This week’s theme
Terms used figuratively

This week’s words
gilded cage
cheeseparing
cold feet
ephemera
golden handcuffs

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(i-FEM-uhr-uh)

MEANING:

noun:
1. Things that last only a short time.
2. Things of no lasting significance.
3. Items such as tickets, postcards, and letters that are intended to be discarded after use but sometimes become collectibles.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek ephemera, plural of ephemeros (short-lived), from epi- (upon) + hemera (day). Earliest documented use: 1398.

USAGE:

“It would be a mistake to dismiss the issues roiling the book business as ephemera.”
Alex Clark; The Publishing Wars; New Statesman (London, UK); Jul 22, 2022.

“The exhibition includes more than 200 items of ephemera, with letters, photographs, telegrams, manuscripts, copies of The Little Review, and more.”
Gemma Tipton; The Women Who Helped Joyce Make Ulysses; Irish Times (Dublin); Feb 5, 2022.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: