A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Mon Sep 1 00:01:01 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--theomachy X-Bonus: When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live. -Sarah Kendzior, journalist and author (b. 1 Sep 1978) Ever been at a loss for words? There are many ways to make a badly needed one, for example: o If it's about sound, imitate it (that's how we got gnar). https://wordsmith.org/words/gnar.html o Coin it after a person or place (Ponzi scheme https://wordsmith.org/words/ponzi_scheme.html, Canossa https://wordsmith.org/words/canossa.html). o Or borrow from another language (sachem https://wordsmith.org/words/sachem.html from Algonquian). o You can even repurpose an old word and give it new life (ludicrous https://wordsmith.org/words/ludicrous.html). But one of the most straightforward ways: assemble it from parts that are already lying around. Take linguistic Lego bricks known as combining forms and snap them together. Think of photo- (light) + -graphy (writing) = photography. In the right combinations, combining forms can build whole universes. This week we'll mix and match words made from these combining forms: theo- (god) thanato- (death) eury- (wide) klepto- (theft) urano- (heavens) with -machy (battle) -crat (ruler) -phobia (fear) -mania (obsession) -phagous (feeding on) What new words can you cook up with these? Share your creations on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/theomachy.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. Don't forget your location (city, state). theomachy (thee-OM-uh-kee) noun A battle among the gods or other powerful entities. [From Greek theo- (god) + -machy (battle). Earliest documented use: 1576.] NOTES: Even gods are not immune to a little family drama. Titans, giant gods in Greek mythology, overthrew their father Uranus to seize power. Eventually, the Titan Cronus's children (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Hera, and Demeter) overthrew the Titans. These days, theomachy is more likely to erupt in boardrooms or in a capital's halls of power than on Mount Olympus. "The Fall of the Titans" (1588-1590) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/theomachy_large.jpg Art: Cornelis van Haarlem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_the_Titans "Theomachy and reckless martyrdom ensued. Terrific battles erupted in the halls on K Street. Fistfights, catfights, memo-bludgeon duels took place between dedicated OWC careerists and White House staff."   Michael B. Neff; All the Dark We Will Not See; Serving House Books; 2016. -------- Date: Tue Sep 2 00:01:01 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--kleptocrat X-Bonus: There are conditions of blindness so voluntary that they become complicity. -Paul Bourget, novelist (2 Sep 1852-1935) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms kleptocrat (KLEP-tuh-krat) noun A politician or an official who uses their position to enrich themselves. [From Greek klepto- (theft) + -crat (ruler). Earliest documented use: 1892.] NOTES: A kleptocrat is a ruler or leader who enriches themselves by exploiting their position. Corruption is part of it, but the theft aspect is central. From "Harper's Weekly", Oct 21, 1871 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/kleptocrat_large.jpg Cartoon: Thomas Nast https://thomasnast.com/cartoons/the-brains/ "It was then that Jacob Zuma began his nine-year reign as president, during which time the thuggish kleptocrat and his cronies ransacked state-owned enterprises, plundered local and provincial governments, and ravaged the law-enforcement institutions set up to curb such looting." Saving the Nation; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 27, 2019. -------- Date: Wed Sep 3 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--thanatophobia X-Bonus: A harbor, even if it is a little harbor, is a good thing, since adventurers come into it as well as go out, and the life in it grows strong, because it takes something from the world, and has something to give in return. -Sarah Orne Jewett, poet and novelist (3 Sep 1849-1909) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms thanatophobia (than-uh-tuh-FO-bee-uh) noun An excessive or irrational fear of death. [From Greek thanato- (death) + -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1860.] NOTES: We all have some fear of the inevitable, but if it's a grave concern you might have thanatophobia. One possible response is thanatosis (playing dead) https://wordsmith.org/words/thanatosis.html though we recommend thanatopsis (a reflection on death) https://wordsmith.org/words/thanatopsis.html . As Rabindranath Tagore put it: "Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come." Self-Portrait with Death Playing the fiddle, 1872 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/thanatophobia_large.jpg Art: Arnold Böcklin https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arnold_Boecklin-fiedelnder_Tod.jpg See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/thanatophobia "Reincarnation offers a placebo for thanatophobia, and placebos can be amazingly effective." Kat Meltzer; Change the Channel; The Skeptical Inquirer (Buffalo, New York); Jul/Aug 1998. -------- Date: Thu Sep 4 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--euryphagous X-Bonus: In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy. -Ivan Illich, philosopher and priest (4 Sep 1926-2002) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms euryphagous (yoo-RIF-uh-guhs) adjective Eating a wide variety of foods. [From Greek eury- (wide) + -phagous (feeding on). Earliest documented use: 1926.] NOTES: If your menu ranges from pizza to pho, from injera to ice cream, you might just be euryphagous. The opposite is stenophagous https://wordsmith.org/words/stenophagous.html (restricted diet: my cat only eats one brand of kibble). Note that euryphagous doesn't necessarily mean omnivorous. A euryphagous eater can dine from A to Z, from asparagus to zucchini, or aardvark to zebra (depending on their dietary ethics). "Vertumnus", 1591 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/euryphagous_large.jpg A portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II consisting of fruits, vegetables, and flowers Art: Giuseppe Arcimboldo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertumnus_%28Arcimboldo%29#/media/File:Vertumnus_%C3%A5rstidernas_gud_m%C3%A5lad_av_Giuseppe_Arcimboldo_1591_-_Skoklosters_slott_-_91503.jpg "Yellow-rumped warblers are euryphagous. They eat insects in summer. But when the insects disappear in fall, the birds switch to berries and seeds -- and get along quite well." Jerry Sullivan; Field & Street; Chicago Reader; Nov 24, 1988. -------- Date: Fri Sep 5 00:01:03 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--uranomania X-Bonus: I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -John Cage, composer (5 Sep 1912-1992) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms uranomania (yoor-uh-no-MAY-nee-uh) noun The delusion that one is of divine origin. [From Greek urano- (heavens) + -mania (obsession). Earliest documented use: 1890.] NOTES: As Carl Sagan reminded us, "We are made of star-stuff." True, but best not to let that go to one's head. After all, so are turnips and tapeworms. Being cosmic doesn't automatically make one a big star. "Caligula Indulging in the Worship of the People", 1877 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/uranomania_large.jpg Art: Émile Lévy https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caligula_indulging_in_the_worship_of_the_people,_1877_by_%C3%89mile_L%C3%A9vy.jpg According to Wikipedia, Roman emperor Caligula (12-41 CE) became "increasingly self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant and sεxually perverted thereafter, an insane, murderous tyrant who demanded and received worship as a living god, humiliated the Senate, and planned to make his horse a consul." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula "Common sense might have preserved him. ... Instead was a derangement, clinically known as uranomania. A dwarf fancied himself divine." Edgar Saltus; The Imperial Οrgy; Modern Library; 1920. -------- Date: Mon Sep 8 00:01:01 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--evangelical X-Bonus: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) Last month when I featured a quotation by Robert Green Ingersoll: https://wordsmith.org/words/fruiterer.html "The hands that help are better far / Than lips that pray. / Love is the ever gleaming star / That leads the way, / That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, / But on a paradise in this." A reader replied: "Today's thought presents a false alternative. Hands that serve and lips that pray go wonderfully well together." Sure, you could do both. Or add more. Hands that serve, lips that pray, feet that dance go wonderfully well together. A proper trinity. Still, it's healthy to test our assumptions now and then. We're taught things as kids and we continue to profess them without a second thought. That's where thought experiments come in, my favorite kinds of experiments. (Einstein was famous for them. He left it to others to prove his theories.) No NSF grants needed (As if they're available anymore anyway. Who needs research?). No Institutional Review Board approval required. No animal cruelty inflicted. Here's one: You arrive in the ER bleeding profusely. The doctor approaches. Which do you want them to do first, clasp their hands in prayer or perform first aid? The nice thing about thought experiments is you don't have to share your answers. They’re private stress tests for the mind, clearing away unquestioned habits. I'm evangelical for science, for evidence, for reality. Because it works. That said, millennia of religion has left an imprint on language. This week we'll feature terms with religious connections but also used in the secular world. evangelical (ee-van-JEL-i-kuhl) adjective: 1. Extremely enthusiastic about a cause. 2. Relating to Christian churches emphasizing the Bible's authority and a personal relationship with Jesus. noun: A member of an evangelical church. [From Latin evangelicus, from Greek euangélion (good news), from eu- (good) + angelos (messenger). Earliest documented use: 1527.] "Saint John the Evangelist", c. 1605 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/evangelical_large.jpg Art: El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) NOTES: Originally, to be evangelical was strictly about spreading the good news of the gospel. Over time, it broadened to describe anyone with near-religious zeal for their cause, from politics to Peloton to the life-changing magic of their air fryer. See also gospel. https://wordsmith.org/words/gospel.html See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/evangelical "President George W. Bush's response to the assault on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon was to launch two wars of choice against Afghanistan and Iraq, a pugnacious unilateralism at the expense of alliances and international law, and a near evangelical promotion of liberal democracy in the Middle East. His administration's hard-edged policies fractured alliances in Europe and triggered a sharp fall in America's standing abroad." Lionel Barber; The End of Hegemony; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 6, 2011. -------- Date: Tue Sep 9 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--epiphany X-Bonus: There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) This week's theme: Words relating to religion epiphany (i-PIF-uh-nee) noun A sudden insight, understanding, or realization. [From Greek epi- (upon) + -phany (showing). Earliest documented use: 1350.] NOTES: Christian Epiphany is a festival marking the manifestation of Jesus's divinity to the Magi, celebrated on Jan 6. In everyday use, an epiphany is a sudden realization, the kind that storms the sacred halls of the mind, overturns long-standing protocols, and leaves you amid the rubble of your former thinking. As the usage example below shows, not every epiphany is filled with light -- some can lead down darker corridors. "Adoration of the Magi", 1568 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/epiphany_large.jpg Art: El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/epiphany "The Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti had an epiphany after an automobile accident in 1908, which led him to Futurism and then to fascism." Timothy Snyder; American Fascist; The New Yorker; Nov 18, 2024. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/dispatches/what-does-it-mean-that-donald-trump-is-a-fascist "They started writing a chorus, and [Grace] VanderWaal had an epiphany: 'Maybe we cut out all the instruments, cut the lyrics, and just do one word: You.' They recorded that, and VanderWaal added harmonies. Maury laid down some ethereal guitar, and Sim added a distorted whistle sound. 'So sick!' VanderWaal said." Andrew Marantz; Camp Songs; The New Yorker; Aug 21, 2023. -------- Date: Wed Sep 10 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sacrificial lamb X-Bonus: In a perfect union the man and woman are like a strung bow. Who is to say whether the string bends the bow, or the bow tightens the string? -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor (10 Sep 1903-1974) This week's theme: Words relating to religion sacrificial lamb (sak-ruh-FISH-uhl lam) noun Someone or something blamed or sent to their doom in order to spare others. [From sacrifice, from Latin sacer (holy) + facere (to make) + lamb, from Old English lamb. Earliest documented use: 1834.] NOTES: One of the titles given to Jesus is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for humanity's sins. In the corporate world, a sacrificial lamb may be a junior employee left holding the bag when a project fails. In politics, it's the candidate sent to the slaughter in a hopeless race. In fiction, it's the minor character written off for the sake of plot. The metaphor works because lambs are fluffy and harmless, precisely the sort you'd least want to see shorn, let alone slaughtered. See also scapegoat. https://wordsmith.org/words/scapegoat.html "Agnus Dei", Latin for Lamb of God (c. 1635-1640) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sacrificial_lamb_large.jpg Art: Francisco de Zurbarán https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnus_Dei_(Zurbar%C3%A1n) "Am I being made a sacrificial lamb at the altar of justice as a showcase to tell the nation that at least something has been done to clean the institution from corruption?" Soumitra Sen; The Anger of a Nation; Tehelka (New Delhi, India); Sep 3, 2011. -------- Date: Thu Sep 11 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--parochial X-Bonus: Patriotism is like the love that a parent has for a child; nationalism is akin to believing that one's child can do no wrong. -Robin Givhan, writer and editor (b. 11 Sep 1964) This week's theme: Words relating to religion parochial (puh-ROH-kee-uhl) adjective 1. Having a narrow outlook or scope. 2. Relating to a parish. [From Anglo-French parochial, from Latin parochia (parish), from Greek paroikos (neighbor). Ultimately from the Indo-European root weik- (clan), which also gave us vicinity, village, villa, and villain (originally, a villain was a farm servant, one who lived in a villa or a country house), ecumenical https://wordsmith.org/words/ecumenical.html, and ekistics https://wordsmith.org/words/ekistics.html. Earliest documented use: 1425.] "The Angelus" (1857-1859) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/parochial_large.jpg Art: Jean-François Millet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Angelus_(painting) NOTES: The term parochial paints a picture of a mind confined to a small village or parish. It's a worldview that keeps out broader perspectives and larger ideas. In politics, it's the mindset of a representative who sees the world only through the lens of their district, disregarding what may be best for the country, let alone the planet. Contrast the term with ecumenical https://wordsmith.org/words/ecumenical.html See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/parochial "German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the rejection of a financial transaction tax was short-sighted and parochial." Schaeuble Says Transaction Tax Could Cut Volatility; Reuters (UK); Oct 17, 2011. -------- Date: Fri Sep 12 00:01:03 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--judgment day X-Bonus: The sun is pure communism everywhere except in cities, where it's private property. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter (12 Sep 1902-1981) This week's theme: Words relating to religion judgment day (JUHJ-muhnt day) noun 1. A time when one is evaluated, especially for their actions. 2. In some religious traditions, the day when the world ends and God judges people, sending them to heaven or hell. [From judgment, from Latin judicare (to judge) + day, from Old English dæg. Earliest documented use: 1544.] "Saint Michael Weighing Souls" (c. 1480-1495) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/judgment_day_large.jpg Art: Juan de la Abadía el Viejo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination#/media/File:Juan_de_la_Abad%C3%ADa,_'The_Elder'_-_Saint_Michael_Weighing_Souls_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg NOTES: You might think it's as simple as: Do good and you'll go to heaven. Not so fast. In some belief systems what matters is not what you _do_, but what you _believe_. In others, God determines your destination, heaven or hell, before you're even born. There's predeterminism, predestination, double predestination, corporate election (yes, it's a real theological term), and more. Predeterminism: The teacher wrote your final grade before you even enrolled. Predestination: The teacher decided who would pass before handing out the exam. Double predestination: The teacher pre-assigned both the A-list and the F-list on day one. Corporate election: The teacher grades the whole class as a block. You pass if you’re in the group, no matter how badly you flunked. Yeah, people believe this stuff. To each his own. I'm with Albert Camus who said, "Don't wait for the last judgment. It takes place every day." See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/judgment%20day "But most of all, to a lot of kids, he is real, very real, which means that going to the mall to see Santa isn't a photo opportunity. It's judgment day." Emma Teitel; Santa Has a Dark Side -- as Kids Well Know; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Dec 12, 2012. -------- Date: Mon Sep 15 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--corroboree X-Bonus: There is no disguise that can for long conceal love where it exists or simulate it where it does not. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, aphorist (15 Sep 1613-1680) If a nominee is someone nominated and an invitee is someone invited, then surely a committee must be someone committed? Not so fast! Patterns are useful, but sometimes they throw us off. A committee was originally a person entrusted with a task. Now it's usually a group formed for some specific purpose. Although you could still form a committee of one. Attendance would always be perfect, a quorum always met, and every vote unanimous. English loves to lure us in with something familiar looking and then trip us up. This week we've put together a set of words that seem to say, "Gotcha!" A little prank, a little jump scare, but harmless fun. What are your favorite misleading words? Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/corroboree.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state). corroboree (kuh-ROB-uh-ree) noun 1. A meeting. 2. A large or noisy gathering or celebration. 3. A tumult. [From Dharug garabara (a style of dancing). Dharug is an Australian Aboriginal language. Earliest documented use: 1811.] NOTES: A corroboree is not someone who corroborates https://wordsmith.org/words/corroborate.html your story or whose story is corroborated. It's an assembly or ceremonial meeting of Aboriginal Australians, often involving music, dance, and storytelling. The northern corroboree frog and southern corroboree frog are named so from their black and yellow stripes that resemble a dancer's body paint in a corroboree. Figuratively, the term is sometimes used to describe chaos or political uproar, such as when the parliament itself turns into a corroboree. "A South Australian Corroboree", 1864 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/corroboree_large.jpg Art: WR Thomas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corroboree#/media/File:WR_Thomas_-_A_South_Australian_Corroboree,_1864.jpg "'That's it for me boys, I'm going to mingle with the oldies for a while,' said Lee Chong Wei ... As they approached the little corroboree, Raj and Chong Wei could hear the booming voice of Sam Jones." Making the Smart Move; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Nov 3, 2007. -------- Date: Tue Sep 16 00:01:03 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--monomachy X-Bonus: The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) This week's theme: Words that aren't what they appear to be monomachy (muh-NOM-uh-kee) noun A fight between two people or forces. [From Greek mono- (one) + -machy (battle). Earliest documented use: 1582.] NOTES: If a monomachy is a fight between two people, what's a duomachy? Also a fight between two people. Best not to spar with the English language. Don't duel with a language, any language. Here's how it works: _Mono_ here refers to the number of contests, not the number of contestants. In some battles, one champion from each army engaged in a duel and the outcome is taken as if the whole army fought. Saves a lot of casualties, though not much confusion for the etymologist. "The Monomachy of Prince Mstislav the Daring and Prince Rededia of the Adyghes", 1812 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/monomachy_large.jpg Art: Andrey Ivanovich Ivanov https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrey_Ivanov_003.jpg "In the summer of 2003 I received an invitation to play a secret eight-game training match in Ukraine, against the then world champion, Ruslan Ponomariov, as part of his preparations for his match against Garry Kasparov. ... The monomachy took place in a lodge in a mountain retreat outside the Black Sea port of Yalta." Nigel Short; The King and I; The Guardian (London, UK); Feb 16, 2006. -------- Date: Wed Sep 17 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--verisimilar X-Bonus: What power has love but forgiveness? -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) This week's theme: Words that aren't what they appear to be verisimilar (ver-uh-SIM-uh-luhr) adjective Having the appearance of truth or reality. [From Latin verum (truth) + similis (like). Earliest documented use: 1681. The noun form is verisimilitude https://wordsmith.org/words/verisimilitude.html . See also Potemkin village. https://wordsmith.org/words/potemkin_village.html ] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/verisimilar "Auspicia", 2011 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/verisimilar_large.jpg Art: Robin Eley https://www.robineley.com/2011?pgid=l0ui8p0o-9d9d9226-5a93-4dfe-9b45-d69eb0bb7e87 "And will we, in the age of the image, become too easily accustomed to verisimilar rather than true things, preferring appearance to reality?" Christine Rosen; The Dangers of Visual Culture; The Futurist (Washington, DC); Mar/Apr 2007. -------- Date: Thu Sep 18 00:01:03 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--polystyle X-Bonus: Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) This week's theme: Words that aren't what they appear to be polystyle (POL-ee-styl) adjective: Having many columns. noun: A structure having many columns. [From Greek poly- (many) + -style (column). Earliest documented use: 1736.] Reconstruction of Stoa of Attalos, Athens, Greece https://wordsmith.org/words/images/polystyle_large.jpg (Stoa: portico; Attalos: King Attalos) Photo: Sharon Mollerus https://www.flickr.com/photos/clairity/3357410911/ "One of them has a large colonnade, or rather polystyle, as there are no less than four rows of columns." Lal Behari Day; Bengal Peasant Life; Macmillan; 1908. -------- Date: Fri Sep 19 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--doctor's mandate X-Bonus: This is what power really is: the privilege of ignoring anything you might find distasteful. -Oksana Zabuzhko, writer (b. 19 Sep 1960) This week's theme: Words that aren't what they appear to be doctor's mandate (DOK-tuhrz MAN-dayt) noun Full authority to deal with a crisis. [From Latin doctor (teacher, later physician), from docere (to teach) + mandate, from Latin mandare (to commission, literally, to give into someone's hand), from manus (hand) + date, from dare (to give). Earliest documented use: 1931.] NOTES: A doctor’s mandate sounds like a stern Rx: Take two reforms and call me in the morning. In 1931 in the middle of Great Depression, British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald campaigned for a Doctor's Mandate, asking voters for a free hand to prescribe whatever bitter economic medicine was needed. With a doctor's mandate side effects may include austerity, abuse of power, or the occasional economic recovery. A synonym is a blank check. Antonym: insurance pre-approval requirement. Mandate comes from Latin manus (hand). If it were a surgeon's mandate, both hands would be in it. The word surgeon is a respelling of chirurgeon, from Greek cheir (hand). "The good news is that with the proper care, you should be back on your feet in no time. The bad news is I'm a lousy doctor." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/doctors_mandate_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "You can see at the moment that Keir Starmer is trying to win, essentially, a doctor's mandate." Stephen Bush; Labour's Reversal on Benefits Cap Spells More Contortions to Come; Financial Times (London, UK); Jul 17, 2023. -------- Date: Mon Sep 22 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--skid row X-Bonus: Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) Back in the early 2000s I was working for AT&T Labs on the other side of the country. I had always liked Seattle whenever I visited. One day I asked my boss if he'd let me move to Seattle and telecommute from there. To my surprise he agreed. I moved here and worked from home. Got two landlines, one for home, one for work, and never looked back. Eventually, I quit software to write full time and spread the joy of words. Seattle gets its name from Chief Seattle (1780-1866), an anglicization of Si'ahl, who was the chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples. Chief Seattle who once said, "Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." What is Seattle today? It's the home of Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing, so a lot of engineers, but it's also the home of artists, writers, musicians, and baristas. It's one of precious few places where you can sip a latte in flannel while coding on a laptop, then hike up a mountain the same afternoon. For me, Seattle is nerdy. It's kind. And it's beautiful, inside and out. It's coffee, rain, orcas, evergreens, bridges, bookstores, bikes, and bands. Also mountains, public staircases, and public transit. In short: a place that makes a splash, whether from raindrops or guitar feedback. I moved around a lot growing up in India. Never more than a year or two in one place. Dad's government job took him from place to place. We went wherever he was posted. Seattle is the longest I've lived anywhere. After all that wandering, it feels like home. We don't know Chief Seattle's birthday, but with Native American Day on Sep 26, this feels like the right time to explore words rooted in this region. Have you lived in Seattle? Visited? What stood out, what did you love, or maybe didn't? Share your thoughts on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/skid_row.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org Include your location (city, state). skid row (skid roh) noun An area where people down on their luck congregate, often struggling with poverty, addiction, or homelessness. [From skid road, a path where logs were skidded downhill to the lumber mill. Earliest documented use: 1920.] NOTES: In Seattle, Yesler Way was where loggers slid timber downhill to Henry Yesler's mill. The street soon gathered saloons, flophouses, and folks sliding downhill in other ways. From there, the term skid row began to be applied to rough areas in other cities. A Mural in Downtown Los Angeles's Skid Row https://wordsmith.org/words/images/skid_row_large.jpg Photo: Stephen Zeigler / Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phase_1_of_Skid_Row_Super_Mural.jpg See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/skid%20row "Between high street and skid row there is work to be done." Filling the Gap; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 6, 2008. -------- Date: Tue Sep 23 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--spacearium X-Bonus: Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. -Bruce Springsteen, musician (b. 23 Sep 1949) This week's theme: Words with Seattle connections spacearium (spay-SAYR-ee-uhm) noun A theater with a domed or concave screen on which space scenes are displayed. [A blend of space + planetarium. Earliest documented use: 1962.] NOTES: Spacearium was the name given to the theater opened for the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. It took the audience on a voyage through the solar system and the Milky Way. The word spacearium is a synonym of the more common term planetarium, though one has to admit, spacearium describes it better. Spacearium, United States Science Pavilion, 1962 World's Fair, Seattle: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/spacearium_large.jpg Photo: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/seattle/id/2331/ "The detailed criticisms of administrators, astronomers, and Spacearium staff at the museum established, from Bradbury's perspective, an unbridgeable gulf between his cosmology and the established science of the day." Jonathan R. Eller; Bradbury Beyond Apollo; University of Illinois Press; 2020. -------- Date: Wed Sep 24 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ecotopia X-Bonus: Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit and seldom draw to their full extent. -Horace Walpole, novelist and essayist (24 Sep 1717-1797) This week's theme: Words with Seattle connections ecotopia (EE-ko-to-pee-uh, EK-o-) noun An ecologically ideal place. [From "Ecotopia" (1975), the title of a novel by Ernest Callenbach. In the book, the word is used to describe the Pacific coast of the US. A blend of eco- + utopia https://wordsmith.org/words/utopia.html . Earliest documented use: 1975.] Cover of the first edition of the novel https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ecotopia_large.jpg "The development plan calls for a veritable ecotopia ... The neighborhood would tap wind, solar, and perhaps tidal power." John Coté and Rachel Gordon; Deal on Transfer of Treasure Island; San Francisco Chronicle; Aug 18, 2010. -------- Date: Thu Sep 25 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--space needle X-Bonus: We all have handicaps. The difference is that some of us must reveal ours, while others must conceal theirs, to be treated with mercy. -Yahia Lababidi, author (b. 25 Sep 1973) This week's theme: Words with Seattle connections space needle (SPAYS need-uhl) noun A tall slender tower. [After the Space Needle, a tower in Seattle. Earliest documented use: 1962.] NOTES: This 605-foot-tall structure was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Its design -- a flying-saucer crown atop slender legs -- was intended to capture the optimism of the space age. It's Seattle's way of saying, "Rain or shine, the future lands here." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/space_needle_large.jpg Photo: Pickpik https://www.pickpik.com/space-needle-seattle-washington-cityscape-landmark-urban-150346 See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Space%20Needle "The Ocean City Boardwalk needs a space needle. People could look out over the ocean, across the highway to the bay, the entire length of Ocean City and all the way to Assateague Island." Jonathan Bleiweis; 11 Shore Destinations We'd Definitely Visit; Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland); Mar 21, 2014. "On the bus back to the airport, we coasted along the riverside and scenes of unalloyed pleasantness flowed by: riverside gardens, a distant hill with a space needle ... as we reached Incheon." Mark Jones; Seoul Searching; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 13, 2019. -------- Date: Fri Sep 26 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--grunge X-Bonus: Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) This week's theme: Words with Seattle connections grunge (gruhnj) noun 1. A type of rock music blending punk and heavy metal, marked by distorted guitars, raw vocals, and a deliberately unpolished sound. 2. A fashion trend featuring loose-fitting clothes, ripped jeans, etc. with an untidy appearance. 3. Dirt; filth. [Back-formation from grungy, of unknown origin, perhaps a blend of words such as grubby, grimy, and dingy. Earliest documented use: 1950s; for grunge music 1987.] NOTES: Though the term grunge had been used earlier, it stuck to music in 1987 when Bruce Pavitt, co-founder of Sub Pop Records in Seattle, praised an album for its "gritty vocals, roaring Marshall amps, ultra-loose GRUNGE that destroyed the morals of a generation." The sound -- distorted, loud, and anti-gloss -- soon became known as the Seattle sound. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden gave it global reach, proving that sometimes, the best things are a little messy. "Come As You Are" (Nirvana) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vabnZ9-ex7o (4 min.) See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/grunge "The song is an exaggerated take on nineties grunge." Carrie Battan; Extremely Online; The New Yorker; Oct 10, 2022. -------- Date: Mon Sep 29 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--arboricide X-Bonus: No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (29 Sep 1547-1616) Recently an article in "The New York Times" caught my eye. It was about people killing trees on a neighbor's property just to get a better view. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/us/trees-poison.html Permalink https://web.archive.org/web/20250911172525/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/us/trees-poison.html This article got me thinking for many reasons. It reminded me of the time a few years back when a neighbor of mine killed a cherry tree, not for the views, but because it made a "mess". https://wordsmith.org/words/corroborate.html One of the persons in the NYT story was named Hackett. Now that's what I call nominative determinism. https://wordsmith.org/words/endonym.html It's like a man named Kindler who burned down his house https://wordsmith.org/words/kindler.html or an intoxicated man named Crunk. https://wordsmith.org/words/crunk.html The article also dropped a word I hadn't seen before. Thankfully it's a rare word yet it's easy to figure out its meaning: arboricide. This week we've picked five words that might stump you at first glance. Some you can decode, others will make you say: I didn't know there was a word for it. arboricide (ar-BO-ruh-syd) noun The killing of a tree. [From Latin arbor (tree) + -cide (killing). Earliest documented use: 1899.] NOTES: Save the trees. They give us shade, fruit, and the occasional squirrel drama to watch. They also keep us alive. Studies show that fewer trees can literally cut lives short. See: How Removing Trees Can Kill You https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/can-lack-of-trees-kill-you-faster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2SwTK6p72U "The solar-powered chainsaw makes me feel less guilty about deforestation." https://wordsmith.org/words/images/arboricide_large.jpg Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/ "In 2021 another incident of neighborly arboricide in Camden, Maine, a town next to Rockport, resulted in more than $1 million in a legal settlement and fines after the industrial herbicide a couple used to kill a neighbor's oaks leached onto a public beach." Elizabeth Williamson; Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor's Trees for a Better View in Maine?; The New York Times; Sep 11, 2025. -------- Date: Tue Sep 30 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--barbatulous X-Bonus: Racism tends to attract attention when it's flagrant and filled with invective. But like all bigotry, the most potent component of racism is frame-flipping -- positioning the bigot as the actual victim. So the gay do not simply want to marry; they want to convert our children into sin. The Jews do not merely want to be left in peace; they actually are plotting world take-over. And the blacks are not actually victims of American power, but beneficiaries of the war against hard-working whites. This is a respectable, more sensible bigotry, one that does not seek to name-call, preferring instead to change the subject and straw man. -Ta-Nehisi Coates, writer and journalist (b. 30 Sep 1975) This week's theme: There is a word for it barbatulous (bar-BAT-yuh-luhs) adjective Having a small or sparse beard. [From Latin barbatulus, diminutive of barbatus (bearded) + -ulus (diminutive suffix). Earliest documented use: 1600.] NOTES: To call someone barbatulous is to say, "Nice try, but your beard (and your wisdom) are still in the stubble stage. In many cultures, a full beard was once a sign of age, wisdom, and authority. A scraggly one? More like a sign of youth. This view continues to hold sway among members of certain religious sects, such as the Amish, Hassidic Jews, some Muslims, and David Letterman https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-snaps-at-david-letterman-for-calling-him-out-on-kimmel/ fans. "The Three Philosophers" c. 1505-1509 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/barbatulous_large.jpg Art: Attributed to Giorgione "Paedio: But stay a while till your beard grow bigger; otherwise old men will be ashamed to be overcome in counsel and understanding by one that is barbatulous." William Shakespeare; Timon of Athens; First Folio; 1623.