This week’s theme
Words derived from body parts

This week’s words
visceral
blood-and-guts
hamstring
chopped liver
heart-whole

---

A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(BLUHD-n-GUHTS)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Marked by great violence, especially when depicted in a graphic way.
2. Dealing with fundamental concerns.
3. Performed with great zeal or vigor.

ETYMOLOGY:

From blood, from Old English blod and gut, from Old English guttas (guts). Earliest documented use: 1894.

USAGE:

“Mortal Kombat, the blood-and-guts arcade game that triggered Congressional hearings ... [had] a feature giving players the gory choice of whether to kill by decapitating an opponent or ripping out their heart.”
Mortal Kombat Among Four Inducted to Video Game Hall of Fame; Associated Press; May 3, 2019.

“Economics is often an ivory tower pursuit, and Nobel winners get penthouse views. ... But the difference between [James] Heckman and many Nobel winners is that he takes on blood-and-guts issues that affect real people.”
David Greising; Nobel Economist Deflates Policies, Guts Assumptions; Chicago Tribune; Oct 18, 2000.

“Pairing two standout siblings on the same team can lead to bickering, jealousy, and some blood-and-guts competition.”
Andy Olson; Sisters Are Biggest Fish in the Pool; Milwaukee Journal (Wisconsin); Sep 30, 1993.

See more usage examples of blood-and-guts in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: