A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Wed May 1 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pasteurize
X-Bonus: The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. -Joseph Heller, novelist (1 May 1923-1999)
This week's theme: People who became verbs
pasteurize (PAS-chuh-ryz) verb tr.
To heat or irradiate something just long enough to kill pathogenic
microorganisms.
[After Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), chemist and microbiologist, known
for his discoveries in this area. Earliest documented use: 1881.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pasteurize
"Louis Pasteur in his laboratory" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pasteurize_large.jpg
Art: Albert Edelfelt, 1885
"Most pickles you find in a grocery store are pasteurized, making the
product shelf stable without refrigeration for up to two years."
Nina Misuraca Ignaczak; The Center of the Pickleverse; Crain's Detroit
Business (Michigan); Apr 8, 2019.
"[Wessex Water] now pasteurises its sewage and sells it as fertiliser."
The Money in Europe's Muck; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 20, 1993.
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Date: Thu May 2 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--disneyfy
X-Bonus: It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen. -Jerome K. Jerome, humorist and playwright (2 May 1859-1927)
This week's theme: People who became verbs
Disneyfy (DIZ-ni-fy) verb tr.
1. To sanitize, romanticize, or simplify something to make it more
palatable for mass consumption.
2. To turn something of historical or cultural importance into trivial
entertainment.
[After The Walt Disney Company, founded by Walt Disney (1901-1966), known
for its films and theme parks. Many popular fairy tales shown in Disney
films actually have much grimmer stories. Earliest documented use: 1965.
See also, Mickey Mouse http://wordsmith.org/words/mickey_mouse.html .]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/disneyfy_large.jpg
USPS, 1968
"One of my biggest problems with human meat consumption is the perverted
way we collude in sanitising and Disneyfying it: those boards outside
butcher's shops in which a smiley pig in a striped apron and hat holds
aloft a tray of chops. He's thrilled to be serving up himself, see! WTF
is all that about? Take the national outcry when Marcus, a school lamb
raised by children, was slaughtered and his meat shoved in the school
raffle. This is traumatising, said parents. Children should be protected
from such brutal reality. Why? Everyone who eats meat should be required
to visit a slaughterhouse and then if they still want to eat it at least
it's an informed decision."
Carol Midgley; Don't Hate Me Because I Refuse to Eat Meat; The Times
(London, UK); Nov 19, 2013.
"An international headhunt to find an archaeologist able to entice more
tourists to the Colosseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill has prompted a
furious reaction from critics who fear the sites will be Disneyfied."
Tom Kington; Anger over Plans to Disneyfy the Colosseum; The Australian
(Sydney); Jan 13, 2017.
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Date: Fri May 3 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--macadamize
X-Bonus: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527)
This week's theme: People who became verbs
macadamize (muh-KAD-uh-myz) verb tr.
To construct or pave a road with small, broken stones bound with asphalt or tar.
[After John Loudon McAdam (1756-1836), civil engineer, who pioneered this
method of building a road. Earliest documented use: 1823. McAdam also
appears in the word tarmac. The word was originally a trademark, coined by
combining tar + McAdam.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/macadamize
John Loudon McAdam (detail), 1830 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/macadamize_large.jpg
Artist unknown
"[Mark] Twain himself was an early advocate for bicycle transport;
for example, he's quoted in an 1895 edition of Portland's Oregonian
suggesting the city macadamize its streets, purchase bicycles, and
rent them out to citizens."
Fletcher Moore Twain's Bike Lessons; Poets & Writers (New York);
Sep/Oct 2011.
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Date: Mon May 6 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--legionnaire
X-Bonus: Just as a cautious businessman avoids tying up all his capital in one concern, so, perhaps, worldly wisdom will advise us not to look for the whole of our satisfaction from a single aspiration. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939)
This week's Guest Wordsmith, singer-songwriter Roy Zimmerman (roy at royzimmerman.com), writes:
When my wife Melanie and I write a song, the Idea is out in front. People
often ask which comes first, the melody or the lyrics. We say the Idea,
with a capital I. The Idea takes shape as a hook -- a little snatch of
lyrics and melody -- and the hook gives birth to a tune, a meter scheme,
and a rhyme scheme.
We both love words. We're both aware that words do real work in the world,
especially words that rhyme and meter well. That's what we're trying to do
with these songs -- provide context, history, laughter, and encouragement
for the work of social justice.
[I met singer-songwriter and satirist Roy Zimmerman when he visited Seattle
last month to perform in a concert. His clever lyrics and hopeful music
made for a lovely evening. I invited him to be a Guest Wordsmith and here
he is. Visit his website at http://www.royzimmerman.com/ or catch him
on his tour http://www.royzimmerman.com/shows.html
This week we'll see five words from his lyrics. -Anu Garg]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/roy-zimmerman_large.jpg
Photo: Scott Hurst
legionnaire (lee-juh-NAYR) noun
A member of a legion (a group of soldiers or former soldiers).
[From Latin legere (to gather). Ultimately from the Indo-European root
leg- (to collect), which also gave us lexicon, lesson, lecture, legible,
legal, select, cull
florilegium (anthology) https://wordsmith.org/words/florilegium.html ,
subintelligitur (something that is not stated but understood) https://wordsmith.org/words/subintelligitur.html ,
prolegomenon (an introduction to a text) https://wordsmith.org/words/prolegomenon.html ,
lignify (to turn into wood) https://wordsmith.org/words/lignify.html , and
lection (a version of a text in a particular edition) https://wordsmith.org/words/lection.html .
Earliest documented use: 1595.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/legionnaire
NOTES: Originally, a legion was the basic unit of the ancient Roman army,
typically about 5000 soldiers. Today, the word is used in a number of
senses. It can refer to any large military force. Various veterans'
organizations call themselves legions, such as the American Legion or
The Royal British Legion. Finally, a legion can mean a multitude, a very
large number of people, things, etc.
"We got the enemy in our sight, we say let's take him out.
We vomit violent rhetoric like drunken legionnaires.
To the victims of this tragedy we send our thoughts and prayers."
Roy Zimmerman; Thoughts and Prayers; 2018.
lyrics: http://www.royzimmerman.com/blog
video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155446314448762 (3.5 min.)
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Date: Tue May 7 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--moribund
X-Bonus: When old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart; and where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941)
Words from singer-songwriter Roy Zimmerman's songs
moribund (MOR-uh-buhnd) adjective
1. Nearing death.
2. Stagnant; lacking vigor or vitality.
[From Latin moribundus (dying), from mori (to die). Ultimately from the
Indo-European root mer- (to rub away or to harm), which also gave us morse,
mordant, amaranth, morbid, mortal, mortgage, nightmare,
premorse https://wordsmith.org/words/premorse.html ,
morbidezza https://wordsmith.org/words/morbidezza.html ,
ambrosia https://wordsmith.org/words/ambrosia.html , and
amaranthine https://wordsmith.org/words/amaranthine.html .
Earliest documented use: 1721.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/moribund
"But even as all things are dying, one event can steer
The moribund toward more abundant cheer."
Roy Zimmerman; Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa; 2006.
lyrics: http://www.royzimmerman.com/blog
video: https://www.facebook.com/39171898761/videos/2209680835915481/ (2.5 min)
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Date: Wed May 8 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--carny
X-Bonus: The buck stops here. -Harry Truman, 33rd US president (8 May 1884-1972)
Words from singer-songwriter Roy Zimmerman's songs
carny or carney or carnie (KAHR-nee) noun
1. A person who works in a carnival.
2. A carnival: a traveling amusement show.
3. The jargon used by carnival workers.
[Short for carnival, from Italian carnevale, from carnelevare (removal of
meat), from carne (flesh) + levare (to remove or lift). A carnival is named
so because it was a period of merrymaking before Lent (a season of fasting
and penitence before Easter). Earliest documented use: 1931.]
"I'm the huddled masses.
I'm the amber waves of grain.
I'm the toothless carny in the shooting gallery at the county fair."
Roy Zimmerman; I Approve This Message; 2008.
lyrics: http://www.royzimmerman.com/blog
video: https://www.facebook.com/39171898761/videos/10155850815098762/ (4 min.)
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Date: Thu May 9 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nanny state
X-Bonus: Life is a long lesson in humility. -James M. Barrie, novelist, short-story writer, and playwright (9 May 1860-1937)
Words from singer-songwriter Roy Zimmerman's songs
nanny state (NAN-ee stayt) noun
A government regarded as having an excessive interest in the welfare
of its citizens, as evidenced by public health measures, safety
regulations, etc.
[From nanny (a child's caregiver), of baby-talk origin, perhaps a pet form
of the name Anne + state, from Old French estat, from Latin status (stature).
Earliest documented use: 1965.]
NOTES: Why nanny state? Because some people act like children.
Helmet foe dies in motorcycle accident https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/07/31/Helmet-foe-dies-in-motorcycle-accident/5609965016000/
New York rider dies protesting motorcycle helmet law https://abcnews.go.com/US/york-rider-dies-protesting-motorcycle-helmet-law/story?id=13993417
"Like Teddy 'Pinko' Roosevelt
That guy was talking about universal healthcare.
You're a taxin', appropriatin', regulatin' nanny-statin'
Socialist!"
Roy Zimmerman; Socialist; 2008.
lyrics: http://www.royzimmerman.com/blog
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXJgM2Z8n8k (4 min.)
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Date: Fri May 10 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--inveigle
X-Bonus: The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -Bono, musician and social activist (b. 10 May 1960)
Words from singer-songwriter Roy Zimmerman's songs
inveigle (in-VAY-guhl, -VEE-) verb tr.
To get something or to persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery.
[From Old French aveugle (blind), from Latin ab- (away from) + oculus (eye).
Earliest documented use: 1513.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/inveigle
"Now I know, that's illegal.
But a woman should be one of as many wives as her husband can inveigle."
Roy Zimmerman; I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible; [year].
lyrics: http://www.royzimmerman.com/blog
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXlzkuFBJ7s (5 min.)
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Date: Mon May 13 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hermaphrodite
X-Bonus: How simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten. -Daphne du Maurier, novelist (13 May 1907-1989)
You might think that coining a blended name is a recent fad: there have
been Brangelina (Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie) and Bennifer (Ben Affleck +
Jennifer Lopez), Javanka (Jared + Ivanka), and more.
But this thing has been around for a while. It goes back to, well, Greek
mythology.
Meet Hermaphroditus. He was the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. The nymph
Salmacis fell in love with him and prayed to gods to be forever united
with him. Be careful what you wish for. Gods answered her prayers and
united -- fused -- them both into one. And that's how we got the word
hermaphrodite for someone who has physical traits of both male and female.
This doesn't just apply to names. We coin words in the English language
all the time by fusing two (or more) existing words into one. That's how
we got motel (motor + hotel) and advertorial (advertisement + editorial)
https://wordsmith.org/words/advertorial.html and bankster (banker +
gangster) https://wordsmith.org/words/bankster.html .
This week we'll see five other words that were coined in this manner.
Such a word is also called a portmanteau https://wordsmith.org/words/portmanteau.html .
hermaphrodite (huhr-MAH-fruh-dyt)
noun: 1. An animal or plant having both male and female reproductive organs.
2. Someone or something having opposite qualities or characteristics.
adjective: 1. Having both male and female reproductive organs.
2. Having opposite qualities or characteristics.
[After Hermaphroditus, a blend of Hermes + Aphroditus. Hermaphroditus was
the son of Hermes (who also gave us hermeneutic https://wordsmith.org/words/hermeneutic.html
and hermetic https://wordsmith.org/words/hermetic.html) and Aphrodite
(who gave us aphrodisiac https://wordsmith.org/words/aphrodisiac.html ).
Earliest documented use: 1400.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hermaphrodite
Hermaphroditus https://wordsmith.org/words/images/hermaphrodite_large.jpg
Marble copy of a fresco from Herculaneum
Sculptor unknown
Image: Wikimedia Commons
NOTES: The nymph Salmacis fell in love with Hermaphroditus and prayed to
gods to be forever united with him. Be careful what you wish for. Gods
answered her prayers and united, fused, them both into one. And that's how
we got the word hermaphrodite for someone who has physical traits of both
male and female.
Nowadays, the term intersex is preferred over hermaphrodite when it's
applied to humans http://www.isna.org/faq/hermaphrodite .
"To happy music, pretty boys, girls, and hermaphrodites performed
a weird group dance on stage."
Regina Glei; Dome Child; CreateSpace; 2011.
"Balzac described Natty Bumppo, Cooper's half-white Christian, half-Indian
hero, known by his Indian name of Hawkeye, as 'a magnificent moral
hermaphrodite, between the savage and civilized states'."
David Burke; Writers in Paris; Counterpoint; 2008.
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Date: Tue May 14 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--meeple
X-Bonus: Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978)
This week's theme: Portmanteaux (blend words)
meeple (MEE-puhl) noun
A game piece shaped in a stylized human form.
[A blend of my + people or mini + people. Earliest documented use: early 21st century.]
A meeple in a game of Carcassonne https://wordsmith.org/words/images/meeple_large.jpg
Image: Alan Miller https://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidindian/3906888543
"In 'Five Tribes', players maneuver wooden meeples around the board,
with each meeple having a special power."
Jenn Bartlett; Introducing Euro Games; Library Journal (New York);
Feb 15, 2018.
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Date: Wed May 15 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cremains
X-Bonus: I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991)
This week's theme: Portmanteaux (blend words)
cremains (kri-MAYNZ) noun
Ashes remaining after cremation of a body.
[A blend of cremated and remains. Earliest documented use: 1947.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cremains
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cremains_large.jpg
Photo: Norbert Hüttisc/Wikimedia
"If the ever-soaring price of condos in New York City has your head
spinning, wait until you shop for a cemetery plot. ...
Basic cemetery plots across the five boroughs now generally cost $4,500
to $19,000, not including hefty fees for foundations, interments, and
maintenance. ... An in-ground plot for cremains at Cypress Hills
Cemetery in Brooklyn is only two square feet and starts at $1,200."*
Jane Margolies; Property for the Afterlife; The New York Times; Mar 17, 2019.
* Or simply donate your your body to science https://anatbd.acb.med.ufl.edu/usprograms/
and organs to people still living https://www.organdonor.gov/ -Ed.
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Date: Thu May 16 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--shero
X-Bonus: As a general truth, communities prosper and flourish, or droop and decline, in just the degree that they practise or neglect to practise the primary duties of justice and humanity. -William Henry Seward, Secretary of State, Governor, and Senator (16 May 1801-1872)
This week's theme: Portmanteaux (blend words)
shero (SHEE-roh) noun
A woman admired for her courage, achievements, or noble qualities.
[A blend of she + hero, from Latin heros (a demigod or man with heroic
qualities; [plural: heroes]), from Greek heros. Ultimately from the
Indo-European root ser- (to protect), which also gave us conserve,
observe, preserve, and reserve. Earliest documented use: 1836.]
Malala Yousafzai https://wordsmith.org/words/images/shero_large.jpg
Art: Michael Volpicelli https://www.flickr.com/photos/volp91w/9764454542/
NOTES: Some may have objections to this word. This FAQ might help.
It's a fad word.
No, it's been around for nearly 200 years.
We already have a word for this: heroine.
What's wrong with having a synonym?
Why?
Why not?
Why??
Because it's 2019 and some people still think that a misogynist like
Stephen Moore deserves to sit in one of the important posts in the country.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/us/politics/stephen-moore-women.html
"When I met you in New York, you were my shero. I wanted to be you."
Brandyn Barbara Artis; Running Barefoot in Paris; Xlibris; 2011.
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Date: Fri May 17 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--prissy
X-Bonus: Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940)
This week's theme: Portmanteaux (blend words)
prissy (PRI-see) adjective
Overly prim and precise so as to appear prudish or finicky.
[Perhaps a blend of prim + sissy. Earliest documented use: 1894.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/prissy
"Lucius Malfoy is the boastful and prissy aristocrat who keeps peacocks in
his garden and always sits in the best box at the Quidditch World Cup."
Janet Albrechtsen; The Trouble Is That Neither Has the Magic;
The Australian (Canberra, Australia); Jul 12, 2017.
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Date: Mon May 20 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--amuse-gueule
X-Bonus: A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. -John Stuart Mill, philosopher and economist (20 May 1806-1873)
You'd think the word skyscraper is relatively recent, but it has been a
part of the English language since 1791. What? We had skyscrapers back
then?
Yes, except those were not the skyscrapers you're thinking about. In the
beginning the word was applied to a sail on a ship. Then it got around,
being used for a tall hat, a tall horse, a tall person, a tall story, a
few other tall things, and finally to tall buildings.
That's a lot of scraping! What a hardworking word!
The same word appears in many Romance languages in a tosspot form
(verb + noun), such as Spanish rascacielos, French gratte-ciel, Italian
grattacielo, and Portuguese arranha-céu (literally, scrapes the sky).
The word skyscraper is quite vivid, but it would have been even better
if we had it in the tosspot form, scrapesky, no?
We have lots of tosspot words in the English language and we have borrowed
many tosspot words from other languages. This week, we'll take a look at
five of them, borrowed from French, Dutch, and Italian.
[If you speak another language, what tosspot words exist in your language?
What tosspot words have you come up with? Share on our website at https://wordsmith.org/words/amuse-gueule.html
or email us at words@wordsmith.org. But first, make sure it *is* a tosspot.
A tosspot is a word coined by the formula verb + noun, but the important
thing is that the noun is the object of the verb. So pickpocket is a tosspot
word because a pickpocket picks pockets; repairman is not, because a repairman
does *not* repair a man, unless you call your doctor a repairman (better to
use sawbones https://wordsmith.org/words/sawbones.html ).]
amuse-gueule (uh-mooz-GUHL) noun
A small item of food served as an appetizer.
[From French amuse-gueule (literally, amuses the mouth), from amuser
(to amuse) + gueule (mouth). A synonym, another tosspot word from French,
is amuse-bouche https://wordsmith.org/words/amuse-bouche.html . Earliest
documented use: 1963.]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/amuse-gueule_large.jpg
Photo: Pierre-Emmanuel Malissin https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuisineetmets/23823787386/
"To get things going, we were served an amuse-gueule of cauliflower mousse
in cups."
Gloria Deutsch; Wine, Food, and Art; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Apr 19, 2019.
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Date: Tue May 21 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--skitterbrook
X-Bonus: A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. -Alexander Pope, poet (21 May 1688-1744)
This week's theme: Tosspot words borrowed from other languages
skitterbrook (SKIT-uhr-brook) noun
A coward.
[From Dutch schijtebroek (literally, shits his pants), from schijten
(to shit) + broek (pants). Earliest documented use: 1652.]
"The royal skitterbrook's advice to the remnants of his army, still
holding out in castles and towns along the borders, was terse and
characteristic: 'Let each man look to himself. Expect no help from me.'"
Thomas B. Costain; The Conquerors; Doubleday; 1949.
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Date: Wed May 22 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cache-sexe
X-Bonus: I should dearly love that the world should be ever so little better for my presence. Even on this small stage we have our two sides, and something might be done by throwing all one's weight on the scale of breadth, tolerance, charity, temperance, peace, and kindliness to man and beast. We can't all strike very big blows, and even the little ones count for something. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930)
This week's theme: Tosspot words borrowed from other languages
cache-sexe (KASH-seks) noun
A small garment to cover the genitals.
[From French cache-sexe (literally, hides sex), from cacher (to hide) +
sexe (genitals, sex). Earliest documented use: 1926.]
Fig leaf, the original cache-sexe https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cache-sexe_large.jpg
"Adam en Eva" by Jan van Scorel, 1527
Photo: mickeymousestudio https://www.flickr.com/photos/39856006@N05/3672682271/
http://wordsmith.org/words/fig_leaf.html
"She oscillated listlessly in nothing but a spangled brassiere and a
sequin-covered cache-sexe the shape of a heart."
Peter Ustinov; Loser; Heinemann; 1961.
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Date: Thu May 23 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scaldabanco
X-Bonus: If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -Margaret Fuller, author (23 May 1810-1850)
This week's theme: Tosspot words borrowed from other languages
scaldabanco (skal-duh-BAHNG-koh) noun
A fiery speaker, especially a preacher.
[From obsolete Italian scaldabanco (literally, heats the bench), from
scaldare (to heat) + banco (bench). Earliest documented use: 1670.]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/scaldabanco_large.jpg
Image: imgflip https://imgflip.com/i/169ox6#uQtxM0t4Y3rhxbXP.32
"A hot scaldabanco ... verjuicing his sermon with every fright he could,
he spit his wrath and spanked the vices of his age without a break or
breath."
Alexander Theroux; Darconville's Cat; Doubleday; 1981.
https://wordsmith.org/words/verjuice.html
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Date: Fri May 24 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gainpain
X-Bonus: A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. -Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter (b. 24 May 1941)
This week's theme: Tosspot words borrowed from other languages
gainpain (GAYN-payn) noun
1. A long thick glove: gauntlet. https://wordsmith.org/words/gauntlet.html
2. A hired soldier: mercenary.
[From Old French gaignepain (literally, wins the bread), from gagner
(to win or earn) + pain (bread). Earliest documented use: 1430.]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gainpain_large.jpg
Image: Jörg Sigma/Metropolitan Museum of Art
"The gainpain was a glove, at first of steel and later of leather, for
the right hand."
The Connoisseur; Nat Mags; 1928.
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Date: Mon May 27 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sabotage
X-Bonus: Compassion is not weakness and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978)
What did the English author Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400), the German
composer Robert Schuman (1810-1856), and the American astrogeologist Gene
Shoemaker (1928-1997) have in common?
They worked different gigs. They were separated by time and space. What
*could* they have in common?
All three had ancestors in the shoe business. The surname
Shoemaker is obvious. Schuman is, literally, a shoe man (German Schuh +
Mann), and so is Chaucer (Middle French chausse: shoe).
Back then, career options were limited. (No garages, so no startup culture.
No opportunity to start a garage band either.) If your father was a
shoemaker, chances were you followed in his footsteps.
One's profession was a good way to identify a person. Which John? John
the Shoemaker! Eventually this second name began to be inherited as a
surname (literally, an additional name). Joe Shoemaker was a Shoemaker
even if he chased lasses whole day and never cobbled a shoe in his
entire life.
Lucky for us, none of the three people above joined the family business.
Nothing wrong with making shoes, but even the best Reeboks fade with time.
Yet, "The Canterbury Tales" are timeless.
That said, shoes are an essential part of one's wardrobe and as such they
have became a part of the language as well. This week we'll see words
having their origins in shoes. Even if you're familiar with these words,
their etymologies are fun.
sabotage (SAB-uh-tazh)
verb tr.: To disrupt, damage, or destroy, especially in an underhanded manner.
noun: An instance of such subversion.
[From French saboter (to walk noisily, to botch), from sabot (wooden shoe).
Earliest documented use: 1910.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sabotage
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sabotage_large.jpg
Photo: Berkh/Wikimedia
NOTES: The popular story of disgruntled workers throwing their sabots into
the machinery to jam it is not supported by evidence. Rather, it's that the
workers typically wore sabots.
"Could MazeHunter be used by US companies to sabotage the attacker's computer?"
Nicholas Schmidle; Digital Vigilantes; The New Yorker; May 7, 2018.
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Date: Tue May 28 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--roughshod
X-Bonus: Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. -William Pitt, British prime minister (28 May 1759-1806)
This week's theme: Words originating in shoes
roughshod (RUF-shod)
adjective: 1. Domineering; bullying; brutal.
2. Having horseshoes with projecting nails or calks to prevent slipping.
adverb: In a domineering or harsh manner.
[From rough + shod (wearing shoes), past participle of shoe. Earliest
documented use: 1688.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/roughshod
Horseshoe with Calks (projections) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/roughshod_large.jpg
Image: Wikimedia Commons
"Since coming to power in 2010, the government of Hungary's prime minister,
Viktor Orban, has consistently disdained judicial independence, academic
and media freedoms, and the rights of migrants. It has, in the view of many
people, run roughshod over some of the core values of the European Union."
Orban Sceptics; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2018.
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Date: Wed May 29 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--old shoe
X-Bonus: War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963)
This week's theme: Words originating in shoes
old shoe (old shoo) noun
Something or someone comfortably familiar, especially in an unpretentious manner.
[Alluding to the familiar comfort of an old pair of shoes. Earliest documented
use: 1386.]
NOTES: The idiom "old shoe" has traveled around the block in the English
language a few times. In the beginning it meant something worthless. Then
there was this superstition of throwing shoes after a person leaving on a
trip. This developed into the idiom old shoe meaning good luck. Finally,
there's something to be said about the comfort of stepping into an old pair
of shoes (compared to breaking in a new pair) that resulted in the current
meaning of the term.
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/old_shoe_large.jpg
Photo: https://www.maxpixel.net/Puppy-Pet-Brown-Leather-Dog-Adorable-Canine-Shoe-316076
"'[Amir] is an old shoe that we've come to depend on, and take for granted,'
Coach Casey said."
Raps Lose in OT to Heat; Waterloo Region Record (Kitchener, Canada); Jan
24, 2013.
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Date: Thu May 30 00:01:03 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vamp
X-Bonus: Speculation is perfectly all right, but if you stay there you've only founded a superstition. If you test it, you've started a science. -Hal Clement, science fiction author (30 May 1922-2003)
This week's theme: Words originating in shoes
vamp (vamp)
noun: 1. The front upper part of a shoe.
2. Something patched up or improvised.
3. A short, introductory musical passage, usually improvised, repeated several times.
verb tr.: 1. To provide a shoe with a new vamp.
2. To piece together; to improvise.
verb intr.: To play a short, introductory musical passage several times.
[From Old French avanpi�, from avant (fore) + pi� (foot), from Latin pes
(foot). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ped- (foot), which gave us
pedal, impeccable, podium, octopus, impeach, peccadillo (alluding to a
stumble or fall) https://wordsmith.org/words/peccadillo.html ,
antipodes https://wordsmith.org/words/antipodes.html ,
expediency https://wordsmith.org/words/expediency.html , and
impeccable https://wordsmith.org/words/impeccable.html .
Earliest documented use: 1225.]
noun: A woman who uses her charm to exploit men.
verb tr.: To seduce or exploit.
verb intr.: To behave like a vamp.
[Short for vampire, from French, from Hungarian vampir, from a Slavic
language. Earliest documented use: 1904.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/vamp
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/vamp_large.png
Illustration: Wade Motawi / Sneaker Factory https://sneakerfactory.net/sneakers/2015/03/running-shoe-parts-terminology/
"Stilettos with flattering wraparounds and pointed vamps redefine the
workaday pump."
Ankle Straps; Marie Claire (New York); Oct 2011.
"The band vamps for long stretches."
John Richardson; "I Should Have Been There to Protect Him???";
Esquire (New York); Jan 2015.
"The much-loved salon just vamped up its 10-year-old space with a bright,
modern makeover."
Chop Chop; That's Shanghai (Beijing, China); Mar 2012.
"Jeanie seems efficient and crisp and respectful but in reality she is
a vamp with strong powers of seduction and a wild side."
New York Tristate; Back Stage (New York); Jan 22, 2015.
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Date: Fri May 31 00:01:04 EDT 2019
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--shoehorn
X-Bonus: I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892)
This week's theme: Words originating in shoes
shoehorn (SHOO-horn)
verb tr.: To force something into an insufficient or unsuitable space.
noun: A tool to help slide one's heel into a shoe.
[Originally, shoehorns were made of the horns of animals. Earliest
documented use: 1589.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/shoehorn
Shoehorn by Robert Mindum, 1600: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/shoehorn_large.jpg
Photo: Legviiii/Wikimedia
"A bull-headed Maltese prime minister shoehorned a chapter on
Mediterranean security into the Helsinki Accords."
The Cruel Sea; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 14, 2017.