A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Mon Apr 3 00:01:23 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apparatchik
X-Bonus: You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes. -Maimonides
(Moses ben Maimon), philosopher (1135-1204)
Guest Wordsmith Philip Gooden (pgoodenATgooden.ndo.co.uk) writes:
Language gives a snub to borders in a way that is denied to any other human
invention. There are no controls or checks to prevent words from crossing
boundaries, there are no duties to be paid when phrases migrate from one
culture to another. In the basic and simplest sense of the phrase, language
is a free market. Among world languages, English has some claim to providing
the freest market of them all, not only because it is compounded from a
variety of sources but also because it has made itself open to linguistic
influences from around the globe.
It is interesting to see how the different languages have come to be deployed
in different fields. French is traditionally the language of diplomacy, of
d�tente and d�marche, but it is just as traditionally the language of sex
and romance (billet doux; cinq-�-sept, describing the time late in the
day when lovers traditionally meet). Latin, functional and precise,
provides us with many of the abbreviations we still use (e.g., i.e., etc.)
as well as a number of legal terms. From Spanish come a handful of
"masculine" terms like macho and cojones. At times it is difficult to avoid
the feeling that an entire culture may be contained within an expression
that remains tantalisingly elusive even when translated. One thinks of the
sombre northern European quality of the German Weltschmerz or the way an
entire (Mediterranean) quality of life seems to be embodied in the Italian
dolce far niente (literally, sweet doing nothing).
apparatchik (uh-pah-RAH-chik) noun
Member of the (Soviet) bureaucracy; now extended to apply to any
inflexible organisation man, particularly in a political party.
[From Russian apparat (apparatus, the government machine or structure)
+ chik (agent).]
Like other terms deriving from the USSR such as nomenklatura (list of
important positions to be filled by people from the party), apparatchik is
always used pejoratively. It suggests a bureaucrat who willingly follows
and implements the party line, either in a spirit of blind obedience or
one of cynical ambition. As an insult for a person sitting in an office,
it's stronger and more exotic than "suit" or "jobsworth".
(Philip Gooden is a writer and editor, who produces historical whodunnits
and writes reference books on the English language. He is the author of
"Who's Whose?", "Faux Pas?" and the forthcoming "Name Dropping?". He lives
in Bath, England.)
"When we meet Ian McKellen's grey-haired Paul, he's sitting with a grey
face in a grey suit behind a grey-looking desk and sounding like the
grey apparatchik he obviously is."
Benedict Nightingale; The Cut; The Times (London, UK); Mar 2, 2006.
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Date: Tue Apr 4 00:01:15 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--au contraire
X-Bonus: The river does not swell with clear water. -Italian proverb
This week's theme: terms imported from other languages.
au contraire (oh kon-TRAIR) noun
On the contrary.
[From French au contraire (on the contrary).]
On the face of it, there seems no reason to prefer au contraire to "on the
contrary". The meaning is obvious whether it's expressed in French or
English. True, the French version is two words rather than three but
the saving is minimal and beside the point. The value of au contraire,
therefore, lies with the slightly camp context in which it's usually found.
An earnest argument demands "on the contrary", but an opposing point of
view, not meant too seriously and delivered with a flap of the wrist or
a raised eyebrow, justifies au contraire.
-Guest Wordsmith Philip Gooden (pgoodenATgooden.ndo.co.uk)
"The A-list cannot be loved by all the people all of the time.
Au contraire, the bigger and better and more gorgeous one gets,
the more likely one is to inspire antipathy."
Polly Vernon; Celebrity Etiquette; The Observer (London, UK);
Aug 21 2005.
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Date: Wed Apr 5 00:01:25 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--feng shui
X-Bonus: Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (1623-1662)
This week's theme: terms imported from other languages.
feng shui (fung SHWAY) noun
Describing the network of intangible influences, positive and
negative, that some believe to operate in a place, knowledge of
which is necessary in discovering the most propitious site for
putting up a building, staging an event, etc.
[From Chinese feng (wind) and shui (water).]
Like yin and yang, feng shui is a new western import of an old
philosophical or mythological idea from the other side of the world.
In the east, feng shui may be used in siting graves, but in the west
it seems to operate mostly at the home-improvement level. A pretentious
term perhaps, but that's part of its marketing appeal.
