A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Thu Jun 1 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tulgey X-Bonus: A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night. -Marilyn Monroe, actress (1 Jun 1926-1962) This week's theme: Coined words tulgey (TUHL-jee) adjective Thick, dark, and scary. [Coined by Lewis Carroll in the poem "Jabberwocky" in the book "Through the Looking-Glass", perhaps as a blend of tough/turgid + bulgy. Earliest documented use: 1871.] Alice in the tulgey wood https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tulgey_large.jpg Image: Alice in Wonderland Wiki https://aliceinwonderland.fandom.com/wiki/Tulgey_Wood "Fairy-tale treatments in our late century increasingly stray from enlightened enchantment into the dark and tulgey woods." David Jays; A Grimm business; New Statesman (London, UK); Dec 11, 1998. -------- Date: Fri Jun 2 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nobodaddy X-Bonus: There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) This week's theme: Coined words nobodaddy (NO-buh-dad-ee) noun 1. God. 2. Someone who is no longer considered worthy of respect. [Coined by the poet William Blake as a blend of nobody + daddy. Earliest documented use: 1793.] "Nobodaddy, The Musical" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/nobodaddy_large.jpg Image: https://www.buzzartinc.com/albums/nobodaddy/ "We should remember that Nicolson at least was trying to rehabilitate Tennyson, to raise him from the fallen pantheon of nineteenth-century Nobodaddies." Philip Larkin; Further Requirements; University of Michigan Press; 2004. "He was a nobodaddy and a clod, and any pimplefaced boy could see that talking to him was a waste of breath." Paul Auster; Mr. Vertigo; Faber; 1994. -------- Date: Mon Jun 5 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--barometer X-Bonus: Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking. -John Maynard Keynes, economist (5 Jun 1883-1946) Every year, when it's a particularly chilly day, some people can be heard mumbling "Whatever happened to global warming?" Weather is not the same as climate. One is short-term fluctuations, the other long-term trends. Denialists fail to acknowledge the long term. And it's more than just higher temperatures. It's more severe tornadoes, forest fires, flooding, droughts, and heat waves. What scientists are concerned about is climate change. Climate change denialists miss the big picture. They look at the trees, but fail to see the forest. Speaking of which, many terms related to weather and climate are used metaphorically in the English language. This week we'll see five of them. Stay warm, or cool, as the need may be. But better to listen to coolheaded scientists than to politicians full of hot air. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/04/republican-democrat-candidates-climate-crisis barometer (buh-ROM-i-tuhr) noun 1. A device for determining atmospheric pressure in predicting weather. 2. Something used as a gauge or as an indicator of change. 3. A standard for measuring something. [From Greek baro- (pressure) + -meter (measure). Earliest documented use: 1666.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/barometer https://wordsmith.org/words/images/barometer_large.jpg Photo: Langspeed / Wikimedia https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/barometer#/media/File:Barometer-schatz.jpg "Since the Vietnam War, the US military has shied away from body counts as a barometer of success, but Lt. General Sean MacFarland, the commander of the US-led coalition in Iraq, estimated in August that forty-five thousand fighters had been 'taken off the battlefield' in the Islamic State." Robin Wright; After the Islamic State; The New Yorker; Dec 12, 2016. "If history is a barometer, this will get much stormier and play out over quite a while." Dan K. Thomasson; Watergate Portends More Troubles; Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio); May 24, 2017. -------- Date: Tue Jun 6 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--favonian X-Bonus: There are two kinds of fools: One says, "This is old, therefore it is good"; the other says, "This is new, therefore it is better." -William R. Inge, clergyman, scholar, and author (6 Jun 1860-1954) This week's theme: Weather & climate favonian (fuh-VOH-nee-uhn) adjective 1. Relating to the west wind. 2. Mild; gentle; benign. [After Favonius (literally, favorable), the god of the west wind in Roman mythology. His Greek equivalent is Zephyr https://wordsmith.org/words/zephyr.html . Earliest documented use: 1656.] "The Triumph of Zephyr and Flora" (1734-35) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/favonian_large.jpg Art: Giovanni Tiepolo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zephyrus#/media/File:Tiepolo,_Giovanni_Battista_-_The_Triumph_of_Zephyr_and_Flora_-_1734-35.jpg "A face, a favonian little face hovers in his memory, slipping in and out of focus." Natalee Caple; Mackerel Sky; St. Martin's Press; 2004. -------- Date: Wed Jun 7 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--autumnal X-Bonus: There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. -Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor (b. 7 Jun 1943) This week's theme: Weather & climate autumnal (aw-TUHM-nuhl) adjective 1. Relating to the season of autumn. 2. Past the prime of life or maturity. [From Latin autumnus (autumn). Earliest documented use: 1440.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/autumnal https://wordsmith.org/words/images/autumnal_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg × DALL·E AI "At this autumnal stage of his career, however, [Barry Harris] apparently prefers to understate the case, having little left to prove." Howard Reich; Harris Warms Up Season at Showcase; Chicago Tribune; Jan 7, 2006. -------- Date: Thu Jun 8 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--weather vane X-Bonus: An idea is salvation by imagination. -Frank Lloyd Wright, architect (8 Jun 1867-1959) This week's theme: Weather & climate weather vane (WETH-uhr vayn) noun 1. A device having a pointer rotating on a vertical spindle, used to indicate the direction of the wind. 2. Someone or something constantly changing. [From weather, from Old English weder + vane, from Old English fana (flag). Earliest documented use: 1721. Since a weather vane traditionally featured a rooster on top, it's also known as a weathercock https://wordsmith.org/words/weathercock.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/weather%20vane https://wordsmith.org/words/images/weather_vane_large.jpg Photo: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-ovpog "'You haven't changed your mind since yesterday?' Pierre asked ... 'Certainly not, I'm not a weather vane,' Xavière said stiffly." Simone de Beauvoir; She Came to Stay; World Publishing Company; 1954. -------- Date: Fri Jun 9 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hibernal X-Bonus: Ethics, decency, and morality are the real soldiers. -Kiran Bedi, police officer and social activist (b. 9 Jun 1949) This week's theme: Weather & climate hibernal (hy-BUHR-nuhl) adjective Of or relating to winter. [From Latin hibernus (wintry), from Latin hiems (winter). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ghei- (winter), which is the ancestor of words such as hibernate, hibernaculum https://wordsmith.org/words/hibernaculum.html , hiemal https://wordsmith.org/words/hiemal.html , chimera https://wordsmith.org/words/chimera.html , and the Himalayas, from Sanskrit him (snow) + alaya (abode). Earliest documented use: before 1626.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hibernal "Hibernal" by Kurt Haberl https://wordsmith.org/words/images/hibernal.jpg https://www.amazon.com/Hibernal-Kurt-Haberl/dp/1463681615 "Stay too long in the hibernal realm, And the chill begins to overwhelm." Stewart Stafford; Hibernal Realm; 2021. https://stewartstaffordblog.wordpress.com/tag/winter/ -------- Date: Mon Jun 12 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stymie X-Bonus: No one has ever become poor by giving. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) Once upon a time, in the quaint town of Lexicon, lived an extraordinary group of residents. They were special, you see, because they didn't just hold one job, they held two. They were the hardworking words of the English language, juggling multiple gigs. Meet "Dance", the graceful resident who could twirl you in a lively waltz and also serve as the waltz itself. One moment she's whirling you across the floor -- an active verb in motion. But in the next, she transforms into the very rhythm and steps you move to -- a noun that encapsulates the essence of rhythmic movement. Now, meet "Display", the show-off of Lexicon. As a verb, he's busy showing and exhibiting all that is fascinating. But when he turns into a noun, he becomes the very show or exhibition himself. In the corner, you'll find "Charge", who's full of energy. One moment, he's rushing forward or attacking as a verb, and in the blink of an eye, he's a noun, representing the responsibility or control he holds. And these are just the beginning! This week, we'll dive deeper into the world of Lexicon, exploring words living their double lives as verbs, nouns, and other parts of speech. stymie (STY-mee) verb tr.: To obstruct, thwart, stump, etc. noun: A hindrance. [From Scots stymie. The modern game of golf originated in Scotland from where both the game and the word stymie came to English. In golf, a stymie refers to one player's ball obstructing another's. Earliest documented use: noun: 1834, verb: 1857.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/stymie Overcoming a stymie https://twitter.com/GOLFTV/status/1392475900692766730 Video: GolfTV "The food comes to the table and to my benefit, puts a stymie to the conversation." Daniel Vincennie; Simple Minded; Lulu; 2018. "The country has become a vetocracy, in which many people and agencies have the power to stymie any given development." Free the Bulldozers; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 3, 2022. -------- Date: Tue Jun 13 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sluice X-Bonus: Adults who are racked with death anxiety are not odd birds who have contracted some exotic disease, but men and women whose family and culture have failed to knit the proper protective clothing for them to withstand the icy chill of mortality. -Irvin D. Yalom, psychiatrist and professor (b. 13 Jun 1931) This week's theme: Double-duty words sluice (sloos) noun: 1. An artificial channel, stream, etc. 2. A valve or gate to control the flow of a liquid. 3. A body of water controlled by a sluice gate. verb tr.: 1. To let out, by or as if by, opening a gate. 2. To wash, flush, cleanse, etc. 3. To send logs, gold-bearing gravel, or other material down a sluice. verb intr.: To flow, as if from or through a sluice. [From Old French escluse (sluice gate), from Latin exclusa (water barrier), from excludere (to exclude), from ex- (out) + claudere (to close). Earliest documented use: noun: 1340, verb: 1593.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sluice A sluice gate in Aarhus, Denmark https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sluice_large.jpg Photo: Sten / Wikimedia https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sluice_gate#/media/File:Sluice_gate_2.JPG "She pulled her cell phone from her bag with trembling fingers and keyed in Angie's number, her sluice of emotions obliterating her conviction." Tracey Richardson; Heartsick; Bella Books; 2017. "I was not born to this wariness. I came of age as my kind do -- armed with ache and swathed in rectitude, https://wordsmith.org/words/rectitude.html a rough carving sluiced under a torrent of disregard." Rita Dove; Unaccompanied Anthem; Poetry (Chicago, Illinois); Apr 2023. -------- Date: Wed Jun 14 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chirk X-Bonus: The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) This week's theme: Double-duty words chirk (chuhrk) verb tr.: To cheer. verb intr.: To make a shrill noise. adjective: Lively; cheerful. [From Old English cearcian (to creak). Earliest documented use: verb: 1000, adjective: 1789.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/chirk https://wordsmith.org/words/images/chirk_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg × DALL·E "He seemed so kind o' blue and lonesome I couldn't help trying to chirk him up." Hamlin Garland; The Forester's Daughter; Harper; 1914. "I don't guess I'm feeling quite chirk enough for reading anyhow." Peg Kingman; Original Sins; Norton; 2010. -------- Date: Thu Jun 15 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--skeeve X-Bonus: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) This week's theme: Double-duty words skeeve (skeev) verb tr.: To disgust. noun: A disgusting person. [Probably a back-formation from skeevy (disgusting), from Italian schifare (to disgust or to loathe). Earliest documented use: verb: 1986, noun: 1990.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/skeeve_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg × DALL·E "People have a thing about feet ... People get skeeved.'" Katherine Rosman; He Took His Shoes Off 20 Years Ago; The New York Times; Mar 1, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/01/nyregion/barefoot-living-no-shoes-joe-deruvo.html "You must be Drake, whose skeeved-out reaction to a pair of tossed skivvies* at a Detroit concert must have made Tom Jones hang his head in shame." SPIN; Dirty Projectiles; Jan 2011. *Skivvies = underwear, formerly a trademark. "He's a skeeve. Never liked him. Never hang with him. He just ain't right." Kristen Ashley; Free; Rock Chick; 2019. -------- Date: Fri Jun 16 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--souse X-Bonus: H. sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) This week's theme: Double-duty words souse (sous) verb tr.: 1. To soak or steep. 2. To pickle, cook in a marinade, etc. 3. To make intoxicated. noun: 1. Something or someone soaked. 2. The liquid used in soaking. 3. Food steeped in pickle; also such liquid. 4. A drunkard. 5. A period of heavy drinking. [From Old French souser (to pickle). Earliest documented use: verb: 1387, noun: 1391.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/souse https://wordsmith.org/words/images/souse_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg × DALL·E "The one named to be King was soused and drenched with laundry-water by his fellows until he could contrive to make one of his persecutors laugh." Kyril Bonfiglioli; All the Tea in China; Secker & Warburg; 1978. "W.C. Fields wasn't always a drunk. ... Only later when he became a comedian did Fields also become a souse." Mark Jacob; 10 Things You Might Not Know About: Drunkenness; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Oct 5, 2008. -------- Date: Mon Jun 19 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--radioactive X-Bonus: There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who believe themselves sinners; the sinners who believe themselves righteous. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) Science, the word, comes to us from Latin scire (to know). Science is a body of knowledge, a way of knowing. If we go farther back, the Latin word is from the Indo-European root skei- (to cut or split), because to know is to separate one thing from another, to discern. Scientific knowledge is not perfect or complete. Based on the best available evidence we draw conclusions, but they are not sacred. We revise our conclusions in light of new evidence, which we are forever seeking. Contrast that with belief and faith-based systems, where we stick to what was handed down centuries ago, pretending to know everything, evidence be damned. Science may not have all the answers, but it's the best way to make sense of the world. The literal opposite of science is nescience (ignorance) and who wants to stay nescient? https://wordsmith.org/words/nescient.html We wouldn't want to stay with a cell phone company if we had to pray to the CEO to let our messages go through. And certainly not if even after all the begging, the calls were connected only sometimes, no better than by random chance. Or if the big guy looked at all our messages and determined which one was OK and which one meant we were guilty of a thoughtcrime. Or, if we ever considered switching or dropping our service, he threatened eternal punishment. We wouldn't try to justify all this by saying the CEO's ways are mysterious. Ultimately, it comes down to this: What gets things done and what makes excuses. Science gets things done. This week we'll feature five words from the world of science that are used metaphorically. What are your thoughts? Do you work in science? Share your ideas, feelings, stories, and anecdotes on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/radioactive.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state). radioactive (ray-dee-oh-AK-tiv) adjective 1. Involving something extremely controversial that may rub off on others. 2. Spontaneously emitting radiation, as from an unstable atomic nucleus or in a nuclear reaction. [From French radio-actif, coined by Pierre and Marie Curie, from radio-, from Latin radius (beam, ray) + actif (active), from Latin activus (active). Earliest documented use: 1898.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/radioactive "Radioactive Man" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/radioactive_large.jpg Image: Wikisimpsons https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Radioactive_Man_%28comic_book_series%29 "We're all constantly running social harm risk analysis -- trying to figure out how close we can get to people involved in controversy without becoming radioactive ourselves." Joel Stein; Gifts & Guidance; Town and Country (New York); Dec 2019. -------- Date: Tue Jun 20 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--broad-spectrum X-Bonus: Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice? -Lillian Hellman, playwright (20 Jun 1905-1984) This week's theme: Words from science broad-spectrum (BRAWD-SPEK-truhm) adjective Effective in a wide variety of uses. [From broad, from Old English braed + spectrum, from Latin spectrum (appearance), from specere (to look). Earliest documented use: 1950.] NOTES: A spectrum is the range of colors that light decomposes into when passing through a prism. Over time, the word spectrum has come to refer to a range of anything. The term broad-spectrum was first used in the context of antibiotics: a broad-spectrum antibiotic can kill a wide range of bacteria. A broad-spectrum pesticide is effective against multiple types of pests and a broad-spectrum sunscreen protects against many types of UV rays. Her appeal extended to a broad spectrum. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/broad-spectrum_large.jpg Cartoon: Andrew Grossman https://cartoonresource.com/product/spectrum/ "So far as Bellingham could tell some massive broad-spectrum spell had simply erased every trace of the network he had so laboriously assembled." David Mosey; Outlaws Are Optional; Xlibris; 2004. -------- Date: Wed Jun 21 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--high-octane X-Bonus: I shall live badly if I do not write, and I shall write badly if I do not live. -Francoise Sagan, playwright and novelist (21 Jun 1935-2004) This week's theme: Words from science high-octane (hy-AWK-tayn) adjective 1. High-energy; powerful; dynamic. 2. In relation to engine fuels, having a high octane number resulting in anti-knock properties and higher efficiency. [Octane number is a measure of anti-knock properties of a fuel used in engines. A high octane number indicates greater resistance to engine knocking. The term octane refers to hydrocarbons with eight carbon atoms. Earliest documented use: 1931.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/high-octane https://wordsmith.org/words/images/high-octane_large.jpg Image: Samiylenko / Dreamstime https://www.dreamstime.com/high-octane-gas-fuel-pump-station-image139476103 "Mr. [Arthur] Hayes's high-octane lifestyle certainly comes closest to that of the fictional British spy." Ride to Freedom; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 18, 2021. -------- Date: Thu Jun 22 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--viral X-Bonus: This book ("All Quiet on the Western Front") is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war. -Erich Maria Remarque, novelist (22 Jun 1898-1970) This week's theme: Words from science viral (VY-ruhl) adjective 1. Spreading rapidly and widely from person to person, often through social media rather than traditional avenues. 2. Relating to or caused by a virus. [From Latin virus (poison). Earliest documented use: 1948.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/viral No matter how popular they get antibiotics never go viral https://wordsmith.org/words/images/viral.jpg Image: Amazon https://www.amazon.com/matter-popular-antibiotics-Sleeve-T-Shirt/dp/B09QFVJGDB "This past July, [Bishop Lamor] Whitehead made national headlines when videos of him being robbed during a church service, while wearing what was reported as several hundred thousand dollars' worth of jewelry, went viral." Eric Lach; Friend of the Mayor; The New Yorker; Jan 30, 2023. -------- Date: Fri Jun 23 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--critical mass X-Bonus: What the Caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) This week's theme: Words from science critical mass (KRI-ti-kuhl MAHS) noun The minimum amount or number of something required to initiate or sustain a process or effect. [From nuclear physics where critical mass is the smallest amount of nuclear material needed for a chain reaction. Earliest documented use: 1941.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/critical%20mass NOTES: Outside of physics, the critical mass of something can be seen as the tipping point, a stage of adoption where it begins to be useful or effective. For instance, critical mass can refer to the point at which a new word (like asporteist https://wordsmith.org/words/hail_mary.html), technology (like fax machines), software (like WhatsApp), or social network (like Facebook) become widespread. "That tie does _nothing_ for you." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/critical_mass.jpg https://www.redmolotov.com/mike-seddon-cartoons/critical-mass-greetings-card Image: RedMolotov Cartoon: Mike Seddon "But as a critical mass of mustache wearers has gathered, the style has slowly become free of the subculture associations it garnered in the 1980s." Shira Telushkin; The Mustache Is Back; The New York Times; Jun 1, 2023. -------- Date: Mon Jun 26 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--byzantine X-Bonus: I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person. -Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (26 Jun 1916-1988) Maybe you are wearing your favorite pair of denims or you're bundled up in a cozy jersey on a chilly evening. Perhaps you are dining on fine china or enjoying a hot cup of mocha. What do all these experiences have in common? They all involve toponyms -- words coined after places, real or fictional. o denim: after Nîmes, a city in France. Hence de Nîmes (literally, from Nîmes). o jersey: after Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, once known for its knitting trade o china: after China, from where it was imported. o mocha: after Mokha, a port city in Yemen, historically significant for being a major marketplace for coffee beans. Welcome to the intriguing world of toponymic words, where geography meets language in the most delightful way. Toponyms are words that have traveled from the map and nestled themselves into the dictionary. They are the linguistic souvenirs collected from places around the globe. This week we'll see five other toponyms: words that are the unassuming ambassadors of their native lands, each with a tale to tell about their journey from a pin on the map to a word on our tongues. Byzantine (BIZ-uhn-teen/tyn, bi/buh/by-ZAN/zuhn-tin/teen) adjective 1. Highly complex or intricate. 2. Involving scheming or intrigue. 3. Relating to the architectural or decorative style developed in the Byzantine Empire. 4. Relating to the ancient city of Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire. [After Byzantium, an ancient Greek city, modern-day Istanbul. Metaphorical senses are from the complex bureaucracy, palace intrigue, and elaborate art and architecture, associated with the Byzantine Empire. Earliest documented use: 1599.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Byzantine https://wordsmith.org/words/images/byzantine_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg × DALL·E AI "An initial reform would simplify a byzantine tax code." Big Plans, Not Much Money; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 7, 2023. -------- Date: Tue Jun 27 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--erewhonian X-Bonus: There is no greater fallacy than the belief that aims and purposes are one thing, while methods and tactics are another. -Emma Goldman, social activist (27 Jun 1869-1940) This week's theme: Toponyms Erewhonian (er-uh-WAH/WOH-nee-uhn) adjective 1. Opposed to machines, automation, or technology, like a Luddite https://wordsmith.org/words/luddite.html 2. Treating disease as crime and ill people as criminals. [After Erewhon, a place described in the satirical novel Erewhon (1872) by Samuel Butler. Earliest documented use: 1897.] NOTES: In Erewhon, criminals are treated as sick and sick people as criminals. Also, Erewhonians consider machines as dangerous and avoid them. The name Erewhon is an anagram of "nowhere", also a near ananym https://wordsmith.org/words/ananym.html (a word coined by reversing the letters of another word) of another word. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/erewhonian_large.jpg "Erewhon" 1872 first edition cover Image: Trübner/Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erewhon#/media/File:Erewhon_Cover.jpg "To talk about the continued relevance of the book can single you out as a modern Erewhonian." Paul Duguid; Material Matters: The Past and Futurology of the Book; The Future of the Book, edited by Geoffrey Nunberg; University of California Press; 1996. "If patients know they will be pilloried and punished for past behaviour, they will run from the health-care system much as many offenders run from the law. Medicine would simply cease to be medicine if it became an Erewhonian penal system." Peter Mcknight; Medicine Isn't Medicine If Used as Punishment; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Feb 2, 2022. -------- Date: Wed Jun 28 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Pearl Harbor X-Bonus: What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? -Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) This week's theme: Toponyms Pearl Harbor (purl HAHR-buhr) noun: A sudden, devastating attack. verb tr.: To attack suddenly with devastating results. [After Pearl Harbor, near Honolulu, Hawaii, the site of a US naval base, which was attacked by Japanese planes on Dec 7, 1941, leading to the US joining WWII. Earliest documented use: 1942.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Pearl%20Harbor The USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pearl_harbor_large.jpg Photo: Petty Officer 3rd Class Diana Quinlan, US Navy https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:USS_Arizona_(BB-39)_submerged#/media/File:Naval_operations_in_the_Pacific_140330-N-WF272-400.jpg "A year and a half ago, Jones was injured in an accident at his shop, 'my Pearl Harbor,' he says. A truck tire rim he was working on burst, badly injuring the side of his head, his right shoulder, and left wrist." Mark Felsenthal; One Man's Treasures; Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia); Aug 2, 1989. "'[The mayor] Pearl Harbored the fire station,' Mitchell said. 'It was a sneak attack. He runs out of town and nobody can find him.'" Jerry Thomas; Union to Fight Closing of Fire Station in Chelsea; Boston Globe; Sep 2, 1990. -------- Date: Thu Jun 29 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Delphic X-Bonus: If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) This week's theme: Toponyms Delphic (DEL-fik) adjective Obscure or ambiguous. [After Delphi, a city in ancient Greece, near Mount Parnassus https://wordsmith.org/words/parnassian.html . Delphi the seat of the oracle of Apollo https://wordsmith.org/words/apollo.html in Greek mythology. The Oracle at Delphi was known for her ambiguous prophecies that were open to various interpretations. Earliest documented use: 1567.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Delphic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi#/media/File:'Delphic_Sibyl_Sistine_Chapel_ceiling'_by_Michelangelo_JBU37.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia#/media/File:John_Collier_-_Priestess_of_Delphi.jpg "Priestess of Delphi" (1891) by John Collier https://wordsmith.org/words/images/delphic_large.jpg Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia#/media/File:John_Collier_-_Priestess_of_Delphi.jpg Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi "So, what are they trying to say? It's a challenge to sieve lucid answers from the artist who, while enormously amiable, is prone to somewhat Delphic statements when it comes to explaining his work." Rachel Spence; The Chilean artist Eugenio Dittborn; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 16, 2021. -------- Date: Fri Jun 30 00:01:02 EDT 2023 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Roman peace X-Bonus: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) This week's theme: Toponyms Roman peace (ROH-muhn pees) noun A peace imposed and maintained by force. [For Romans, peace was not an absence of war, rather a state in which the enemy was vanquished and could no longer resist. The term Roman peace is a loan translation of Latin pax Romana https://wordsmith.org/words/pax_romana.html . The original pax Romana was the relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire from 27 BCE to 180 CE. Earliest documented use: 1884.] NOTES: Roman peace is very different from Roman pace, which is the length of a double step or about 5 feet. Also, best not to confuse Roman peace with Roman pease or Roman peach, which are rare varieties of peas and peaches. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/roman_peace_large.jpg Image: "Asterix" by Goscinny & Uderzo https://www.facebook.com/PapercutzGraphicNovels/photos/a.10150830761790736/10157276607080736/?type=3 "There is a Roman peace, true, but it is a cruel peace if you ask me." Thomas Harlan; The Shadow of Ararat; Tom Doherty Associates; 2007.