A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Sat Apr 1 00:05:08 EST 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pied piper X-Bonus: To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. -David Viscott pied piper (pied PIE-puhr) noun 1. A person who offers others strong yet delusive enticements. 2. One, such as a leader, who makes irresponsible promises. [After The Pied Piper of Hamelin, title and hero of a poem by Robert Browning.] "No team had promised to come here, but suddenly (Jerry) Clinton was being hounded to get out. At such a time, the Pied Piper tootled up Plan B. Clinton did take action, pursuing teams to move here. But with no vocal supporters, he kept piping up in his own defense. A Pipe Dream Still in Reach, He Won't Cave in, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Aug 30, 1994. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Sun Apr 2 00:05:12 EST 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--amazon X-Bonus: A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives. -Albert Schweitzer [The Philosophy of Civilization] Amazon (AM-uh-zon, -zuhn) noun 1. Greek Mythology. A member of a nation of women warriors reputed to have lived in Scythia. 2. Often amazon. A tall, aggressive, strong-willed woman. [Middle English, from Latin Amazon, from Greek, probably of Iranian origin.] "Jamie Lee gamely does what she can with her ridiculous character (doing some truly impressive stunt work for the role), but Helen is equal parts patsy and amazon. And the mix just doesn't work." Kathi Maio, Drive, She Said: True Lies and Speed, Sojourner: The Women's Forum, Sep 30, 1994. This week's theme: eponyms. -------- Date: Mon Apr 3 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--misopedia X-Bonus: He that would be a leader must be a bridge. -Welsh proverb misopedia also misopaedia (mis-oh-PEE-dee-uh, mi-soh-) noun Hatred of children, especially one's own. [Greek miso-, hate + ped-, child + -ia.] "Then again, the subject of the meeting - to ensure that America's 15 million young people have access to resources `that can help them lead healthy, fulfilling and productive lives' - might not appeal to Fields, who was infamous for his parboiled misopedia (as in, `Children should neither be seen nor heard from - ever again.')." Volunteering: Do it for your own sake, too, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 16 Apr 1997. Ever seen a book with an 'empty' page at the end of a chapter with the text: This page intentionally left blank? Well, in the same vein, this week's AWAD theme is intentionally left blank. Instead, I've selected a bunch of whimsical, intriguing, odd, dysfunctional, and fanciful words and brought them together for a week. Who knows what may transpire among them. What are some words that tickle your fancy? Share and discuss your favorites at AWADtalk, the online forum for linguaphiles: https://wordsmith.org/board/ -Anu -------- Date: Tue Apr 4 00:05:10 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lacustrine X-Bonus: The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. -H.L. Mencken lacustrine (luh-KUS-trin) adjective 1. Of or relating to lakes. 2. Living or growing in or along the edges of lakes. [French, or Italian lacustre (from Latin lacus, lake) + -ine.] "Before the rise of the Aztec state, the lacustrine system at the bottom of the basin covered approximately 1,500 sq. km. It was formed by five shallow lakes that ran in a north-south chain." Ezcurra, Exequiel; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa, Are mega cities viable? A cautionary tale from Mexico City, Environment, Jan 11, 1996. -------- Date: Wed Apr 5 02:05:07 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--coriaceous X-Bonus: There is a point beyond which even justice becomes unjust. -Sophocles, Greek dramatist (495?-406 BCE) coriaceous (kor-ee-AY-shuhs) adjective Of or like leather, especially in texture. [From Late Latin coriaceus, from Latin corium, leather.] "The genus, or rather family, of Epeira, is here characterized by many singular forms; some species have pointed coriaceous shells, others enlarged and spiny tibiae." Darwin, Charles, Voyage Of The Beagle: Chapter II. -------- Date: Thu Apr 6 02:05:06 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--penetralia X-Bonus: All a man can betray is his conscience. -Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) penetralia (pen-i-TRAY-lee-uh) noun 1. The innermost parts of a building, especially the sanctuary of a temple. 2. The most private or secret parts; recesses. [Latin penetralia, from neuter pl. of penetralis, inner, from penetrare, to penetrate.] "Beyond this semipublic space lay the penetralia of the house-the camerino, the small room that was the forerunner of the English closet and the French cabinet, and the studio or studiolo. Here lay privacy, security, and quiet." James Fenton, A Room of One's Own, The New York Review of Books, Aug 13, 1998. -------- Date: Fri Apr 7 02:05:07 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fanfaronade X-Bonus: Vanity made the revolution; liberty was only a pretext. -Napoleon fanfaronade (fan-far-uh-NAYD, -NAHD) noun 1. Bragging or blustering manner or behavior. 2. A fanfare. [French fanfaronnade, from Spanish fanfarronada, bluster, from fanfarron, a braggart, perhaps from Arabic farfar.] "George Manahan made his debut this week as music director of New York City Opera, and it is difficult to imagine someone laying claim to a major podium with less of a fanfaronade." Justin Davidson, A Director's Toil Pays Some Dividends, Newsday, Sep 21, 1996. -------- Date: Sat Apr 8 02:05:06 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--osmic X-Bonus: Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it. -Tallulah Bankhead, actress (1903-1968) osmic (OZ-mik) adjective Of or relating to odors or the sense of smell. [Greek osme, smell + -ic.] Of, relating to, or containing osmium, especially in a compound with a valence of 4 or a valence higher than that in a comparable osmous compound. [Osm (ium) + -ic.] "If we asked God about the fragrance of sacrifices some people make for those in need, God might draw in a deep breath: `Umm! Pleasing!' And if we'd bring up clerical abuse, financial scandal and church involvement in the most crude and cruel human ventures, God might reel from the stench. Hooray, then, for osmic anthropomorphisms and how they remind us of grace and judgment, then and now." Martin E. Marty, Church smells, The Christian Century, Mar 8, 1995. -------- Date: Sun Apr 9 00:05:10 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--acephalous X-Bonus: In the ordinary business of life, industry can do anything which genius can do, and very many things which it cannot. -Henry Beecher (1813-1887) acephalous (ay-SEF-uh-luhs) adjective 1. Headless or lacking a clearly defined head. 2. Having no leader. [From Medieval Latin acephalus, from Greek akephalos : a-, without + kephale, head.] "This year the Petri dish has seethed with wriggly micro-organisms. Laa-Laa, Tinky Winky, Dipsy and Po, with their diapered bums and ancient gnomic faces, coo and gurgle as they pet Dolly the cloned sheep; the animated contents of a spice rack dance with a new breed of acephalous rodents. These lower life-forms make an alarming sight. Writhing on the glass, are the contents of our collective imagination." Conrad, Peter, Sacred Monsters Headless Rats, Idiot Pianists, Pampered Martyrs And Plaster Saints, The Observer, Dec 28, 1997. -------- Date: Mon Apr 10 00:05:12 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--polyhistor X-Bonus: He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature...is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life. -Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881) polyhistor (pol-ee-HIS-tuhr) noun A person with broad knowledge. [Latin Polyhistor, from Greek poluistor, very learned : polu-, poly- + histor, learned.] "Since the middle of the last century, Hryhorii Savych Skovoroda, the eighteenth century Ukrainian polyhistor, has been hailed by Russian and Ukrainian scholars as, correspondingly, the Russian or the Ukrainian Socrates." John Fizer, Skovoroda's and Socrates' concepts of self-cognition: A comparative view, Journal of Ukrainian Studies, Jul 1, 1998. A polyhistor is a person with encyclopedic knowledge, and so is a polymath. These two words are perfect synonyms but are really exceptions. There are not a lot of words where you could replace one with another without at least a slight change in the shade of meaning. On the surface, two words may appear similar but look deeper and you will surely find subtle nuances, each word carrying its own flavor of meaning, as if created to fulfill its destiny where no other word can. In this sense, the words are like humans where no two are alike. No wonder we have so many words to describe people. This week's AWAD features seven of them. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Apr 11 00:05:09 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--reticent X-Bonus: Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. -Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) reticent (RET-i-suhnt) adjective 1. Inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself. 2. Restrained or reserved in style. 3. Reluctant; unwilling. [Latin reticens, reticent-, present participle of reticere, to keep silent : re- + tacere, to be silent.] "As long as the United States is prepared to play the role of regional `cop on the beat,' key Asian governments will be reticent to engage in substantive discussions about new forms of security cooperation." Douglas Stuart, Japan's place in the new Asian concert, Japan Quarterly, Jul 9, 1997. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Wed Apr 12 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--heterodox X-Bonus: Was there ever any domination that did not appear natural to those who possessed it? -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) heterodox (HET-uhr-uh-doks) adjective 1. Not in agreement with accepted beliefs, especially in church doctrine or dogma. 2. Holding unorthodox opinions. [Greek heterodoxos : hetero-, + doxa, opinion (from dokein, to think).] "Since most of today's conventional wisdom was once considered heterodox and unreliable, veggie libel laws threaten to stifle any serious debate about food safety." Food-disparagement laws: Oprah in trouble, The Economist, Jun 21, 1997. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Thu Apr 13 00:05:14 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--janissary X-Bonus: A man does not have to be an angel in order to be saint. -Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) janissary (JAN-i-ser-ee) also janizary (-ZER-ee) noun 1. A member of a group of elite, highly loyal supporters. 2. A soldier in an elite Turkish guard organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826. [French janissaire, from Old French jehanicere, from Old Italian giannizero, from Ottoman Turkish yani cheri, new army : yani, new + cheri, special troops (from Middle Persian cherih, bravery, victory, from cher, brave, victorious, from Avestan chairya-, vigorous, brave).] "Their duty is to add to the status of the place they serve; decorative janissaries, at least as cool as any potential customer and rather more so in most cases, including mine." Ian Jack, Bouncers in Prada make service fashionable Ian Jack's Notebook, The Independent, Sep 18, 1999. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Fri Apr 14 00:05:13 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--valetudinarian X-Bonus: Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850) valetudinarian (val-i-tood-NAR-ee-unn, -tyood-) noun A sickly or weak person, especially one who is constantly and morbidly concerned with his or her health. adjective 1. Chronically ailing; sickly. 2. Constantly and morbidly concerned with one's health. [From Latin valetudinarius, from valetudo, valetudin-, state of health, from valere, to be strong or well.] "But it wasn't over yet, and now this valetudinarian native son stood in Monkey Park beside the locks shadowed with the autumn green of the banked earth and asked himself whether all this was a justified expense of his limited energy." Bellow, Saul, By the St. Lawrence, Esquire, Jul 1, 1995. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Sat Apr 15 00:05:09 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hypochondriac X-Bonus: To be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth. As long as one sorely needs a certain additional amount, that man isn't rich. -Mark Twain (1835-1910) hypochondriac (hie-puh-KON-dree-ak) noun A person affected with hypochondria, the persistent neurotic conviction that one is or is likely to become ill, often involving experiences of real pain when illness is neither present nor likely. adjective 1. Relating to or affected with hypochondria. 2. Relating to or located in the hypochondrium. [Late Latin, abdomen, from Greek hupokhondria, pl. of hupokhondrion, abdomen (held to be the seat of melancholy), neuter of hupokhondrios, under the cartilage of the breastbone : hupo-, hypo- + khondros, cartilage.] "We call ourselves highly susceptible. Others call us hypochondriacs, problem patients, thick files, GOMERs (Get Out of My Emergency Room!), ...." Israel, Betsy, Disease du jour, Harper's Bazaar, Mar 1, 1994. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Sun Apr 16 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--coxcomb X-Bonus: We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects. -Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) coxcomb (KOKS-kom) noun 1. A conceited dandy; a fop. 2. A jester's cap; a cockscomb. [Middle English cokkes comb, crest of a cock : cokkes, genitive of cok, cock + comb, crest.] "Germany, a country on its way up, feared `encirclement'; it had become notably militaristic under its coxcomb and much-uniformed Kaiser Wilhelm II ...." Attempted suicide: 1914-19, The Economist, Dec 31, 1999. This week's theme: words to describe people. -------- Date: Mon Apr 17 00:05:06 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--autonym X-Bonus: The test of ahimsa is the absence of jealousy. The man whose heart never cherishes even the thought of injury to anyone, who rejoices at the prosperity of even his greatest enemy, that man is the bhakta, he is the yogi, he is the guru of all. -Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) autonym (O-tuh-nim) noun 1. A person's own name. 2. A book published under the real name of the author. [Aut- self + -onym name.] "The second half of the book is a comprehensive master list of series characters, listed alphabetically by author autonym. Each entry is followed by the author's pseudonym, series character, and all series titles, chronologically." Carol Krismann, William M White, Silk Stalkings: More Women Write of Murder, Reference & User Services Quarterly, 1 Jan 1999. Have you discovered the joy of lex? Would you characterize yourself as tending towards heteronyms or homonyms? Or would you just be content being an autonym? Given a choice, would you rather go for a toponym or retronym? Well, I understand if you would rather not share such intimate details of your lexical adventures with just anyone. But remember, no matter what your personal preferences happen to be, always practice safe lex. Do not engage in discourse--whether oral or graphical--with strangers. But don't hesitate to use this week's words about words to expand your lexical repertoire. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Apr 18 00:05:10 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--anthroponym X-Bonus: In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. -Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) anthroponym (an-THROP-uh-nim) noun A personal name. [Anthrop(o)- + -onym] "Just as the toponyms in Onitsha evoke the unfamiliar, the `foreign,' so too do the anthroponyms. Fintan's own name, for instance, is a very strange one." Motte, Warren, Writing away, World Literature Today, Autumn 1997. This week's theme: words about words. -------- Date: Wed Apr 19 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tautonym X-Bonus: When you want to test the depths of a stream, don't use both feet. -Chinese Proverb tautonym (TAU-tuh-nim) noun A scientific name in which the generic and the specific names are the same, as Chloris chloris (the greenfinch). [Greek tautxnymos of the same name, equiv. to tauto- + -nymos named.] "... the name of the Bank Swallow becomes the tautonym Riparia riparia ...." Elliott Coues, 100 years ago in the Auk: Notes on generic names of certain Swallows, The Auk, 1 Jul 1998. This week's theme: words about words. -------- Date: Thu Apr 20 00:05:11 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hyponym X-Bonus: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, Austrian Writer (1883-1924) hyponym (HIE-puh-nim) noun A term that denotes a subcategory of a more general class: "Chair' and "table' are hyponyms of "furniture. [Hyp- + -onym, or as back formation from hyponymy] "For example, the acceptability of `A dog is a kind of animal' is interpreted to mean that `dog' is a hyponym of `animal'." Miller, George A., On Knowing a Word, Annual Review of Psychology, 1999. This week's theme: words about words. -------- Date: Fri Apr 21 00:05:13 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--charactonym X-Bonus: I shut my eyes in order to see. -Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) charactonym (KAR-ik-tuh-nim) noun A name given to a literary character that is descriptive of a quality or trait of the character. [Charact(er) + -onym] "The name `Bardhi' itself is seen as a charactonym playing on berja, barinn, bardagi. Bardhi in effect emerges as a `tough'." Andersson, Theodore M., Tulkun Heidarvigasogu (book reviews), The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Jul 