A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Mon Feb 3 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scud X-Bonus: Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (1874-1946) This week's Guest Wordsmith, Ananya Garg (ananya at wordsmith.org), writes: When people think of Harry Potter, they think wizards and magic spells and potions. And while this is all great, the real magic of the story is in the love and friendship that Harry Potter is all about. It is nearly impossible to say how much Harry Potter has changed my life and made me the person I am today. The Harry Potter series was my childhood and its life lessons helped me grow. Whenever I have been in a bad mood, Harry Potter has been there for me. When I didn't have friends at school, I didn't feel so bad because I knew Harry, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else was just a turn of a page away. In these books, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore stands out for me. He says many wise words that have stayed with me. One time he says to Harry, "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." Dumbledore is telling Harry not to dwell on the past, and to live out his life to the best of his ability even though his parents aren't with him anymore. It made me feel as if he was saying, if you want something you have to go and get it, rather than sit around and dream, waiting for something to happen. Also, don't sit around worrying about the past and things that you can't change. This week I'll feature seven words, one each from one of the seven books in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. [Ananya Garg, my daughter, is a high school junior and founder & president of Harry Potter Club at her school.] scud (skud) verb intr. 1. To run or move swiftly. 2. In nautical parlance, to run before a gale with little or no sail set. noun 1. The act of scudding. 2. Clouds, rain, mist, etc. driven by the wind. 3. Low clouds beneath another cloud layer. [Of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle Low German schudden (to shake). Earliest documented use: 1609.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/scud_large.jpg Photo: USPS https://www.usps.com/stamps/harry-potter.htm "The moon was bright, but the clouds scudding across kept throwing them [Harry et al] into darkness." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Bloomsbury; 1997. -------- Date: Tue Feb 4 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--resplendent X-Bonus: Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it, but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance. -Charles A. Lindbergh, aviator and author (1902-1974) This week's theme: Words from Harry Potter resplendent (ri-SPLEN-dent) adjective Shining; brilliant; radiant; splendid. [From Latin resplendere (to shine brightly), from re- (intensive prefix) + splendere (to shine). Earliest documented use: 1440.] "Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Bloomsbury; 1998. Prof. Lockhart in resplendent robes: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/resplendent_large.jpg -------- Date: Wed Feb 5 00:01:04 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--slipstream X-Bonus: A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (1900-1965) This week's theme: Words from Harry Potter slipstream (SLIP-streem) noun: 1. A stream of air (or another fluid) forced backwards by a propeller. 2. The area of reduced pressure behind a fast-moving object. verb tr., intr.: To follow behind a vehicle to take advantage of decreased wind resistance. [From Middle Dutch slippen (to slip), ultimately from the Indo-European root lei-/slei- (slimy), which also gave us slime, lime, slick, slippery, schlep https://wordsmith.org/words/schlep.html , and oblivion + Old English stream, ultimately from the Indo-European root sreu- (to flow), which also gave us maelstrom, diarrhea, rhythm, and Sarayu (a river in India). Earliest documented use: 1913.] Pigwidgeon, when not caught in the slipstream of Hogwarts Express: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/slipstream_large.jpg Photo: Harry Potter Wiki "The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept on tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Bloomsbury; 1999. -------- Date: Thu Feb 6 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--heinous X-Bonus: There's a schizoid quality to our relationship with animals, in which sentiment and brutality exist side by side. Half the dogs in America will receive Christmas presents this year, yet few of us pause to consider the miserable life of the pig -- an animal easily as intelligent as a dog -- that becomes the Christmas ham. -Michael Pollan, professor and writer (b. 1955) This week's theme: Words from Harry Potter heinous (HAY-nuhs) adjective Extremely wicked. [From Old French haine (hatred), from hair (to hate). Earliest documented use: 1394.] Lord Voldemort, known for his heinous plots: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/heinous_large.jpg Photo: Royal Mail: http://shop.royalmail.com/kids/harry-potter-heroes+villains/invt/prod106000001 "You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law ... so that we may pass judgment on you, for a crime so heinous." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Bloomsbury; 2000. -------- Date: Fri Feb 7 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sepulchral X-Bonus: Persons appear to us according to the light we throw upon them from our own minds. -Laura Ingalls Wilder, novelist (1867-1957) This week's theme: Words from Harry Potter sepulchral (suh-PUHL-kruhl) adjective 1. Relating to a grave or a burial. 2. Gloomy, serious, or sad. [From Latin sepulcrum (grave, tomb), from sepelire (to bury). Earliest documented use: 1615.] "A sallow-skinned wizard with a very mournful face got in. 'Morning, Arthur', he said in a sepulchral voice." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Bloomsbury; 2003. -------- Date: Sat Feb 8 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--higgledy-piggledy X-Bonus: The institution of royalty in any form is an insult to the human race. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910) This week's theme: Words from Harry Potter higgledy-piggledy (HIG-uhl-dee PIG-uhl-dee) adverb: In a disordered or random manner. adjective: Confused; jumbled. [Of unknown origin, perhaps referring to the herding of pigs. Earliest documented use: 1598.] "Owl feathers, apple cores, and sweet wrappers littered the floor, a number of spell books lay higgledy-piggledy among the tangled robes on his bed." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; Bloomsbury; 2005. -------- Date: Sun Feb 9 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--canker X-Bonus: My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (1737-1809) This week's theme: Words from Harry Potter canker (KANG-kuhr) noun: 1. A source of corruption or decay. 2. Ulcerous sores in the mouth; also any of various diseases affecting animals and plants. verb tr., intr.: 1. To corrupt or to become corrupted. 2. To infect with or be infected with canker. [From Old English cancer (crab, tumor). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kar-/ker- (hard), which also gave us standard, cancer, and hard. Earliest documented use: 1384.] "And in your family, so in the world ... we shall cut away the canker that infects us until only those of the true blood remain." J.K. Rowling; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Bloomsbury; 2010. -------- Date: Mon Feb 10 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--grok X-Bonus: What is laid down, ordered, factual is never enough to embrace the whole truth: life always spills over the rim of every cup. -Boris Pasternak, poet, novelist, Nobel laureate (10 Feb 1890-1960) Advanced civilizations, intelligent machines, interplanetary travel, and beyond -- science fiction is fascinating. This is fiction based on science, not myths or fairy tales. The imagination of science fiction has prompted scientists to turn some of the fiction into reality, whether it's artificial satellites orbiting the earth, digital personal assistants answering spoken questions, or doctors transplanting critical organs. Many everyday terms, like cyberspace, were coined in science fiction. This week we'll see five words that arose in science fiction and have now become part of the English language. grok (grok) verb tr. To understand deeply and intuitively. [Coined by Robert A. Heinlein in his science-fiction novel "Stranger in a Strange Land". Earliest documented use: 1961.] NOTES: In "Stranger in a Strange Land", Heinlein describes grok as a Martian word meaning "to drink". That's the literal meaning; however, figuratively it means to understand something in a profound way. To grok something is to be one with it in a way that the observer and the observed become merged. "Any first-time Apple user immediately groks the nature of the device." Melvin Bukiet; Me and My Mac; The Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington, DC); Oct 16, 2011. -------- Date: Tue Feb 11 00:01:09 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--waldo X-Bonus: Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931) This week's theme: Words coined in science fiction waldo (WAL-doh) noun A device for manipulating objects by remote control, for example, a remotely-operated arm. [After Waldo F. Jones, an inventor in a science-fiction story by Robert A. Heinlein. Earliest documented use: 1942.] NOTES: Modern applications of waldo as a remote manipulator are in surgery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Vinci_Surgical_System , space http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadarm , and in work involving hazardous conditions, such as those involving radiation. "I stuck my hand back into the waldo ... The remote arms peeled back the thin metal of the gondola." Ben Bova; Venus; Tor; 2000. -------- Date: Wed Feb 12 00:01:02 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tardis X-Bonus: We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities...still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (1809-1882) This week's theme: Words coined in science fiction tardis (TAR-dis) noun 1. A time machine. 2. Something that is much bigger than it appears from the outside. [From TARDIS, a time machine in the British science-fiction TV series, Doctor Who. Earliest documented use: 1969.] NOTES: In the Doctor Who television show, the title character, known simply as the Doctor travels through time and space in a device that looks like a police call box from the outside. It's much bigger on the inside though, and includes a swimming pool, a library, and more. The name TARDIS is explained as an acronym for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. TARDIS: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tardis_large.jpg Photo: Zir zir.com "This revival disco tune is a must on any party list. For those born post-1980, it's like taking a tardis back to the heady heights of the 70s funk revolution." Paula Yeoman; Songs for Summer; The New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Dec 29, 2013. "Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: 'It's a bit of a tardis -- once inside there's lots of corners to explore and enjoy.'" Kathie Griffiths; New City Library Opens With A Flourish!; Telegraph and Argus (Bradford, UK); Dec 10, 2013. -------- Date: Thu Feb 13 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--triffid X-Bonus: It will not do to investigate the subject of religion too closely, as it is apt to lead to infidelity. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President (1809-1865) This week's theme: Words coined in science fiction triffid (TRIF-id, TRY-fid) noun An out-of-control plant that overruns everything around it. Also, anything that behaves in this manner. [After triffids, a species of plants in the science-fiction novel, The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham. From Latin tri- (three) + findere (to split). Earliest documented use: 1951.] NOTES: In the novel, The Day of the Triffids, triffids are a species of large plants with three leg-like structures that enable them to move. Triffids have poisonous stings and attack people around the world. Triffid https://wordsmith.org/words/images/triffid_large.jpg Photo: Andrew Jordan http://www.flickr.com/photos/andytoad/2153318050/ "Ecologists reckon that triffid weeds, Monterey pines, and dozens of other invasive plants already extend over one-twelfth of South Africa." Andrew Balmfor; Wild Hope; The University of Chicago Press; 2012. "In a triffid's world, the only thing that matters is making money and the ability to make more money." Rusty Markland; The World Hates A Salesman; Xlibris; 2011. -------- Date: Fri Feb 14 00:01:06 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--frankenstein X-Bonus: Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you? -Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist (1895-1960) This week's theme: Words coined in science fiction frankenstein (FRANG-kuhn-styn) noun 1. A creation that gets out of control and brings harm to its creator. 2. One who creates something that brings ruin to himself. 3. A monster having human appearance. [After Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monster from parts of corpses in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, Frankenstein. Earliest documented use: 1827.] NOTES: In the story, Frankenstein was the creator, not the monster. We should be calling the creation "Frankenstein's monster", but it's out of the control of the novelist now, and the monster itself is called Frankenstein. The prefix franken- has been coined as an uncomplimentary moniker for artificially created things. For example, genetically-modified foods are often called frankenfoods. For example, see frankenfish http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/genetically-engineered-foods/stop-frankenfish/ . Actor Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/frankenstein_large.jpg Photo: Universal Studios "The Talos-state is no longer a servant of society; it has been transformed into a Frankenstein that is about to move against his inventors." Kostas A. Lavdas, et al; Stateness and Sovereign Debt; Lexington Books; 2013. -------- Date: Mon Feb 17 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--escutcheon X-Bonus: They know enough who know how to learn. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (1838-1918) A right word is the most direct route between two minds. Sure, you can take a circuitous path, but it's easy to get lost on the way. You can say Nina can't stop laughing after she has heard a joke or you can simply say that she is a hypergelast https://wordsmith.org/words/hypergelast.html . You can complain that Neil suffers from an inability to remember names or you can say that he has anomia https://wordsmith.org/words/anomia.html . This week we'll feature five words that will help you succinctly convey what you wish to say, though we can't help if you have dysanagnosia (an inability to understand certain words). escutcheon (i-SKUCH-uhn) noun 1. An ornamental or protective plate surrounding a keyhole, light switch, door handle, etc. 2. Used in the phrase: blot on one's escutcheon (a stain on one's reputation). 3. A shield or shield-shaped surface bearing a coat of arms. [From Latin scutum (shield). Earliest documented use: 1480.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/escutcheon.jpg Photo: Brassy Steamington http://www.etsy.com/listing/176949751/steampunk-escutcheon-cast-metal-keyhole "Georgina drew the bolts on the front door and turned the large key in its handsome escutcheon." Gina Rossi; The Wild Heart; The Wild Rose Press; 2012. "I've never been arrested. I did get a parking ticket last week, but that's about the only blot on my escutcheon." Lawrence Block; A Week as Andrea Benstock; Arbor House; 1975. -------- Date: Tue Feb 18 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--crural X-Bonus: Beauty is the purgation of superfluities. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (1475-1564) This week's theme: There's a word for it crural (KROOR-uhl) adjective Relating to the leg. [From Latin crus (leg). Earliest documented use: 1599.] "She could tell by his occasional grimace that her massage of his crural muscle above the patella on his right knee still caused him discomfort." Kenneth Johnson; V: The Second Generation; Tor; 2008. -------- Date: Wed Feb 19 00:01:02 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--acedia X-Bonus: Barricades of ideas are worth more than barricades of stones. -José Martí, revolutionary and poet (1853-1895) This week's theme: There's a word for it acedia (uh-SEE-dee-uh) noun Apathy; boredom; sloth. [From Latin acedia, from Greek akedia, from a- (not) + kedos (care). Earliest documented use: 1607.] NOTES: Acedia is one of the seven deadly sins in Christian theology. Others are pride, wrath, greed, lust, envy, and gluttony. What happens when you mix any two of these? Check out this chart: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/acedia_large.jpg Combining three or more sins is left as an exercise for the reader. Illustration: Jessica Hagy http://thisisindexed.com/2007/01/were-all-going-to-hell-2/ "Acedia plagues the novice much more than the experienced solitary; unlike some of the new guards, I do not suffer from boredom or listlessness." Chloe Aridjis; Asunder; Mariner Books; 2013. -------- Date: Thu Feb 20 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--decant X-Bonus: There are many ways to be free. One of them is to transcend reality by imagination, as I try to do. -Anais Nin, writer (1903-1977) This week's theme: There's a word for it decant (di-KANT) verb tr. 1. To pour, especially in a manner that the sediment is left behind. 2. To rehouse people while their buildings are being rebuilt or refurbished. [From French décanter (to settle or to clarify), from Latin decanthare, from de- (from) + canthus (spout, rim). Earliest documented use: 1633.] "Once a customer makes a purchase, she decants the oil into dark glass bottles." Chris Copley; New Tasting Gallery; The Herald-Mail (Hagerstown, Maryland); Oct 29, 2013. "The council say decanting Muirfield pupils to the huts will speed up construction." Graeme Bletcher; Arbroath Primary School Move Branded 'Insane'; The Courier (Dundee, Scotland); Nov 8, 2013. -------- Date: Fri Feb 21 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quinary X-Bonus: I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return. -W.H. Auden, poet (1907-1973) This week's theme: There's a word for it quinary (KWY-nuh-ree) adjective 1. Relating to five. 2. Fifth in a series. 3. Having five things or arranged in five. [From Latin quinarius (containing five), from quini (five each), from quinque (five). Earliest documented use: 1598.] If you have ever wondered what comes after primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary https://wordsmith.org/words/quaternary.html , here's your answer. "Her eyelids were painted in a quinary array -- pearl, gunmetal, pink, midnight blue, and plum." Avery Aster; Undressed; Ellora's Cave; 2013. -------- Date: Mon Feb 24 00:01:02 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--manumit X-Bonus: A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. -Ralph Nader, activist, author, speaker, and attorney (b. 1934) Although a chiropractor and a surgeon may not see eye to eye, they do have something in common. They both are hand-workers, etymologically speaking. The two words take birth from Greek chiro- (hand) which, even though it's not immediately obvious, does appear in the word surgeon (archaic spelling: chirurgeon). There are dozens of hand-related idioms that are part of the English language: from being "hand in glove" with someone to "hand-me-down" clothes; from "handmaidens" in a court to "deckhands" on a ship. Some hand-derived words have gone far beyond their origins. Even though most manufacturing now takes place on automated machines and most manuscripts are now written on word processors, both these words come from Latin manus (hand). We have enough words on hand to last a long time, but we'll have to limit them to just five words. Enjoy these hand-selected words this week, all of them with their origins in hands. manumit (man-yuh-MIT) verb tr. To free from slavery. [From Latin manus (hand) + mittere (to let go). Ultimately from the Indo-European root man- (hand), which also gave us manual, manage, maintain, manicure, maneuver, manufacture, manuscript, command, manure, manque https://wordsmith.org/words/manque.html , legerdemain https://wordsmith.org/words/legerdemain.html , and mortmain https://wordsmith.org/words/mortmain.html . Earliest documented use: 1455.] "George Washington always intended to manumit those of his slaves who were his own to free (as opposed to the 'dower slaves' from his wife's estate) and he did free them in his will." First Among Equals; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 21, 2010. -------- Date: Tue Feb 25 00:01:04 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chiral X-Bonus: It is the final proof of God's omnipotence that he need not exist in order to save us. -Peter De Vries, novelist (1910-1993) This week's theme: Words derived from hand chiral (KY-ruhl) adjective Not superimposable on its mirror image. [From Greek cheir (hand). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ghes- (hand), which also gave us cheiromancy/chiromancy (palmistry), surgeon (literally, one who works with hands), and enchiridion https://wordsmith.org/words/enchiridion.html (handbook). Earliest documented use: 1894.] Chirality https://wordsmith.org/words/images/chiral.png "She handed me chopsticks, left hand to left hand. The knot I always had inside me seemed to loosen. Her other-handedness, my true inheritance. Back in Eden's Prairie, it had been an abnormality, an asymmetricality, like a chiral molecule, one that has the same basic structure as others, but doesn't fit in anywhere." Marie Myung-Ok Lee; Somebody's Daughter; Beacon Press; 2005. -------- Date: Wed Feb 26 00:01:04 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--handsel X-Bonus: He who opens a school door, closes a prison. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist, and dramatist (1802-1885) This week's theme: Words derived from hand handsel or hansel (HAN-sel) noun: 1. A gift for good luck given at the beginning of the new year or a new venture. 2. A first payment or installment. verb tr.: 1. To give a handsel to. 2. To inaugurate or to do something for the first time. [From Old English handselen (giving into hand), from hand + selen (the action of giving, gift). Earliest documented use: 1450.] Handsel and Greetel: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/handsel_large.jpg Sketch: Jason J. Nicholas http://www.jasonjnicholas.com/ "Suddenly she thrusts something at him. A small paper packet tied with string. 'A handsel.' she says. 'For Miss Whyte.'" Joan Thomas; Curiosity; McClelland & Stewart; 2010. "The School was handselled with two unique archival gifts." Margaret A. Mackay; Hamish Scott Henderson; Folklore (London, UK); Oct 2002. -------- Date: Thu Feb 27 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mano a mano X-Bonus: Every heart has its secret sorrows, which the world knows not, and oftentimes we call a man cold, when he is only sad. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) This week's theme: Words derived from hand mano a mano (MA-no a MA-no) plural manos a manos adverb: In direct competition; head-to-head. adjective: One-on-one; face-to-face. noun: 1. A bullfight where two matadors compete in turn, fighting several bulls. 2. A direct or face-to-face confrontation. [From Spanish mano a mano (hand to hand). Earliest documented use: 1950.] "Today, the editorial board of The Denver Post will go mano a mano with our colleagues at The Seattle Times over which city is better." It Just Wouldn't Be Fair to Bring These Things Up; Denver Post; Feb 2, 2014. -------- Date: Fri Feb 28 00:01:03 EST 2014 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--palmer X-Bonus: The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second. -John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968) This week's theme: Words derived from hand palmer (PAH-muhr) noun 1. A pilgrim. 2. An itinerant monk. 3. One who conceals a card or another object in a magic trick or in cheating in a game. [From Latin palma (palm tree, palm of the hand). The name of the palm tree derives from the resemblance of the shape of its frond to the palm of a hand. In Medieval Europe, a pilgrim brought back a palm branch as a token of his pilgrimage. Earliest documented use: 1300. Also see palmy https://wordsmith.org/words/palmy.html and palmary http://wordsmith.org/words/palmary.html .] "For the profane palmer the tour might indeed have been little more than a grand debauch, but for a devoted pilgrim like Jefferson it was something more." Michael Knox Beran; Jefferson's Demons; Free Press; 2003. "That was magic -- not the apparent magic of the silk-hatted card-palmer, or the bold, brute trickery of the escape artist, but the genuine magic of art." Michael Chabon; The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay; Random House; 2000.