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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:18 am
by Algot Runeman
effendi

/ɛˈfɛndi/
noun
Plural effendis
1 A man of high education or social standing in an eastern Mediterranean or Arab country.
1.1 historical - A title of respect or courtesy in Turkey.

Origin
Early 17th century: from Turkish efendi, from modern Greek aphentēs, from Greek authentēs ‘lord, master’.

==========

"Do not offend, ye, even a pedestrian effendi, especially one wearing a fez and carrying Pez."
[Sounds like wise advice, which I have clearly ignored with this 'irreverent' use of the word.]

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 7:20 am
by Algot Runeman
lovat

/ˈlʌvət/
(also lovat green)
noun
mass noun
A muted green colour used especially in tweed and woollen garments.

Origin
Early 20th century: from Lovat, a place name in Highland Scotland.

He pulled down the lovat green shades before being seated for an intimate dinner.

[To do this post, I took the word of Colourlovers.com. Who am I (color blind) to argue?]

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 8:36 am
by Algot Runeman
stark

/stɑːk/
adjective
1 Severe or bare in appearance or outline.
1.1 Unpleasantly or sharply clear.
2 attributive Complete; sheer.
2.1 rare Completely naked.
3 archaic, literary Stiff, rigid, or incapable of movement.
3.1 Physically strong or powerful.

Origin
Old English stearc ‘unyielding, severe’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch sterk and German stark ‘strong’.

==========

The stark contrast of wet and dry is a hallmark of thunderstorms, particularly in eastern Colorado.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 7:13 am
by Algot Runeman
bodger

/bɒdʒə/
noun
Workman of the Windsor, England region whose job it was to manufacture the legs and stretchers of a Windsor chair out of beech wood. The work was typically done using green wood and a lathe constructed on site, and was accomplished where the trees were located rather than in a workshop of fixed location.

Origin - uncertain, but not to be confused with "botch" meaning badly done work
==========

Benny was a bodger
Who worked, sometimes with Roger.
Their output of chair legs, prodigious,
Rest on Sundays, they were religious.
They also sold wood shavings
To augment their life savings.
They did their craft with beech,
Which they traveled far to reach,
And did their work in place
With impressive speed and grace.
Their profession, now, is gone.
And is rarely thought upon.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:02 am
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
Algot Runeman wrote:bodger
Was there ever a Los Angeles Dodgers vs Windsor Bodgers?

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:30 am
by Algot Runeman
musculature

/ˈmʌskjʊlətʃə/
noun
mass noun
The system or arrangement of muscles in a body, part of the body, or an organ.

Origin
Late 19th century: from French, from Latin musculus (see muscle).

===========

Smile, it takes less musculature to do that than it does to frown.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:11 pm
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
Algot Runeman wrote:musculature
On 16 April 2016 the number of WotD views was 1,124,605.
That counter stood at 1,622,092 today, 6 March 2018 @ 17:35 GMT +1.

This means that the venerable "Word of the Day" has been viewed 722 times each day on average.

That's nothing to sneeze at, and not because it takes considerable musculature for just a humble sneeze.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 9:55 am
by Algot Runeman
textaholic

/ˈtɛkstəˈhɒlɪk/
noun
One who spends a great deal of time sending text messages.

Origin
text +‎ -aholic, extraction from alcoholic

==========

My grandchildren are not quite textaholics, but they do use text messages as their primary mode of communication, almost never checking email at all. The difficulty with texting is knowing when to stop answering the latest in the string of one word responses.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:43 am
by Algot Runeman
network

/ˈnɛtwəːk/
noun
1 An arrangement of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines.
2 A group or system of interconnected people or things.
2.1 A complex system of railways, roads, or other routes.
2.2 A group of people who exchange information and contacts for professional or social purposes.
2.3 A group of broadcasting stations that connect for the simultaneous broadcast of a programme.
as modifier ‘network television’
2.4 A number of interconnected computers, machines, or operations.
2.5 A system of connected electrical conductors.
verb
1 with object Connect as or operate with a network.
1.1 British Broadcast (a programme) on a network.
1.2 Link (computers or other machines) to operate interactively.
2 often as noun networking - no object - Interact with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.

==========

The definition of network is itself a network of definitions.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:27 am
by Algot Runeman
bespoke

/bɪˈspəʊk/
adjective
British
1 Made for a particular customer or user.
1.1 Making or selling bespoke goods, especially clothing.

Origin
Mid 18th century: past participle of bespeak.

==========

Word of the Day may actually be the antithesis of a bespoke creation. While I might be thinking of just one of you who read these daily things, the Internet makes it available to anybody who cares.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:55 am
by Algot Runeman
kraken

/ˈkrɑːk(ə)n/
noun
An enormous mythical sea monster said to appear off the coast of Norway.

Origin
Norwegian.

==========

Oskar didn't believe in sea monsters, but on one swift-sailing Saturday, the Kraken got his sailboat anyway.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 8:52 am
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
Algot Runeman wrote:kraken
You do remind me of "The Kraken Wakes" by John Wyndham.

It's been sooo long ago, I really ought to reread it.

If I'd only remember where I put it ? ....

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 7:37 am
by Algot Runeman
envoi
(also envoy)

/ˈɛnvɔɪ/
noun
1 A short stanza concluding a ballade.
2 literary An author's concluding words.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French envoi, from envoyer ‘send’ (see envoy).

==========

And so the end has come
Though fun we have had some
The end is here...
Nah! I'll be here tomorrow.
No envoi today.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:08 am
by Algot Runeman
serious

/ˈsɪərɪəs/
adjective
1 Demanding or characterized by careful consideration or application.
1.1 Solemn or thoughtful in character or manner.
1.2 (of music, literature, or other art forms) requiring or meriting deep reflection.
2 Acting or speaking sincerely and in earnest, rather than in a joking or half-hearted manner.
3 Significant or worrying because of possible danger or risk; not slight or negligible.
4 informal attributive Substantial in terms of size, number, or quality.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French serieux or late Latin seriosus, from Latin serius ‘earnest, serious’.

==========

Being fatuous is my wont.
But today must take a jaunt
Attempting something serious.
Instead of just delirious.

But joy need not be silly.
Bouncing around willy-nilly.
Keeping my face straight
I see the world as great!

[The ODO, dictionary of choice for words of the day, repeated "fatuous", so it could not be the official entry today. I sneaked it in anyway, of course, never to be too serious.]

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:18 am
by Algot Runeman
syrinx

/ˈsɪrɪŋks/ (sigh-rinks)
noun
Plural syrinxes
1 A set of pan pipes.
2 Ornithology
The lower larynx or voice organ in birds, situated at or near the junction of the trachea and bronchi and well developed in songbirds.

Origin
Early 17th century: via Latin from Greek surinx ‘pipe, channel’.

==========

The crafty crow gamed the syrinx system.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:18 am
by Algot Runeman
biochar

/ˈbʌɪəʊtʃɑː/ [bye-oh-char]
noun
mass noun
Charcoal produced from plant matter and stored in the soil as a means of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Origin
1990s: blend of biomass and charcoal.

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Birmingham Bioprocucts processes the city's suitable waste at a profit, selling the biochar they produce as a soil amendment to the region's farmers who use it along with commercial fertilizer to enhance crop growth. The company captures the syngas byproduct to run their operation.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:22 am
by Algot Runeman
inscape

/ˈɪnskeɪp/ [ins-cape]
noun
literary
The unique inner nature of a person or object as shown in a work of art, especially a poem.

Origin
Mid 19th century (originally in the poetic theory of Gerard Manley Hopkins): perhaps from in- ‘within’ + -scape.

==========

Henry hid his inscape.
To do that, he wore a cape.
In the current world of fashion.
His look was really clashin'

In eighteen hundreds London
He'd have been one among 'em.
But in 2100s USA
He is sadly gone astray.

Express your "self" as you may
When at work or else at play.
"Clothes make the man."
Never said in the nudist clan.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:38 am
by Algot Runeman
goldendoodle

/ˈɡəʊld(ə)nduːd(ə)l/
noun
A dog that is a cross-breed of a golden retriever and a poodle.

Origin
Early 21st century: blend of golden and labradoodle.

==========

George decided on a large goldendoodle for his next dog. The puppy's parents had great personalities.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:27 am
by Algot Runeman
parachronism

/pəˈrakrənɪz(ə)m/
noun
An error in chronology, especially by assigning too late a date.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from para- ‘beyond’ + Greek khronos ‘time’ + -ism, perhaps suggested by anachronism.

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Parachronism is frequently evidenced by stories placing humans and dinosaurs in the same time period.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 8:13 am
by Algot Runeman
perficient

/pəˈfɪʃnt/ [per-fish-ent]
adjective
That accomplishes or achieves something; effectual.

Origin
Mid 17th century (in an earlier sense). From classical Latin perficient-, perficiēns, present participle of perficere to complete, finish, accomplish.

==========

Learn a new language to get the meaning across. You will be perficient even if you don't always get the grammar right. Learn your native language for the same reason.

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["Buenas dias" should be "Buenos dias" and "Guden Tag" should be "Guten Tag", but I bet most of you figured out the greeting idea, anyway.]

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 6:34 am
by Algot Runeman
credenza

/krɪˈdɛnzə/ [kree-den-zaa]
noun
A sideboard or cupboard.

Origin
Late 19th century: Italian, from medieval Latin credentia (see credence).

==========

Tom trusted his credenza's strength enough that he put his 3D printer and office-quality laser printer on it.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 6:12 pm
by voralfred
Algot Runeman wrote:credenza

/krɪˈdɛnzə/ [kree-den-zaa]
noun
A sideboard or cupboard.

Origin
Late 19th century: Italian, from medieval Latin credentia (see credence).

==========

Tom trusted his credenza's strength enough that he put his 3D printer and office-quality laser printer on it.

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At the look at it, I would not give any credence to Tom's trust in the strength of this credenza. Maybe he was too credulous : he got himself convinced by the cadences of the perficient seller's voice.

Not only that, but using a manifestly 19th century credence to put such a recent item as a laser printer, to say nothing of a dog goldendoogle 3D printer is a severe parachronism.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:46 pm
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
voralfred wrote:
Algot Runeman wrote:credenza
...
At the look at it, I would not give any credence to Tom's trust in the strength of this credenza. Maybe he was too credulous : he got himself convinced by the cadences of the perficient seller's voice.
...
I think Tom is a diehard fan of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:40 am
by Algot Runeman
nullibiety

/ˌnʌlɪˈbʌɪɪti/
noun
The state or condition of existing nowhere; non-existence.

Origin

Mid 17th century; earliest use found in John Wilkins (1614–1672), theologian and natural philosopher. From post-classical Latin nullibi nowhere + -iety.

==========

I wonder if I will find nullibiety anywhere but here this week.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:37 pm
by voralfred
Without being fatuous, I'd remark that, by definition, you cannot find nullibiety anywhere, neither here nor anywhere else. :D