A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed Nov 1 00:29:21 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eidolon X-Bonus: Don't mistake pleasure for happiness. They're a different breed of dog. -Josh Billings ei.do.lon n, pl -lons or -la [Gk eidolon--more at idol] (1828) 1: an unsubstantial image: phantom 2: ideal -------- Date: Thu Nov 2 00:25:49 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stygian X-Bonus: Fast, Cheap, Good: Choose any two. sty.gian adj, often cap [L stygius, fr. Gk stygios, fr. Styg-, Styx Styx] (1566) 1: of or relating to the river Styx 2: extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding -------- Date: Fri Nov 3 00:24:35 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chthonic X-Bonus: I may not always be right, but I'm never wrong. chthon.ic also chtho.ni.an adj [Gk chthon-, chthon earth--more at humble] (1882): of or relating to the underworld: infernal <~ deities> -------- Date: Sat Nov 4 00:22:45 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cacodemon X-Bonus: Having children will turn you into your parents. caco.de.mon \.kak-*-'de--m*n\ \-*-di-'ma:n-ik\ n [Gk kakodaimo-n, fr. kak- cac- + daimo-n spirit] : DEMON - caco.de.mon.ic aj -- "chthonic" generated a huge response asking how to pronounce the word. Admittedly, it is hard to guess at its pronunciation without knowing the proper key. So, we're again going to have pronunciation in AWAD. And "chthonic" is \'tha:n-ik\ - Anu -------- Date: Sun Nov 5 00:24:16 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--simulacrum X-Bonus: Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy. sim.u.la.crum \.sim-y*-'la-k-r*m, -'lak-\ \-r*\ n or sim.u.la.cra also simulacrums [L, fr. simulare] pl 1: IMAGE, REPRESENTATION 2: an insubstantial form or semblance of something : SHADOW; also : TRACE -------- Date: Mon Nov 6 00:24:22 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--imbricate X-Bonus: It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900) 1. im.bri.cate \'im-bri-k*t\ aj [LL imbricatus, pp. of imbricare to cover with pantiles, fr. L i]mbric-, imbrex pantile, fr. imbr-, imber rain; akin to Gk ombros rain : lying lapped over each other in regular order {~ scales} - im.bri.cate.ly av 2. im.bri.cate \'im-br*-.ka-t\ vb : OVERLAP -------- Date: Tue Nov 7 00:26:27 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--calumniate X-Bonus: Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president but they don't want them to become politicians in the process. -John F. Kennedy Cross references: 1. malign ca.lum.ni.ate \k*-'l*m-ne--.a-t\ \k*-.l*m-ne--'a--sh*n\ \k*-'l*m-ne--.a-t-*r\ vt 1: to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about 2: to injure the reputation of by calumny - ca.lum.ni.a.tion n -------- Date: Wed Nov 8 00:40:54 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--facultative X-Bonus: That civilization perishes in which the individual thwarts the revelation of the universal. -Tagore fac.ul.ta.tive \'fak-*l-.ta-t-iv\ aj 1a: of or relating to the grant of permission, authority, or privilege 1b: OPTIONAL 2: of or relating to a mental faculty 3a: having opposite reactions under different conditions 3b: able to live or thrive under more than one set of conditions - fac.ul.ta.tive.ly av -------- Date: Thu Nov 9 12:49:34 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hecatomb X-Bonus: Mistakes live in the neighbourhood of truth and therefore delude us. -Rabindranath Tagore hec.a.tomb \'hek-*-.to-m\ n [L hecatombe, fr. Gk hekatombe-, fr. hekaton hundred + ]bous cow - more at HUNDRED, COW 1: an ancient Greek and Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen or cattle 2: the sacrifice or slaughter of many victims -------- Date: Fri Nov 10 00:37:03 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--embonpoint X-Bonus: Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. -Mark Twain em.bon.point \a:n-bo-n-pwan\ n [F, fr. MF, fr. en bon point in good condition] : plumpness of person : STOUTNESS -------- Date: Sat Nov 11 00:27:35 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--libertine X-Bonus: Be advised that all flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them. -Jean de La Fontaine 1. lib.er.tine \'lib-*r-.te-n\ \-.te--.niz-*m\ n [ME libertyn, fr. L libertinus, fr. libertinus, adj., of a fr]eedman, fr. libertus freedman, fr. liber 1: a manumitted Roman slave 2: a person who is unrestrained by convention or morality; specif : one leading a dissolute life - lib.er.tin.ism n 2. libertine aj : of, relating to, or characteristic of a libertine -------- Date: Sun Nov 12 00:27:43 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--potentate X-Bonus: I am a carnivorous fish swimming in two waters, the cold water of art and the hot water of science. -Salvador Dali po.ten.tate \'po-t-*n-.ta-t\ n : one who wields controlling power : SOVEREIGN -------- Date: Mon Nov 13 00:26:27 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--laird X-Bonus: I'm defeated and I know it, if I meet any human being from whom I find myself unable to learn anything. -George Herbert Palmer laird \'la(*)rd, 'le(*)rd\ \-le-\ n [ME (northern dial.) lord, lard lord] Scot : a landed proprietor - laird.ly aj -------- Date: Tue Nov 14 15:28:30 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--couchant X-Bonus: A man's dreams are an index to his greatness. -Zadok Rabinwitz couch.ant \'kau.-ch*nt\ aj [ME, fr. MF, fr. prp. of coucher] : lying down esp. with the head up {a heraldic lion ~} -------- Date: Wed Nov 15 00:33:40 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--freshet X-Bonus: Curiosity is the lust of the mind. -Thomas Hobbes fresh.et \'fresh-*t\ n archaic 1: STREAM 2: a great rise or overflowing of a stream caused by heavy rains or melted snow -------- Date: Thu Nov 16 10:48:54 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--xenoplastic X-Bonus: My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there. -Charles F. Kettering xeno.plas.tic \.zen-*-'plas-tik\ \-ti-k(*-)le-\ aj : involving or occurring between distantly related individuals - xeno.plas.ti.cal.ly av -------- Date: Fri Nov 17 10:54:50 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stenotopic X-Bonus: Just think of what Einstein could have accomplished if he had not dropped out of school. steno.top.ic \.sten-*-'ta:p-ik\ aj [prob. fr. G stenotop stenotopic, fr. sten- + Gk topos place]- more at TOPIC : having a narrow range of adaptability to changes in environmental conditions -------- Date: Sun Nov 19 00:14:17 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--viaticum X-Bonus: Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire vi.at.i.cum \vi--'at-i-k*m, ve--\ \-k*\ n or viaticums or vi.at.i.ca [L - more at VOYAGE] pl 1a: an allowance (as of transportation or supplies and money) for traveling expenses 1b: provisions for a journey 2: the Christian Eucharist given to a person in danger of death -------- Date: Sun Nov 19 23:02:06 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--remora X-Bonus: The employer generally gets the employees he deserves. -Walter Bilbey rem.o.ra \'rem-*-r*\ \-r*d\ n [L, lit., delay, fr. remorari to delay, fr. re- + morari to d]elay - more at MORATORY 1: any of several specialized fishes (of Echeneis and related genera) having the anterior dorsal fin converted into a suctorial disk on the head by means of which they cling to other fishes and to ships 2: HINDRANCE, DRAG - rem.o.rid aj -- Have you discovered the joy of fishing in a dictionary for words? That's one place you'll never come back empty handed. You'll find words of all hues and shades, words short and long, words that require little effort to keep and words that slip by quickly, words that appear with a splash and words that simply stare back at you. Look for all these kinds in this week's catch. -Anu -------- Date: Mon Nov 20 15:51:20 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sprat X-Bonus: Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right. -Laurens van der Post, explorer and writer (1906-1996) sprat \'sprat\ n [alter. of ME sprot, fr. OE sprott] 1: a small European herring (Clupea sprattus) closely related to the common herring; also : a small or young herring or similar fish (as an anchovy) 2: a young, small, or insignificant person -------- Date: Tue Nov 21 10:57:44 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ichthyology X-Bonus: Poetry is made out of our quarrel with ourselves. -William Butler Yeats ich.thy.ol.o.gy \-je-\ n 1: a branch of zoology that deals with fishes 2: a treatise on fishes -- Here is a timely note I received on "viaticum", which went out last week. -Anu > From: Name Withheld on Request > > Viaticum is a very interesting word nowadays, in the HIV and AIDS > community. It seems to be a booming (perhaps helpful/perhaps predatory) > business. You probably know all this already--right? The "viaticum" > people offer to buy life insurance policies and give the original holders > money to live on, "to have some fun on," they say. Hmm.m... helpful or > predatory? Probably depends on the seller's particular circumstances. > Please don't quote me-- I'm too close to this arena, since I'm involved in > HIV vaccine research. I hadn't seen this word before circa 1992; now > it's everywhere. Sigh.. a sign of the times. Thanks for the word. -------- Date: Wed Nov 22 09:43:42 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pike X-Bonus: Every person takes the limits for their own field of vision for the limits of the world. -Arthur Schopenhauer 1. pike \'pi-k\ \'pi-kt\ n [ME, fr. OE pi-c pickax] 1: PIKESTAFF 2: a sharp point or spike; also : the tip of a spear - piked aj 2. pike vi [ME pyken (refl.)] 1: to leave abruptly 2: to make one's way {~ along} 3. pike n [ME, perh. of Scand origin; akin to Norw dial. pi-k pointed mountain] [Sp pico, fr. picar to prick - more at PICADOR] dial Eng 1: a mountain or hill having a peaked summit - used esp. in place names archaic 2: PEAK 4. pike n or pike or pikes [ME, fr. 1pike] pl 1a: a large elongate long-snouted voracious teleost fish (Esox lucius) valued for food and sport and widely distributed in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere 1b: any of various related fishes (family Esocidae) : as 1b1: MUSKELLUNGE 1b2: PICKEREL 2: any of various fishes resembling the pike in appearance or habits 5. pike n [MF pique, fr. piquer to prick, fr. (assumed) VL piccare, fr.] piccus woodpecker, fr. L picus - more at PIE : a weapon formed of a long wooden shaft with a pointed steel head and used by the foot soldier until superseded by the bayonet 6. pike vt : to pierce, kill, or wound with a pike 7. pike n : TURNPIKE -------- Date: Thu Nov 23 13:27:39 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fishwife X-Bonus: I hate quotations. -Ralph Waldo Emerson fish.wife \-.wi-f\ n 1: a woman who sells fish 2: a scurrilously abusive woman -------- Date: Sat Nov 25 17:06:47 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--piscatory X-Bonus: Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much of life. So aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something. -Thoreau pis.ca.to.ry \'pis-k*-.to-r-e-, -.to.r-\ aj [L piscatorius, fr. piscatus, pp. of piscari to fish, fr. ]piscis : of, relating to, or dependent on fishermen or fishing -------- Date: Sun Nov 26 12:32:09 EDT 1995 Subject: AWADmail: Lover's Dilemma > From: Robin Kilbury (umn.edu) > > Hello Anu Garg, > > Thank you for creating AWAD. I enjoy it! > > I've noticed that most of the words from wordsmith are not in my > dictionaries. I would like to buy a very comprehensive dictionary for > myself. Would you please give me some recommendations. Dear Robin, For a very comprehensive dictionary, OED, the 20 volume Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, comes to mind. However I'll not recommend this grand-daddy of dictionaries for two reasons: it is a historical dictionary, and instead of prescribing correct usage of words, it aims to be a catalog of words. Besides, it costs nearly $3000. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and American Heritage Dictionary are two delightful lexicons, I recommend you take a look at. Most of these dictionaries are now available in CD-ROM, however, they all suffer from one deficiency: you can't get distracted by other interesting words on a page. > From: Mary Hack (worldbank.org) > > Hello, Anu-by-the-lake, > > I was wondering if you might be able to help me. I have recently started > to date a special man. The problem is that I am uncomfortable calling him my > "boyfriend" because he isn't a boy (and I've always hated that word anyway; > it's sophomoric). I looked up "boyfriend" in Microsoft Word's thesaurus but > the alternatives are equally unacceptable. Please, please, please, is there > a word out there that indicates a close, romantic relationship without being > too sappy (or too explicit)? If you can suggest one, I would be forever > grateful! Dear Mary, I suggest "priya" (pronounced prEEya). This unisex word comes from Sanskrit, isn't sappy, and conveys that unique sense of affection which forms the essence of a relationship. > From: Larry Bendall (ibm.net) > > Hi, I hope you can help me. A friend of mine asked me a question > thats been driving me crazy for about 3 weeks now. > The question is... > Angry & Hungry both end in the letters gry. There are > only three words in the English language that end in gry; I gave > you the first two. What is the third one? > > I have search every dictionary I could find. I told him he is > mistaken, that there are only two. Is there a third word? and if > so what is it. > > Thanks so very much. Dear Larry, Going by how often I get asked this question, perhaps it should be placed in the FAQ. "Angry" and "hungry" are the only two common words in English that end in gry. There are dozens of obsolete and archaic gry's, you can hunt in OED. You'll find words such as "puggry", "anhungry", and "iggry" none of which exist now, outside the dictionary. Oh, and you'll find "gry" too, which in an interesting twist to your question, both begins and ends with "gry". Feedback /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ > From: Melanie Hopkins (cdc.gov) > > Dear Anu, > > My father-in-law swears up and down that my husband's sister's first word > was syzygy at about 6 months of age. Since my husband comes from a > family of brains, this does not surprise me. > From: Andrew Hollo (apana.org.au) > > In Australia, a large company called Email has, for many years, produced > enamelled whitegoods, that is, refrigerators and ovens - now I know why! > From: Shrisha Rao (unc.edu) > > The factory that Oskar Schindler (of "Schindler's List" fame) owned, > and used to shelter "Schindlerjuden" during the war, was called Deutsche > Emailwaren Fabrik -- German Enamelware Fabrications. According to the > book by Thomas Kenneally, it was referred to by the workers as "Emalia." > From: Heather Hewitt (uri.edu) > > I've always referred to e-beaus as "my emales". Is it partly cloudy or partly clear, over the lake? I think partly starry... Anu -------- Date: Mon Nov 27 15:05:38 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--criticaster X-Bonus: But the fruit that can fall without shaking, / Indeed is too mellow for me. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu crit.ic.as.ter \'krit-i-.kas-t*r\ n : an inferior or contemptible critic -- or one who critiques a poetaster. (-: -Anu -------- Date: Tue Nov 28 00:39:10 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--edentate X-Bonus: Life is not so much a matter of position as of disposition. 1. eden.tate \(')e--'den-.ta-t\ aj [L edentatus, pp. of edentare to make toothless, fr. e- + ]dent-, dens tooth - more at TOOTH 1: lacking teeth 2: being an edentate 2. edentate n : any of an order (Edentata) of mammals having few or no teeth and including the sloths, armadillos, and New World anteaters and formerly also the pangolins and the aardvark -------- Date: Wed Nov 29 13:41:50 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--primipara X-Bonus: Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. -Larry Wilde pri.mip.a.ra \pri--'mip-*-r*\ \-.re-, -.ri-\ \.pri--m*-'par-*t-e-\ \pri--'mip-*-r*s\ n or primiparas or pri.mip.a.rae [L, fr. primus first + -para] pl 1: an individual bearing a first offspring 2: an individual that has borne only one offspring - pri.mi.par.i.ty n -------- Date: Thu Nov 30 00:28:08 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--furfuraceous X-Bonus: Time is an illusion perpetrated by the manufacturers of space. fur.fu.ra.ceous \.f*r-f(y)*-'ra--sh*s\ aj [LL furfuraceus, fr. L furfur bran] : consisting of or covered with flaky particles -- like the snow we're having around here. -Anu