-Guest Wordsmith Philip Gooden (pgoodenATgooden.ndo.co.uk)
"Gervais is amused that his workplace has recently been described by one
journalist as 'minimalist', as if this was all deliberate, and the
product of an expensive feng shui consultation."
Matthew D'Ancona; Fact. There is Life After The Office; The Daily
Telegraph (London, UK); Nov 22 2004.
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Date: Thu Apr 6 00:01:15 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gestalt
X-Bonus: Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it. -Rene Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (1596-1650)
This week's theme: terms imported from other languages.
gestalt (gesh-TALT) noun
Shape or pattern; most often used in psychology to describe a theory
or approach which aims to see something as a whole rather than breaking
it into separate parts
[From German gestalt (form, shape).]
Like a number of terms which are derived from psychology, gestalt has
wandered away from its specialist or technical context even if it has not
entered mainstream use in the way that "paranoid" or "schizophrenic" have
(perhaps because it relates more to a method of approach or treatment
than to a high-profile condition). With that said however, anybody employing
gestalt in a non-specialist field should ask whether the word does anything
that couldn't be achieved by a simpler term.
In the Guardian example below, it might be argued that gestalt suggests
the emotional and intellectual switch required to think differently -- in
this case, that milk might be bad for you. But the sentence wouldn't really
be affected if the word were left out altogether and it's difficult to avoid
the impression that the writer has thrown it in to sex up the subject of
milk.
-Guest Wordsmith Philip Gooden (pgoodenATgooden.ndo.co.uk)
"So thorough is our dairy indoctrination that it requires a total gestalt
switch to contemplate the notion that milk may help to cause the very
diseases it's meant to prevent."
Anne Karpf; Dairy Monsters; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 13, 2003.
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Date: Fri Apr 7 00:01:11 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--papabile
X-Bonus: If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president (1751-1836) [THIS QUOTATION IS UNSOURCED.]
This week's theme: terms imported from other languages.
papabile (pa-PA-bi-lay), also papable adjective
Eligible or suitable to become a pope; fitted for high office.
[From Italian papabile (worthy to be pope), from papa (pope) +
-bile, equivalent to -ble (able).]
Papabile can be used literally about those cardinals in the Roman
Catholic Church who are regarded as suitable candidates for the
papacy. By extension, the term can be applied to anybody aspiring
to some exalted position, usually in government. It suggests not
just that they are senior and capable enough but also that they
have some aura of leadership. However, away from a Catholic context,
the term seems a bit forced.
-Guest Wordsmith Philip Gooden (pgoodenATgooden.ndo.co.uk)
"If by the week's end Mr Hague does not seem papabile, his opinion-poll
position could rapidly deteriorate."
Bruce Anderson; Politics column; Spectator (London, UK); Sep 30, 2000.
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Date: Mon Apr 10 00:01:19 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--publican
X-Bonus: The firmest fayth is found in fewest woordes. -Edward Dyer, courtier and poet (c. 1540-1607)
Ben Franklin once said, "In this world nothing is certain but death and
taxes." And the same goes for this week's words: nothing is certain but
death and taxes, or at least a discussion of them. Don't worry, nobody
dies and no one has to pay a tax to learn these words. Each of the words
this week has something to do with either death or taxes.
Over the ages, the world's rulers have imposed all imaginable kinds of taxes
on the populace. Taxes were once based on the number of hearths in a house
(fumage), and there have been taxes to pay off raiding Danes (Danegeld).
In late seventeenth century, William III of UK imposed a window tax, levied
on each window in a house.
Three hundred years later, William III of US imposed a Windows tax, levied
on each personal computer manufactured, whether it had Windows or not,
but I digress.
Death too comes in unexpected places. When we buy a house and sign a
mortgage, let's keep in mind that the word derives from Old French mort
(death) + gage (pledge).
In the US, April 15 is the deadline for filing tax return for the previous
year. At one time the consequences of failure to pay taxes were severe
but thankfully, today, the "dead"line is only metaphorical.
This week in AWAD we'll look at more words related to those two things
few of us want to encounter.
publican (PUB-li-kuhn) noun
1. A tax collector.
2. An owner or manager of a pub or hotel.
[From Latin publicanus, from publicum (public revenue), from publicus
(public), from populus (people).]
In ancient Rome, the state farmed out the collection of taxes. The right
to collect tax was auctioned off to the highest bidder. Tax collection
agents, known as publicans, employed lower-level collectors who made good
use of their license. For their severe methods of extraction of taxes,
publicans were widely despised. Now, if a publican is a tax collector,
what is a republican?
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"'Haven't you robbed people enough -- taking their last shirts?' said
a voice addressing the publican."
Leo Tolstoy; War and Peace; 1865-1869.
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Date: Tue Apr 11 00:01:14 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--thanatopsis
X-Bonus: The horse is not judged by the saddle. -German proverb
This week's theme: words related to death and taxes.
thanatopsis (than-uh-TOP-sis) noun
A reflection upon death.
[From Greek thanatos (death) + -opsis (appearance, view).]
Thanatos is the Greek personification of death; thanatophobia is an abnormal
fear of death. Thanatopsis is the title of an acclaimed poem by poet and
journalist William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878): http://bartleby.com/102/16.html
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Subject to constant death threats, Dr. [Martin Luther] King 'had a thread
of thanatopsis, a preoccupation of his death.' It blistered through his
oratory. Canaan portrays a man aware his time would be brief and
despairing of realizing his dreams."
The Philadelphia Inquirer; King Chronicler to Speak at Free Library;
Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News; Jan 24, 2005.
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Date: Wed Apr 12 00:01:12 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--impost
X-Bonus: Rare is the person who can weigh the faults of others without putting his thumb on the scales. -Byron J. Langenfeld
This week's theme: words related to death and taxes.
impost (IM-post) noun
1. A tax or a similar mandatory payment.
2. The weight a horse must carry in a handicap race.
3. The top part of a pillar of a wall, usually projecting in
the form of an ornamental molding, on which an arch rests.
[From Latin imponere (to impose), from ponere (to place).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"The impost on business could be offset with a cut to the corporate
tax rate."
Richard Inder; Sharemarket at Risk of Losing Biggest Firms;
The New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Mar 9, 2006.
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Date: Thu Apr 13 00:01:14 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--anabiosis
X-Bonus: War loses a great deal of romance after a soldier has seen his first battle. -John Singleton Mosby, Confederate colonel in the American Civil War (1833-1916)
This week's theme: words related to death and taxes.
anabiosis (an-uh-bi-O-sis) noun
A return to life after death or apparent death.
[From Greek anabiosis (coming back to life), from anabioun
(to return to life), from ana- (back) + bio- (life).]
Many animals and plants can survive periods of extreme drought or cold. They
reach a state of suspended animation and can come back to life even after
being dormant for years. One such plant is the Rose of Jericho, also known
as Anastatica or Resurrection plant. In dry conditions, its stems curl into
a ball. When blown by the wind, it spreads its seeds along the way. When
moistened, it turns into a green plant again, even after years of dryness.
The curled ball is sold as a curiosity item.
Cryonics is the process of deep-freezing a body for preservation in the
hope that it might be possible to revive it in future. An organization
named Alcor carries out the preservation of whole bodies or just heads
for humans and their pet animals.
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Cargo specialists at Japan Air Lines are studying anabiosis in an effort
to find a cheaper way to transport fresh fish in aircraft."
Resurrection of the Sole; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 22, 1990.
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Date: Fri Apr 14 00:01:36 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--capitation
X-Bonus: There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to prevent its ascendancy. -Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect and author (1743-1826)
This week's theme: words related to death and taxes.
capitation (kap-i-TAY-shuhn) noun
1. A counting of heads.
2. A uniform tax assessed by the head; a poll tax.
3. A fee extracted from each student.
[From Late Latin capitation- (poll tax), from caput (head). Ultimately
from Indo-European root kaput- (head), also the origin of head, captain,
chef, chapter, cadet, cattle, chattel, achieve, biceps, and mischief,
(but not of kaput).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Later, [the] Supreme Court appointed a committee under Justice Jahagirdar
to ensure that the private medical colleges charge no undue capitation
fees."
HC Gives Reprieve to Medical Students; Afternoon Despatch & Courier
(Mumbai, India); Mar 7, 2006.
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Date: Mon Apr 17 00:01:12 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--belles-lettres
X-Bonus: The question why there is evil in existence is the same as why there is imperfection... But this is the real question we ought to ask: Is this imperfection the final truth, is evil absolute and ultimate? -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (1861-1941)
So many channels, so little worth watching! Do you sometimes find yourself
muttering those words? Next week is TV Turnoff Week ( http://tvturnoff.org )
so give that TV a well-deserved rest, and instead say: So many books worth
reading, so little time!
People in the US watch TV for more than four hours a day. That's equivalent
to sitting in front of a TV for two full months nonstop every year. It's not
for nothing that TV has been called the plug-in drug, the boob tube, and the
idiot box. For more, see http://www.screentime.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=14
and http://www.screentime.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=31 .
http://www.screentime.org/facts.php?id=29
It's time to redefine television, from Greek tele- (far) + Latin vision-
(view), as something that deserved to be seen far, far away. Instead, get
closer to books. Cut your screen time and increase your page time. This week
we'll explore a few words from the world of books.
belles-lettres (bel-LET-ruh) noun
Literary works valued for their aesthetic qualities rather than
information or instruction.
[From French belles (fine) + lettres (letters, literature).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Unlike official or traditional poetry, the poetry of survival is not made
up of consolations but of solutions. Unlike our belles-lettres, this book
is fact-dependent, not word-dependent."
Miroslav Holub; The Invaders; Virus X: Tracking the New Killer Plagues;
Los Angeles Times, Feb 2, 1997.
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Date: Tue Apr 18 00:01:17 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--orihon
X-Bonus: The politician is an acrobat. He keeps his balance by saying the opposite of what he does. -Maurice Barres, novelist and politician (1862-1923)
This week's theme: words about books.
orihon (OR-ee-hon) noun
A book or manuscript folded like an accordion: a roll of paper inscribed
on one side only, folded backwards and forwards.
[From Japanese, ori (fold), + hon (book).]
Here's a picture of an orihon: http://www2.odn.ne.jp/reliure/imgs3/k_orihon.jpg
The word origami is from the same root, from Japanese ori (fold) + -gami,
kami (paper), the art of paper folding that can coax a whole menagerie from
a few sheets of paper.
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"He created an orihon binding -- an accordion-style technique that
allowed the book to expand to more than 60 feet."
Veronica Chestnut; Digital Printing at Harvard; Electronic Publishing,
Jul 1997.
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Date: Wed Apr 19 00:01:14 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--amphigory
X-Bonus: The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. -Richard Bach, writer (1936- )
This week's theme: words about books.
amphigory (AM-fi-gor-ee) noun, also amphigouri
A nonsensical piece of writing, usually in verse form, typically composed
as a parody.
[From French amphigouri, of obscure origin.]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"More jeers than cheers currently greet the amphigories of Father
Divine, and the followers of kindred dark-town messiahs are noisier
than they are numerous."
Mark Gauvreau Judge; Justice to George S. Schuyler; Policy Review
(Washington, DC), Aug/Sep 2000.
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Date: Thu Apr 20 00:01:13 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--conspectus
X-Bonus: When work is a pleasure, life is a joy! When work is a duty, life is slavery. -Maxim Gorky, author (1868-1936)
This week's theme: words about books.
conspectus (kuhn-SPEK-tuhs) noun
A general survey, synopsis, outline, or digest of something.
[From Latin conspectus, past participle of conspicere, from con- (complete)
+ spicere (to look). Ultimately from Indo-European root spek- (to observe)
which is also the ancestor of such words as suspect, spectrum, bishop
(literally, overseer), espionage, despise, telescope, spectator, and
spectacles.]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Meanwhile, for a well-informed, critical, independent-minded but
essentially traditional view of the subject, we have a new conspectus
[Europe's Reformations] by James D. Tracy. He is masterly in absorbing
information and masterful in organizing it -- skeptical of fashion,
clear in exposition, fluent in communication, unremittingly scholarly."
Felipe Fernandez-Armesto; Real Zeal; New York Times Book Review,
Jun 11, 2000.
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Date: Fri Apr 21 00:01:15 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--magnum opus
X-Bonus: There are years that ask questions and years that answer. -Zora Neale Hurston, folklorist and writer (1891-1960)
This week's theme: words about books.
magnum opus (MAG-num OH-puhs) noun (plural magnum opuses or magna opera)
A great work of literature, music, art, etc., especially the finest
work of an individual.
[From Latin magnum, neuter of magnus (large), opus (work).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Bespectacled, bearded and balding, Mr. Chkhartishvili is faintly ill at
ease about fame. For years, he earned his living translating Japanese
literature and working on what he still considers his magnum opus, a
gloomy book entitled 'The Writer and Suicide.' His idea of a good time
is to stroll around a cemetery."
Guy Chazan; Roll Over, Dostoyevsky: Serious Russian Writers Reinvent the
Thriller; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Feb 25, 2002.
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Date: Mon Apr 24 00:01:24 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--oniomania
X-Bonus: Permanent good can never be the outcome of untruth and violence. -Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Oniomania is another word for the urge to shop till you drop, habit of the
debit, thrill of the bill. According to a pearl of ancient wisdom, we don't
acquire things, things acquire us. In the case of oniomaniacs, it is perhaps
the fun of acquiring things that acquires them.
Imelda Marcos of the Philippines could be one prime example of this category,
also known as shopaholics, though she could be better known as a shoeaholic.
This week we'll look at five uncommon words with common suffixes and prefixes.
oniomania (O-nee-uh-MAY-nee-uh, -MAYN-yuh) noun
Compulsive shopping; excessive, uncontrollable desire to buy things.
[From Latin, from Greek onios (for sale), from onos (price) + -mania.]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Like other compulsive disorders, scientists are working on a cure for
oniomania. And according to a report in HealthScout, it could be just
around the corner. At Stanford University, researchers are testing a
drug to treat a shopaholic's desire to spend."
Phenomena; Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Nov 25, 2000.
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Date: Tue Apr 25 00:01:14 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--garbology
X-Bonus: If stock market experts were so expert, they would be buying stock, not selling advice. -Norman R. Augustine, industrialist (1935- )
This week's theme: uncommon words with common suffixes or prefixes.
garbology (gar-BOL-uh-jee) noun
The study of a society or culture by examining what it discards.
[From garbage (which was originally the word for offal from fowls) + -logy
(study).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Though garbology remains a relatively unplumbed subject, several colleges
and universities offer courses that look at what people throw away and how
it reflects who they are."
Tina Kelley; Class at N.Y.U. Looks for Deeper Meaning at Fresh Kills;
The New York Times; Mar 23, 2000.
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Date: Wed Apr 26 00:01:19 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--onychophagia
X-Bonus: Kindness is not without its rocks ahead. People are apt to put it down to an easy temper and seldom recognize it as the secret striving of a generous nature; whilst, on the other hand, the ill-natured get credit for all the evil they refrain from. -Honore De Balzac, novelist (1799-1850)
This week's theme: uncommon words with common suffixes or prefixes.
onychophagia (on-i-ko-FAY-juh, -jee-uh) noun
The practice of biting one's nails.
[From Greek onycho-, from onyx (nail) + -phagia (eating).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"If bad-tasting polish, gloves or fake nails haven't cured your
onychophagia, these tips may help."
Maria Liberty; Easy, Essential Nail Care; Better Nutrition for Today's
Living (Atlanta); Mar 1994.
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Date: Thu Apr 27 00:01:18 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--philography
X-Bonus: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (1901-1978)
This week's theme: uncommon words with common suffixes or prefixes.
philography (fi-LOG-ruh-fee) noun
The practice of collecting autographs.
[From Greek philo- (loving) + -graphy (writing).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Virtually anything to which ink will stick can be collected, swapped or
sold, according to the Universal Autograph Collectors Club, a 2,000-member
association of experts in the field of philography."
Ben Steelman; While You're Standing in Line; The Wilmington Morning
Star (North Carolina); Oct 22, 1998.
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Date: Fri Apr 28 00:01:22 EDT 2006
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--theophany
X-Bonus: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (1942-1970)
This week's theme: uncommon words with common suffixes or prefixes.
theophany (thee-OF-uh-nee) noun
An appearance of a god to a person.
[From Medieval Latin theophania, from Late Greek theophaneia, from Greek
theo- (god) + -phaneia (to show).]
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Any mundane reality could yield a theophany, if approached with reverent
imagination: a place, a rock, a tree, a man or a woman."
Karen Armstrong; Divinity and Gender: a God For Both Sexes;
The Economist (London, UK); Dec 21, 1996.