there is an entire category for this (Weekly Themes) below

Thanks, tsuwm. I am hoping to generate discussion on Anu's daily words in this thread, rather than discussion on the "Weekly Themes" generally.

As you know, there has not been much discussion in "Weekly Themes" pretty much ever. Dr. Bill thinks it's because it appears "below the fold" where it isn't as visible to anyone, especially newcomers.*

In fact, newcomers may not know that "Weekly Themes" [below the fold] has anything to do with the "Word of the Day". I know that was my experience for most of the time I have been visiting here. I read Anu's daily word in my email, but I never really took notice of his weekly theme which is mentioned below the daily word and sample usage, as I recall.

In fact, in today's AWAD, there is no mention of the term "Weekly Theme".

Here's what appears at the bottom of today's AWAD:

"What do those titles mean? This week's AWAD defines them." [No mention of "Weekly Themes" here, tsuwm, even if you read right to the bottom of Anu's AWAD, something a lot of busy people can't do.]

In any event, I am not sure I would have connected Anu's AWAD with "Weekly Themes" even if I had noticed "Weekly Themes" below the fold. The connection is not explicit, and again, it is "below the fold" where topics don't get a lot of regular attention.

My hope is that we can catch the attention of newcomers in this thread because it is labelled with the same word they are looking for, namely, Anu's "Word of the Day". [Today that word is "grip". A week ago, it was "skookum".]

Why shouldn't we make it easy for newcomers to get involved if they come to us from Anu's AWAD email which reaches hundreds of thousands of people daily? Hopefully, once they get involved in discussion about the "word of the day" which brought them here, they will stick around to visit other threads and eventually become members.

It's the same thing supermarkets do with their advertised 'loss leaders'. The whole idea is to draw traffic into the store. [If a store isn't busy, a lot of people think it isn't busy for a reason. In other words, traffic generates traffic.]

At least, that's what I am trying to do with this daily discussion of Anu's "word of the day", tsuwm.

I'm glad you gave me the chance to explain this.

This is not a vanity thing. It is a sincere attempt to engage the interest of newcomers in the hope that they will check us out and stay around. We all agree that AWADtalk would benefit from a constant flow of new members. The more the better.

* There are approximately 4,600 posts in "Weekly Themes" compared to over 10 times that number in "Q&A about Words". A quick glance over the last several months suggests that posts there are averaging about one a month.

Of course, the volume was much higher when Dr. Bill was struggling "valiantly" to promote interest in Anu's daily words a long time ago [before he retired from posting onscreen because of eyesight difficulties].

In summary, tsuwm, it would make about as much sense to consign your obsolete words to "Weekly Themes" as it would to consign Anu's AWAD ("A Word A Day") to this purgatory. Hey, just kidding. :) I don't think it makes any sense to consign your obsolete words to this obsolete bin either.