1995. This week's theme: words about words. -------- Date: Sat Apr 22 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--retronym X-Bonus: A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools. -Spanish proverb retronym (RE-truh-nim) noun A term, such as acoustic guitar, coined in modification of the original referent that was used alone, such as guitar, to distinguish it from a later contrastive development, such as electric guitar. [Latin Retro- back + -nym.] "I would think that the grocery lists would be filled with retronyms. Who felt the need, 25 years ago, to add `regular' to their coffee order, `real' to their request for sour cream ...." Gaye LeBaron, Public Television `Storm Damaged', The Press Democrat, 7 Mar 1996. This week's theme: words about words. -------- Date: Sun Apr 23 00:05:07 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eponym X-Bonus: There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking. -Alfred Korzybski, engineer, mathematician, and philosopher (1879-1950) eponym (EP-uh-nim) noun 1. A person, real or imaginary, from whom something, as a tribe, nation, or place, takes or is said to take its name. 2. A word based on or derived from a person's name. 3. Any ancient official whose name was used to designate his year of office. [Back formation from eponymous, from Greek epxnymos giving name.] "H.J. Russell & Co. Why is the new president of this diversified service firm in Atlanta already making plans against the day when its 58-year-old founder, eponym, and CEO retires?" Carol Davenport, Fortune People: On the Rise, Fortune, 23 Oct 1989. This week's theme: words about words. -------- Date: Mon Apr 24 00:05:07 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pedigree X-Bonus: Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. -Ralph Waldo Emerson pedigree (PED-i-gree) noun 1. A line of ancestors; a lineage. A list of ancestors; a family tree. 2. A chart of an individual's ancestors used in human genetics to analyze Mendelian inheritance of certain traits, especially of familial diseases. 3. A list of the ancestors of a purebred animal. [Middle English pedegru, from Anglo-Norman pe de grue : pe, foot (from Latin pes) + de, of, from Latin de + grue, crane (from the resemblance of a crane's foot to the lines of succession on a genealogical chart), from Vulgar Latin *grua, from Latin grus, gru-.] "Khyentse Norbu, director of The Cup, a sweet-natured, old-fashioned comedy about soccer-loving monks, has a pedigree his PR-hungry Western counterparts would kill for: Recognized at age seven as the reincarnation of a 19th-century Buddhist lama, he now oversees, after years of rigorous training, a Tibetan monastery-in-exile in Bhutan ...." Dennis Lim, A reborn lama kick-starts his movie career, Village Voice, Feb 1, 2000. What would a crane's foot have to do with a genealogical chart (unless the chart is about a crane's lineage, that is)? Many hundred years ago someone figured that the lines of succession on an ancestral map bore a strong resemblance with that bird's foot, and the rest, as they say, is history. So even though you might think this week's words appear pedestrian, pay special attention to the etymologies. You'll discover that these words have pedigrees that are anything but ordinary. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Apr 25 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ramble X-Bonus: To teach is to learn twice. -Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) ramble (RAM-buhl) verb intr. 1. To move about aimlessly. 2. To walk about casually or for pleasure. 3. To follow an irregularly winding course of motion or growth. 4. To speak or write at length and with many digressions. noun A leisurely, sometimes lengthy walk. [Probably from Middle Dutch *rammelen, to wander about in a state of sexual desire, from rammen, to copulate with.] "Voters overwhelmingly chose Pedro Almodovar's `All About My Mother' - the most widely released film on the list. Actually, just to hear the Spanish director rant and ramble at the podium again, should be worth the nod." John Beck, Rosy Picture for 'American Beauty', Press Democrat, Mar 20, 2000. This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies. -------- Date: Wed Apr 26 00:05:11 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--psephology X-Bonus: Many a man fails to become a thinker for the sole reason that his memory is too good. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900) psephology (see-FOL-uh-jee) noun The study of political elections. [Greek psephos, pebble, ballot (from the ancient Greeks' use of pebbles for voting) + -logy.] "... having signed up to the principle of consent Unionists will give way when psephology rules they are no longer a majority in their Province, as seems likely by 2015 on most calculations. Paul Stewart, The Good Friday agreement, Capital & Class, Oct 1, 1999. This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies. -------- Date: Thu Apr 27 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paraphernalia X-Bonus: The words of truth are always paradoxical. -Lao Tzu paraphernalia (par-uh-fihr-NAYL-ya, -fa-NAYL-ya) noun 1. Personal belongings. 2. The articles used in a particular activity; equipment. 3. A married woman's personal property exclusive of her dowry, according to common law. [Medieval Latin paraphernalia, neuter pl. of paraphernalis, pertaining to a married woman's property exclusive of her dowry, from Late Latin parapherna, a married woman's property exclusive of her dowry, from Greek : para-, beyond + pherne, dowry.] "I started the business nearly a year ago just selling posters of famous movies," he says, "Then I added the paraphernalia that accompanies every major release." Wisetpong Wongtip, 'Titanic' fever means smooth sailing for city vendors, The Nation, Feb 2, 1998. This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies. -------- Date: Fri Apr 28 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pamphlet X-Bonus: Fill the seats of justice with good men, not so absolute in goodness as to forget what human frailty is. -Thomas Noon Talfourd (1795-1854) pamphlet (PAM-flit) noun 1. An unbound printed work, usually with a paper cover. 2. A short essay or treatise, usually on a current topic, published without a binding. [Middle English pamflet, from Medieval Latin pamfletus, from Pamphiletus, diminutive of Pamphilus, a short amatory Latin poem of the 12th century, from Greek pamphilos, beloved by all : pan-, + philos, beloved.] "Federal officials hoping to inform Haitian residents in the Creole language about subsidized housing have delivered a pamphlet written in an imitation Jamaican dialect. It's a tough read: `Yuh as a rezedent, ave di rights ahn di rispansabilities to elp mek yuh HUD-asisted owzing ah behta owme fi yuh ahn yuh fambily,' the pamphlet states." Mildrade Cherfils, HUD Pamphlet a Phonetic Fumble, AP Online, Nov 17, 1999. This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies. -------- Date: Sat Apr 29 00:05:09 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ciao X-Bonus: The greatest homage to truth is to use it. -Ralph Waldo Emerson ciao (chou) interjection Used to express greeting or farewell. [Italian, from dialectal ciau, alteration of Italian (sono vostro) schiavo, (I am your) slave, from Medieval Latin sclavus.] "Thankfully, by the film's end, the Allied forces save the day and a happy ending greets everyone. Ciao." Francis Dass, Dull and ditzy flick, The New Straits Times, Mar 18, 2000. This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies. -------- Date: Sun Apr 30 00:05:08 EDT 2000 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--buff X-Bonus: Do not praise yourself / not slander others: / There are still many days to go / and anything could happen. -Kabir buff (buf) noun 1. A soft, thick, undyed leather made chiefly from the skins of buffalo, elk, or oxen. 2. A military uniform coat made of such leather. 3. Color. A pale, light, or moderate yellowish pink to yellow, including moderate orange yellow to light yellowish brown. 4. Bare skin. 5. A piece of soft material, such as velvet or leather, often mounted on a block and used for polishing. adjective 1. Made or formed of buff. 2. Of the color buff. verb tr. 1. To polish or shine with a piece of soft material. 2. To soften the surface of (leather) by raising a nap. 3. To make the color of buff. [From obsolete buffle, buffalo, from French buffle, from Late Latin bufalus.] buff (buf) noun One that is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject. [From the buff-colored uniform worn by New York volunteer firemen around 1920, originally applied to an enthusiast of fires and fire fighting.] "Securing a contestant's seat is a primary hobby for scores of trivia buffs." Kara G. Morrison, Yes, women do want to be millionaires, too, The Detroit News, Mar 18, 2000. This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies.