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Day 5 of the "Weekly Theme" is "peri". Please scroll down. Day 1 is:Today's Word "skookum" meaning "Powerful; first-rate; impressive [From Chinook Jargon, from a Chehalis word meaning spirit or ghost] has an interesting, but purely coincidental, connection to another "skookum": the "Skookum Cast" which some scientists believe is the imprint of a "living sasquatch". http://www.bfro.net/NEWS/BODYCAST/Hmmm. "Chehalis word meaning spirit or ghost". A powerful human-like sasquatch half again the size of a human. Hmmm.
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Carpal Tunnel
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The word "skookum" is also used, here in the Pacific Northwest, where the Chehalis Indians lived, to mean wise or smart or clever or understanding, as in "he is a real skookum guy" meaning that the fellow knows what is going on and is unlikely to be fooled easily.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Speaking for yourself, eh, F.S.? 
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Speaking for yourself, eh, F.S.?
While my truly remarkable and widely-known humility would prevent such a thing, I do speak from my own experience of the word used to describe others much more worthy of the appellation.
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I hope any who are interested in the "skookum" discussion will keep it going, but I thought I would keep the thread current by adding today's "Word for the Day":
chaparral (shap-uh-RAL, chap-) noun
A dense, often impenetrable, growth of shrubs and thorny bushes.
[From Spanish chaparral, from chaparro (dwarf evergreen oak), from Basque txapar (thicket).]"Chaparral" is one of those melodious words which suggests more than it actually means. Who does not get carried away with the romance and adventure of "high chaparral"? What would Hugo Boss do with this: Give him what he really wants. Give him "High Chaparral". BTW, for those who may not know, "High Chaparral" was the name of a popular TV series during the '60's. "The High Chaparral" (1967) [TV-Series 1967-1971]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061263/Link to photo of the cast: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60396&item=4063866801&rd=1And, Dr. Bill tells me it is also the name of a BBQ brisquette which has sold very well. BTW Dr. Bill thought "chaps", worn by cowboys to protect their legs from chaparral, might be a contraction of "chaparral". Apparently, not: "Chaps (from the Spanish chaparejos and/or chappareras) are descended from the Mexican vaqueros armas (skirt like pieces of bullhide tied to the saddle horn to hang down in front of the legs which developed into armitas, similar to modern chinks, which were smaller and belted around the waist) and the Indians leggings (two step in tubes of leather with no seat)." http://www.wrtcleather.com/index_chaps-main.htmlIf this post seems long-winded, I apologize. I am also posting Dr. Bill's input.
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Today's word bosh (bosh) noun, interjection
Nonsense.
[From Turkish bos (empty). The term was popularized in English by its use in the novels of James J. Morier (1780-1849).]
Limerick writers are going to love "bosh". It rhymes with "nosh". And "posh".
And, "gosh", it even rhymes with "floss". That's "nosh"!"
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Oops! Unintended double entry. [I wasn't even trying to be bosh.]
While I'm here, I wonder where will we go tomorrow?.
So far, we've had Native American, Spanish-Basque, and today Turkish. A nosh from everywhere.
Around the world of words in 5 days. Great idea, Anu.
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Today's word bosh - NonsenseDr. Bill suspects that "bosh" and "kibosh" are related. He has done some research in that connection and he's encouraged, but not convinced, his speculation is correct. Stay tuned. If we have more on "bosh" and "kibosh", we won't put the kibosh on it. :) Oops! Strike Two, Dr. Bill. Extract: "But what is the origin of this strange word, which looks so very un-English? If I am to be boring about it, the most likely answer is that nobody knows for sure: certainly that’s the careful response of most dictionaries. But other people down the years have discarded caution to come up with a wide variety of explanations: . It derives from Yiddish. . It is said by some (notably Julian Franklyn) to have an heraldic origin, being derived from caboshed . The Irish poet, Padraic Colum, has argued that the word originates in the Gaelic phrase cie báis meaning “cap of death”. . Webster’s New World Dictionary apparently derives it from Middle High German kiebe, meaning “carrion”. No "bosh" in the lot, Dr. Bill. [Better luck tomorrow. :) ] [ http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/kibosh.htm
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nark (nark) noun
1. An annoying person.
2. A stool pigeon or informer
verb intr.
1. To irritate or annoy.
2. To be an informer.
[From Romany nak (nose). Ultimately from Indo-European root nas- (nose) that is also the source of other words for nose: English nose, Hindi nak, Spanish nariz, French nez, and related words nuzzle, nostril, and nasal.]
Another great word for limerick lovers!
"Nark" comes from "nose". Come to think of it, the nose is the most maligned orifice above the waist. [Personally, I think it's a bum rap.]
Nose not only gave us "nark", but it gave us "nosey", "brown nose", "keep your nose out of my business" and "nosing around".
The closest we ever get to giving the nose an even break is when we say "It's as plain as the nose on your face." And a guy with a broken nose is a "pug nose", or just a "pug".
You can get a cauliflower ear, but no-one ever called a guy with a cauliflower ear a "cauliflower".
And if you're going to spite your face, what are you going to cut off? Your ear? Lots of people pierce their ears, and some even cut them off. Van Gogh did it. Why do we have to pick our nose for this aphorism?
Any way back to "nark". A "nark" is a stool pigeon and it sounds even worse than a rat.
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I don’t understand this connection between the words nose and narc. Surely the former derives from a Latin word (nasus) and the latter as an abbreviation of narcotics?
We should also be aware of the positive connotations of nose, as for example suggested in def 6 in MW10:
b : a knack for discovery or understanding <a keen nose for absurdity>
- on the nose 1 a : at or to a target point <the bombs landed right on the nose> b (1) : on target : ACCURATE (2) : ACCURATELY 2 : to win -- used of horse or dog racing bets
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