A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Tue Mar 1 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--two-fisted X-Bonus: Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art. -Frederic Chopin, pianist and composer (1 Mar 1810-1849) This week's theme: Words originating in the hand two-fisted (TOO-fis-tuhd, too-FIS-) adjective 1. Tough; aggressive. 2. Energetic; enthusiastic. 3. Using both hands. [The term describes someone using both hands, literally or figuratively, where a clenched fist alludes to vigor, resolve, etc. From two, from Old English twa (two) + fist, from Old English fyst (fist). Earliest documented use: 1774. Also see ironfisted https://wordsmith.org/words/ironfisted.html , clutchfist https://wordsmith.org/words/clutchfist.html , and hardfisted https://wordsmith.org/words/hardfisted.html .] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/two-fisted_large.jpg Photo: Planetgordon https://www.flickr.com/photos/planetgordon/4118046945/ "So why would any red-blooded, two-fisted guy hesitate to bubble up?" Jim Beckerman; It's Time Men Discover Bubble Baths, Says Wayne Entrepreneur; The Poughkeepsie Journal (New York); Dec 8, 2020. "Ms. Kelton is a two-fisted writer and there is a lot to like in her rousing call to action." Ian McGugan; Is Modern Monetary Theory Revolutionary or Imaginary?; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 19, 2020. -------- Date: Wed Mar 2 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pugilism X-Bonus: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. -Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991) This week's theme: Words originating in the hand pugilism (PYOO-juh-liz-uhm) noun The hobby or sport of fighting with fists: boxing. [From Latin pugil (boxer), from pugnare (to fight), from pugnus (fist). Ultimately from the Indo-European root peuk- (to prick), which also gave us point, puncture, pungent, punctual, poignant, pounce, poniard, oppugn https://wordsmith.org/words/oppugn.html , repugn https://wordsmith.org/words/repugn.html , impugn https://wordsmith.org/words/impugn.html , pugilist https://wordsmith.org/words/pugilist.html , repugnant https://wordsmith.org/words/repugnant.html , pugnacious https://wordsmith.org/words/pugnacious.html , and propugnaculum https://wordsmith.org/words/propugnaculum.html . Earliest documented use: 1788.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pugilism NOTES: We have outlawed cockfights. We don't have gladiatorial contests any more. But we still have "sports" such as pugilism and American football. Apparently, these modern-day gladiators' concussions and brain damage are a small price to pay for our recreation. The word that applies here, from the same root, is *repugnant*. See here https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/27/time-to-find-out-who-cares-boxing-brain-damage-tris-dixon and here https://www.science.org/content/article/ninety-nine-percent-ailing-nfl-player-brains-show-hallmarks-neurodegenerative-disease . *Pug*ilism https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pugilism_large.jpg Image: PawmazingGifts https://www.etsy.com/listing/387483804/vintage-pug-chocolat-poulain-ad "Scott Morrison is not a natural diplomat, preferring the pugilism of domestic politics over the international stage." Ben Packham; Joe Blow to Leave Lingering Bruise; The Australian (Canberra); Nov 2, 2021. -------- Date: Thu Mar 3 00:01:04 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cack-handed X-Bonus: Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus. -Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (3 Mar 1847-1922) This week's theme: Words originating in the hand cack-handed (kak-HAN-did, KAK-han-) adjective 1. Clumsy; awkward. 2. Left-handed. [Of uncertain origin. Perhaps from cack (excrement), ultimately from the Indo-European root kakka-/kaka- (to defecate) which also gave us poppycock, cacophony https://wordsmith.org/words/cacology.html , cacology https://wordsmith.org/words/cacology.html , cacography https://wordsmith.org/words/cacography.html , and cacoethes https://wordsmith.org/words/cacoethes.html . Earliest documented use: 1854.] NOTES: Bias against left-handedness has been a part of language for a long time. Other examples are gauche (from French) https://wordsmith.org/words/gauche.html , sinisterity (Latin) https://wordsmith.org/words/sinisterity.html , and ambisinister https://wordsmith.org/words/ambisinister.html . Do you speak another language? What such terms exist in your language? Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/cack-handed.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. "Hey, Batman, are you right-handed or left-handed?" "You tell me." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cack-handed_large.jpg Image: Imgflip https://imgflip.com/i/fiho3 "One of the all-time-great corporate emails was sent several years ago, by a manager at Shell to pep up a team of oil engineers on a project in the far east of Russia. 'Personally, I, like most others, love winning,' he raved. 'I despise cowards and play to win all of the time.' ... Copying from the army is seldom so cack-handed, but the idea that managers have lessons to learn from uniformed types persists." Into Battle They Don't Go; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 30, 2021. "'I'm the cack-handed one.' Her giggle was one of nervousness. She held up her left hand. 'I had it tied behind me back at school when I was wee.'" Patrick Taylor; An Irish Country Practice; Tom Doherty Associates; 2017. -------- Date: Fri Mar 4 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--manuduction X-Bonus: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) This week's theme: Words originating in the hand manuduction (man-yuh-DUHK-shuhn) noun 1. The act of guiding, leading, or introducing. 2. Something that guides, leads, or introduces. [From Latin manuduction, from manus (hand) + ducere (to draw, lead). Earliest documented use: 1505.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/manuduction_large.jpg Book Cover: https://www.amazon.com/Solomons-Song-Translated-Manuduction-Supplement/dp/1318578043 "Steered now by Aunt Lily's gentle hold of her hand ... Shasta genially accepted after a short while of the aunt's fickle manuduction." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford; 2009. -------- Date: Mon Mar 7 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--aphrodisiac X-Bonus: Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) Last month https://wordsmith.org/words/aphrodite.html , we met five overachievers from mythology. Overachievers, because each of them has given us multiple eponyms (a word coined after a person). As promised, we've lined them up again this week. You odyssey them again and discover other eponyms they have inspired. aphrodisiac (af-ruh-DEE-zee-ak, -DIZ-ee-ak) noun: Something, such as a food or drug, that increases sexual desire. adjective: Arousing sexual desire. [After Aphrodite https://wordsmith.org/words/aphrodite.html , the goddess of love and beauty in Greek Mythology. Earliest documented use: 1710. Also see, hermaphrodite https://wordsmith.org/words/hermaphrodite.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/aphrodisiac "If this thing was an aphrodisiac, would I be sitting here talking to you on a Friday night?" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/aphrodisiac_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "Writing gave [Jackie Collins] a power like no one else's, the ultimate aphrodisiac." Hollywood Undressed; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 26, 2015. "'Everything I do at Lyon Broadcasting makes me very, very happy.' 'Ah.' He nodded. 'Success is your aphrodisiac, I guess.'" Roz Denny Fox; The Lyon Legacy; Harlequin; 2011. -------- Date: Tue Mar 8 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--titanic X-Bonus: A page of history is worth a volume of logic. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935) This week's theme: Overachievers from mythology titanic (ty-TAN-ik) adjective 1. Of great power, strength, size, etc. 2. Relating to or made of the element titanium. [After Titan, any of a family of giant gods in Greek mythology. The element titanium is named after Titans because of its high strength. Earliest documented use: 1628; for sense 2: 1814.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/titanic NOTES: Things didn't end well for the Titans. First they overthrew their father and they in turn were overthrown by one of their children. https://wordsmith.org/words/titanism.html . Then there was the Titanic With such a track record, you'd assume someone would think twice before naming anything, let alone a ship that navigates among icebergs, after them. When did humans ever learn? An Australian billionaire (a titan of industry?) has announced Titanic II: "The ship will follow the original journey ..." Let's hope, it does not follow the original journey too faithfully. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/titanic-clive-palmer-blue-star-line-southhampton-new-york/ The element titanium is also named after Titans. If the Titanic sank today https://wordsmith.org/words/images/titanic_large.jpg Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/jurohp/if_the_titanic_sank_today/ "Show business lost a titanic talent in composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim." Joseph P. Kahn; A Wistful Farewell to the Notables Who Left Us in 2021; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 1, 2022. -------- Date: Wed Mar 9 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--borasco X-Bonus: Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it! -Yuri Gagarin, first human in space (9 Mar 1934-1968) This week's theme: Overachievers from mythology borasco (buh/boh-RAS-koh) noun 1. A sudden violent gust of wind, typically accompanied by rain, snow, or sleet. Also known as a squall. 2. A bad spell; something unproductive, especially a mine (the opposite of bonanza https://wordsmith.org/words/bonanza.html ). [The term is also spelled as borasca or borrasca. It's from Spanish borrasca (squall), from Latin borras (north wind), from Greek borras (boreas), after Boreas, the god of the north wind, in Greek mythology who also gave us boreal https://wordsmith.org/words/boreal.html and hyperborean https://wordsmith.org/words/hyperborean.html . Earliest documented use: 1686.] An abandoned mine in Death Valley https://wordsmith.org/words/images/borasco_large.jpg Photo: Jeff Sullivan https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreysullivan/45897921651 "There was a borasco of shouts and bootfalls." Gary Barwin; Yiddish for Pirates; Random House; 2016. "Ten minutes later, they both climbed weakly off the bed and dressed. Amy looked over at Dan and said, 'I hope this eases your disappointment in the mine.' 'It does,' he said. 'No matter that I struck borrasca once again. Amy, you are my _real_ pot of gold.'" Wesley Ellis; Lone Star and the Nevada Gold; Jove; 1994. -------- Date: Thu Mar 10 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vulcanic X-Bonus: The basis of all animal rights should be the Golden Rule -- we should treat them as we would wish them to treat us were any other species in our dominant position. -Christine Stevens, activist and conservationist (10 Mar 1918-2002) This week's theme: Overachievers from mythology vulcanic (vuhl-KAN-ik) adjective 1. Relating to volcanoes. 2. Fiery; explosive; full of anger, energy, etc. [After Vulcan, the god of fire and metalworking in Roman mythology. The word vulcanize https://wordsmith.org/words/vulcanize.html is also coined after him. Earliest documented use: 1660. The word vulcanic is also spelled as volcanic.] "I'm going to build a lava-proof wall around this village and I'm going to make the volcano pay for it." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/vulcanic_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "The Nicoletta story coincided with another provocatory, headline-grabbing move by the vulcanic Luciano Gaucci." Paddy Agnew; She Can Bend It Like Baggio But She Can't Bend the Rules; Irish Times (Dublin); Nov 15, 2003. -------- Date: Fri Mar 11 00:01:02 EST 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gorgonian X-Bonus: We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) This week's theme: Overachievers from mythology gorgonian (gor-GOH-nee-uhn) adjective: Terrible; repulsive. noun: Any of various corals having a hard, treelike skeleton. [After Gorgon https://wordsmith.org/words/gorgonize.html , any of the three monstrous sisters in Greek mythology, who had snakes for hair: Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Earliest documented use: 1616.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/gorgonian https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gorgonian_large.jpg An illustration from the book "The Universal Anthology", 1890s Image: Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_universal_anthology;_a_collection_of_the_best_literature,_ancient,_mediaeval_and_modern,_with_biographical_and_explanatory_notes_(1899)_(14801919293).jpg "Or had that long, highpitched, inhuman cry been real? A gorgonian scream out in the hills, echoing off the unseen moons?" Anthony Huso; The Last Page; Tom Doherty; 2010. -------- Date: Mon Mar 14 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--antre X-Bonus: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) Twenty-eight years ago, on this day in 1994, I started what became Wordsmith.org. There was no grand plan -- just a way to share my love of language and words. After all this time, I still can't wait to wake up, explore words, write about them, and share them with you. Whether you joined us this week or years or decades ago, we are happy to have you here. You are what really makes Wordsmith.org. Dictionaries do not list a word for a 28th anniversary but we can coin one: octovicennial, from Latin octo- (eight) + vicennial (20th anniversary). GUESS-THE-WORDS CONTEST To celebrate the octovicennial, this week we are having a contest. You have the first word of the week. Can you guess what other words I have picked this week? Here are some hints. o All are five-letter words. o The letter distribution is: 6 A, 6 E, 1 L, 2 N, 2 P, 2 R, 1 S, 3 T, and 2 V. o Here are the middle letters of the remaining four words: --e-- --s-- --l-- --e-- o Other patterns may appear too. o Some of the words are coined after an animal or a god or goddess in Greek and Roman mythologies. Now, can you guess one or more words we are going to feature this week? The first person to guess a word wins a prize. Also, the person who guesses the maximum number of words wins a prize. PRIZES Your choice of a signed copy of any of my books https://wordsmith.org/awad/books.html or a copy of the word game One Up! https://oldscoolcompany.com/products/one-up HOW TO ENTER Email your answers to words@wordsmith.org. Include your location (city, state). On to today's word ... antre (AN-tuhr) noun A cave, cavern, cavity, etc. [From Middle French antre (cave), from Latin antrum (cave), from Greek antron (cave). Earliest documented use: 1585.] "And they mortar'd up the antre's opening." Aleksis Kivi (translation: Douglas Robinson); The Brothers Seven; Zeta Books; 2017. -------- Date: Tue Mar 15 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--reeve X-Bonus: Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar 1933-2020) This week's theme: You guess the words reeve (reev) verb tr.: To pass (a rope or the like) through. [Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1600.] noun: A local official. [From Old English gerefa (high official). Earliest documented use: before the 12th century.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/reeve "Bill and his crew were reeving new cordage to replace the ropes stretched and frayed by the enormous pressures encountered during the recent storm." Robert J. Joseph; Worlds Apart; FriesenPress; 2020. "His father ran a sod farm and served as a reeve on the local council." Jonny Wakefield; Glitter Eggs & Toy Guns; Edmonton Journal (Canada); Aug 15, 2020. -------- Date: Wed Mar 16 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vesta X-Bonus: You can sometimes count every orange on a tree but never all the trees in a single orange. -A.K. Ramanujan, poet (16 Mar 1929-1993) This week's theme: You guess the words vesta (VES-tuh) noun A short wooden match. [After Vesta, the goddess of hearth and household in Roman mythology. Her temple had a fire tended by the vestal virgins. Earliest documented use: 1839.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/vesta_large.jpg Photo: Provashanty / Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swan_vesta_matches_2008.jpg "Para Handy passed the newly bought carton of vestas to Macphail, who took out one of the boxes, carefully extracted a match, and struck it on the side of the box." Stuart Donald; Complete New Tales of Para Handy; Gardners; 2001. -------- Date: Thu Mar 17 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--talpa X-Bonus: Religions are not revealed: they are evolved. If a religion were revealed by God, that religion would be perfect in whole and in part, and would be as perfect at the first moment of its revelation as after ten thousand years of practice. There has never been a religion that fulfills those conditions. -Robert Blatchford, journalist and author (17 Mar 1851-1943) This week's theme: You guess the words talpa (TAL-puh) noun 1. A mole (the animal). 2. A cyst. [From Latin talpa (mole). Earliest documented use: 1684.] NOTES: Because a mole burrows under the earth, the word came to be applied to a growth under the skin: a cyst or a tumor. The other mole, an over-the-skin pigmented spot, is from Old English mal (a spot), though the word talpa is also sometimes used as a synonym for this mole. Sally was always self-conscious about that huge mole on her face https://wordsmith.org/words/images/talpa_large.jpg Image: Jokejive https://www.jokejive.com/topic/face+mole#&gid=1&pid=1 "Damon; Do te know... that a talpa on the neck means you'll be wealthy?" L. J. Smith; The Vampire Diaries; 1991-2014. https://www.fanpop.com/clubs/damon-salvatore-quotes/articles/70496/title/damon-quotes-from-book -------- Date: Fri Mar 18 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paean X-Bonus: We take our bearings, daily, from others. To be sane is, to a great extent, to be sociable. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) This week's theme: You guess the words paean (PEE-uhn) noun: An expression of praise, joy, or triumph, typically in the form of a song. verb tr.: To make such an expression. [From Latin paean, from Greek paian (hymn of thanksgiving to Apollo), after Paian, Paion (epithet of Apollo in the hymn). Earliest documented use: 1592.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/paean NOTES: On Jan 23, 1968, North Korea seized the USS Pueblo in international waters. One crew member was killed and the rest were captured. They were tortured and the ship's captain, Commander Lloyd M. Bucher, was forced to write a confession. He penned a statement https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-025/h-025-3.html that's a mix of baroque and buffoonery. He talked about "bowels", "number one", and "naughty acts" and expressed his "fervent desire to paean the Korean People's Army, Navy, and their government." They never caught the pun. The crew was released exactly 11 months later. In North Korea's propaganda pictures, the crew displayed their middle fingers. They explained it as a "Hawaiian good luck sign". https://wordsmith.org/words/images/paean_large.jpg Photo: http://usspueblo.org/Prisoners/The_Digit_Affair.html "Chief executives ... when they do write, as a business publisher admits, you often 'weep for the trees'. Think only of Jack Welch's paean to great (i.e., his own) leadership called 'Winning'. Its first pearl of wisdom is: 'Winning in business is great, because when companies win, people thrive and grow.'" How Bosses Should Write Books; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 2, 2021. -------- Date: Mon Mar 21 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rusticate X-Bonus: For sleep, riches, and health to be truly enjoyed, they must be interrupted. -Jean Paul Richter, writer (21 Mar 1763-1825) In a conversation, if you discuss a person, do you dis https://wordsmith.org/words/dis.html them and cuss them? Hopefully not. Not nice to say bad things behind someone's back. Also, not nice to break a word like this and folk-etymologize it. Language doesn't work like this. The word discuss has nothing to do with cuss (a variant of curse), though it does involve the same prefix. The word is a combination of Latin dis- (apart) and cutere (to break up). In other words, to discuss something is to break it apart or to analyze it. This week we're going to discuss verbs. We're going to break them apart and show their roots. Just like "discuss", you might think this week's words have something to do with rust, flag, moll, quill, or fleeing, but they don't. rusticate (RUS-ti-kayt) verb intr.: 1. To go to or live in the country. 2. To live or spend time in seclusion. verb tr.: 1. To send to the country. 2. To suspend (a student) from a university as a punishment. 3. To make rustic or rural. 4. To make something, such as a masonry surface, rough, textured, jagged, etc. [From Latin rusticari to live in the country), from rus (country). Earliest documented use: 1660.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/rusticate A rusticated duchess, UK https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rusticate_duchess_large.jpg Image: Amazon https://amazon.com/dp/1781846170/ws00-20 A rusticated student, Nigeria https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rusticate_student_large.jpg Photo: Sahara Reporters http://saharareporters.com/2017/04/01/police-charge-femi-adeyeye-and-13-other-student-activists-court-protesting-rustication A rusticated entrance, US https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rusticate_entrance.jpg Photo: Terence Faircloth https://www.flickr.com/photos/atelier_tee/35410552862 "I will then be forced to rusticate in the country for months to recover from such a deadly blow." Vanessa Kelly; Mastering the Marquess; Zebra; 2009. "When he was rusticated from Oxford for failing his exams, the late journalist Auberon Waugh was told by his father, Evelyn: 'There are only two possible careers for a man who has been sent down from Oxford. You must become either a schoolmaster or a spy.'" Harry Mount; The First Rule of Spy Club? Never Ask to Join Spy Club; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jul 2, 2021. "[The house] comes with a rusticated stucco exterior." Weekender Sets Kogan Back $13m; The Australian (Canberra); Feb 15, 2021. -------- Date: Tue Mar 22 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--flagellate X-Bonus: A wise man fights to win, but he is twice a fool who has no plan for possible defeat. -Louis L'Amour, novelist (22 Mar 1908-1988) This week's theme: Verbs flagellate (verb: FLAJ-uh-layt; adj.: FLAJ-uh-lit/layt) verb tr.: To punish, especially by whipping. noun: An organism having a whip-like appendage that's used for locomotion, such as swimming. adjective: Relating to such an organism. [From Latin flagellare (to whip), from flagellum (whip), diminutive of flagrum (whip). Earliest documented use: 1623.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/flagellate Flagellate, verb (Naples, Italy) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/flagellate_verb_large.jpg Photo: Fiore Silvestro Barbato https://www.flickr.com/photos/fiore_barbato/11533991583/ Flagellate, noun https://wordsmith.org/words/images/flagellate_noun_large.jpg Image: "Artforms of Nature", 1904 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellate#/media/File:Haeckel_Flagellata.jpg NOTES: Flagellating (and other forms of self-punishment) is used in offshoots of many religions as a way for people to show their devotion. Examples (do NOT click if squeamish): Christianity (The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4320045/italian-christian-religious-festival-locals-beat-themselves-flagellate/), Hinduism (BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52328213), and Islam (The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/shia-muslims-slash-and-whip-themselves-with-knives-and-swords-to-mourn-the-death-of-prophet-muhammad-s-grandson-a6708001.html). I may be wrong, but I have a feeling God would prefer if people used all that time and effort to ease someone's pain instead. "This being macho Mexico, even women who want to whip themselves are not allowed the same freedoms as men. Animas who want to lash themselves must do so in private. Their public manifestations must remain free of any form of self-flagellation or blood-letting." Linda Diebel; The Right to Bear Whips: In Macho Mexico, Even Women Who Want to Flagellate Themselves Are Discriminated Against; Toronto Star (Canada); Mar 28, 1999. https://religionnews.com/2019/04/22/in-mexico-holy-week-penitents-continue-bloody-16th-century-traditions-of-absolution/ "A novel that three of us had turned down last year ... had just been shortlisted for the Booker. There was no real point in that kind of after-the-event flagellation, but we flagellated away all the same." Judith Flanders; A Bed of Scorpions; Minotaur; 2016. -------- Date: Wed Mar 23 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mollify X-Bonus: One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) This week's theme: Verbs mollify (MOL-uh-fy) verb tr. 1. To pacify or appease. 2. To soften or reduce, as in intensity. [From Latin mollis (soft). Earliest documented use: 1425.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/mollify "Mr. Gordhan is not mollified. The apology, he wrote in a newspaper article, did not go far enough." Global Firms and the Gupta Connection; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 8, 2017. -------- Date: Thu Mar 24 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quillet X-Bonus: I do not want art for a few, any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few. -William Morris, poet and novelist (24 Mar 1834-1896) This week's theme: Verbs quillet (KWIL-it) verb intr.: To quibble. noun: A subtlety or quibble. [Of uncertain origin, perhaps short for quillity, an alteration of quiddity https://wordsmith.org/words/quiddity.html . Earliest documented use: 1576.] "Why in this showing their sympathy for the Irish in this hour of very debate has Mr. Asquith quibbled and quilleted." The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, and Art; Apr 29, 1893. "Shakespeare thought about the theory and practice of the law. He thought about its majesty, its divinity, its awesomeness; its quips and quillets." Nicholas Monk, et al; Open-Space Learning; Bloomsbury; 2011. -------- Date: Fri Mar 25 00:51:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fleer X-Bonus: I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career. -Gloria Steinem, activist, editor (b. 25 Mar 1934) This week's theme: Verbs fleer (fleer) verb intr.: To laugh in a derisive manner. noun: A mocking look. [Perhaps of Scandinavian origin. Earliest documented use: 1400.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/fleer "A meeting of JKYSAC ... censured the statement of [ministers who] mocked and fleered on their plights." No Right to Mock the Refugees' Plight: JKYSAC; The Northlines (Jammu, India); Jul 7, 2014. "Leon. Tush, tush, man! never fleer and jest at me." William Shakespeare; Much Ado About Nothing; 1600. -------- Date: Mon Mar 28 00:06:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--defrock X-Bonus: A scholar is just a library's way of making another library. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) What goes up must come down. What's donned must be doffed. This week we're going to get loose, kick back, and relax. A lot of clothes are going to be shed, but it's still G-rated -- suitable for readers of all ages. Whatever unclothing takes place, it's mostly metaphorical, hidden behind the scenes in the etymology. And, in the end, when all's said and done, we'll cover things up. defrock (dee-FROK) verb tr. To remove from a position of authority, privilege, etc. [From French défroquer (to defrock), from de- (away) + froc (frock, gown, coat), alluding to frock (habit) worn by members of the clergy. Earliest documented use: 1600.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/defrock "In a 2017 special election, Doug Jones upset Roy Moore, a twice-defrocked state Supreme Court justice." Tim Dickinson; The Battle for the Senate; Rolling Stone (New York); Dec 2019. -------- Date: Tue Mar 29 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--divest X-Bonus: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) This week's theme: Clothes (or lack of them) divest (di/duh/dy-VEST) verb tr. 1. To remove, give up, or sell off. 2. To take away or deprive. 3. To strip of clothing, ornament, etc. [From Old French desvestir (to undress), from Latin divestire, from di- (away) + vestire (to dress), from vestis (garment). Earliest documented use: 1616.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/divest I don't always divest, but when I do I divest from fossil fuels https://wordsmith.org/words/images/divest_large.jpg Image: quickmeme http://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vomvw "In Texas, for example, the legislature is considering a bill that would require two state pension funds to divest from companies that do business with Sudan's government. ... And the Texas legislation is not as bold as it could be. If the pension funds can show that divesting hurts their bottom line, they will be allowed to reinvest in the companies in question." Divestment from Sudan; The Economist (London, UK); May 12, 2007. "She was staring at Podell as he unwrapped his muffler, then divested himself of his greatcoat." Barbara Metzger; Valentines; Ivy Books; 1995. -------- Date: Wed Mar 30 00:01:04 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--travesty X-Bonus: Conscience is a man's compass, and though the needle sometimes deviates, though one often perceives irregularities when directing one's course by it, one must still try to follow its direction. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) This week's theme: Clothes (or lack of them) travesty (TRAV-uh-stee) noun: 1. Mockery. 2. A debased or grotesque imitation. verb tr.: 1. To represent in a false or absurd manner. 2. To caricature or parody. [From French travesti (in disguise), past participle of travestir (to disguise, to cross-dress), from Italian travestire, from tra- (across), from Latin trans- + vestire (to dress). Earliest documented use: 1664.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/travesty NOTES: The word is typically seen in the phrase "travesty of justice", which is sometimes shortened to just "travesty". Thus, the word travesty could also imply injustice. "'Drive My Car' unfolds [into] a grand, simmering story of love and regret. It'd be a travesty if it didn't earn a nomination here." Glenn Whipp; Oscar Predictions; Los Angeles Times; Feb 7, 2022. "I have to think it's a travesty. That they arrested him because he's Japanese." David Guterson; Snow Falling on Cedars; Harcourt Brace; 1994. -------- Date: Thu Mar 31 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--revet X-Bonus: Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime. -Andrew Marvell, poet (31 Mar 1621-1678) This week's theme: Clothes (or lack of them) revet (ri-VET) verb tr. 1. To cover a wall, embankment, etc., with masonry or other supporting material. 2. To recheck or reexamine. [For 1: From French revêtir (to dress), from Latin revestire, from re- (again) + vestire (to clothe). Earliest documented use: 1751. For 2: From re- (again) + vet (to check), shortening of veterinarian. https://wordsmith.org/words/vet.html Earliest documented use: 1940.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/revet Tetrapod revetments in Okinawa, Japan https://wordsmith.org/words/images/revet_large.jpg Photo: Nelo Hotsuma https://www.flickr.com/photos/63122283@N06/15300160444/ "The site includes three 90x50 feet drive-in revetted bunkers built into the sides of the valley." Nicholas Blanford; Experts Cast Doubt on Spiegel Claim of Syrian Nuclear Facility; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jan 11, 2015.