Page 315 of 410

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 5:36 am
by Algot Runeman
lobotomy

/ləˈbɒtəmi/
noun
A surgical operation involving incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to treat mental illness.
Compare with leucotomy
mass noun

==========

My lobotomy didn't take quite as intended. I am just as crazy as before, but now have direct access to the Net. I might be the first to get a "robotomy"!

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 5:46 am
by Algot Runeman
mermaid

/ˈməːmeɪd/
noun
A mythical sea creature with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail of a fish, conventionally depicted as beautiful and with long flowing golden hair.

Origin
Middle English: from mere (in the obsolete sense ‘sea’) + maid.

==========

Martin maintained, despite the conventional wisdom, that the mermaid he saw did not have long flowing golden hair.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 7:12 am
by Algot Runeman
imbroglio

/ɪmˈbrəʊlɪəʊ/
noun
1 An extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation.
1.1 archaic A confused heap.

Origin
Mid 18th century: Italian, from imbrogliare ‘confuse’; related to embroil.

==========

It had been a sudden imbroglio. He didn't understand how it happened.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:26 am
by voralfred
Let us hope that the imbroglio that Martin has started by maintaining steadfastly that the mermaid he saw did not have long flowing golden hair didn't end by his getting a lobotomy !

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:38 am
by Algot Runeman
let-down

/ˈlɛtdaʊn/
noun
1 A disappointment.
2 mass noun - The release of milk in a nursing mother or lactating animal as a reflex response to suckling or massage.
3 Aeronautics - The descent of an aircraft or spacecraft prior to landing.

==========

After a very promising let-down during the early part of his landing glide, Bob's final touchdown was a significant let-down.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 12:24 am
by voralfred
In the cattle-transport plane that flew him and his mother for dairy herd regeneration, the hungry calf felt let-down. Suckling his mother did not produce any let-down of milk, because of the stress caused to her by the final let-down of the plane.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:28 am
by Algot Runeman
glossolalia

/ˌɡlɒsəˈleɪlɪə/
noun
mass noun
The phenomenon of (apparently) speaking in an unknown language, especially in religious worship. It is practiced especially by Pentecostal and charismatic Christians.

Origin
Late 19th century: from Greek glōssa ‘language, tongue’ + lalia ‘speech’.

==========

Marie, in the throes of her passion, called out. Her glossolalia, certain praise of God.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 8:28 am
by Algot Runeman
spatulate

/ˈspatjʊlət/
adjective
1 Having a broad, rounded end.
1.1 Botany Zoology Broad at the apex and tapered to the base.

==========

Tom's spathulate fingers made it easy to use his kayak.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:43 am
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
Algot Runeman wrote:spatulate
It's astonishing, when you think about it, how many different people spatulate.

Guess the respective professions:
Spoiler: show
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
Answers:
Spoiler: show
1. dentist (or dental assistant)
2. mason
3. housewife
4. chef
5. teppanyaki chef
6. pastry cook

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 5:15 am
by Algot Runeman
reprimand

/ˈrɛprɪmɑːnd/
noun
A formal expression of disapproval.
verb
[with object]
Address a reprimand to.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from French réprimande, via Spanish from Latin reprimenda, ‘things to be held in check’, neuter plural gerundive of reprimere (see repress).

==========

I narrowly avoided an official reprimand from the masses of WotD players. Today's word, offered by ODO had been used before, TWICE, and shall only get oblique mention today.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 4:31 pm
by voralfred
Algot Runeman wrote:reprimand

/ˈrɛprɪmɑːnd/
noun
A formal expression of disapproval.
verb
[with object]
Address a reprimand to.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from French réprimande, via Spanish from Latin reprimenda, ‘things to be held in check’, neuter plural gerundive of reprimere (see repress).

==========

I narrowly avoided an official reprimand from the masses of WotD players. Today's word, offered by ODO had been used before, TWICE, and shall only get oblique mention today.
(...)
Don't worry. Even if you had animadversently aminadvertently offered an WotD already used, this would not have gotten you any animadversion from us. Only ODO would deserve a reprimand, from the masses represented by the user of high precision metallic spatulas (first kind) and myself, whose only direct exposition to the diverse world of spatulas was limited to the third kind.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:00 am
by Algot Runeman
avast

/əˈvɑːst/
exclamation
Nautical
Stop; cease.

Origin
Early 17th century: from Dutch hou'vast, houd vast ‘hold fast!’.

==========

"Avast!", yelled the first mate. The mainsail snapped as it filled with the chill north wind, and all the ordinary seamen. turned his way, awaiting their next order. The vast ocean and uncaring sky looked on.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:02 am
by Algot Runeman
schlep

/ʃlɛp/
(also schlepp)
verb
[with object]North American
informal
1 Haul or carry (something heavy or awkward)
1.1 no object, with adverbial of direction (of a person) go or move reluctantly or with effort.
noun
North American
informal
1 A tedious or difficult journey.
2 another term for schlepper

Origin
Early 20th century (as a verb): from Yiddish shlepn ‘drag’, from Middle High German sleppen.

==========

Sarah schlepped her groceries home. Luckily, her apartment was only a second floor walk-up and only three blocks from the market.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:33 am
by Algot Runeman
bully1

/ˈbʊli/
noun
A person who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable.
verb
[with object]
Seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable)

Origin
Mid 16th century: probably from Middle Dutch boele ‘lover’. Original use was as a term of endearment applied to either sex; it later became a familiar form of address to a male friend. The current sense dates from the late 17th century.

==========

Joe was a bully. That's all there is to say.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:51 am
by voralfred
My wife never bullies me into schlepping the groceries for her. I do schlep them, but as a healthy exercise to keep in shape and remain, at almost 65, attractive in her eyes. (As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder....)

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:44 pm
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
voralfred wrote:... healthy exercise to keep in shape ...
"Bully for you!" as Theodore Roosevelt used to say.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 5:15 am
by Algot Runeman
acentric

/eɪˈsɛntrɪk/
adjective
1 Without a centre; not centralized.
1.1 Genetics (of a chromosome) having no centromere.

==========

It did not bother Tom in the least that the donut was acentric. It was how donuts had "always" been.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 7:49 am
by Algot Runeman
frazil

/ˈfreɪz(ə)l/
(also frazil ice)
noun
mass noun
North American
Soft or amorphous ice formed by the accumulation of ice crystals in water that is too turbulent to freeze solid.

Origin
Late 19th century: from Canadian French frasil ‘snow floating in the water’, from French fraisil ‘cinders’.

==========

Coming back to the mooring, Tony was glad there was only frazil ice that his boat could pass through. Soon he'd be done for the season, pulling the boat out of the water before the inner harbor froze solid.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:25 am
by E Pericoloso Sporgersi
Algot Runeman wrote:frazil
In practically every diner, café and restaurant in Spain they have a special beverage machine sitting in plain view on the counter. It freezes a mixture of sugar, water, orange juice or lemon juice or mint syrup , but the machine constantly keeps stirring the undercooled liquid which avoids the frozen particles freezing solid.

The machine actually produces a delicious and refreshing Spanish fruit frazil called "granizado de naranja/limon/mente".
Spoiler: show
Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:35 am
by voralfred
My favorite frazil is granizado de limon. But since what keeps the water from freezing solid, apart from the constant strirring, is its high content of sugar, I have to keep my intake to a minimum to avoid losing all the benefit of schlepping groceries...

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:08 am
by Algot Runeman
We also have the "Icee-Freeze" machines in our local "convenience" stores. They don't pretend any quality of beverage like the ones you describe from Europe, just sugary water with "blue raspberry" or grape or cherry flavoring (artificial for sure). Right beside these machines is often a bigger one which delivers carbonated beverages by mixing syrup flavor, water, and carbonation from compressed gas cylinders. The "Big Gulp" at 32 ounces is popular, I've heard. Maybe that size is popular because it comes close to being a liter (doubt it!).

Bigger supermarkets don't cater to the same desires, I guess.

Frazil does not even enter the conversation, in spite of being listed by ODO as a North American term.

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:19 am
by Algot Runeman
anergy

/ˈanədʒi/
noun
mass noun
Medicine
Absence of the normal immune response to a particular antigen or allergen.

Origin
Early 20th century: from German Anergie, from Greek an- ‘not’, on the pattern of Allergie ‘allergy’.

==========

Sally sallied forth to face the day. It wasn't too long before she wound down because her anergy quickly drained her energy.

Image

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 7:01 am
by Algot Runeman
toggle switch

/ˈtɒɡ(ə)l/
noun
1 An electric switch operated by means of a projecting lever that is moved up and down.
2 Computing
another term for toggle

Origin
Mid 18th century (originally in nautical use): of unknown origin.

==========

I find myself on and off again about toggle switches.

Image

(For the fastidious among you, today's ODO recommendation was a word we had used before. This selection was based on having the illustration at hand.)

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:07 pm
by voralfred
Sometimes, in the fall, after weeks when the leaves just changed colour on the trees, it happens suddenly that all the leaves simultaneously undergo abscission, as if this were activated by a toggle switch.

Wow ! Introducing abscission with your choice of replacement WoTD was even more artificial than last time. I hope this awkwardness will not bring you to feel animadversion against me....

Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:35 am
by Algot Runeman
augur

/ˈɔːɡə/
verb
[no object]augur well/badly/ill
1 (of an event or circumstance) portend a good or bad outcome.
1.1 with object Portend or bode (a specified outcome)
1.2 archaic - with object Foresee or predict.
noun
(in ancient Rome) a religious official who observed natural signs, especially the behaviour of birds, interpreting these as an indication of divine approval or disapproval of a proposed action.

Usage
The spellings augur (a verb meaning ‘portend a good or bad outcome’, as in this augurs well) and auger (a type of tool used for boring) are sometimes confused, but the two words are quite different in both their present meaning and their origins

Origin
Late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin, ‘diviner’.

==========

Augustus averred that the oracle's pronouncement augured well for the planned making of holes with the auger.

Image