A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Fri Jul 1 00:01:01 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sepia
X-Bonus: The American who first discovered Columbus made a bad discovery. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799)
Color words derived from animals
sepia (SEE-pee-uh)
noun: 1. A reddish brown color.
2. A brown pigment originally made from the cuttlefish ink.
3. A drawing made with this pigment.
4. A monochrome photograph in this color.
adjective: Of a reddish-brown color.
[From Latin sepia (cuttlefish), from Greek sepia (cuttlefish). Earliest
documented use: 1569.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sepia
A drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in sepia ink https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sepia.jpg
"I know it sounds strange to invoke the sepia-toned suffering of the 1930s
when we're talking about an economy that has only 5.1 percent unemployment."
Matt O'Brien; Brexit' and the Far Right's Rise in UK and Elsewhere; The
Washington Post; Jun 1, 2016.
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Date: Mon Jul 4 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--knavery
X-Bonus: Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864)
Is there life in outer space? What's the meaning of life? Is it the letter
s or c that is silent in the word 'scent'? Great mysteries of life!
Fortunately, we have the answer to at least one of them.
Over its long and checkered history spanning 600 years, the word scent has
changed its appearance more readily than a chameleon getting ready for a
party. It has appeared as "sent" and "cent", among other forms. In "Taming
of the Shrew", Shakespeare has a huntsman say that his hound "pick'd out
the dullest sent."
That still doesn't tell us the answer. Well, etymology to the rescue.
The word scent comes to us from Latin sentire (to feel) which became
French sentir (to smell), before making its way to English.
So why this hotchpotch of spelling? To understand this we have to realize
that language was spoken long before writing came on the scene.
Few people were literate. When it came to writing, any spelling (sent/cent/scent/etc.)
was good as long as it sounded right. Shakespeare spelled his name
every which way -- the plaque on his tomb spells it as "Shakspeare".
Eventually spelling became standardized. Among many competing spellings,
one took scepter as the official spelling of the word, not necessarily
because it was more virtuous than the rest.
This week we'll see a few more words with silent letters.
knavery (NAY-vuh-ree, NAYV-ree) noun
Dishonest dealing or an instance of this.
[From knave, from Old English cnafa (boy, servant). Earliest documented use: 1528.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/knavery
"Each nation is fighting a righteous war, brought about by the intolerable
knavery of the other."
Kenneth Roberts; Boon Island; Doubleday; 1956.
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Date: Tue Jul 5 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--wroth
X-Bonus: It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning. -Bill Watterson, comic strip artist (b. 5 Jul 1958) [Calvin & Hobbes]
This week's theme: Words with initial silent letters
wroth (roth) adjective
Extremely angry.
[From Old English wrath. Ultimately from Indo-European root wer- (to turn
or bend), which is also the progenitor of words such as wring, weird,
writhe, worth, revert, and universe. Earliest documented use: 893.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/wroth
Wroth birds https://wordsmith.org/words/images/wroth_large.jpg
Photo: Jeremy Brooks https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremybrooks/7570214904
"The fat man was so wroth that he took a vow to live on bread and wine
till he had his vengeance."
George R. R. Martin; A Dance with Dragons; Bantam; 2011.
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Date: Wed Jul 6 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--knar
X-Bonus: All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor (b. 6 Jul 1946)
This week's theme: Words with initial silent letters
knar (nahr) noun
A knot on a tree or in wood.
[From Middle English knarre. Earliest documented use: 1250.]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/knar_large.jpg
Photo: Kim Manley Ort https://www.flickr.com/photos/kimmanleyort/14609365599/
"When Gong Chun decided to make a teapot that resembled the knar of an old
ginkgo tree, he did it by hand."
Kuei-hsiang Lo; The Stonewares of Yixing; Hong Kong University Press; 1986.
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Date: Thu Jul 7 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--wrick
X-Bonus: Men rarely (if ever) managed to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988)
This week's theme: Words with initial silent letters
wrick (rik)
verb tr., intr.: To sprain or wrench.
noun: Sprain.
[From Middle Low German wricken (to sprain). Earliest documented use: 1305.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/wrick
"Fraulein Huny�dy had wricked her ankle that afternoon when coming
down stairs."
Dennis Wheatley; The Duke de Richleau Series; Bloomsbury; 2014.
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Date: Fri Jul 8 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gnomic
X-Bonus: People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author (8 Jul 1926-2004)
This week's theme: Words with initial silent letters
gnomic (NO-mik) adjective
1. Relating to a gnome (an aphorism or a pithy saying).
2. Puzzling, ambiguous, or incomprehensible yet seemingly profound.
[From Greek gnome (judgment, opinion), from gignoskein (to know). Ultimately
from the Indo-European root gno- (to know), which also gave us knowledge,
prognosis, ignore, narrate, normal, and gnomon https://wordsmith.org/words/gnomon.html .
Earliest documented use: 1815.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/gnomic
"Others believed that George arrived every year with a single guiding
business idea. 'Information cannot be taxed' or 'Improbability is the
river in which we fish' or some other gnomic pronouncement. One year,
the rumors ran, George uttered a single word: 'China'."
Stephen Marche; The Hunger of the Wolf; Simon & Schuster; 2015.
"Charles was finding the conversation a little gnomic. 'I'm sorry,
I don't quite get what you mean.'"
Simon Brett; The Cinderella Killer; Severn House; 2015.
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Date: Mon Jul 11 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--probative
X-Bonus: We grow tyrannical fighting tyranny. The most alarming spectacle today is not the spectacle of the atomic bomb in an unfederated world, it is the spectacle of the Americans beginning to accept the device of loyalty oaths and witchhunts, beginning to call anybody they don't like a Communist. -E.B. White, writer (11 Jul 1899-1985)
So many books, so little time! Do you say that sometimes? I do too, but
I also find myself saying: So many words, so little time!
There are hundreds of thousands of words that I want to get to know better.
Each with a biography (in the word trade we call it etymology). Each with
a unique story. Each with cousins and parents and children. One lifetime
is not enough to know all the words we have.
We'll never be able to read all the books we want to read, visit all the
places we want to visit, know all the words we want to know. But that's OK.
As long as we are making progress, even if a little slow, we are heading
in the right direction.
This week we continue making progress as we meet five words from various
books, magazines, and newspapers.
probative (PRO-buh-tiv, PROB-uh-) adjective
Serving to test something or providing a proof.
[From Latin probare (to test or prove), from probus (upright, good).
Ultimately from the Indo-European root per- (forward), which also gave
us paramount, prime, proton, prow https://wordsmith.org/words/prow.html ,
German Frau (woman), and Hindi purana (old). Earliest documented use: 1453.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/probative
"There seems to be a slight trail here, but we haven't found anything
probative yet."
Jack Phillips; Off the Deep End; Page Publishing; 2015.
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Date: Tue Jul 12 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--jobbery
X-Bonus: Words / as slippery as smooth grapes, / words exploding in the light / like dormant seeds waiting / in the vaults of vocabulary, / alive again, and giving life: / once again the heart distills them. -Pablo Neruda, poet, diplomat, Nobel laureate (12 Jul 1904-1973)
Miscellaneous words
jobbery (JOB-uh-ree) noun
The use of a public office for private gain.
[From jobber (wholesaler; one who does odd jobs), from job, of unknown origin.
Earliest documented use: 1769.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/jobbery
Peculation https://wordsmith.org/words/peculate.html and Jobbery http://wordsmith.org/words/images/jobbery_large.jpg
Photo: National Library NZ https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationallibrarynz_commons/21479450819/
"Scandals about cronyism, jobbery, and the overzealous advancement of party
advantage caused deep and lasting damage."
Liam Fay; Independent TDs are Losing Their Way in a Fog of Self-Importance;
Irish Independent (Dublin); Jan 17, 2015.
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Date: Wed Jul 13 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ostensible
X-Bonus: The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934)
Miscellaneous words
ostensible (ah-STEN-suh-buhl) adjective
Appearing as such; supposed.
[From French ostensible, from Latin ostendere (to show, stretch out), from
ob- (in front of) + tendere (to stretch). Ultimately from the Indo-European
root ten- (to stretch), which also gave us tense, tenet, tendon, tent, tenor,
tender, pretend, extend, tenure, tetanus, hypotenuse,
pertinacious https://wordsmith.org/words/pertinacious.html ,
detente https://wordsmith.org/words/detente.html ,
countenance https://wordsmith.org/words/countenance.html ,
distend https://wordsmith.org/words/distend.html ,
extenuate https://wordsmith.org/words/extenuate.html ,
tenable https://wordsmith.org/words/tenable.html ,
tenuous https://wordsmith.org/words/tenable.html ,
abstentious https://wordsmith.org/words/tenable.html , and
impertinent https://wordsmith.org/words/tenable.html .
Earliest documented use: 1743.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ostensible
"Thoreau disdained his ostensible friends, once responding to a social
invitation with the words 'such are my engagements to myself, that I
dare not promise.'"
Kathryn Schulz; Pond Scum; The New Yorker; Oct 19, 2015.
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Date: Thu Jul 14 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fane
X-Bonus: Literature encourages tolerance - bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer and critic (14 Jul 1912-1991)
Miscellaneous words
fane (fayn) noun
A place of worship.
[From Latin fanum (temple). Earliest documented use: 1400s.]
"Here, in a fane of stone she ended her days, a shaved priestess of
a grim unloving order."
Tanith Lee; Night's Master; DAW Books; 1978.
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Date: Fri Jul 15 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--arable
X-Bonus: Choose only one master -- Nature. -Rembrandt, painter and etcher (15 Jul 1606-1669)
Miscellaneous words
arable (AR-uh-buhl)
adjective: Suitable for farming.
noun: Land that's suitable for farming.
[From Latin arare (to plow). Earliest documented use: 1400.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/arable
"A diet based on plants uses a sixth the arable land as a diet based
on meat, poultry, and dairy."
David Macfarlane; Are Vegans Right?; The United Church Observer
(Toronto, Canada); May 2016.
http://www.ucobserver.org/society/2016/05/vegans/
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Date: Mon Jul 18 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--shermanesque
X-Bonus: It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (18 Jul 1918-2013)
Last year, as soon as my daughter, Ananya, woke up on the morning of her
18th birthday, she came running downstairs to my home office.
"How do I register to vote?" she asked.
I showed her how http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/voter.html and she
filled out the voter registration form. A few days later, the mail carrier
brought an envelope with her voter registration card inside. She thought
it was the best birthday gift.
When the next election rolled around a few months later, we sat at the
dining table with our ballots in hand. We also pulled out the Washington
State voter information booklet that came in the mail. We discussed
candidates. We read their bios. We researched their positions on various
issues. For some local races we didn't find much information so we considered
endorsements from other people and organizations.
Then we filled out our ballots. While most of our votes were the same, we
differed on some candidates and issues.
It took a couple of hours, but Ananya thought it was fun. In a race for
Washington State Supreme Court justice, in which a judge was running
unopposed, she filled in the name of a write-in candidate: her dog Flower.
How can we engage more people in politics and elections? I have two
suggestions:
1. On their 18th birthday, present students with their voter registration
cards in their schools. No need to register. Schools already have their
dates of birth and other relevant information.
2. Make the election day a national holiday. Not everyone can afford to take
time off from work to go cast a ballot. Even better, make the voting
by mail as we have it here in Washington state. No polling booths. No
standing in lines. We receive our ballot in the mail a few weeks before
the election date and we fill it in at our convenience and mail it back
by the election day.
"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics
won't take an interest in you." These words have been attributed to the Greek
statesman Pericles. Whoever said it, the words have profound implications.
This week we'll take an interest in politics with words related to politics
and elections.
Shermanesque (shur-muh-NESK) adjective
1. Unequivocal, especially in refusing to run for an office.
2. Brutally thorough, especially in defeating someone.
[After William Tecumseh Sherman, Union general in the American Civil War.
Earliest documented use: 1918.]
William Tecumseh Sherman https://wordsmith.org/words/images/shermanesque.jpg
Photo: Mathew Brady, c. 1864
NOTES:
The Union general William Tecumseh Sherman didn't mince words. When he was
being considered as a presidential candidate, he said, "I will not accept
if nominated and will not serve if elected." Since then, a categorical
statement, especially a denial, is called Shermanesque. Reporters ask
politicians if their announcement not to run for an office is Shermanesque
to confirm whether they really mean it.
Sherman also didn't beat around the bush when it came to military campaigns.
His soldiers destroyed infrastructure, farms, etc. in their wake. So the term
Shermanesque is also used to refer to a scorched-earth approach.
"Justin Trudeau's Shermanesque statement -- 'Canada does not - and will
not - pay ransom to terrorists, directly or indirectly' -- is likely to
be tested the next time a Canadian is taken overseas. And it may not be
as categorical as it seems."
Andrew Cohen; Regarding Hostage-Taking, is Justin Trudeau His Father's
Son?; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); May 4, 2016.
"After making a Shermanesque march through the Metro League, the Lakeside
boys soccer team continued to roll last night, shutting out visiting
Lakes 3-0."
Craig Smith; Lakeside Extends Win Streak; The Seattle Times; May 16, 2001.
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Date: Tue Jul 19 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--carpetbagger
X-Bonus: I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" -Eve Merriam, poet and writer (19 Jul 1916-1992)
This week's theme: Words related to politics and elections
carpetbagger (KAHR-pet-bag-uhr) noun
An opportunistic outsider, especially a political candidate who contests
election in an area while having little connection to it.
[In the US, the term was applied to a Northerner who went to the South after
the Civil War during the Reconstruction era. Such a person typically carried
his belongings in a bag made of old carpet. Earliest documented use: 1868.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/carpetbagger
Carpetbagger: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/carpetbagger_large.jpg
Cartoon: Thomas Nast, 1872
Carpetbag, c. 1860 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/carpetbag_large.jpg
Photo: Wikimedia
"Unlike many of the pro-establishment candidates who have spent years
in their respective districts serving residents and neighborhoods with
dedication, a number of opposition candidates are carpetbaggers, who
suddenly appeared in a district just before election time."
Not a Hard Choice; China Daily (Hong Kong); Nov 23, 2015.
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Date: Wed Jul 20 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--logrolling
X-Bonus: The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. -Carlos Santana, musician (b. 20 Jul 1947)
This week's theme: Words related to politics and elections
logrolling (LOG-ro-ling) noun
1. The exchanging of favors, especially by legislators by voting for each
other's legislation.
2. A sport in which two players stand on a floating log and try to knock
each other off by spinning the log with their feet.
[From the former practice of neighbors helping each other move logs by
rolling them. Earliest documented use: 1792.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/logrolling
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/logrolling1_large.jpg
Photo: Joe Goldberg https://www.flickr.com/photos/goldberg/482275289/
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/logrolling2_large.jpg
Photo: Richard Hurd https://www.flickr.com/photos/rahimageworks/9196120479
"Potential externals are identified by the supervisor and through a system
of logrolling enticed to take on the duty -- as a favour that it is
anticipated will be returned."
John Wakeford; Postgraduate Courses: What Goalposts?; The Guardian
(London, UK); Sep 17, 2002.
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Date: Thu Jul 21 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dog whistle
X-Bonus: I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after. -Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961)
This week's theme: Words related to politics and elections
dog whistle (DOG [h]wis-uhl)
noun: A coded message that appears innocuous to the general public,
but that has an additional interpretation meant to appeal to the
target audience, for example, to racists.
adjective: Relating to such a message.
[From the allusion to a dog whistle whose high-pitched sound is inaudible
to humans but can be heard by dogs. Earliest documented use: 1995.]
NOTES: An example of a dog whistle is the use of the term "family values".
The term sounds harmless, but homophobic politicians use it to convey their
opposition to equal rights for everyone. See more examples here http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dog_whistle_politics
"In the early 1970s, 'African American' and 'welfare' were used
interchangeably and it was a well-established hallmark of dog-whistle
politics, which allowed speakers to appeal to racist beliefs without
using openly racist terms."
Michael D'Antonio; Is Donald Trump Racist? Here's What the Record Shows;
Fortune (New York); Jun 7, 2016.
http://fortune.com/2016/06/07/donald-trump-racism-quotes/
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Date: Fri Jul 22 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--suffrage
X-Bonus: Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door! -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887) [from a poem written to raise funds for building the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty]
This week's theme: Words related to politics and elections
suffrage (SUF-rij) noun
The right to vote; also, the exercise of such a right.
[From French suffrage, from Latin suffragium (voting tablet, right to vote).
Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhreg- (to break), which also gave us
break, breach, fraction, fragile, fractal, infringe,
irrefragable https://wordsmith.org/words/irrefragable.html , and
fractious https://wordsmith.org/words/fractious.html . Suffrage? Because a
broken piece of tile was used as a ballot in the past. Earliest documented
use: 1380.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/suffrage
Suffragists Annie Kenney and Christabel Pankhurst:
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/suffrage_large.jpg
Photo: Wikimedia
"Victoria Claflin Woodhull, a leader in the women's suffrage movement,
was the first woman to run for the US presidency, though she couldn't
even vote for herself on election day, Nov 5, 1872."
