A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad

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Date: Fri Dec  1 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--enthuse
X-Bonus: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975)

This week's theme: Back-formations


enthuse (en-THOOZ)

   verb tr.: 1. To make someone enthusiastic.
             2. To express something with enthusiasm.

   verb intr.: To display enthusiasm.

[Back-formation from enthusiasm, from Latin enthusiasmus (inspiration),
from Greek enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein (to be inspired by a god),
from theos (god).  Earliest documented use: 1827.]

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/enthuse

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/enthuse_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "As Wang stacks the samples, she enthuses about the work. 'Proteins are
   like people. They each have their own personality,' she says. 'Some are
   very fragile. You should take care of them.'"
   Phil McKenna and Richard Fisher; Small Farmer, Big Pharma; New Scientist
   (London, UK); Nov 10-16, 2007.

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Date: Mon Dec  4 00:01:03 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--aristology
X-Bonus: I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone. -Edith Cavell, nurse and humanitarian (4 Dec 1865-1915)

AI has made great strides in various fields, but it's no match for the
heartfelt, soulful creations by a real human artist. Each year we are
treated to the lush illustrations of Leah Palmer Preiss https://leahpalmerpreiss.com/
(curiousartlab@gmail.com). As in the past, I gave her five words and
she turned them into enchanting, magical works of art.

Let yourself be mesmerized by the intricate details, the vibrant colors,
and the sheer imagination that Leah brings to life in her art. See her
previous art here https://wordsmith.org/awad/leah.html



aristology (ar-uh-STOL-uh-jee) noun

   The art of dining.

[From Greek ariston (breakfast, lunch) + -logy (study). Earliest
documented use: 1835.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/aristology_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/

  "I am coming to believe that aristology, or the art of dining, has yet
   to be discovered. When ladies are admitted to these banquets there
   will, at any rate, be less of that eating and drinking to excess which
   so disgusted you last night."
   J. Ewing Ritchie; Crying for the Light or Fifty Years Ago: Vol. 3;
   Jarrold and Sons; 1895.

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Date: Tue Dec  5 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--diablerie
X-Bonus: I don't believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motion pictures. I didn't treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. -Walt Disney, entrepreneur and animator (5 Dec 1901-1966)

This week's theme: Illustrated words


diablerie (dee-AH-bluh-ree or dee-AB-luh-ree) noun

   1. Sorcery; witchcraft; black magic.
   2. A representation of devils or demons in art or literature.
   3. Mischievous manner or conduct.

[From French diable (devil), from Latin diabolus (devil), from Greek
diabolos (slanderer), from diaballein (to slander), from dia- (across)
+ ballein (to hurl). Earliest documented use: 1653.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/diablerie_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/

  "[The hat] unquestionably lent a diablerie to my appearance, and mine
   is an appearance that needs all the diablerie it can get."
   P.G. Wodehouse; Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves; Simon & Schuster; 1963.

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Date: Wed Dec  6 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--heliophilous
X-Bonus: A timid question will always receive a confident answer. -Charles John Darling, lawyer, judge, and politician (6 Dec 1849-1936)

This week's theme: Illustrated words


heliophilous (hee-lee-AH-fuh-luhs) adjective

   Fond of or adapted to sunlight.

[From Greek helio- (sun) +  -philous (liking). Earliest documented use: 1860.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/heliophilous_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/

  "Pervaded by an unstoppable desire to reach the top, he began to
   increase his speed, reaching the end almost flying. Once there, he
   realized that the immense foliage contained ... heliophilous lianas."
   Silvia Torquati; A Sign of Hope; Silvia Torquati; 2021.

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Date: Thu Dec  7 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lotic
X-Bonus: If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928)

This week's theme: Illustrated words


lotic (LOH-tik) adjective

   Relating to or living in flowing water.

[From Latin lotus (washed), past participle of lavere (to wash). Earliest
documented use: 1916. A counterpart word is lenitic/lentic (living in
still water) https://wordsmith.org/words/lentic.html .]

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lotic

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lotic_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/

  "The grant will allow the students to conduct research over the next 
   year on the effects of road salt on forest and lotic ecosystems."
   Announcements; Concord Monitor (New Hampshire); Jul 29, 2019.

  "Michael continued his summoning despite the trickle of lotic terror
   in his veins."
   Teri A. Jacobs; Secrets of the Bones; Wildside Press; 2005.

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Date: Fri Dec  8 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--umbriferous
X-Bonus: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954)

This week's theme: Illustrated words


umbriferous (uhm-BRIF-uh-ruhs) adjective

   Casting a shadow.

[From Latin umbra (shade, shadow) + ferre (to bear). Some related words
are umbrella, adumbrate, and somber. Earliest documented use: 1616.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/umbriferous_large.jpg
Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/

  "I enjoyed trundling down one road in particular, the oak trees
   overhanging both sides forming an umbriferous canopy that shards
   of sunlight sliced through here and there."
   Rayyan Al-Shawaf; When All Else Fails; Interlink; 2019.

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Date: Mon Dec 11 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Gavroche
X-Bonus: You only have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you've robbed a man of everything, he's no longer in your power -- he's free again. -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008)

There's one category of words I can never get enough of: eponyms, the
name-dropping words. An eponym is a word coined after someone, from
Greek epi- (upon) + -onym (name). It's a tiny capsule of history that
captures some defining attribute of a person, real or fictional.

For an example from real life, consider Charles Boycott https://wordsmith.org/words/boycott.html .
Picture an English land agent in Ireland, always keen on collecting rent,
poor harvest or not. His rent-collecting led to him being, well, boycotted.
Tenant farmers and their workers refused to harvest crops; local shopkeepers
would not serve him. Talk about your name sticking around for the wrong
reasons!

In fiction, Charles Dickens's characters https://wordsmith.org/words/wellerism.html
are so memorable that they've jumped out of the pages and into our vocab.
The best known among them is Scrooge, https://wordsmith.org/words/scrooge.html
the poster boy for penny-pinching! Talk about a character with lots of
interest.

This week we'll feature five eponyms coined after people from the real world,
literature, and mythology.

Who in today's world has that eponym-worthy spark? It could be your quirky
neighbor, a celebrity, someone in your family, or even a historical figure
making a comeback. Spill the beans on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/gavroche.html
or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location
(city, state).



Gavroche (GAV-rosh) noun

   A street urchin.

[After Gavroche, a boy in the 1862 novel "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo.
Earliest documented use: 1876.]

NOTES: Gavroche's parents abandon him and he is forced to live on the
streets of Paris where he adopts this name. The word gavroche embodies
more than just the physical state of living without a permanent home;
it also conveys a sense of resilience and resourcefulness, a spirit of
independence and audacity needed to survive in such circumstances.

"Les Gavroches", 1907 (The Street Urchins) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gavroche_large.jpg
Sculpture: Antonio Sciortino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavroche#/media/File:MLAupperBarakkaGarden.JPG

  "He knew the Gavroche who danced attendance on Mr. Quilp at his wharf."
   Adolphus William Ward; Dickens; Harper; 1882.

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Date: Tue Dec 12 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Bechdel test
X-Bonus: He who allows oppression, shares the crime. -Erasmus Darwin, physician, scientist, reformer, and poet; grandfather of Charles Darwin (12 Dec 1731-1802)

This week's theme: Eponyms


Bechdel test (BEK-duhl test) noun

   A test of inclusion and representation of women in a work of fiction.

[After cartoonist Alison Bechdel (b. 1960), who described the concept in
her comic strip "Dykes to Watch Out For" (1985). Earliest documented use
of the term "Bechdel test": 2005.]

NOTES: Alison Bechdel attributed the test to her friend Liz Wallace and
hence the test is also known as the Bechdel-Wallace test. A work of
fiction passes the test if it has:
o At least two women
o Who talk to each other
o About something other than men
The Bechdel test has inspired other tests. Some examples:
Mako Mori test https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Mako_Mori_test (test about female characters having their own narrative arc, not just be there to support a man)
Finkbeiner test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finkbeiner_test (about the portrayal of women in science)
Vito Russo test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test#LGBTQ+_people (about the portrayal of LGBTQ characters)
Josephs test https://jewinthecity.com/2021/03/want-to-represent-orthodox-jews-accurately-take-this-test-before-production-begins/ (about the portrayal of Orthodox Jews)
Riz Test https://www.riztest.com/ (about the portrayal of Muslim characters)

The Rule / Dykes to Watch Out For https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bechdel_test_large.jpg
Comic: Alison Bechdel https://dykestowatchoutfor.com/the-rule/

  "'I'm saying if we are characters in a movie, television show, or book,
   we would fail that goddamn [Bechdel] test every time. Talk to me about something
   that isn't centered around a man!'
   'My sister is pregnant, does that count?' Felicity asks, frowning.
   'That's amazing!' I reply, enthusiastic. 'See?'
   'A man made her pregnant, though.'"
   Andrea Rookes; A Month of Sundays; Stone Cairn Publishing; 2023.

  "Sadia Habib and Shaf Choudry, an academic and a tech consultant in
   Britain, created the Riz Test, the Muslim equivalent of the Bechdel
   Test, which set criteria for judging Muslim portrayals in film and
   television."
   Sopan Deb; 'Ramy' Is a Quietly Revolutionary Comedy; Gulf News (Dubai);
   Nov 2, 2019.

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Date: Wed Dec 13 00:01:01 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chimerize
X-Bonus: Whenever books are burned men also in the end are burned. -Heinrich Heine, poet, journalist, and essayist (13 Dec 1797-1856)

This week's theme: Eponyms


chimerize (KY/KI-muh-ryz) verb tr.

   To form something from parts that are very different.

[After Chimera, a fire-breathing female monster in Greek mythology who had
a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. From Greek khimaira
(she-goat), ultimately from the Indo-European root ghei- (winter), which
also gave us chimera (literally, a female animal that is one winter or
one year old), hibernate, and the Himalayas, from Sanskrit him (snow) +
alaya (abode). Earliest documented use: 1651.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/chimerize_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "Taking them all into me, I chimerized myself, a multiple of all these
   creatures passing through the gateway of my body to the realm above."
   J.G. Ballard; The Unlimited Dream Company; Liveright; 2013.

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Date: Thu Dec 14 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--grangousier
X-Bonus: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006)

This week's theme: Eponyms


Grangousier or Grandgousier (gran-GOO/GOU-zee-uhr) noun

   1. A big eater.
   2. A gullible person, one who will swallow anything.

[After Grangousier (in French: Grandgousier), a character who loves good
living, in François Rabelais's story Gargantua. The name Grangousier is
coined from the French grand gosier (big throat). Earliest documented use:
1580.]

NOTES: The word gullible is from the word gull, one who is easily duped.
It's not certain where the word gull came from. Perhaps it's from an
obsolete verb gull (to swallow). Grangousier is a giant with a hearty
appetite. He's a good king who advocates peace, rather than war and
greed. His son Gargantua https://wordsmith.org/words/gargantua.html
and grandson Pantagruel https://wordsmith.org/words/pantagruelian.html
have also become eponyms in the English language.

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/grangousier_large.jpg
Illustration: Albert Robida, 1886

  "Jean Renoir was born on Sep 15, 1894 ... his father Auguste Renoir
   reacting to the arrival that night of such a Grangousier by exclaiming,
   'What a mouth! A furnace! He'll have the appetite of a horse!'"
   Pascal Merigeau; Jean Renoir: A Biography; Running Press; 2017.

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Date: Fri Dec 15 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lexiphanic
X-Bonus: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930)

This week's theme: Eponyms


lexiphanic (lek-si-FAN-ik) adjective

   Using pretentious words and language.

[After Lexiphanes, a bombastic speaker, in the satire of the same name
by Lucian (2nd century CE). From Greek lexis (speech, diction, word) +
phainein (to show). Earliest documented use: 1767.]

NOTES: Lexiphanes, the title character of the satire, likes to use
pretentious words and convoluted sentences in the belief that it shows
his intellect. His friend Lycinus is concerned and has a doctor treat
him. The doctor prescribes an emetic https://wordsmith.org/words/emetic.html
to purge Lexiphanes of his vocal clogging.

With Lexiphanes's system cleaned, the doctor leaves him in his friend's
care. Lycinus prescribes reading great poets, orators, and philosophers,
saying "We do not like even poetry to read like the dictionary."

"Lexiphanes" is also a genus of leaf beetles. It's not known what
these beetles talk about when they use their fancy long words.

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lexiphanic_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "Someone who reads dictionaries for fun. ... Been totally lexiphanic
   and proud of the fact."
   Debra Adelaide; The Household Guide to Dying; HarperCollins; 2009.

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Date: Mon Dec 18 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--blazon
X-Bonus: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977)

A while back I came across this use of the word librarian as a verb:
"Let me librarian that for you."
https://www.openculture.com/2015/02/let-me-librarian-that-for-you.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20230610015329/https://www.openculture.com/2015/02/let-me-librarian-that-for-you.html

It brought a smile for several reasons. The creativity in the usage. The
elasticity of language. And, above all, the implied synonymy of
'librarian' and 'Google'. I believe it's fair to say that the value of
a librarian is the same as that of a Google (current market valuation
$1.7 trillion).

OK, fine, I'll admit that the comparison is a stretch. I did it just to
make a point. The real value of a librarian (also, a teacher) is
incalculable -- they help us navigate the sea of knowledge and information
with the grace and ease of a seasoned captain.

How do you feel about the word librarian as a verb? If you have any
reservations, I'm assuming instead of "Let me google this" you actually
say, "Let me employ the Google search engine to search for this."

What are your favorite examples of using a word in a novel part of speech?
Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/blazon.html or email us
at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state).

Meanwhile, enjoy this week's words that have developed meanings in
multiple parts of speech. They firsted as nouns and then verbed over
time.



blazon (BLAY-zuhn)

   noun: 1. A coat of arms.
         2. A description of a coat of arms in heraldic terminology.
         3. An ostentatious display.

   verb tr.: 1. To paint, depict, or adorn in great detail.
         2. To describe a coat of arms in heraldic terminology.
         3. To proclaim or display, widely or ostentatiously.

[From Old French blason (shield), of unknown origin, influenced by the
word blaze. Earliest documented use: noun 1325, verb 1533.]

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/blazon

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/blazon_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "On one of the three existing slabs there is an inscription about
   the burial of the prince with the blazon of St George the Victor."
   Victor Tvircun; Creating the Legend; Cogito (Bucharest, Romania);
   Jun 2023.

  "The weather balloon blazoned with the letters MIT that erupted up
   through the turf in the middle of a Harvard-Yale football game is
   unforgettable."
   Wendy M. Grossman; A Cow on the Roof; New Scientist (London, UK);
   May 31, 2003.
   https://www.boston.com/sports/college-sports/2018/11/16/mit-hacks-harvard-yale-balloon-prank-1982/

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Date: Tue Dec 19 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--spitchcock
X-Bonus: You must protest / It is your diamond duty / Ah but in such an ugly time / The true protest is beauty. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976)

This week's theme: Verbing the noun


spitchcock (SPICH-kok)

   noun: An eel split, cut into pieces, and cooked.
   verb tr.: To treat severely.

[Of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: noun 1597, verb 1674.
A close cousin is spatchcock, a bird with its spine removed flattened
for cooking. https://wordsmith.org/words/spatchcock.html .]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/spitchcock_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "If they catch me in their camps again let them spitchcock me."
   The Collected Works of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb; E Moxon; 1876.

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Date: Wed Dec 20 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--physic
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's theme: Verbing the noun


physic (FIZ-ik)

   noun: 1. A medicine, especially one that acts as a laxative.
         2. A doctor.
         3. Medical science or the medical profession.

   verb tr.: 1. To act upon as a laxative.
         2. To treat with, or as if with, a medicine.
         3. To cure or heal.

[From Old French fisique (medical science or natural science), from Latin
physica (natural science), from Greek physike (science of nature), from
physis (nature). Earliest documented use: noun 1325, verb 1400.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/physic_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/physic

  "His reputation as a physic was worthless if he couldn't truly heal."
   David Walton; Quintessence; Tor; 2013.

  "Of Knadler Lake, about a mile long, [David] Love said, 'That's bitter
   water -- sodium sulphate. It would physic you something awful.'"
   John McPhee; Rising from the Plains; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 1986.

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Date: Thu Dec 21 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--troth
X-Bonus: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983)

This week's theme: Verbing the noun


troth (troth, trohth)

   noun: 1. One's pledged word, loyalty, or fidelity.
         2. Truth.
         3. Betrothal.

   verb tr.: To pledge or betroth.

[From Old English treowth (fidelity, truth), from treowe (faithful).
Ultimately from the Indo-European root deru- (to be firm), which gave us
truth, trust, tree, endure, druid, during, durable, duress,
trow https://wordsmith.org/words/trow.html and
indurate https://wordsmith.org/words/indurate.html . Earliest documented
use: noun 1175, verb 1400.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/troth_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/troth

  "[Minnesota State Rep. Drew Christensen] is planning to move a Bill to ban
   the winner of a reality show from the state for jilting a girl from there.
   Clearly, the lawmaker was not the only one incensed by The Bachelor in
   question going back on his troth on the finale of the TV show."
   Truth Is Stranger Than Reality TV; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India);
   Mar 10, 2018.

  "I am trothed to do your bidding."
   Erin O'Quinn; Storm Maker; Siren-BookStrand; 2012.

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Date: Fri Dec 22 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--barnacle
X-Bonus: It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy. -Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 22 Dec 1951)

This week's theme: Verbing the noun


barnacle (BAHR-nuh-kuhl)

   noun: 1. Any marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that
            attaches itself to rocks, hulls, docks, whales, etc.
         2. Someone or something that clings.

   verb intr.: To cling in a persistent manner.

[From Latin bernaca, of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: noun 1227,
verb 1863.]

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/barnacle

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/barnacle_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

NOTES: Earlier a barnacle was a goose. Before it was known that geese
migrated, people believed that they hatched from the shells of the marine
animals we now call barnacles. This medieval folk belief may have arisen
from the similarity in appearance between certain barnacles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose_barnacle
and the goose's head and neck, and the fact that barnacle geese were rarely
seen nesting.

  "'Who's the blonde chick who barnacled herself onto your boyfriend?'
   Scarlett whispered."
   Elizabeth SaFleur; It Was All The Pie's Fault; Elizabeth SaFleur LLC; 2022.

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Date: Mon Dec 25 00:01:01 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--grandezza
X-Bonus: If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient observation than to any other reason. -Isaac Newton, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (25 Dec 1642-1727)

Here's a quiz for you. Once a year, we give one of the characters in our
writing system a break. A one-week vacation. The remaining 25 characters
have to report for duty in this week's words. Which character is it?

Here's a hint: It's the 12th one.

Need another hint? Observe that every other character is present in this
writeup, except our vacationing friend.

What's the answer? Hmmm, how do we show you the answer, if we can't have
that character appear here? A kind of paradox.

Here's a workaround: We are going to have it appear at the end of this intro.

Joyeux Noel!



grandezza (gran-DEZ-uh, -DET-suh) noun

   Grandeur, greatness, magnificence, etc.

[From Italian grandezza and Spanish grandeza, from Italian and Spanish
grande (grand). Earliest documented use: 1629.]

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/grandezza

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/grandezza_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "The grandezza of Spanish ceremonial was just as easily joined to the
   lightness of Austria."
   Joseph Roth (Translator: Michael Hofmann); The Hotel Years; New
   Directions; 2015.

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Date: Tue Dec 26 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--aquaphobia
X-Bonus: I don't want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-colored robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life. -Baba Amte, social worker and activist (26 Dec 1914-2008)

This week's theme: No el


aquaphobia (ak-wuh-FOH-bee-uh) noun

   A fear of water, especially of drowning.

[From Latin aqua (water) + -phobia (fear), from Greek -phobia (fear).
Earliest documented use: 1875.]

NOTES: Not to be confused with hydrophobia, which, despite its literal
meaning of "fear of water" from Greek hydro- (water), is commonly used
in a medical context to describe a symptom of rabies. In rabies,
hydrophobia refers to a difficulty or intense fear of swallowing,
especially liquids, due to painful throat spasms.

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/aquaphobia

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/aquaphobia_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "Ever since I was a kid I've been scared witless of water. ... I became
   a pyromaniac to counter it. I remember thinking that there were two
   types of people: water people and fire people. ...  I was just wondering
   how many kids develop aquaphobia after getting water splashed on their
   heads when they're little babies."
   Timothy Taylor; Silent Cruise; Vintage Canada; 2011.
   https://wordsmith.org/words/pyromania.html

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Date: Wed Dec 27 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--juxtapositive
X-Bonus: Just the other day, I was in my neighborhood Starbucks, waiting for the post office to open. I was enjoying a chocolatey cafe mocha when it occurred to me that to drink a mocha is to gulp down the entire history of the New World. From the Spanish exportation of Aztec cacao, and the Dutch invention of the chemical process for making cocoa, on down to the capitalist empire of Hershey, PA, and the lifestyle marketing of Seattle's Starbucks, the modern mocha is a bittersweet concoction of imperialism, genocide, invention, and consumerism served with whipped cream on top. No wonder it costs so much. -Sarah Vowell, author and journalist (b. 27 Dec 1969)

This week's theme: No el


juxtapositive (juhk-stuh-POZ-i-tiv) adjective

   Relating to placing side by side.

[From juxtaposition, from Latin juxta (near, next) + French
poser (to place). Earliest documented use: 1880.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/juxtapositive_large.jpg
Photo: https://www.reddit.com/r/funnysigns/comments/pnralv/gun_showaffordable_caskets_billboards_next_to/

  "[P]olitical and theatrical journalism began to overlap and even form
   a sort of juxtapositive web."
   Matthew S. Buckley; Tragedy Walks the Streets; Johns Hopkins University
   Press; 2006.

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Date: Thu Dec 28 00:01:02 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--swanky
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: No el


swanky (SWANG-kee) adjective

   1. Stylish; fashionable; luxurious.
   2. Pretentious; ostentatious.

[From swank (swagger), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Middle High
German swanken (to sway). Earliest documented use: 1842.]

https://wordsmith.org/words/images/swanky_large.jpg
Illustration: Anu Garg + AI

  "When beauty mogul and entrepreneur Mona Kattan invited you to her basement
   library at her swanky villa in Palm Jumeirah, you were forgiven for
   expecting rows of leather-bound books neatly stacked together under warm
   lighting.
   'We are in my perfume library basement right now,' said Kattan."
   Manjusha Radhakrishnan; Dubai's Beauty Mogul Mona Kattan's Scent of Success;
   Gulf News (Dubai); May 9, 2023.

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Date: Fri Dec 29 00:01:01 EST 2023
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cruciform
X-Bonus: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973)

This week's theme: No el


cruciform (KROO-suh-form)

   adjective: In the shape of a cross.
   noun: Something in the shape of a cross.

[From Latin crux (stake, cross) + -form (having the shape). Earliest documented use: 1661.]

See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cruciform

"Clematis terniflora" aka sweet autumn clematis https://wordsmith.org/words/images/cruciform_large.jpg
Photo: Ishikawa Ken https://flickr.com/photos/chidorian/2898957940/

  "The boys made their way along the cruciform of gravel that bisected
   the kitchen garden."
   Merryn Allingham; The Buttonmaker’s Daughter; HarperCollins; 2017.