-Bonus: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. con.trail \'ka:n-.tra-l\ n [condensation trail] : streaks of condensed water vapor created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes