Word of the Day for Thursday June 8, 2006
arbiter \AR-buh-tuhr\, noun: 1. A person appointed or chosen to judge or decide a dispute. 2. Any person who has the power of judging and determining.
There was no shortage of such socially knowing, good-natured, and adaptable folk among the charter members of the Institute, especially in its department of literature, where a sizable number were not really literary practitioners but instead high-quality magazine editors, professors, and other well-settled arbiters of taste.
-- John Updike (Editor), A Century of Arts & Letters
Justin had a way of making people want to do things for him; of all the kids he had made himself the arbiter of cool.
-- Rebecca Chace, Capture the Flag
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Arbiter is from Latin arbiter, "a witness, a spectator," hence "a judge of any matter."
GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)
Word of the Day for Wednesday June 14, 2006
choleric \KOL-uh-rik; kuh-LAIR-ik\, adjective: 1. Easily irritated; inclined to anger; bad-tempered. 2. Angry; indicating or expressing anger; excited by anger.
At his trial, Ferrars argued that he had always been of such choleric disposition that, at times when his blood was up, he knew not right from wrong.
-- Theodore Dalrymple, "Rages of the Age: On 'road rage,' 'air rage,' 'rink rage' . . .", National Review, February 11, 2002
But the records of his service show that Jacobsz was also choleric, quick-tempered, and sensitive to any slight; that he sometimes drank to excess.
-- Mike Dash, Batavia's Graveyard
The expression in his face -- pinched, vengeful, and mean -- could assign to a choleric temperament or a display of tactical emotion on the part of a clever bully.
-- Lewis H. Lapham, "Notebook", Harper's Magazine, February 2001
A portrait of Dalrymple in middle age shows him to be of corpulent figure with petulant lips, beefy face, and choleric eyes that glare accusingly at the viewer.
-- Alan Gurney, Below the Convergence
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Choleric is the adjective form of choler, "yellow bile," from Latin cholera, "a bilious disease," from Greek kholera, from khole, "bile." Choler was supposed by medieval physicians to be the source of irritability.
choleric \KOL-uh-rik; kuh-LAIR-ik\, adjective: 1. Easily irritated; inclined to anger; bad-tempered. 2. Angry; indicating or expressing anger; excited by anger.
At his trial, Ferrars argued that he had always been of such choleric disposition that, at times when his blood was up, he knew not right from wrong.
-- Theodore Dalrymple, "Rages of the Age: On 'road rage,' 'air rage,' 'rink rage' . . .", National Review, February 11, 2002
But the records of his service show that Jacobsz was also choleric, quick-tempered, and sensitive to any slight; that he sometimes drank to excess.
-- Mike Dash, Batavia's Graveyard
The expression in his face -- pinched, vengeful, and mean -- could assign to a choleric temperament or a display of tactical emotion on the part of a clever bully.
-- Lewis H. Lapham, "Notebook", Harper's Magazine, February 2001
A portrait of Dalrymple in middle age shows him to be of corpulent figure with petulant lips, beefy face, and choleric eyes that glare accusingly at the viewer.
-- Alan Gurney, Below the Convergence
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Choleric is the adjective form of choler, "yellow bile," from Latin cholera, "a bilious disease," from Greek kholera, from khole, "bile." Choler was supposed by medieval physicians to be the source of irritability.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Thursday June 15, 2006
juxtaposition \juhk-stuh-puh-ZISH-uhn\, noun: The act or an instance of placing in nearness or side by side.
I had sent from Egypt two Coptic sculptures from the fifth and sixth centuries and placed them in juxtaposition with a contemporary stone mask from Zimbabwe, with striking effect.
-- Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Unvanquished: A U.S.-U.N. Saga
This aesthetically pleasing juxtaposition of contradictions is one of the hallmarks of poetry.
-- Ann Marlowe, "Hyphenated Life", New York Times, October 15, 2000
One of the things that made the diary so poignant . . . is the awful juxtaposition of the ordinary and the horrific, the mundane and the unimaginable.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "When a Spirited Teen-Ager Faced the Unimaginable", New York Times, September 29, 1998
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Juxtaposition comes from Latin juxta, "near" + positio, "position," from the past participle of ponere, "to put, to place." The related verb juxtapose means "to place side by side."
juxtaposition \juhk-stuh-puh-ZISH-uhn\, noun: The act or an instance of placing in nearness or side by side.
I had sent from Egypt two Coptic sculptures from the fifth and sixth centuries and placed them in juxtaposition with a contemporary stone mask from Zimbabwe, with striking effect.
-- Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Unvanquished: A U.S.-U.N. Saga
This aesthetically pleasing juxtaposition of contradictions is one of the hallmarks of poetry.
-- Ann Marlowe, "Hyphenated Life", New York Times, October 15, 2000
One of the things that made the diary so poignant . . . is the awful juxtaposition of the ordinary and the horrific, the mundane and the unimaginable.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "When a Spirited Teen-Ager Faced the Unimaginable", New York Times, September 29, 1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juxtaposition comes from Latin juxta, "near" + positio, "position," from the past participle of ponere, "to put, to place." The related verb juxtapose means "to place side by side."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Friday June 16, 2006
salad days \salad days\, noun: A time of youthful inexperience, innocence, or indiscretion.
