A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Fri Nov 1 00:51:46 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hades X-Bonus: Industry is the soul of business and the keystone of prosperity. -Charles Dickens Ha.des \'ha-d-(.)e-z\ n [Gk Haide-s] 1: the abode of the dead in Greek mythology 2: SHEOL often not cap 3: HELL -------- Date: Sat Nov 2 00:51:48 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--acheron X-Bonus: You know the oxygen masks on airplanes? I don't think there's really any oxygen. I think they're just to muffle the screams. -Rita Rudner Ach.er.on \'ak-*-.ra:n\ n [L, fr. Gk Achero-n] 1: a river in Hades 2: the nether world : HADES -------- Date: Sun Nov 3 00:51:31 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--inferno X-Bonus: Too bad all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair. -George Burns in.fer.no \in-'f*r-(.)no-\ n [It, hell, fr. LL infernus] : a place or a state that resembles or suggests hell -------- Date: Mon Nov 4 04:49:18 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--intromit X-Bonus: The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882) in.tro.mit \-'mit\ \-'mit-*nt\ vt or in.tro.mit.ted; or in.tro.mit.ting [L intromittere, fr. intro- + mittere to send] : to send or put in : INSERT - in.tro.mit.tent aj -- Verbs are special words. They describe action. Nothing would ever get done if it were not for the verbs. Look at a sentence on your screen or on the paper -- it just lies there listless, mere collection of random words until a verb comes to infuse life into it. Here is a week of words that make the world go round. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Nov 5 00:52:00 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--refocillate X-Bonus: You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however -Richard Bach re.foc.il.late \(')re--'fa:s-*-.la-t\ vt [LL refocillatus, pp. of refocillare, refocilare to warm into] life again, fr. L re- + focilare to revive by warmth, fr. foculum chafing dish, brazier, fr. fove-re to warm : REFRESH, REVIVE -------- Date: Wed Nov 6 00:51:42 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--insolate X-Bonus: There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. -Nelson Mandela [A Long Walk to Freedom] in.so.late \'in(t)-(.)so--.la-t, in-'so--\ vb [L insolatus, pp. of insolare, fr. in- + sol sun - mo]re at SOLAR : to expose to the sun's rays Dienhart, Georg, Hybrid systems look good for developing countries.., Vol. 15, Modern Power Systems, 02-01-1995, pp 19. "Dish/Stirling plants are focussing systems suitable only for highly insolated regions of the earth (at latitudes between about 40degrees North and South), since they require direct irradiance." -------- Date: Thu Nov 7 00:51:34 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--excogitate X-Bonus: Conscience is the inner voice warning us that someone may be looking. -H.L. Mencken ex.cog.i.tate \ek-'ska:j-*-.ta-t\ \(.)ek-.ska:j-*-'ta--sh*n\ \ek-'ska:j-*-.ta-t-iv\ vt [L excogitatus, pp. of excogitare, fr. ex- + cogitare t]o cogitate : to think out : DEVISE - ex.cog.i.ta.tion n -------- Date: Fri Nov 8 00:51:40 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--comminute X-Bonus: God respects us when we work and loves us when we sing. com.mi.nute \'ka:m-*-.n(y)u:t\ \.ka:m-*-'n(y)u:-sh*n\ vt [L comminutus, pp. of comminuere, fr. com- + minuere to] lessen : to reduce to minute particles : PULVERIZE - com.mi.nu.tion n -------- Date: Sat Nov 9 00:51:40 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--collocate X-Bonus: In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty. -Christopher Morley col.lo.cate \'ka:l-*-.ka-t\ vt [L collocatus, pp. of collocare, fr. com- + locare to p]lace, fr. locus place - more at STALL : to set or arrange in a place or position; esp : to set side by side Rivenbank, Charles, A Marine Corps perspective, Vol. 23, Engineer, 12-01-1994, pp 10. "The Marine Corps' engineer philosophy was that each basic course consolidated must then collocate with the associated journeyman (NCO) course." -------- Date: Sun Nov 10 00:51:37 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fustigate X-Bonus: Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active. -Leonardo da Vinci fus.ti.gate \'f*s-t*-.ga-t\ \.f*s-t*-'ga--sh*n\ vt [LL fustigatus, pp. of fustigare, fr. L fustis + -igare] (akin to agere to drive) - more at AGENT 1: CUDGEL 2: to criticize severely - fus.ti.ga.tion n -------- Date: Mon Nov 11 01:52:46 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--feuilleton X-Bonus: Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body. -Seneca feuil.le.ton \.f*(r)-e--'to-n\ \.f{r)-e--'ton-.niz-*m\ \-'ton-n*st\ n [F, fr. feuillet sheet of paper, fr. OF foillet, dim. of foille)X leaf - more at FOIL 1: a part of a European newspaper or magazine devoted to material designed to entertain the general reader 2: something (as an installment of a novel) printed in a feuilleton 3a: a novel printed in installments 3b: a work of fiction catering to popular taste 4: a short literary composition often having a familiar tone and reminiscent content - feuil.le.ton.ism n Berman, Paul, Canned heat.., Vol. 207, New Republic, 11-23-1992, pp 43. "And for more than a decade now, in a supreme triumph of feuilleton journalism, The New Republic has left its readers in weekly agonies of suspense over whether next week's episode will recount precisely such a leap, finally and irrevocably, to the monarchist cause. -- Some four hundred years ago, English philosopher and essayist Francis Bacon wrote, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." With today's word, perhaps we could add: "And some to be read in installments." Look for the rest of the installments of book words in this week of words about books. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Nov 12 01:51:42 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chrestomathy X-Bonus: Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. -Ralph Waldo Emerson chres.tom.a.thy \kre-'sta:m-*-the-\ n [NL chrestomathia, fr. Gk chre-stomatheia, fr. chre-stosX useful + manthanein to learn; akin to Skt hrasva small 1: a selection of passages compiled to aid in learning a language 2: a volume of selections from an author Weigel, George, God, man, and H.L. Mencken.., Current, 10-01-1995, pp 32. "A by-product of Teachout's biographical research is the Second Mencken Chrestomathy, recently published by Knopf, the contents of which Teachout discovered in five dusty boxes on the top shelf of the closet in the Pratt Library's Mencken Room." -------- Date: Wed Nov 13 01:51:39 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibelot X-Bonus: The nicest thing about the promise of spring is that sooner or later she'll have to keep it. -Mark Beltaire bi.be.lot \.bib-(*-)'lo-, .be-b-\ \-'lo-(z)\ n or bibelots [F] pl 1: a small household ornament or decorative object : TRINKET 2: a miniature book esp. of elegant design or format "1900 H. HARLAND, Cardinal's Snuff-Box xix, "The table, with its books and bibelots." -------- Date: Thu Nov 14 01:51:42 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pharmacopoeia X-Bonus: Thought is the labour of the intellect, reverie is its pleasure. -Victor Hugo phar.ma.co.poe.ia \.fa:r-m*-k*-'pe--(y)*\ \-(y)*l\ n [NL, fr. LGk pharmakopoiia preparation of drugs, fr. Gk pharmako- +] poiein to make - more at POET 1: a book describing drugs, chemicals, and medicinal preparations; esp : one issued by official authority and recognized as a standard 2: a collection or stock of drugs - phar.ma.co.poe.ial aj Talan, Jamie, Seeking to Prove Prayer's Healing Power., Newsday, 07-30-1996, pp B21. "`Medicine and religion are in my blood,' said Matthews, a physician who believes that part of his healing power comes not just from medicine's pharmacopoeia but from prayer." -------- Date: Fri Nov 15 01:51:52 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--flyleaf X-Bonus: We learn from history that we do not learn anything from history. fly.leaf \'fli--.le-f\ n : one of the free endpapers of a book MACINTYRE, BEN, What Makes Maggie Tick?., Newsday, 07-23-1995, pp 39. "The first volume of Thatcher's memoirs, `The Downing Street Years,' dealt with her 11 1/2 years as Britain's first female head of state. The flyleaf on this, the second volume, promises to reveal the inner Margaret, when `she writes for the first time about her personal life, about the formation of her character.'" -------- Date: Sat Nov 16 01:52:30 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--onomastic X-Bonus: This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us. -Western Union internal memo, 1876 on.o.mas.tic \.a:n-*-'mas-tik\ aj [Gk onomastikos, fr. onomazein to name, fr. onoma name - mo]re at NAME 1: of, relating to, or consisting of a name or names of a signature 2: written in the handwriting of the author of a letter or document -- With yesterday's example sentence, it seems we've caught Mr MacIntyre on wrong foot: MACINTYRE, BEN, What Makes Maggie Tick?., Newsday, 07-23-1995, pp 39. "The first volume of Thatcher's memoirs, `The Downing Street Years,' dealt with her 11 1/2 years as Britain's first female head of state. The flyleaf on this, the second volume, promises to reveal the inner Margaret, when `she writes for the first time about her personal life, about the formation of her character.'" Ed Finegan (usc.edu) pointed out: "Sounds like Ben MacIntyre had dust jacket in mind rather than flyleaf." Bryan Trussler (i-bahn.com) clarified: "Britain's first female head of state was Queen Mary Tudor. Maggie Thatcher was the first female head of government." By the way, Mary Tudor was the same queen who earned the epithet Bloody Mary. Flyleaf issue was also pointed out by Mark Durst (lbl.gov) and Michael Wiesenberg (verity.com). Thank you, all. -Anu -------- Date: Sun Nov 17 01:52:08 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--donnee X-Bonus: Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. don.nee \do.-'na-, (.)d*-\ \-'na-(z)\ n or donnees [F, fr. fem. of donne`, pp. of donner to give, fr. L donare] pl to donate : the set of assumptions upon which a work of fiction or drama proceeds Burleson, Donald, Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Vol. 50, Explicator, 06-01-1992, pp 211. "In the nephew's remark, the calendar year is a structural donnee, an established and standard temporal spectrum on which Christmas (`when it has come round') is a lone point preceded by and followed by other points." -------- Date: Mon Nov 18 02:51:55 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paronomasia X-Bonus: Consultant: n. One who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is and then keeps the watch. par.ono.ma.sia \.par-*-no--'ma--zh(e--)*, p*-.ra:n-*-'ma--\ \-'mas-tik\ n [L, fr. Gk, fr. paronomazein to call with a slight change of name, fr. Xpara- + onoma name - more at NAME : a play on words : PUN - par.ono.mas.tic aj A day without paronomasia is a day without punshine. -- This week's theme: Words about words. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Nov 19 01:51:40 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apocope X-Bonus: It's not a matter of where you stand but in what direction you're headed. apoc.o.pe \*-'pa.k-*-(.)pe-\ n [LL, fr. Gk apokope-, lit., cutting off, fr. apoloptein to cut o]ff, fr. apo- + koptein to cut - more at CAPON : the loss of one or more sounds or letters at the end of a word (as in sing from Old English singan) -------- Date: Wed Nov 20 01:51:47 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fictioneer X-Bonus: Most of us are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be. -Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) fic.tion.eer \.fik-sh*-'ni(*)r\ n : one who writes fiction esp. in quantity and without high standards - fic.tion.eer.ing n Taruskin, Richard, Of kings and diva., Vol. 209, New Republic, 12-13-1993, pp 31. "Nature may abhor a vacuum, but nothing better suits a historical fictioneer. From a few scattered facts and anecdotes culled from dedications, newspaper items, the duet manuscript and particularly from the gossipy biography of Marais in Titon du Tillet's Parnasse franiois of 1732, one gathers that Sainte-Colombe was an outstanding virtuoso who reformed the playing technique of his instrument but remained unattached to the royal court. Why?" -------- Date: Thu Nov 21 01:51:49 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--amphibology X-Bonus: Reputation: what others are not thinking about you. am.phi.bol.o.gy \.am(p)-f*-'ba:-*-je-\ n [ME amphibologie, fr. LL amphibologia, alter. of L amphibolia], fr. Gk amphibolos 1: ambiguity in language 2: a phrase or sentence ambiguous because of its grammatical construction - called also amphiboly Baran, James, Predators and parasites in Le Pere Goriot, Vol. 47, Symposium, 04-01-1993, pp 3. "It is also possible to find in this paradoxical representation of man as both predator and parasite yet another instance of the modernist instability and amphibology of Balzac's characters." -------- Date: Fri Nov 22 01:51:45 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hypocorism X-Bonus: The trouble with doing nothing is that you never know when you are finished. hy.po.co.rism or hy.po.co.ris.ti.cal \hi--'pa:k-*-.riz-*m; .hi--p*-'ko-(*)r-.iz-, -'ko.(*)r-\ \.hi--p*-k*-'ris-tik\ \-ti-k*l\ \-ti-k(*-)le-\ n [LL hypocorisma, fr. Gk hypokorisma, fr. hypokorizesthai to c]all by pet names, fr. hypo- + korizesthai to caress, fr. koros boy, kore- girl : a pet name or the use of pet names; also : EUPHEMISM - hy.po.co.ris.ti.c aj -------- Date: Sat Nov 23 01:52:19 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--syncope X-Bonus: The generation of random numbers is too important to be left to chance. syn.co.pe \'sin-k*-(.)pe-, 'sin-\ n [LL, fr Gk synkope-, lit., cutting short, fr. synkoptein to cut]short, fr. syn- + koptein to cut - more at CAPON 1: a partial or complete temporary suspension of respiration and circulation due to cerebral ischemia : FAINT 2: the loss of one or more sounds or letters in the interior of a word (as in fo'c'sle for forecastle) -------- Date: Sun Nov 24 01:54:22 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hendiadys X-Bonus: Either I'm dead or my watch has stopped. -last words of Groucho Marx hen.di.a.dys \hen-'di--*d-*s\ n [LL, modif. of Gk hen dia dyoin one through two] : the expression of an idea by two nouns connected by and (as cups and gold) instead of by a noun and an adjective (as golden cups) -------- Date: Mon Nov 25 14:01:42 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scuttlebutt X-Bonus: Money often costs too much. -Ralph Waldo Emerson scut.tle.butt \'sk*t-*l-.b*t\ n 1a: a cask on shipboard to contain fresh water for a day's use 1b: a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval or marine installation 2: RUMOR, GOSSIP Levitt, Leonard, ONE POLICE PLAZA / CONFIDENTIAL / City Hall Still Calls The Shots., Newsday, 05-10-1996, pp A27. "In fact, department scuttlebutt has it that during a COMSTAT top staff meeting of Brooklyn South commanders, Anemone and former Deputy Commissioner Jack Maple flashed a picture of Pinocchio on the screen as Simonetti made his presentation. And says a top department official, "Simonetti still hasn't forgiven him." -- Did you know the word "junk" has its origins in nautical terminology? Like "junk", many a word with nautical origins has been assimilated in popular speech and writing. This week we look at seven such words with roots in wind and waves. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Nov 26 00:57:07 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mainstay X-Bonus: Statistics are used as a drunk uses lampposts--for support, not illumination. main.stay \-.sta-\ n 1: a ship's stay extending from the maintop forward usu. to the foot of the foremast 2: a chief support Aslund, Anders, Russia's success story, Vol. 73, Foreign Affairs, 09-01-1994, pp 58. "Notwithstanding his cautious language, Chernomyrdin has increasingly become the mainstay of stabilization." -------- Date: Wed Nov 27 00:56:59 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--figurehead X-Bonus: There never was night that had no morn. -Dinah Mulock Craik fig.ure.head \'fig-y*r-.hed, esp Brit 'fig-*r-\ n 1: the figure on a ship's bow 2: a head or chief in name only Marshall, Kimball, Ambassador, symbol and scold, Vol. 328, Economist, 09-18-1993, pp 53. "His real job is to be a national figurehead, roving ambassador and public scold." -------- Date: Thu Nov 28 00:57:20 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--keelhaul X-Bonus: Those who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers. keel.haul \-.ho.l\ vt [D kielhalen, fr. kiel keel + halen to haul] 1: to haul under the keel of a ship as punishment or torture 2: to rebuke severely Bonnie Taub-Dix, Unkind Cuts / The welfare overhaul may save Washington money, but it will cost New York plenty.., Newsday, 08-05-1996, pp A30. "Congress should have voted down the nation's coming welfare overhaul because it's hardhearted to cut back food stamps for low-income workers, meanspirited to deny benefits to legal immigrants, cruel to dump more children below the poverty line. In fact, this legislation is more keelhaul than overhaul." -------- Date: Fri Nov 29 00:58:27 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--leeway X-Bonus: One hundred percent of the shots you don't take don't go in. -Wayne Gretzky lee.way \'le--.wa-\ n 1a: off-course lateral movement of a ship when under way 1b: the angle between the heading and the track of an airplane 2: an allowable margin of freedom or variation : TOLERANCE Marcus, Steve, Key Div. I Step for SUNY., Newsday, 10-08-1996, pp A66. "While the funds do not represent a new source of revenue, Laskowski said he will have leeway toward freeing some of the fee for scholarships." -------- Date: Sat Nov 30 00:57:08 EST 1996 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tack X-Bonus: Contempt is the weapon of the weak and a defense against one's own despised and unwanted feelings. -Alice Miller 1. tack \'tak\ n [ME tak something that attaches; akin to MD tac sharp point] often attrib 1: a small short sharp-pointed nail usu. having a broad flat head 2a: a rope to hold in place the forward lower corner of a course on a sailing ship 2b: a rope for hauling the outer lower corner of a studding sail to the end of the boom 2c: the lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail 2d: the corner of a sail to which a tack is fastened 3a: the direction of a ship with respect to the trim of her sails {starboard ~} 3b: the run of a sailing ship on one tack 3c: a change when close-hauled from the starboard to the port tack or vice versa 3d: a zigzag movement on land 3e: a course or method of action; esp : one sharply divergent from that previously followed 4: any of various usu. temporary stitches 5: ADHESIVENESS, STICKINESS 6: stable gear 2. tack vt 1: ATTACH; esp : to fasten or affix with tacks 2: to join in a slight or hasty manner 3a: to add as a supplement 3b: to add (a rider) to a parliamentary bill 4: to change the direction of (a sailing ship) when sailing close-hauled by putting the helm alee and shifting the sails 1a: to tack a sailing ship of a sailing ship 1b: to move in a different direction by a tack 2a: to follow a zigzag course 2b: to modify one's policy or an attitude abruptly - tack.er n 3. tack n [origin unknown] : STUFF; esp : FOODSTUFF HOOK, JANET, Budget Bandwagon Picks Up Plenty of Bells and Whistles; Home Edition., Los Angeles Times, 09-29-1995, pp A-20. "He tacked onto the budget bill a provision that would exempt certain oil producers from paying royalties to the government if they drill in deep-water sites."