Simon Carswell; She is a Tough Lady. She is All of Our Hero;
Irish Times (Dublin); Jun 9, 2016.
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Date: Mon Jul 25 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--equanimous
X-Bonus: Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all the unifying agents. Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) Reference http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/16/the-american-prophet-who-predicted-trump.html
No two snowflakes are alike, no two fingerprints have the same pattern,
and no two humans are the same either. That said, there are attributes
they have in common. This week we'll review five adjectives to describe
people -- both positive and negative.
equanimous (i-KWAN-uh-muhs) adjective
Even-tempered: calm and composed in all circumstances.
[From Latin aequus (equal, even) + animus (mind, spirit). Earliest documented
use: 1656.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/equanimous
"AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was seen in the war room, watching the exit
polls unfold. Though volunteers claim that he was equanimous throughout,
and so are they about winning and losing, the sheer glee is palpable."
Aradhna Wal; Door-to-Door Campaign Reaped Votes for AAP; DNA Sunday
(Mumbai, India); Feb 8, 2015.
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Date: Tue Jul 26 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mumpish
X-Bonus: I have never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from other men. There is not much harm in a lion. He has no ideals, no religion, no politics, no chivalry, no gentility; in short, no reason for destroying anything that he does not want to eat. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950)
This week's theme: Words to describe people
mumpish (MUHM-pish) adjective
Sullen; silent; depressed.
[From mump (grimace), perhaps of imitative origin. Earliest documented use: 1721.]
"Nickie seemed a bit mumpish, possibly out of a feeling that he was being
railroaded."
Peter De Vries; Comfort Me with Apples; Little, Brown; 1956.
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Date: Wed Jul 27 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--compunctious
X-Bonus: In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary. -Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (1880-1966)
This week's theme: Words to describe people
compunctious (kuhm-PUNGK-shuhs) adjective
Feeling remorse or guilt.
[From Latin compungere (to prick hard), from com- (intensive prefix) +
pungere (to prick). Ultimately from the Indo-European root peuk- (to prick),
which is also the source of point, puncture, pungent, punctual, poignant,
pounce, poniard, impugn https://wordsmith.org/words/impugn.html ,
oppugn https://wordsmith.org/words/oppugn.html ,
repugn https://wordsmith.org/words/repugn.html , and
pugnacious https://wordsmith.org/words/pugnacious.html .
Earliest documented use: 1616.]
"Fun often comes in the form of a compunctious husband who can't come
up with what to say on the card accompanying his floral offering of
atonement to an angry wife."
Kelly L. Brooks; Emotional Moments Bloom for Floral Designer;
Sarasota Herald Tribune (Florida); Nov 17, 2003.
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Date: Thu Jul 28 00:01:02 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vituperative
X-Bonus: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (28 Jul 1902-1994)
This week's theme: Words to describe people
vituperative (vy-TOO-puhr-uh-tiv, -TYOO-, vi-) adjective
Criticizing bitterly, scathing, abusive.
[From Latin vituperare (to blame), from vitium (fault) + parare (to make
or prepare). Earliest documented use: 1727.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/vituperative
"Korean Internet users are capable of being equally vituperative,
particularly over the disputed island of Tokto."
Richard Lloyd; McDonald's Serves Up Asian Bowing Row; The Times
(London, UK); Apr 14, 2016.
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Date: Fri Jul 29 00:01:03 EDT 2016
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ingenious
X-Bonus: I have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them I wonder if it might not be the same with the human race. -Don Marquis, humorist and poet (29 Jul 1878-1937)
This week's theme: Words to describe people
ingenious (in-JEEN-yuhs) adjective
Clever, creative, inventive.
[Via French from Latin ingeniosus (clever, talented, full of intellect),
from ingenium (inborn talent), from gignere (to beget). Earliest
documented use: 1483. Don't confuse ingenious with ingenuous https://wordsmith.org/words/ingenuous.html
even though both words are from the same root.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ingenious
"The mothers and their daughters prove to be brave, resourceful, and
remarkably ingenious at befuddling the goons."
Marilyn Stasio; Predator and Prey; New York Times Book Review; Apr 20, 2014.