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Jan 8, 2008
This week's theme
Whose what? (animal edition)

This week's words
mare's nest
dog's letter
sheep's eyes
donkey's years
cat's paw
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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

dog's letter

Pronunciation Sound Clip RealAudio

dog's letter (dogz LET-uhr) noun

The letter R.

[From Latin littera canina, literally dog's letter. In Latin the sound of the letter R was trilled. Think Grrr! of a snarling dog. A good example of a trilling R is none other that the Spanish word for a dog: perro.]

"There is only the difference of the dog's letter between friend and fiend."
The Westminster Review (London, UK); 1830.

X-Bonus

Faith which does not doubt is dead faith. -Miguel de Unamuno, philosopher and writer (1864-1936)

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