A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Wed Dec 1 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--echoism
X-Bonus: One trouble with living beyond your deserved number of years is that there's always some reason to live another year. And I'd like to live another year so that Nixon won't be President. If he's re-elected I'll have to live another four years. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) [Nixon resigned in 1974.]
This week's theme: Perfect synonyms
echoism (EK-oh-iz-uhm) noun
The formation of words by imitating sounds; also a word created in
this manner.
[From Latin echo, from Greek ekho, from ekhe (sound). Earliest documented
use: 1880. Another word for echoism is onomatopoeia. Here are some words
coined by this process https://wordsmith.org/words/gnar.html .]
"The Steens' inventive use of echoism transforms the noises of a car wash
into a symphony of sounds, creating a sublimely poetic experience."
Car Wash; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Nov 15, 2000.
"'Oh, don't be such a fuddy-duddy!'
'A what?'
'An old-fashioned bore.'
'It sounds like reduplicating echoism to me. This occidental slang
does not become you, Rapture. Don't forget you are a princess.'"
Piers Anthony; Wielding a Red Sword; Del Rey; 1986.
https://wordsmith.org/words/hugger-mugger.html
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Date: Thu Dec 2 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cynophilist
X-Bonus: There are a few times in life when you leap up and the past that you'd been standing on falls away behind you, and the future you mean to land on is not yet in place, and for a moment you're suspended knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963)
This week's theme: Perfect synonyms
cynophilist (sy-NOH-fi-list) noun
One who loves dogs.
[From Greek kyon (dog) + -philia (love). Ultimately from the
Indo-European root kwon- (dog), which also gave us canine, chenille (from
French chenille: caterpillar, literally, little dog), kennel, canary,
hound, dachshund, corgi, cynic https://wordsmith.org/words/cynic.html ,
cynegetic https://wordsmith.org/words/cynegetic.html ,
cynophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/cynophobia.html ,
cynosure https://wordsmith.org/words/cynosure.html , and
canaille https://wordsmith.org/words/canaille.html .
Earliest documented use: 1890. A perfect synonym of today's word is
philocynic https://wordsmith.org/words/philocynic.html .]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cynophilist_large.jpg
Cartoon: Dan Piraro https://www.facebook.com/bizarrocomics/
"While man's control of dogs underlies the dog owner's declaration
of love, cat people enjoy admitting that cats are smarter than they
are, and, having been anointed by cats, they themselves are,
therefore, somehow superior to cynophilists."
Mark Cushing; Pet Nation; Penguin; 2020.
"There will also be a tofu dog and a Bahn Mi dog, and for the
gluten-free cynophilist, dogs will come wrapped in lettuce."
What's Cookin'; Arkansas Times (Little Rock); May 25, 2017.
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Date: Fri Dec 3 00:01:03 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--timbrology
X-Bonus: Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce life early and the human race come to an end. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (3 Dec 1857-1924)
This week's theme: Perfect synonyms
timbrology (tim-BROL-uh-jee) noun
The collecting or study of postage stamps and related matter.
[From French timbre (stamp) + -logy (study). Earliest documented use: 1867.
Timbrology and timbrophily are two synonyms of what's commonly known as
philately.]
Now you are just some hobby that I used to know https://wordsmith.org/words/images/timbrology_large.jpg
Image: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3ooqy4
"Because it was perpetually night-time on Callisto, people tended to
get in from work and stay in for the night. ... This led to the rise
of other pastimes; numismatics, timbrology, writing, and cards."
Roxbrough; Murder Museum; Xlibris; 2018.
https://wordsmith.org/words/numismatics.html
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Date: Mon Dec 6 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--daedal
X-Bonus: A timid question will always receive a confident answer. -Charles John Darling, lawyer, judge, and politician (6 Dec 1849-1936)
Words can be enjoyable any time of the year, but this week in A.Word.A.Day
is a special treat. As in previous years https://wordsmith.org/awad/leah.html ,
I gave the artist Leah Palmer Preiss https://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/
(curiouser at mindspring.com) five words and this week you get to see
what she has done with them.
It's a feast for the eyes and for the mind. Enjoy!
daedal (DEE-duhl) adjective
Ingenious; skillful; intricate; artistic.
[From Latin daedalus (skillful), from Greek daidalos. Earliest documented
use: 1590. A related word is logodaedaly https://wordsmith.org/words/logodaedaly.html .]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/daedal
NOTES: In Greek mythology, Daedalus was an architect and craftsman who
built the labyrinth for King Minos of Crete. When the king imprisoned
him so the knowledge of the labyrinth wouldn't spread, Daedalus made
wings for himself and his son Icarus. https://wordsmith.org/words/icarian.html
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/daedal_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/
"The best of the projects in the magazine were truly daedal: ingenious,
cleverly intricate, and diversified."
Eric Kraft; Taking Off; St. Martin's Press; 2014.
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Date: Tue Dec 7 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--involute
X-Bonus: The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum -- even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928)
This week's theme: Illustrated words
involute (adjective/noun: IN-vuh-loot; verb: in-vuh-LOOT)
adj.: 1. Intricate; complex.
2. Curled inward.
noun: A curve traced by a point on a string while winding or unwinding it around another curve.
verb intr.: 1. To curl up.
2. To return to a former condition or to a normal state.
[From Latin involutus, past participle of involvere (to roll up), from
in- (into) + volvere (to roll). Ultimately from the Indo-European root
wel- (to turn or roll), which also gave us waltz, revolve, valley, walk,
vault, volume, wallet, helix,
devolve https://wordsmith.org/words/devolve.html ,
voluble https://wordsmith.org/words/voluble.html ,
welter https://wordsmith.org/words/welter.html , and
willowy https://wordsmith.org/words/willowy.html .
Earliest documented use: 1661.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/involute
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/involute_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/
"A shoddy piece of research obfuscated by crepuscular logic and
involute style."
Trevanian; The Eiger Sanction; Outlet; 1972.
"Undivide, and involute, and shrink back to safety."
Chris Adrian; The Children's Hospital; McSweeney's; 2007.
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Date: Wed Dec 8 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--xylophilous
X-Bonus: All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961)
This week's theme: Illustrated words
xylophilous (zy-LOF-uh-luhs) adjective
Growing on or living in wood.
[From Greek xylo- (wood) + -philous (liking). Earliest documented use:
1862.]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/xylophilous_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/
"Almost any type of nook or cranny may be used, but the most common
are tubes in the hollowed pith of twigs or vacant insect borings in
dead wood (xylophilous wasps)."
Kenneth G. Ross and Robert W. Matthews; The Social Biology of Wasps;
Cornell University Press; 1991.
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Date: Thu Dec 9 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--seraphic
X-Bonus: Those who put out the people's eyes, reproach them for their blindness. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674)
This week's theme: Illustrated words
seraphic (suh-RAF-ik) adjective
Like an angel: serene, beautiful, pure, blissful, etc.
[From Latin seraphim, from Greek seraphim, from Hebrew seraphim, from
saraph (to burn). Earliest documented use: 1632.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/seraphic
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/seraphic_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/
"When the spell of immobility resumes, seraphic harmonies give way to
a colossal, demonic setting."
Alexander M. Ross; No Exit; The New Yorker; Aug 22, 2016.
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Date: Fri Dec 10 00:01:01 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lentic
X-Bonus: If I can stop one Heart from breaking / I shall not live in vain / If I can ease one Life the Aching / Or cool one Pain / Or help one fainting Robin / Unto his Nest again / I shall not live in Vain. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886)
This week's theme: Illustrated words
lentic (LEN-tik) adjective
Relating to or living in still water.
[From Latin lentus (slow, calm), which also gave us relent, lentamente
(slowly, used in music direction), and lentitude (slowness). Earliest
documented use: 1935. The form lenitic is also used. The word for
"relating to or living in moving water" is lotic.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lentic
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lentic_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/
"At her side, Clo snarled, 'That lentic spawn of a caiman's balls.'"
Laura Lam and Elizabeth May; Seven Devils; DAW; 2020.
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Date: Mon Dec 13 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apple knocker
X-Bonus: Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry ... To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery. -George Polya, mathematician (13 Dec 1887-1985)
A pomegranate is a seedy apple, literally speaking. I said "literally".
Not trying to denigrate the pomegranate, an upright member of the fruit
family, named from Latin pomum (apple) + granum (seed).
The pomegranate is a hard-working fruit. It has given us much. We got the
word grenade from French grenade, which got it from Spanish granada. In
both languages the words mean both a pomegranate and a grenade. The
deep-red gem garnet is also named after the pomegranate.
That's a behind-the-scenes peek of what I have gathered from our word
gardens lately. So this week's menu is all fruit. We're doing our part
to keep your vocabulary fit and perky.
Now it's time for a question.
An apple knocker knocks them down, but how does a playwright get his fruit?
He shakes pear.
apple knocker (AP-uhl nok-uhr) noun
1. An ignorant or unsophisticated person.
2. A baseball player, especially a batter.
3. A fruit picker, farmer, or seller.
[1. From the stereotypical view of those working in the field as boorish or naive.
2. From the jocular reference to a baseball as an apple.
3. From the image of someone picking apples by knocking them down with a stick.
Earliest documented use: 1902.]
A literal apple knocker https://wordsmith.org/words/images/apple_knocker_literal_large.jpg
Photo: Michael Fairchild http://michaelfairchild.com/world_faces/
A different kind of apple knocker: https://flickr.com/photos/12736086@N08/2408509904/
NOTES: In the term apple knocker, a baseball has been compared to an apple.
In the past, those balls were even made in red color. And a ballpark is
also called an apple orchard probably because that's where the game was
often played. So it figures that a batter is an apple knocker. Baseball
players will continue knocking the apple with a bat, but fruit picking is
going high-tech. Here in Washington state, we grow apples and many other
fruits and a robotics arm race is going on to develop automated fruit
pickers https://youtu.be/-PtqZA2enkQ?t=81 . In the future, we may need to
amend the definition of the term apple knocker. Instead, an apple knocker
may be someone working with drones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpa1iiJmR3Q
and robots https://youtu.be/mS0coCmXiYU?t=161 . Also see,
WA robotic arm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaL3UxUclKY and
https://www.goodfruit.com/washington-orchards-host-robotic-arms-race/ .
"Look, just because I live on a tobacco farm doesn't mean I'm some
apple-knocker."
Harper Lin; Scandals in Savannah; Harper Lin Books; 2020.
"That big apple knocker out there on the mound is batting ninth now on
my card."
Philip Roth; The Great American Novel; Holt; 1973.
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Date: Tue Dec 14 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--banana oil
X-Bonus: Style is time's fool. Form is time's student. -Stewart Brand, writer and editor (b. 14 Dec 1938)
This week's theme: Fruits
banana oil (buh-NAN-uh oyl) noun
1. Nonsense.
2. Insincere talk or flattery.
[It's not known why the banana oil earned this sense, although "to go
bananas" means to be crazy or wildly enthusiastic. Perhaps the sense
arose because the liquid known as banana oil does not involve bananas
at all. Instead, it's a mixture of amyl acetate and cellulose that has
a banana-like odor and is used as food flavoring and a solvent. Earliest
documented use: 1927.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/banana%20oil
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/banana_oil_large.jpg
Title: "Comedian"
Artist: Maurizio Cattelan
Material: Banana + duct tape
Price: $120,000
Unknown: If the price includes banana oil. Read more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedian_(artwork)
Photo: Sarah Cascone / Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedian_(artwork)#/media/File:COMEDIAN_banana_artwork.jpg
"Eisenberger insists the timing has nothing to do with political
convenience. But that's pure banana oil."
Andrew Dreschel; Council Votes to Drag its Feet for a Year; The
Spectator (Hamilton, Canada); Nov 25, 2009.
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Date: Wed Dec 15 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--razz
X-Bonus: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930)
This week's theme: Fruits
razz (raz)
noun: A sound, similar to breaking wind, made by pushing the tongue between the lips and blowing air through the mouth.
verb inr.: To make such a sound.
verb tr.: To tease or heckle.
[From the shortening and alteration of raspberry, from the rhyming slang
raspberry tart -> fart. Earliest documented use: 1917.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/razz
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/razz_large.jpg
Image: Punnybone/Redbubble https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Raps-berry-Fruit-Food-Pun-by-punnybone/38023038.WFLAH
"One of the ladies in line ended the razzing with, 'Honey, we're just
kidding. You've done a lot for us around here.'"
Jane Running Doe; Neil's Summer Vacation; Page Publishing; 2019.
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Date: Thu Dec 16 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sour grapes
X-Bonus: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978)
This week's theme: Fruits
sour grapes (SOU-uhr graypz) noun
Finding fault with or expressing disdain for something one cannot have.
[From the Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes, in which a hungry fox tries
to reach grapes hanging on a high vine https://wordsmith.org/words/grapevine.html
and when unsuccessful, declares that the grapes are probably sour. Earliest
documented use: 1760.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sour%20grapes
Sour grapes make the best whine https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sour_grapes_large.jpg
Image: https://imgflip.com/i/5vur3i
"Although everything about him was theoretically perfect, personally
I hadn't been particularly impressed. Okay, maybe it was sour grapes."
Elizabeth Young; A Promising Man; William Morrow; 2002.
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Date: Fri Dec 17 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--peachy
X-Bonus: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865)
This week's theme: Fruits
peachy (PEE-chee) adjective
1. Resembling a peach.
2. Excellent; highly desirable.
[From peach, from Latin persicum malum (Persian apple). Earliest documented
use: 1599.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/peachy
Just peachy https://wordsmith.org/words/images/peachy_large.jpg
Image: Punny Bone / Zazzle https://www.zazzle.com/just_peachy_cute_peach_pun_t_shirt-235975305241992734
NOTES: Why peachy to refer to something excellent, as opposed to, say,
appley? Well, peaches are apples too, etymologically speaking. The word
peach comes to us from Latin persicum malum, from the former belief that
peaches originated in Persia. They actually came from China where some
enterprising fruit seller has now taken things a bit too far. Undergarments
on peaches? https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2014/aug/01/peach-bum-pants-crack-chinese-fruit-market-knickers-qixi-festival
So back to, why peachy? Peaches are wonderful. You have to admit the joy
of holding a juicy plump peach in your hand and biting into it. The word
peach has been used for a long time for something or someone attractive.
The color orange has suffered lately, through no fault of its own.
Orangy? No! It'll come back, meanwhile, in peach we trust.
Now that the fruit week is over, it's time for a question.
What does a playwright order at a juice bar?
Pear shakes.
"And the oil business is looking peachy. ... This has encouraged gas
producers to scurry after oil in liquid-rich shale beds such as the
Bakken in North Dakota."
Put That in Your Pipe; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2012.
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Date: Mon Dec 20 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--skewgee
X-Bonus: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985)
This week, no l. What does that mean? In this week's words, we say hello
to every letter of the alphabet, but no L.
Because Noel!
Could you come up with another word like this using a letter of the alphabet?
Noay, nobee, nosee ... What would such a word mean? Share on our website
https://wordsmith.org/words/skewgee.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org.
Joyeux Noel!
PS: Later this week we get the first snow of the season here in Seattle. So ...
What does a playwright do when he sees a (snow) globe?
He shake sphere.
skewgee (SKYOO-jee) adjective
Askew; mixed-up; confused.
[From skew, from Old Northern French eskiuwer, Old French eschiver
(to escape or avoid) + agee/ajee (awry). Earliest documented use: 1890.]
"I remember it was all skewgee the day he went away and I straightened
it for him."
Ernest Buckler; The Cruelest Month; McClelland & Stewart; 1963.
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Date: Tue Dec 21 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--banjax
X-Bonus: I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or prostitute. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983)
This week's theme: No el
banjax (BAN-jaks) verb tr.
To destroy, damage, defeat, injure, etc.
[Irish slang, of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1924.]
"All these years I've never had an accident, and now this. I'm a bit
banjaxed. Once you do anything to your hip, you're finished."
Cathy Kelly; It Started With Paris; Orion; 2014.
"However, that elation was quickly tempered by suspicions that it would
not take much to banjax the deal."
Art of Phase One Trade Deal Is Making Sure it Works; Beijing Review
(China); Jan 16, 2020.
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Date: Wed Dec 22 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--surquedry
X-Bonus: No one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951)
This week's theme: No el
surquedry or surquidry (SUHR-kwid-ree) noun
Overbearing pride.
[From Old French surcuiderie, from Latin supercogitare, from super- (over,
above) + cogitare (to think), from agitare (to agitate), from agere (to
drive). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ag- (to drive, draw), which
also gave us act, agent, agitate, litigate, synagogue, ambassador,
incogitant https://wordsmith.org/words/incogitant.html ,
actuate https://wordsmith.org/words/actuate.html ,
ambage https://wordsmith.org/words/ambage.html , and
exigency https://wordsmith.org/words/exigency.html .
Earliest documented use: 1250.]
"His gaze was that of a spoiled child -- surquedry unjustified by any
achievement, any true power."
Stephen R. Donaldson; The One Tree; Ballantine; 1982.
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Date: Thu Dec 23 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--zoophobia
X-Bonus: If they give you ruled paper, write the other way. -Juan Ramon Jimenez, poet, Nobel Prize in literature (23 Dec 1881-1958)
This week's theme: No el
zoophobia (zo-uh-FOH-bee-uh) noun
1. An unusual fear of animals.
2. A dislike of keeping animals in captivity.
[From Greek zoo- (animal) + -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1888.
Some related words are zoonosis (a disease transmitted from animals to
humans) and zoophyte (an animal resembling a plant).]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/zoophobia
Zoophobia, a webcomic by Vivienne Medrano https://wordsmith.org/words/images/zoophobia_large.png
Image: https://zoophobia.fandom.com/wiki/Zoophobia
NOTES: Some examples of zoophobia are
acarophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/acarophobia.html (insects),
ailurophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/ailurophobia.html (cats),
arachnophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/arachnophobia.html (spiders),
and cynophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/cynophobia.html (dogs).
"You see something in the form of a spider and you recoil from it
without thinking. You don't stop to think that a spider is nature's
creation. You don't see the beauty in it. Instead, your thinking is
dominated by a visceral revulsion. Look at all the derogatory terms
in your language derived from other species. Rat. Snake. Dog. Worm.
The list goes on and on. These are nature's creatures, yet you can't
help but denigrate them, reducing them to the level of insults.
Zoophobia is endemic in mankind as much as racism."
Nathan Kuzack; Holohive; Nathan Kuzack; 2019.
"Chris McGimpsey compared the local Bellevue Zoo to a 'Victorian peep
show' where we 'gawk at animals through the bars'. Some go further yet,
likening zoos to slavery and colonialism, an exploitative format that
is in its swansong. All this zoophobia shows a growing disquiet towards
the use of animal captivity as entertainment."
Oliver Bennett; Can Zoos Be Redesigned for a More Ethical Generation?;
The Independent (London, UK); Aug 26, 2018.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/zoos-animal-rights-welfare-eifel-cincinatti-giant-panda-zootopia-design-a8504341.html
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Date: Fri Dec 24 00:01:03 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mundificative
X-Bonus: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923)
This week's theme: No el
mundificative (muhn-DIF-i-ki-tiv)
adjective: Having the power to cleanse.
noun: A cleansing medicine or preparation.
[From Middle French mondificatif, from Latin mundificare (to cleanse),
from mundus (clean). Earliest documented use: 1440.]
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mundificative_large.jpg
Photo: Aurélie Troccon & Manon Mauguin https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Onguent_Mondificatif_R%C3%A9sine_-_mus%C3%A9e_HCL_-_pot_canon_-_Charit%C3%A9.jpg
"'The wound still appears hot.'
'Then let us prepare the mundificative.' Jamie produced a metal bowl
and hung it across the flames, then added the turpentine oil and a
little water."
Simon Fairfax; A Knight and a Spy 1410; Nielsen; 2020.
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Date: Mon Dec 27 00:01:03 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--agathism
X-Bonus: When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895)
The English language has hundreds of thousands of words. These words have
work to do. They take their places in the dictionary, ready to serve,
wherever and whenever. Some are deployed often. Others only stand and wait.
This week we've summoned some of the words who have been patiently waiting
for their turn in the dusty pages of the dictionary. Say hello to them.
Put them to work. They are handy. They are happy to serve. They will do
whatever you ask them to do, but please use them only for the good.
agathism (A-guh-thiz-uhm) noun
The doctrine that, in the end, all things tend toward good.
[From Greek agathos (good), which also gave us agathokakological
https://wordsmith.org/words/agathokakological.html and the name Agatha.
Earliest documented use: 1830.]
NOTES: An optimist would say that everything is for the best. An agathist,
on the other hand, would say that what's happening right now may be
unfortunate or evil, but, ultimately, it will all end well. For optimists
(and pessimists) from fiction who became words,
see here https://wordsmith.org/words/gummidge.html
and here https://wordsmith.org/words/tapleyism.html .
Also see pejorist https://wordsmith.org/words/pejorist.html .
"His stubbornness and agathism have been an inspiration to me. I don't
naturally have his persistence. So I often ask my mother to put him
on the phone when I am struggling with something. It doesn't matter
what the issue is or that he can't possibly know the future. I just
want to hear his standard line, the only setting he has: Everything
will be OK in the end."
Mieke Eerkens; All Ships Follow Me; Picador; 2019.
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Date: Tue Dec 28 00:01:03 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--yesternight
X-Bonus: In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. -Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator, and author (28 Dec 1902-2001)
This week's theme: There's a word for it
yesternight (YES-tuhr-nyt)
noun: Last night.
adverb: During last night.
[From Old English giestran/gierstan (a time one period prior to the
present period) + niht (night). Earliest documented use: c. 450. A
related word is yestreen (yesterday evening) https://wordsmith.org/words/yestreen.html .]
"It didn't help that she'd searched for him so long yesternight, she'd
been forced to dig under the roots of a windblown tree at dayrise."
Charles Coleman Finlay; A Democracy of Trolls; Fantasy & Science Fiction
(Hoboken, New Jersey); Oct/Nov 2002.
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Date: Wed Dec 29 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quaestuary
X-Bonus: The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears. -John Vance Cheney, poet (29 Dec 1848-1922)
This week's theme: There's a word for it
quaestuary or questuary (KWES/KWIS-chuh-ree) adjective
1. Relating to financial matters.
2. Done only for monetary gain.
[From Latin quaestus (gain), from quaerere (to seek, gain, or inquire).
Earliest documented use: 1581.]
NOTES: In Ancient Rome, a quaestor was an official dealing with financial
matters. Later it was the term for a prosecutor. In the Roman Catholic
Church, a quaestor was the official removing sins in exchange for money
(aka granting indulgences). In modern times, in the European Parliament,
quaestors are officials elected to oversee financial matters.
"The quaestuary 12 football clubs creating the European Super League
have forgotten in their avariciousness the vital element of successful
sporting competition: tradition."
Mark Boyle; The European Super League Clubs Cannot Buy Tradition, Their
Lifeblood; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Apr 20, 2021.
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Date: Thu Dec 30 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--habitus
X-Bonus: The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have not yet imagined. -John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist (30 Dec 1934-2005)
This week's theme: There's a word for it
habitus (HAB-i-tuhs) noun
1. The physical characteristics of a person, especially as relating to disease.
2. The way someone of a particular social group perceives and responds to the world.
[From Latin habit (state, appearance), from habere (to have). Ultimately
from the Indo-European root ghabh- (to give or to receive), which also
gave us give, gift, able, habit, prohibit, due, duty,
habile https://wordsmith.org/words/habile.html , and
adhibit https://wordsmith.org/words/adhibit.html . Earliest documented use: 1886.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/habitus
"He suffered from sleep apnea and also without question his body
habitus, his morphology, contributed to the problem."
Warren J. Stucki; The Reluctant Carnivore; Sunstone Press; 2018.
"Her customers were probably more interested in her numerous connections
and great potentials than her habitus and unorthodox behavior."
Charles Uzoaru; Trapped in Broad-Day Light; AuthorHouse; 2015.
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Date: Fri Dec 31 00:01:02 EST 2021
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eschatology
X-Bonus: An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc. -Henri Matisse, artist (31 Dec 1869-1954)
This week's theme: There's a word for it
eschatology (es-kuh-TOL-uh-jee) noun
The doctrine or the study of final or ultimate matters, such as, death,
judgment, end of the world, etc.
[From Greek eschatos (last) + -logy (study). Ultimately from the
Indo-European root eghs (out), which also gave us strange, extreme, and
external. Earliest documented use: 1844.]
See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/eschatology
NOTES: What happens after we die? There are as many eschatologies as there
are religions, none with any evidence in support of its claims ("My
favorite book says so" doesn't count). In some, you get assigned a whole
planet to yourself, in others you get to play a harp and float on a cloud.
Here's something we do have evidence for: We go back to Earth where we came
from. If you need more eschatology, the Earth itself gets burned in about
five billion years when our Sun runs out of juice and burns out and expands
taking down its planets. Meanwhile, let's enjoy a few rides on our planet
around our Sun, take good care of this ride, and everyone traveling with
us. Let's do the best we can in the time we have: a split second on the
cosmic scale.
"And now climate change has given us an eschatology for reckoning with
our guilt: coming soon, some hellishly overheated tomorrow, is Judgment
Day."
Jonathan Franzen; Carbon Capture; The New Yorker; Apr 6, 2015.