Those were his salad days, and he thought they might last forever.
-- David Gergen, "They Love You. Watch Out", New York Times, February 2, 1997
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Salad days was coined by Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra: "My salad days,/ When I was green in judgment, cold in blood."
salad days \salad days\, noun: A time of youthful inexperience, innocence, or indiscretion.
Those were his salad days, and he thought they might last forever.
-- David Gergen, "They Love You. Watch Out", New York Times, February 2, 1997
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salad days was coined by Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra: "My salad days,/ When I was green in judgment, cold in blood."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Monday June 19, 2006
ephemeron \ih-FEM-uh-ron\, noun; plural ephemera \ih-FEM-uh-ruh\: 1. Something short-lived or of no lasting significance. 2. ephemera: Items, especially printed matter (as posters, broadsides, pamphlets, etc.), intended to be of use or importance for only a short time but preserved by collectors.
And collections of correspondence will always reveal "a remarkable mind, grappling with everything from the ephemera of day-to-day life to the mysteries of the universe."
-- John Bloom, "The 'Art' of the Review", National Review, May 21, 2002
The Sanskrit word for the world is jagati, while the word for changing or evanescent is jagat: the world's evanescent nature is actually built into the very definition of "world." Yet behind this shimmering ephemeron lies the deeper, sacred reality -- Brahman, the infinite, transcendent reality that covers and pervades all things.
-- Pravrajika Vrajaprana, "Contemporary Spirituality and the Thinning of the Sacred: A Hindu Perspective", Cross Currents, Spring-Summer 2000
It is one of the most collectable of all cult shows, with an army of fans hungry for a plethora of Star Trek ephemera.
-- Nick Pandya, "To boldly go where others don't", The Guardian, March 23, 2002
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Ephemeron is from Greek, from ephemeros, "daily; lasting or living only a day," from epi, "upon" + hemera, "day."
ephemeron \ih-FEM-uh-ron\, noun; plural ephemera \ih-FEM-uh-ruh\: 1. Something short-lived or of no lasting significance. 2. ephemera: Items, especially printed matter (as posters, broadsides, pamphlets, etc.), intended to be of use or importance for only a short time but preserved by collectors.
And collections of correspondence will always reveal "a remarkable mind, grappling with everything from the ephemera of day-to-day life to the mysteries of the universe."
-- John Bloom, "The 'Art' of the Review", National Review, May 21, 2002
The Sanskrit word for the world is jagati, while the word for changing or evanescent is jagat: the world's evanescent nature is actually built into the very definition of "world." Yet behind this shimmering ephemeron lies the deeper, sacred reality -- Brahman, the infinite, transcendent reality that covers and pervades all things.
-- Pravrajika Vrajaprana, "Contemporary Spirituality and the Thinning of the Sacred: A Hindu Perspective", Cross Currents, Spring-Summer 2000
It is one of the most collectable of all cult shows, with an army of fans hungry for a plethora of Star Trek ephemera.
-- Nick Pandya, "To boldly go where others don't", The Guardian, March 23, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ephemeron is from Greek, from ephemeros, "daily; lasting or living only a day," from epi, "upon" + hemera, "day."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Tuesday June 20, 2006
clemency \KLEM-uhn-see\, noun: 1. Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mercy. 2. An act or instance of mercy or leniency. 3. Mildness, especially of weather.
He put in a strong plea for clemency, begging the king to spare the alchemist's life.
-- Janet Gleeson, The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story
The commission . . . hinted that many of those on death row in Illinois deserved clemency.
-- Jodi Wilgoren, "Can use of the penalty be cut back? Illinois study fuels debate", International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2002
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Clemency comes from Latin clementia, from clemens, "mild, merciful."
clemency \KLEM-uhn-see\, noun: 1. Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mercy. 2. An act or instance of mercy or leniency. 3. Mildness, especially of weather.
He put in a strong plea for clemency, begging the king to spare the alchemist's life.
-- Janet Gleeson, The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story
The commission . . . hinted that many of those on death row in Illinois deserved clemency.
-- Jodi Wilgoren, "Can use of the penalty be cut back? Illinois study fuels debate", International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2002
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Clemency comes from Latin clementia, from clemens, "mild, merciful."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Wednesday June 21, 2006
languor \LANG-guhr; LANG-uhr\, noun: 1. Mental or physical weariness or fatigue. 2. Listless indolence, especially the indolence of one who is satiated by a life of luxury or pleasure. 3. A heaviness or oppressive stillness of the air.
Without health life is not life, wrote Rabelais, "life is not livable. . . . Without health life is nothing but languor."
-- Joseph Epstein, Narcissus Leaves the Pool
Charles's court exuded a congenial hedonism. It was exuberant and intemperate, given to both languor and excess.
-- John Brewer, The Pleasures of the Imagination
Outside the window, New Orleans . . . brooded in a faintly tarnished languor, like an aging yet still beautiful courtesan in a smokefilled room, avid yet weary too of ardent ways.
-- Thomas S. Hines, William Faulkner and the Tangible Past
Sleep and dreams would swallow up the languor of daytime.
-- Patrick Chamoiseau, School Days (translated by Linda Coverdale)
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Languor is from Latin languor, from languere, "to be faint or weak." The adjective form is languorous.
languor \LANG-guhr; LANG-uhr\, noun: 1. Mental or physical weariness or fatigue. 2. Listless indolence, especially the indolence of one who is satiated by a life of luxury or pleasure. 3. A heaviness or oppressive stillness of the air.
Without health life is not life, wrote Rabelais, "life is not livable. . . . Without health life is nothing but languor."
-- Joseph Epstein, Narcissus Leaves the Pool
Charles's court exuded a congenial hedonism. It was exuberant and intemperate, given to both languor and excess.
-- John Brewer, The Pleasures of the Imagination
Outside the window, New Orleans . . . brooded in a faintly tarnished languor, like an aging yet still beautiful courtesan in a smokefilled room, avid yet weary too of ardent ways.
-- Thomas S. Hines, William Faulkner and the Tangible Past
Sleep and dreams would swallow up the languor of daytime.
-- Patrick Chamoiseau, School Days (translated by Linda Coverdale)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Languor is from Latin languor, from languere, "to be faint or weak." The adjective form is languorous.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Thursday June 22, 2006
sobriquet \SO-brih-kay; -ket; so-brih-KAY; -KET\, noun: A nickname; an assumed name; an epithet.
In addition to his notorious amours, he became distinguished for a turbulent naval career, particularly for the storms he weathered, thus bringing him the sobriquet "Foulweather Jack".
-- Phyllis Grosskurth, Byron: The Flawed Angel
At a small reception on the occasion of my twenty-fifth anniversary in this position, my good friend Izzy Landes raised a glass and dubbed me the Curator of the Curators, a sobriquet I have worn with pride ever since.
-- Alfred Alcorn, Murder in the Museum of Man
There was an omnivorous intellect that won him the family sobriquet of Walking Encyclopedia.
-- Eric Liu, The Accidental Asian
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Sobriquet is from the French, from Old French soubriquet, "a chuck under the chin, hence, an affront, a nickname."
sobriquet \SO-brih-kay; -ket; so-brih-KAY; -KET\, noun: A nickname; an assumed name; an epithet.
In addition to his notorious amours, he became distinguished for a turbulent naval career, particularly for the storms he weathered, thus bringing him the sobriquet "Foulweather Jack".
-- Phyllis Grosskurth, Byron: The Flawed Angel
At a small reception on the occasion of my twenty-fifth anniversary in this position, my good friend Izzy Landes raised a glass and dubbed me the Curator of the Curators, a sobriquet I have worn with pride ever since.
-- Alfred Alcorn, Murder in the Museum of Man
There was an omnivorous intellect that won him the family sobriquet of Walking Encyclopedia.
-- Eric Liu, The Accidental Asian
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sobriquet is from the French, from Old French soubriquet, "a chuck under the chin, hence, an affront, a nickname."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Friday June 23, 2006
littoral \LIH-tuh-rul\, adjective: 1. Of, relating to, or on a coastal or shore region, especially a seashore.
noun: 1. A coastal region, especially the zone between the limits of high and low tides.
Professor Henslow tells me, he believes that nearly all the plants which I brought from these islands, are common littoral species in the East Indian archipelago.
-- Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle
A country that is landlocked or has few neighbors will be more vulnerable than one that is littoral or extensive.
-- Franklin L. Lavin,, "Asphyxiation or Oxygen? The Sanctions Dilemma", Foreign Policy, September-October 1996
Like 49ers staking claims in California, the five littoral nations have asserted overlapping territorial claims in the Caspian itself.
-- Richard Stone, "Caspian Ecology Teeters On the Brink", Science, January 18, 2002
As the Portuguese moved south along the Upper Guinea Coast along the littoral of Sierra Leone, a region known as the Windward Coast, they entered another major area of rice cultivation.
-- Judith A. Carney, Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas
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Littoral derives from Latin littoralis, litoralis, from litor-, litus, "the seashore."
littoral \LIH-tuh-rul\, adjective: 1. Of, relating to, or on a coastal or shore region, especially a seashore.
noun: 1. A coastal region, especially the zone between the limits of high and low tides.
Professor Henslow tells me, he believes that nearly all the plants which I brought from these islands, are common littoral species in the East Indian archipelago.
-- Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle
A country that is landlocked or has few neighbors will be more vulnerable than one that is littoral or extensive.
-- Franklin L. Lavin,, "Asphyxiation or Oxygen? The Sanctions Dilemma", Foreign Policy, September-October 1996
Like 49ers staking claims in California, the five littoral nations have asserted overlapping territorial claims in the Caspian itself.
-- Richard Stone, "Caspian Ecology Teeters On the Brink", Science, January 18, 2002
As the Portuguese moved south along the Upper Guinea Coast along the littoral of Sierra Leone, a region known as the Windward Coast, they entered another major area of rice cultivation.
-- Judith A. Carney, Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Littoral derives from Latin littoralis, litoralis, from litor-, litus, "the seashore."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Tuesday June 27, 2006
copious \KOH-pee-uhs\, adjective: 1. Affording an abundant supply; plentifully furnished; lavish. 2. Large in quantity; plentiful, profuse; abundant. 3. Full of information or matter.
Here once again was evidence that, as Pope wrote of Homer, Armstrong's art "is like a copious nursery which contains the seeds and first productions of every kind, out of which those who followed him have but selected some particular plants."
-- Gary Giddins, Visions of Jazz
She thought about the planets all day and wrote copious odes to them.
-- Paul West, Life With Swan
When the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) exfiltrated the defector and his family from Russia in 1992, it also brought out six cases containing the copious notes he had taken almost daily for twelve years, before his retirement in 1984, on top secret KGB files going as far back as 1918.
-- Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield
A sign of his ambivalence towards his mother is evident in his almost complete failure to mention her in his copious journals.
-- Peter Martin, A Life of James Boswell
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Copious is from Latin copiosus, from copia, "plenty, abundance."
copious \KOH-pee-uhs\, adjective: 1. Affording an abundant supply; plentifully furnished; lavish. 2. Large in quantity; plentiful, profuse; abundant. 3. Full of information or matter.
Here once again was evidence that, as Pope wrote of Homer, Armstrong's art "is like a copious nursery which contains the seeds and first productions of every kind, out of which those who followed him have but selected some particular plants."
-- Gary Giddins, Visions of Jazz
She thought about the planets all day and wrote copious odes to them.
-- Paul West, Life With Swan
When the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) exfiltrated the defector and his family from Russia in 1992, it also brought out six cases containing the copious notes he had taken almost daily for twelve years, before his retirement in 1984, on top secret KGB files going as far back as 1918.
-- Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield
A sign of his ambivalence towards his mother is evident in his almost complete failure to mention her in his copious journals.
-- Peter Martin, A Life of James Boswell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copious is from Latin copiosus, from copia, "plenty, abundance."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Wednesday June 28, 2006
venal \VEE-nuhl\, adjective: 1. Capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; held for sale; salable; purchasable. 2. Capable of being corrupted. 3. Marked by or associated with bribery and corrupt dealings.
Not everything was so venal in this operation, however. Sometimes votes were bought outright, but this was frowned on if the sums were too high.
-- Kenneth R. Johnston, The Hidden Wordsworth
The news items accumulate to project an image of French politics as venal, power-mongering, and posing a crazy threat to all those values of humanity and civilization that Picasso's work had always embraced.
-- Rosalind E. Krauss, The Picasso Papers
While the enemy in Vietnam was mysterious and, to some Americans, heroic, America's allies in Saigon seemed venal and corrupt, more interested in graft than in combat and unable to rally their people behind a common cause or to create an effective military force.
-- Charles E. Neu, After Vietnam
Magistrates were expected to supplement their modest incomes, in theory from personal fortunes, in reality from a variety of venal practices.
-- Michelle De Kretser, The Rose Grower
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Venal comes from the Latin venalis, from venum, "sale." It is related to vendor and vending machine. Be careful not to confuse it with venial, "easily excused or forgiven."
venal \VEE-nuhl\, adjective: 1. Capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; held for sale; salable; purchasable. 2. Capable of being corrupted. 3. Marked by or associated with bribery and corrupt dealings.
Not everything was so venal in this operation, however. Sometimes votes were bought outright, but this was frowned on if the sums were too high.
-- Kenneth R. Johnston, The Hidden Wordsworth
The news items accumulate to project an image of French politics as venal, power-mongering, and posing a crazy threat to all those values of humanity and civilization that Picasso's work had always embraced.
-- Rosalind E. Krauss, The Picasso Papers
While the enemy in Vietnam was mysterious and, to some Americans, heroic, America's allies in Saigon seemed venal and corrupt, more interested in graft than in combat and unable to rally their people behind a common cause or to create an effective military force.
-- Charles E. Neu, After Vietnam
Magistrates were expected to supplement their modest incomes, in theory from personal fortunes, in reality from a variety of venal practices.
-- Michelle De Kretser, The Rose Grower
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Venal comes from the Latin venalis, from venum, "sale." It is related to vendor and vending machine. Be careful not to confuse it with venial, "easily excused or forgiven."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Thursday June 29, 2006
timorous \TIM-uhr-uhs\, adjective: 1. Full of apprehensiveness; timid; fearful. 2. Indicating, or caused by, fear.
Girls, allegedly so timorous and lacking in confidence, now outnumber boys in student government, in honor societies, on school newspapers, and even in debating clubs.
-- Christina Hoff Sommers, The War Against Boys
Some men by the unalterable frame of their constitutions, are stout, others timorous, some confident, others modest.
-- John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education
The way we are living,
timorous or bold,
will have been our life.
-- Seamus Heaney, "Elegy"
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The source of timorous is Latin timor, "fear."
timorous \TIM-uhr-uhs\, adjective: 1. Full of apprehensiveness; timid; fearful. 2. Indicating, or caused by, fear.
Girls, allegedly so timorous and lacking in confidence, now outnumber boys in student government, in honor societies, on school newspapers, and even in debating clubs.
-- Christina Hoff Sommers, The War Against Boys
Some men by the unalterable frame of their constitutions, are stout, others timorous, some confident, others modest.
-- John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education
The way we are living,
timorous or bold,
will have been our life.
-- Seamus Heaney, "Elegy"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The source of timorous is Latin timor, "fear."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Friday June 30, 2006
aficionado \uh-fish-ee-uh-NAH-doh\, noun: An enthusiastic admirer; a fan.
An aficionado of Chinese food, Diffie was also known for carrying around a pair of elegant chopsticks, much the way a serious billiard player totes his favorite cue.
-- Steven Levy, Crypto
Aficionados of spy fiction may find the plot by itself enough to keep them reading -- the book is certainly never boring.
-- Erik Tarloff, "Hanky Versus Panky", New York Times, July 16, 2000
For one thing, they listened to classical records together; Sagan was a real aficionado of the musical masters.
-- Keay Davidson, Carl Sagan: A Life
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Aficionado derives from Spanish aficionar, "to induce a liking for," from afición, "a liking for."
aficionado \uh-fish-ee-uh-NAH-doh\, noun: An enthusiastic admirer; a fan.
An aficionado of Chinese food, Diffie was also known for carrying around a pair of elegant chopsticks, much the way a serious billiard player totes his favorite cue.
-- Steven Levy, Crypto
Aficionados of spy fiction may find the plot by itself enough to keep them reading -- the book is certainly never boring.
-- Erik Tarloff, "Hanky Versus Panky", New York Times, July 16, 2000
For one thing, they listened to classical records together; Sagan was a real aficionado of the musical masters.
-- Keay Davidson, Carl Sagan: A Life
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aficionado derives from Spanish aficionar, "to induce a liking for," from afición, "a liking for."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Wednesday July 5, 2006
apotheosis \uh-pah-thee-OH-sis; ap-uh-THEE-uh-sis\, noun;
plural apotheoses \-seez\: 1. Elevation to divine rank or stature; deification. 2. An exalted or glorified example; a model of excellence or perfection of a kind.
Following martyrdom at the Alamo and apotheosis in song, tall tale, and celluloid myth, this bumpkin from west Tennessee [Davy Crockett] became better known and more revered than all but a handful of American presidents.
-- Mark Royden Winchell, Cleanth Brooks and the Rise of Modern Criticism
Plato's Athens, conventionally the apotheosis of civilized Western urbanity, endured Diogenes the Cynic, who (according to tradition) dwelt in contented filth under an overturned bathtub outside the city gates, heaping ribald scorn on philosophers and citizens alike.
-- Mark Caldwell, A Short History of Rudeness
Charles I's court represented the English apotheosis of this Renaissance ideal of kingship.
-- John Brewer, The Pleasures of the Imagination
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apotheosis comes from Greek, from apotheoun, "to deify," from apo- + theos, "a god."
apotheosis \uh-pah-thee-OH-sis; ap-uh-THEE-uh-sis\, noun;
plural apotheoses \-seez\: 1. Elevation to divine rank or stature; deification. 2. An exalted or glorified example; a model of excellence or perfection of a kind.
Following martyrdom at the Alamo and apotheosis in song, tall tale, and celluloid myth, this bumpkin from west Tennessee [Davy Crockett] became better known and more revered than all but a handful of American presidents.
-- Mark Royden Winchell, Cleanth Brooks and the Rise of Modern Criticism
Plato's Athens, conventionally the apotheosis of civilized Western urbanity, endured Diogenes the Cynic, who (according to tradition) dwelt in contented filth under an overturned bathtub outside the city gates, heaping ribald scorn on philosophers and citizens alike.
-- Mark Caldwell, A Short History of Rudeness
Charles I's court represented the English apotheosis of this Renaissance ideal of kingship.
-- John Brewer, The Pleasures of the Imagination
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apotheosis comes from Greek, from apotheoun, "to deify," from apo- + theos, "a god."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Friday July 14, 2006
arrant \AR-unt\, adjective: Thoroughgoing; downright; out-and-out; confirmed; extreme; notorious.
More deplorable is his arrant and compulsive hypocrisy . . . Under all the chest hair, he was a hollow man.
-- J. D. McClatchy, review of Crux: The Letters of James Dickey, New York Times, December 19, 1999
I think a pilot would be a most arrant coward, if through fear of bad weather he did not wait for the storm to break but sank his ship on purpose.
-- Georges Minois, History Of Suicide translated by Lydia Cochrane
The moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.
-- Shakespeare, Timon of Athens
The entire story is a load of arrant nonsense.
-- Victor Pelevin, Buddha's Little Finger translated by Andrew Bromfield
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Arrant was originally a variant spelling of errant, meaning "wandering." It was first applied to vagabonds, as an arrant (or errant) rogue or thief, and hence passed gradually into its present sense. It ultimately derives from Latin iter, "a journey."
arrant \AR-unt\, adjective: Thoroughgoing; downright; out-and-out; confirmed; extreme; notorious.
More deplorable is his arrant and compulsive hypocrisy . . . Under all the chest hair, he was a hollow man.
-- J. D. McClatchy, review of Crux: The Letters of James Dickey, New York Times, December 19, 1999
I think a pilot would be a most arrant coward, if through fear of bad weather he did not wait for the storm to break but sank his ship on purpose.
-- Georges Minois, History Of Suicide translated by Lydia Cochrane
The moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.
-- Shakespeare, Timon of Athens
The entire story is a load of arrant nonsense.
-- Victor Pelevin, Buddha's Little Finger translated by Andrew Bromfield
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrant was originally a variant spelling of errant, meaning "wandering." It was first applied to vagabonds, as an arrant (or errant) rogue or thief, and hence passed gradually into its present sense. It ultimately derives from Latin iter, "a journey."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Monday July 17, 2006
innocuous \ih-NOK-yoo-uhs\, adjective: 1. Harmless; producing no ill effect. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke; as, "an innocuous remark."
Furthermore, the public, not knowing how to interpret certain facts and figures, may end up unfairly vilifying a company that uses only innocuous traces of a certain toxic chemical.
-- "Can Selfishness Save the Environment?", The Atlantic, September 13, 2000
Maybe Grandpop misunderstood that perfectly innocuous remark and thought the man said "smell." Anyway his temper crackled and exploded.
-- John McCabe, Cagney
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Innocuous is from Latin innocuus, from in-, "not" + nocuus, "harmful," from nocere, "to harm." It is related to innocent, formed from in- + nocens, nocent-, "harming, injurious, hence criminal, guilty," from the present participle of nocere. Less common is the opposite of innocuous, nocuous.
innocuous \ih-NOK-yoo-uhs\, adjective: 1. Harmless; producing no ill effect. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke; as, "an innocuous remark."
Furthermore, the public, not knowing how to interpret certain facts and figures, may end up unfairly vilifying a company that uses only innocuous traces of a certain toxic chemical.
-- "Can Selfishness Save the Environment?", The Atlantic, September 13, 2000
Maybe Grandpop misunderstood that perfectly innocuous remark and thought the man said "smell." Anyway his temper crackled and exploded.
-- John McCabe, Cagney
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Innocuous is from Latin innocuus, from in-, "not" + nocuus, "harmful," from nocere, "to harm." It is related to innocent, formed from in- + nocens, nocent-, "harming, injurious, hence criminal, guilty," from the present participle of nocere. Less common is the opposite of innocuous, nocuous.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Tuesday July 18, 2006
scuttlebutt \SKUHT-l-buht\, noun: 1. A drinking fountain on a ship. 2. A cask on a ship that contains the day's supply of drinking water. 3. Gossip; rumor.
What were they talking about? Sports? Neighborhood scuttlebutt? Off-color jokes? I didn't know; I knew only how exciting it was to see Dad in action.
-- Eric Liu, The Accidental Asian
It was written in the optimistic belief that open debate beats backroom scuttlebutt.
-- Jon Entine, Taboo
In snooping around, my mother overheard the pageant scuttlebutt, which was that Snow White was the big winner.
-- Delta Burke with Alexis Lipsitz, Delta Style
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Scuttlebutt comes from scuttle, "a small opening" + butt, "a large cask" -- that is, a small hole cut into a cask or barrel to allow individual cups of water to be drawn out. The modern equivalent is the office water cooler, also a source of refreshment and gossip.
scuttlebutt \SKUHT-l-buht\, noun: 1. A drinking fountain on a ship. 2. A cask on a ship that contains the day's supply of drinking water. 3. Gossip; rumor.
What were they talking about? Sports? Neighborhood scuttlebutt? Off-color jokes? I didn't know; I knew only how exciting it was to see Dad in action.
-- Eric Liu, The Accidental Asian
It was written in the optimistic belief that open debate beats backroom scuttlebutt.
-- Jon Entine, Taboo
In snooping around, my mother overheard the pageant scuttlebutt, which was that Snow White was the big winner.
-- Delta Burke with Alexis Lipsitz, Delta Style
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scuttlebutt comes from scuttle, "a small opening" + butt, "a large cask" -- that is, a small hole cut into a cask or barrel to allow individual cups of water to be drawn out. The modern equivalent is the office water cooler, also a source of refreshment and gossip.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Wednesday July 19, 2006
bon ton \bahn-TAHN\, noun: 1. Fashionable or elegant manner or style. 2. The proper or fashionable thing to do. 3. Fashionable society; a fashionable social set.
Here, braving the bon ton of New York in the early 1900s, he seemed uncomfortable throughout, as if he had been invited to an Edith Wharton party for which he was not suitably dressed.
-- Stanley Kauffmann, "Women in Danger", New Republic, January 15, 2001
Though he was a college junior, his father, Bruno, was an owner of . . . a restaurant in Manhattan popular with the bon ton, so he knows what he was talking about.
-- Anthony Haden-Guest, The Last Party
The bon ton here is to be grave and learned.
-- Horace Walpole
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Bon ton is from the French bon (from Latin bonus), good + ton (from Latin tonus), tone.
bon ton \bahn-TAHN\, noun: 1. Fashionable or elegant manner or style. 2. The proper or fashionable thing to do. 3. Fashionable society; a fashionable social set.
Here, braving the bon ton of New York in the early 1900s, he seemed uncomfortable throughout, as if he had been invited to an Edith Wharton party for which he was not suitably dressed.
-- Stanley Kauffmann, "Women in Danger", New Republic, January 15, 2001
Though he was a college junior, his father, Bruno, was an owner of . . . a restaurant in Manhattan popular with the bon ton, so he knows what he was talking about.
-- Anthony Haden-Guest, The Last Party
The bon ton here is to be grave and learned.
-- Horace Walpole
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bon ton is from the French bon (from Latin bonus), good + ton (from Latin tonus), tone.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Friday July 21, 2006
exculpate \EK-skuhl-payt; ek-SKUHL-payt\, transitive verb: To clear from alleged fault or guilt; to prove to be guiltless; to relieve of blame; to acquit.
Each member is determined to exculpate himself, to lay the blame elsewhere.
-- Joseph Wood Krutch, "How Will Posterity Rank O'Neill?", New York Times, October 21, 1956
At the same time, they said, representatives of the inspector general's office at the CIA were generally protective of the intelligence agents involved in the matter, highlighting evidence that seemed to exculpate them.
-- Tim Golden, "Guerrilla's Asylum Analyzed Amid Contradictory Claims", New York Times, December 12, 1996
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Exculpate is ultimately derived from Latin ex-, "without" + culpare, "to blame," from culpa, "blame, fault."
exculpate \EK-skuhl-payt; ek-SKUHL-payt\, transitive verb: To clear from alleged fault or guilt; to prove to be guiltless; to relieve of blame; to acquit.
Each member is determined to exculpate himself, to lay the blame elsewhere.
-- Joseph Wood Krutch, "How Will Posterity Rank O'Neill?", New York Times, October 21, 1956
At the same time, they said, representatives of the inspector general's office at the CIA were generally protective of the intelligence agents involved in the matter, highlighting evidence that seemed to exculpate them.
-- Tim Golden, "Guerrilla's Asylum Analyzed Amid Contradictory Claims", New York Times, December 12, 1996
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exculpate is ultimately derived from Latin ex-, "without" + culpare, "to blame," from culpa, "blame, fault."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Monday July 24, 2006
limn \LIM\, transitive verb: 1. To depict by drawing or painting.
2. To portray in words; to describe.
Oh, yes, I write, as I limn the familiar perfections of his profile, "you look very well."
-- Kimberly Elkins, "What Is Visible", The Atlantic, March 2003
In telling these people's stories Mr. Butler draws upon the same gifts of empathy and insight, the same ability to limn an entire life in a couple of pages.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "Earthlings May Endanger Your Peaceful Rationality", New York Times, March 10, 2000
But used faithfully and correctly, language can "limn the actual, imagined and possible lives of its speakers, readers, writers."
-- John Darnton, "In Sweden, Proof of The Power Of Words", New York Times, December 8, 1993
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limn is from Middle English limnen, alteration of luminen, from enluminen, from Medieval French enluminer, from Late Latin illuminare, "to illuminate," ultimately from Latin lumen, "light."
limn \LIM\, transitive verb: 1. To depict by drawing or painting.
2. To portray in words; to describe.
Oh, yes, I write, as I limn the familiar perfections of his profile, "you look very well."
-- Kimberly Elkins, "What Is Visible", The Atlantic, March 2003
In telling these people's stories Mr. Butler draws upon the same gifts of empathy and insight, the same ability to limn an entire life in a couple of pages.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "Earthlings May Endanger Your Peaceful Rationality", New York Times, March 10, 2000
But used faithfully and correctly, language can "limn the actual, imagined and possible lives of its speakers, readers, writers."
-- John Darnton, "In Sweden, Proof of The Power Of Words", New York Times, December 8, 1993
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limn is from Middle English limnen, alteration of luminen, from enluminen, from Medieval French enluminer, from Late Latin illuminare, "to illuminate," ultimately from Latin lumen, "light."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Friday July 28, 2006
germane \juhr-MAYN\, adjective: Appropriate or fitting; relevant.
The issue is not germane to the present discussion.
-- Richard Wollheim, On the Emotions
As long as the argument remains germane, he listens attentively, putting on and removing heavy tortoise-shell glasses and leaning across the bench.
-- Philip Hamburger, Matters of State
In times of catastrophe we allow public officials to declare "states of emergency" that replace some normal rules . . . with a more germane set.
-- Seth Shulman, "Owning the Future: In Africa, Patents Kill", Technology Review, April 2001
I have many secrets, most of which are not at all germane to the topic . . . and would probably be completely inappropriate to tell.
-- David Gewirtz, "I Have a Secret", PalmPower Magazine, August 2000
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Germane comes from Middle English germain, literally, "having the same parents," ultimately deriving from Latin germanus, from germen, "a bud, a shoot."
germane \juhr-MAYN\, adjective: Appropriate or fitting; relevant.
The issue is not germane to the present discussion.
-- Richard Wollheim, On the Emotions
As long as the argument remains germane, he listens attentively, putting on and removing heavy tortoise-shell glasses and leaning across the bench.
-- Philip Hamburger, Matters of State
In times of catastrophe we allow public officials to declare "states of emergency" that replace some normal rules . . . with a more germane set.
-- Seth Shulman, "Owning the Future: In Africa, Patents Kill", Technology Review, April 2001
I have many secrets, most of which are not at all germane to the topic . . . and would probably be completely inappropriate to tell.
-- David Gewirtz, "I Have a Secret", PalmPower Magazine, August 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Germane comes from Middle English germain, literally, "having the same parents," ultimately deriving from Latin germanus, from germen, "a bud, a shoot."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Monday July 31, 2006
contretemps \KAHN-truh-tahn\, noun; plural contretemps \-tahnz\: An inopportune or embarrassing situation or event; a hitch.
Mrs. Post was the center of a notable contretemps when she spilled a spoonful of berries at a dinner of the Gourmet Society here in 1938.
