A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Fri Dec 1 00:01:14 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--delate X-Bonus: It takes two to speak the truth: one to speak, and another to hear. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862) This week's theme: words that appear to be misspellings. delate (di-LAYT) verb tr. To report (an offense), denounce, or accuse. [From Latin delatus, past participle of deferre (to bring down, accuse, or report), from de- + ferre (to bear), which is ultimately from the Indo-European root bher- (to carry, to bear children) that gave birth to words such as basket, suffer, fertile, burden, bring, bear, offer, prefer, and birth.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "But how would the papal spies, who were present in every audience, delate him [Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli]?" Thomas Cahill; Pope John XXIII (biography); Viking; 2002. -------- Date: Mon Dec 4 00:51:13 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--flummery X-Bonus: I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand. -Baruch Spinoza, philosopher (1632-1677) Holiday season is the time for fun, frolic, and food. And the best part of food is desserts. The etymology of the word points at the time dessert is served -- at the end of the meals. The term derives from French desservir (to clear the table). The English language has countless terms about food that are used metaphorically but this week we are offering just desserts. Enjoy these cherry-picked words -- they are made from 100% natural letters -- no artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. These are organic, fair-trade, and they have zero calories. A note about the term for a reward or punishment that is deserved: "just deserts". It's from a little-known word, desert (deserving), from Old French deservir (to deserve). The reason we mistakenly believe it's "just desserts" is partly owing to the pronunciation: dessert (di-ZUHRT), as in "fat-free dessert" desert (DEZ-uhrt), as in "the Sahara" desert (di-ZUHRT), as in "to desert the army" desert (di-ZUHRT), as in "to receive just deserts" On to today's word ... flummery (FLUHM-uh-ree) noun 1. Any of various desserts made of flour, milk, eggs, etc. 2. Empty compliment; complete nonsense. [From Welsh llymru, from llym (sour or sharp). Originally, it was a kind of porridge or pap, made by soaking oatmeal in water for a long time, until it has turned sour. How did we get from Welsh llymru to English flummery? That's to do with how the Welsh "ll" sounds to others: variously as thl, chl, shl, fl, etc. In this case, it's fl. For the same reason the surname Lloyd is sometimes spelled as Floyd.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "Fox Broadcasting Co. aired its highly advertised special 'Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?' NASA, viewers were told, faked the Apollo missions on a movie set. Such flummery should not warrant a response." Michael Shermer; Fox's Flapdoodle; Scientific American (New York); Jun 2001. -------- Date: Tue Dec 5 00:01:18 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cakewalk X-Bonus: Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law. -Louis D. Brandeis, lawyer, judge, and writer (1856-1941) This week's theme: desserts used metaphorically. cakewalk (KAYK-wok) noun Something very easy to do, having little or no opposition. [In the 19th century, cakewalk was a popular contest among slaves on the American plantations. It was a strutting dance, developed as a parody of white owners, in which couples with the most stylish steps won a cake as a prize. The dance may or may not have been easy but it was certainly a lot of fun, and eventually the term cakewalk began to be used to refer to anything easy to do. The idiom "to take the cake" has the same origin.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "With a celebrated line-up, IOC were clear favourites. But even they would not have expected a cakewalk." Uthra Ganesan; SRC Slip on Indian Oil, Army draw; Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India); Nov 18, 2006. -------- Date: Wed Dec 6 00:01:28 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chocolate-box X-Bonus: They have a right to censure, that have a heart to help: The rest is cruelty, not justice. -William Penn, Quaker, founder of Pennsylvania (1644-1718) This week's theme: desserts used metaphorically. chocolate-box (CHO-kuh-lit boks, CHOK-lit -) adjective Having a romanticized beautiful image; stereotypically pretty. [From the kind of pictures often seen on boxes of chocolate.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "But to accept that is merely to endorse a patronising, chocolate-box image of the country -- to see it all as pretty lanes, thatched cottages and rosy-cheeked lasses milking cows -- and to turn a blind eye to the reality of rural life today." Anna Morrell; An Everyday Tale of Randy Rural Folk; Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); Nov 9 2006. -------- Date: Thu Dec 7 00:01:18 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ambrosia X-Bonus: It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong. -Richard Feynman, physicist, Nobel laureate (1918-1988) This week's theme: desserts used metaphorically. ambrosia (am-BROE-zhuh) noun 1. In classical mythology, the food of the gods. 2. Something very pleasing to taste or smell. 3. A dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut. [From Latin, from Greek ambrotos, from a- (not) + mbrotos (mortal). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mer- (to rub away or to harm) that is also the source of morse, mordant, amaranth, morbid, mortal, mortgage, and nightmare.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "Along with the celebrity eats, the volunteers have also collected some good stories about the ambrosia that fuels the gods of rock." Katie Menzer; More Than a Feeding; The Dallas Morning News (Texas); Nov 24, 2006. -------- Date: Fri Dec 8 00:01:18 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cookie-cutter X-Bonus: Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784) This week's theme: desserts used metaphorically. cookie-cutter (KOOK-ee kuht-uhr) adjective Mass-produced; identical; unimaginative; lacking individuality. [After a tool used to cut out cookie dough in various shapes.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "On the other side of the tracks is a long line of cookie-cutter bungalows stretching as far as the eye can see." Marie Wadden; Where Tragedy Falls Off Canada's Map; Toronto Star (Canada); Nov. 18, 2006. -------- Date: Mon Dec 11 00:01:28 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--jugulate X-Bonus: Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900) A few weeks ago I broke my collarbone. I wish I had a heroic tale to tell, that I broke it while rescuing babies from a burning apartment, or a daredevil story, such as I broke it skydiving. But the mundane truth is that I stumbled while enjoying a morning walk on a wet hilly road. It hurt whenever I moved my left arm, but it gave me a better appreciation of the human body. I realized how nicely the whole skeleton (from Greek skeletos, literally: dried up) moves. Every time I sit, stand, or lie down, this network of bones adjusts into the new shape. Except when the two fragments of collarbone rub against each other and -- ouch! -- tell me not to move that way. The anatomical name for the collarbone is clavicle (from Latin clavicula, literally: little key). The same root shows up in words from music (clavier, clef), the name of a dish (clafouti), and other words such as enclave and conclave. Ah, the pains I go to to find interesting words! This week we'll learn a few words related to the human body that are used figuratively. jugulate (JOO-gyuh-layt) verb tr. 1. To stop something by extreme measures. 2. To slit the throat. [From Latin jugulatus, past participle of jugulare (to cut the throat), from jugulum (collarbone, neck), diminutive of jugum (yoke). Ultimately from the Indo-European root yeug- (to join) that is also the ancestor of such words as junction, yoke, yoga, adjust, juxtapose, and junta.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "As Douglas Hurd, who refused to sign the letter, could see full well, this is not an attempt to change Tory policy on the single European currency. It is an attempt to jugulate William Hague." Boris Johnson; Savaged by a Dead Sheep; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jan 7, 1998. -------- Date: Tue Dec 12 00:01:14 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--forehanded X-Bonus: If you have the same ideas as everybody else but have them one week earlier than everyone else then you will be hailed as a visionary. But if you have them five years earlier you will be named a lunatic. -Barry Jones, politician, author (1932- ) This week's theme: words for body parts used figuratively. forehanded (FOR-han-did) adjective 1. Providing for the future needs; prudent. 2. Well-to-do. 3. Made with the palm facing forward (such as a stroke in tennis). [From forehand, from fore- (front) + hand. From the idea of having worked toward the future.] A similar, more common, word is "foresighted". Then there is "backhanded" which is not an antonym of "forehanded". Rather, it implies something indirect, ambiguous, and by extension, sarcastic, as in "a backhanded compliment". -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "The prospect of this devastating drought might not have turned the tide had not the brewers also made forehanded investments in the politicians of Thatcher's party." David S. Broder; British Beer Barons Brew Up Big Win in Battle Over Pubs; The Washington Post; Jul 11, 1989. -------- Date: Wed Dec 13 00:01:14 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--white-knuckle X-Bonus: Society prepares the crime; the criminal commits it. -Henry Thomas Buckle, historian (1821-1862) This week's theme: words for body parts used figuratively. white-knuckle (HWYT NUK-uhl) adjective Characterized by extreme nervousness or fear. [From the appearance of blood-drained fists, clenched tightly around something, such as a fairground ride.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "Don't miss its awesome white-knuckle rides including: Shockwave -- Europe's only stand-up rollercoaster." 6 Free Tickets; The Daily Mirror (London, UK): Mar 11, 2005. -------- Date: Thu Dec 14 00:01:19 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--leadfoot X-Bonus: A good end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we ever do evil, that good may come of it. -William Penn, Quaker, founder of Pennsylvania (1644-1718) This week's theme: words for body parts used figuratively. leadfoot (LED-foot) noun One who drives an automobile too fast, especially as a habit. [From the suggestion that one has feet made of lead, a heavy metal, that keeps the accelerator of the vehicle pressed down.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "The Audi leadfoot was one of nearly 1,000 motorists charged with speeding, mostly on Highway 400, by Toronto-area OPP this weekend." Bob Mitchell; Road Blitzes Nab 3,000 Motorists; The Toronto Star (Canada); Sep 4, 2001. -------- Date: Fri Dec 15 00:01:19 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--skinflint X-Bonus: Your neighbor's vision is as true for him as your own vision is true for you. -Miguel de Unamuno, writer and philosopher (1864-1936) This week's theme: words for body parts used figuratively. skinflint (SKIN-flint) noun Someone who is stingy; a miser. [Flint stones were used in olden times to start a fire. The term skinflint derives from the idea that a miserly person would go to the extreme and "skin a flint" or use a flint till it's as thin as skin.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "But yesterday, Martha (Stewart) was revealed to have balked at invading her own wallet for even $10 worth of coffee and snacks. Just how much of a skinflint is Martha?" Andrea Peyser; Skinflint Diva: Pennywise But Billions-Foolish; New York Post; Feb 20, 2004. -------- Date: Mon Dec 18 00:01:28 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bling-bling X-Bonus: To find a person who will love you for no reason, and to shower that person with reasons, that is the ultimate happiness. -Robert Brault, software developer, writer (1938- ) It's time for The Reduplicatives. That could be the name of a rock band -- the one known for razzle-dazzle and a hoity-toity demeanor. They come in pairs, have a little chit-chat, and then hurry-scurry off to their next go-go gig. Reduplicatives are words formed when a term is either repeated exactly (as in bonbon), or with a slight variation in the vowel (as in ping-pong), or consonant (as in higgledy-piggledy). This process of compound word formation is known as reduplication. So let's not shilly-shally or be wishy-washy but look at a mish-mash of such super-duper terms, sometimes also called ricochet words, this week. bling-bling (bling-bling) noun Expensive, flashy jewelry or other items. [From hip-hop slang, apparently imitative of the sounds of the clanging jewelry, or of the light reflecting from them.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "I did make casual mention of some jewelry shop offering easy payment scheme options, but really, it doesn't take bling-bling to bring me bliss." Fenny Aprilin Tanza; Not-so-merry Anniversary; The Star (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Nov 18, 2006. -------- Date: Tue Dec 19 00:01:17 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--arsy-varsy X-Bonus: Without books the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are the engines of change, windows on the world, "Lighthouses" as the poet said "erected in the sea of time." They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind, Books are humanity in print. -Arthur Schopenhauer , philosopher (1788-1860) This week's theme: reduplicatives. arsy-varsy (AR-see VAR-see) adjective, adverb Upside-down, backward, preposterous. [A facetious rhyming compound of arse; perhaps coined after vice versa, from Latin versus, from vertere (to turn).] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "The sense of things being arsy-varsy persists at this first make-up session." Simon Callow; Shooting the Actor; Picador; 2003. -------- Date: Wed Dec 20 00:01:15 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--jimjams X-Bonus: A mass of Latin words falls upon the facts like soft snow, blurring the outline and covering up all the details. The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink. In our age there is no such thing as "keeping out of politics". All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia. When the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer. -George Orwell, writer (1903-1950) This week's theme: reduplicatives. jimjams (JIM-jams) noun 1. Extreme nervousness; jitters 2. Delirium tremens: tremors and hallucinations caused by withdrawal from alcohol. [Perhaps a reduplicative of jam.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "I didn't feel attached in any way to my brothers and sisters. The very word siblings gives me the jimjams: it suggests something small and helpless, almost pathetic." Stephen Zanichkowsky; Fourteen; The Atlantic (Boston); Sep 2000. -------- Date: Thu Dec 21 00:01:16 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pooh-pooh X-Bonus: Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they're in the game. -Paul Rodriguez This week's theme: reduplicatives. pooh-pooh (poo-poo) verb tr., intr. To express contempt for; to make light of; to dismiss. [Reduplicative of pooh (sound made by blowing something away with lips), an exclamation of disdain or disbelief.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "'Nothing of this sort ever happened,' says Sabya while pooh-poohing the rumour." Mandvi Sharma; Manish-Sabya Feud is Just a Rumour; The Times of India (New Delhi); Nov 20, 2006. -------- Date: Fri Dec 22 00:01:14 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--razzmatazz X-Bonus: Kindness is loving people more than they deserve. -Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824) This week's theme: reduplicatives. razzmatazz (RAZ-muh-TAZ) noun 1. Noisy, showy display. 2. Ambiguous, evasive language. [Apparently an alteration of razzle-dazzle, which is a reduplicative of dazzle.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "The singing, dancing, romancing musical takes place in Manhattan, 1922, and promises all the razzmatazz wanted from a big, bright, Broadway blockbuster!" Return to the Jazz Age For Latest Production; Isle of Man Examiner; Nov 13, 2006. -------- Date: Mon Dec 25 00:01:15 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--agonistes X-Bonus: The only gift is a portion of thyself. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882) These adjectives are called postpositive, but that's not because they're positive words. Rather, the designation "positive" alludes to their position -- they're placed (or deposited) after the word they modify, for example, the adjective extraordinaire in "teacher extraordinaire". We often find these adjectives in phrases, such as "attorney general" or "court martial". Product names often have adjectives placed postpositively, e.g. Miller Lite or iPod nano. In many languages (Spanish, French, etc.) adjectives are placed after the noun as a general rule. In English there are certain situations where we use adjectives postpositively. When modifying a pronoun, an adjective is usually postpositive, as in "those responsible" or "all present". This week there will be adjectives aplenty here. Let's look a few of the adjectives that say to the noun: "After you!" agonistes (ag-uh-NIS-teez) adjective Engaged in a struggle. [From Greek agonistes, from agon (contest). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ag- (to drive, draw, or move), that is also the source of agony, agent, agitate, actor, axiom, and assay.] The term alludes to John Milton's 1671 tragedy "Samson Agonistes". It depicts the final phase of Samson's life in which he is blinded and a captive of the Philistines. A famous line from this work is: "Eyeless in Gaza, at the mill with slaves." -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "This Matisse Agonistes -- wrestling with headaches, insomnia, anxiety, a lack of confidence and a coy muse -- is at the heart of 'Matisse the Master' [by Hilary Spurling]." Eric Gibson; Hostage to His Art; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Sep 2, 2005. -------- Date: Tue Dec 26 00:01:14 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--prepense X-Bonus: He who would be a leader must be a bridge. -Welsh proverb This week's theme: adjectives used postpositively. prepense (pri-PENS) adjective Planned; premeditated. [From Anglo-Norman purpenser (to premeditate), from Latin pensare (to think).] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "As regards responsibility, the distinction between malice prepense and blameless or accidental commission of an act is not regarded." G.W.F. Hegel; Philosophy Of History: China; (translation: J. Sibree). -------- Date: Wed Dec 27 00:01:15 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--akimbo 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 (1888-1965) This week's theme: adjectives used postpositively. akimbo (uh-KIM-bo) adjective With hands on hips and elbows turned outwards. [Of uncertain origin, probably from Old Norse.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "The goal also sent goalkeeper Bakalo Silumbu into tears, who was seen with arms akimbo and mouth agape between the goal posts." Francis Tayanjah-Phiri; Chess Boss Sponsors Football Tourney; The Daily Times (Blantyre, Malawi); Nov 22, 2006. -------- Date: Thu Dec 28 00:01:20 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--galore X-Bonus: The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy. -Florence Scovel Shinn, writer, artist and teacher (1871-1940) This week's theme: adjectives used postpositively. galore (guh-LOAR) adjective, adverb In abundance. [From Irish go leor (enough).] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "There are bargains galore in this district near Aberdeen." Rose Pearson; Hong Kong Still a Retail Heaven; New Zealand Herald (Auckland); May 14, 2006. -------- Date: Fri Dec 29 00:01:14 EST 2006 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--regent X-Bonus: The butterfly counts not years but moments and has time enough. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (1861-1941) This week's theme: adjectives used postpositively. regent (REE-juhnt) adjective Ruling for a limited period, on behalf of a king or queen who is a minor, absent, or ill. [From Latin regent-, present participle of regere (to rule). Ultimately from the Indo-European reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule) that is also the source of regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, and surge.] -Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org) "Thousands of public workers continued their strike last week, after rejecting a proposal by Princess Regent Pilolevu [of Tonga] to grant them salary increases of 60 percent to 80 percent. The workers, on strike since late July, are also demanding political reforms." World Notes; People's Weekly World (New York); Sep 10-16, 2005.