-- "Emily Post Is Dead Here at 86; Writer was Arbiter of Etiquette", New York Times, September 27, 1960
He looked worried, distressed, more distressed than one should look in the face of a slight contretemps.
-- Anita Brookner, Undue Influence
Nathan was a fiercely ambitious and competitive man, as quick to take offenceas to give it in his business dealings, and it is not difficult to imagine him responding impetuously to such a contretemps.
-- Niall Ferguson, The House of Rothschild
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Contretemps comes from French, from contre, "against" (from Latin contra) + temps, "time" (from Latin tempus).
contretemps \KAHN-truh-tahn\, noun; plural contretemps \-tahnz\: An inopportune or embarrassing situation or event; a hitch.
Mrs. Post was the center of a notable contretemps when she spilled a spoonful of berries at a dinner of the Gourmet Society here in 1938.
-- "Emily Post Is Dead Here at 86; Writer was Arbiter of Etiquette", New York Times, September 27, 1960
He looked worried, distressed, more distressed than one should look in the face of a slight contretemps.
-- Anita Brookner, Undue Influence
Nathan was a fiercely ambitious and competitive man, as quick to take offenceas to give it in his business dealings, and it is not difficult to imagine him responding impetuously to such a contretemps.
-- Niall Ferguson, The House of Rothschild
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contretemps comes from French, from contre, "against" (from Latin contra) + temps, "time" (from Latin tempus).
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Wednesday August 2, 2006
supercilious \soo-puhr-SIL-ee-uhs\, adjective: Disdainfully arrogant; haughty.
The girl has a supercilious expression, and seems to be looking down her nose at the camera.
-- Annie Dillard, For the Time Being
Russian emissaries used to be received at European courts and chanceries with a supercilious courtesy as representatives of a lower social and political culture seeking to be patronized by European elites.
-- Abba Eban, Diplomacy for the Next Century
Cooper and Trollope arrived like avenging angels at the Guardian Hay Festival to put snobs and supercilious critics in their place.
-- Fiachra Gibbons, "Queens of the bonkbuster and Aga saga defend the art - and heart - of their fiction", The Guardian, May 30, 2003
Will I be interviewed by a supercilious don who will make fun of my accent?
-- Donald MacLeod, "Passing the Oxford test", The Guardian, August 19, 2002
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Supercilious is from Latin superciliosus, from supercilium, "an eyebrow, arrogance," from super, "over" + cilium, "an eyelid."
supercilious \soo-puhr-SIL-ee-uhs\, adjective: Disdainfully arrogant; haughty.
The girl has a supercilious expression, and seems to be looking down her nose at the camera.
-- Annie Dillard, For the Time Being
Russian emissaries used to be received at European courts and chanceries with a supercilious courtesy as representatives of a lower social and political culture seeking to be patronized by European elites.
-- Abba Eban, Diplomacy for the Next Century
Cooper and Trollope arrived like avenging angels at the Guardian Hay Festival to put snobs and supercilious critics in their place.
-- Fiachra Gibbons, "Queens of the bonkbuster and Aga saga defend the art - and heart - of their fiction", The Guardian, May 30, 2003
Will I be interviewed by a supercilious don who will make fun of my accent?
-- Donald MacLeod, "Passing the Oxford test", The Guardian, August 19, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supercilious is from Latin superciliosus, from supercilium, "an eyebrow, arrogance," from super, "over" + cilium, "an eyelid."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day for Thursday August 3, 2006
concatenation \kon-kat-uh-NAY-shuhn; kuhn-\, noun: A series of links united; a series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together; a chain, a succession.
But at this stage the accident appears to have been just that, a dreadful concatenation of random events.
-- "Dreadfully random", The Guardian, March 1, 2001
She invested a variety of significances in the word "there," a concatenation of linked associations with space, time, and place too.
-- Nuruddin Farah, Secrets
To most people the point she plays most brilliantly is the episode, which in the novel is merely one of the links in the concatenation of the plot, but in the short story is the form and substance, the very thing itself.
-- Henry Dwight Sedgwick, "The Novels of Mrs. Wharton", The Atlantic, August 1906
The process of fossilization and discovery is a concatenation of chance built upon chance. It's amazing that anything ever becomes a fossil at all.
-- Henry Gee, In Search of Deep Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concatenation is from Late Latin concatenatio, from concatenare, "to chain together," from Latin con-, "with, together" + catena, "a chain, a series."
concatenation \kon-kat-uh-NAY-shuhn; kuhn-\, noun: A series of links united; a series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together; a chain, a succession.
But at this stage the accident appears to have been just that, a dreadful concatenation of random events.
-- "Dreadfully random", The Guardian, March 1, 2001
She invested a variety of significances in the word "there," a concatenation of linked associations with space, time, and place too.
-- Nuruddin Farah, Secrets
To most people the point she plays most brilliantly is the episode, which in the novel is merely one of the links in the concatenation of the plot, but in the short story is the form and substance, the very thing itself.
-- Henry Dwight Sedgwick, "The Novels of Mrs. Wharton", The Atlantic, August 1906
The process of fossilization and discovery is a concatenation of chance built upon chance. It's amazing that anything ever becomes a fossil at all.
-- Henry Gee, In Search of Deep Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concatenation is from Late Latin concatenatio, from concatenare, "to chain together," from Latin con-, "with, together" + catena, "a chain, a series."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams