Felonius: Nya.
GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)
After flicking her peroxide-lightened platinum blonde curls over one shoulder, and flashing a perky pepsident smile, the new Hollywood "IT" girl caught the supermarket tabloid paparazzi entirely off-guard by sidestepping their plaintive pleas for provocative poses and proferring instead a particularly perspicuous and profanity-laced peroration on the posthumously published pennings of her favorite philologist. The subsequent silence was particularly profound.
Felonius: Nya.
Felonius: Nya.
Word of the Day Wednesday October 11, 2006
hypnagogic \hip-nuh-GOJ-ik; -GOH-jik\, adjective: Of, pertaining to, or occurring in the state of drowsiness preceding sleep.
It is of course precisely in such episodes of mental traveling that writers are known to do good work, sometimes even their best, solving formal problems, getting advice from Beyond, having hypnagogic adventures that with luck can be recovered later on.
-- Thomas Pynchon, "Nearer, My Couch, to Thee", New York Times, June 6, 1993
. . .the phenomenon of hypnagogic hallucinations, or what Mr. Alvarez describes as "the flickering images and voices that well up just before sleep takes over."
-- Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, "The Faces of Night, Many of Them Scary", New York Times, January 9, 1995
His uncensored and uncensoring subconscious allows him to absorb the world around him and in him, and to spit it out almost undigested, as if he were walking around in a constant hypnagogic state.
-- Susan Bolotin, "Don't Turn Your Back on This Book", New York Times, June 9, 1985
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Hypnagogic (sometimes spelled hypnogogic) ultimately derives from Greek hupnos, "sleep" + agogos, "leading," from agein, "to lead."
hypnagogic \hip-nuh-GOJ-ik; -GOH-jik\, adjective: Of, pertaining to, or occurring in the state of drowsiness preceding sleep.
It is of course precisely in such episodes of mental traveling that writers are known to do good work, sometimes even their best, solving formal problems, getting advice from Beyond, having hypnagogic adventures that with luck can be recovered later on.
-- Thomas Pynchon, "Nearer, My Couch, to Thee", New York Times, June 6, 1993
. . .the phenomenon of hypnagogic hallucinations, or what Mr. Alvarez describes as "the flickering images and voices that well up just before sleep takes over."
-- Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, "The Faces of Night, Many of Them Scary", New York Times, January 9, 1995
His uncensored and uncensoring subconscious allows him to absorb the world around him and in him, and to spit it out almost undigested, as if he were walking around in a constant hypnagogic state.
-- Susan Bolotin, "Don't Turn Your Back on This Book", New York Times, June 9, 1985
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Hypnagogic (sometimes spelled hypnogogic) ultimately derives from Greek hupnos, "sleep" + agogos, "leading," from agein, "to lead."
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
"Hypnagogic thoughts - do they have logic? Are they nostalgic and chronic? Or only known to logorrheic, colicky alcoholics?" asked Simon.
Garvin was silent. After a moment, he said, "Philological? Did you say she read from a philological book? Who was the philologist?"
"His name is Hypnagogia. He's Italian."
Garvin was silent. After a moment, he said, "Philological? Did you say she read from a philological book? Who was the philologist?"
"His name is Hypnagogia. He's Italian."
Colourless green ideas sleep furiously
Word of the Day Thursday October 12, 2006
concinnity \kuhn-SIN-uh-tee\, noun: 1. Internal harmony or fitness in the adaptation of parts to a whole or to each other. 2. Studied elegance of design or arrangement -- used chiefly of literary style. 3. An instance of concinnity.
He has what one character calls "the gifts of concinnity and concision," that deft swipe with a phrase that can be so devastating in children.
-- Elizabeth Ward
Denis Donoghue is a primary critic of our time, catholic in scope, unique in literary apprehension, crucially gratifying in the clear concinnity of his prose.
-- Ihab Hassan
Even so, rules are not merely there to be ignored; in fact, they constitute a democratic aristocracy based not on Debrett's Peerage or the Almanach de Gotha but on the user's respect for comprehensibility, consistency, concision and concinnity -- or, simply, elegance.
-- John Simon, "House Rules", New York Times, October 31, 1999
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concinnity comes from Latin concinnitas, "elegance; harmony of style," from concinnus, "well put together; pleasing, on account of harmony and proportion."
concinnity \kuhn-SIN-uh-tee\, noun: 1. Internal harmony or fitness in the adaptation of parts to a whole or to each other. 2. Studied elegance of design or arrangement -- used chiefly of literary style. 3. An instance of concinnity.
He has what one character calls "the gifts of concinnity and concision," that deft swipe with a phrase that can be so devastating in children.
-- Elizabeth Ward
Denis Donoghue is a primary critic of our time, catholic in scope, unique in literary apprehension, crucially gratifying in the clear concinnity of his prose.
-- Ihab Hassan
Even so, rules are not merely there to be ignored; in fact, they constitute a democratic aristocracy based not on Debrett's Peerage or the Almanach de Gotha but on the user's respect for comprehensibility, consistency, concision and concinnity -- or, simply, elegance.
-- John Simon, "House Rules", New York Times, October 31, 1999
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concinnity comes from Latin concinnitas, "elegance; harmony of style," from concinnus, "well put together; pleasing, on account of harmony and proportion."
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
Charlie, a leftward leaning up and cuming young journalist with the Chicago Sun Times, fingered his favorite buffalo nickel in frustrated silence - hoping against hope that his lucky 'BS' coin would somehow, thaumaturgically, help him to conjure a cutting, concice, and devilishly clever coinned phrase that would capture the new Hollywood "IT" girl's refreshingly suave and wholly unexpectedly linguistic concinniality.
However, such was not to be, because his deadline promptly came and went, like a $2 pimp. It was a humbling and dishearteningly anti-climaxic experience for the young man ... and as his limp pen slipped from his nerveless fingers, and his lucky coin clattered to the floor, he wept in a fugue of helpless self-loathing.
However, such was not to be, because his deadline promptly came and went, like a $2 pimp. It was a humbling and dishearteningly anti-climaxic experience for the young man ... and as his limp pen slipped from his nerveless fingers, and his lucky coin clattered to the floor, he wept in a fugue of helpless self-loathing.
Last edited by Darb on Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Word of the Day Friday October 13, 2006
extraneous \ek-STRAY-nee-uhs\, adjective: 1. Coming from or existing on the outside. 2. Introduced from an outside source. 3. Not essential or intrinsic; foreign. 4. Not pertinent to the matter at hand; irrelevant.
I conclude with a somewhat technical description of the testing procedures and rigorous controls I used to determine what my parrot had learned and to ensure that his responses were based on his understanding of the questions and concepts and not on extraneous cues.
-- Irene Maxine Pepperberg, The Alex Studies
For some have argued that works of art should be self-contained and need no extraneous information to be appreciated: no biography, no history, no referents of any kind.
-- Colin Tudge, The Variety of Life
Right now I have to put all extraneous thoughts out of my head and focus on what has to be done.
-- Joshua Armstrong and Anthony Bruno, The Seekers
In the space of a brief trolley ride, he had gone from being the center of the universe to an extraneous, unwanted element in it.
-- Laurence Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life
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Extraneous comes from Latin extraneus, "that is outside," hence "foreign, strange," from extra, "outside," from ex, "out of." The word strange is derived from the same Latin root as extraneous, but it came into English via Old French estrange (modern French étrange) rather than directly from the Latin. Stranger and estrange share the same origin.
extraneous \ek-STRAY-nee-uhs\, adjective: 1. Coming from or existing on the outside. 2. Introduced from an outside source. 3. Not essential or intrinsic; foreign. 4. Not pertinent to the matter at hand; irrelevant.
I conclude with a somewhat technical description of the testing procedures and rigorous controls I used to determine what my parrot had learned and to ensure that his responses were based on his understanding of the questions and concepts and not on extraneous cues.
-- Irene Maxine Pepperberg, The Alex Studies
For some have argued that works of art should be self-contained and need no extraneous information to be appreciated: no biography, no history, no referents of any kind.
-- Colin Tudge, The Variety of Life
Right now I have to put all extraneous thoughts out of my head and focus on what has to be done.
-- Joshua Armstrong and Anthony Bruno, The Seekers
In the space of a brief trolley ride, he had gone from being the center of the universe to an extraneous, unwanted element in it.
-- Laurence Bergreen, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extraneous comes from Latin extraneus, "that is outside," hence "foreign, strange," from extra, "outside," from ex, "out of." The word strange is derived from the same Latin root as extraneous, but it came into English via Old French estrange (modern French étrange) rather than directly from the Latin. Stranger and estrange share the same origin.
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
Having realized that his corporeal body was purely extraneous, Mr. McBoo promptly discarded it, and became the ghostly entity we all know and love today.
His only regret was the loss of corporeal genitalia, because gratuitous voyeurism alone just isn't the same ... especially when you're near sighted, and can no longer wear glasses.
His only regret was the loss of corporeal genitalia, because gratuitous voyeurism alone just isn't the same ... especially when you're near sighted, and can no longer wear glasses.
Word of the Day Monday October 16, 2006
tchotchke \CHOCH-kuh\, noun: A trinket; a knickknack.
The rare tchotchke aside, our antiquing journeys mainly amounted to wishful foraging, in the spirit of a more roomy and prosperous someday we somehow never really articulated.
-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, The Most Wanted
Of course, you also have arcades, like Funland, and your typical tchotchke vendors, like Ryan's Gems and Junk.
-- Jamie Peck, "Rehoboth Beach", Newsday, May 18, 2001
I'm going nuts with my mother's accumulation of tchotchkes -- it's bad enough she never parted with one she got as a gift -- but why did she have to buy more?
-- "Artifacts of Life", Newsday, December 9, 1996
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Tchotchke is from Yiddish tshatshke, "trinket," ultimately of Slavic origin. It is also spelled tsatske.
tchotchke \CHOCH-kuh\, noun: A trinket; a knickknack.
The rare tchotchke aside, our antiquing journeys mainly amounted to wishful foraging, in the spirit of a more roomy and prosperous someday we somehow never really articulated.
-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, The Most Wanted
Of course, you also have arcades, like Funland, and your typical tchotchke vendors, like Ryan's Gems and Junk.
-- Jamie Peck, "Rehoboth Beach", Newsday, May 18, 2001
I'm going nuts with my mother's accumulation of tchotchkes -- it's bad enough she never parted with one she got as a gift -- but why did she have to buy more?
-- "Artifacts of Life", Newsday, December 9, 1996
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tchotchke is from Yiddish tshatshke, "trinket," ultimately of Slavic origin. It is also spelled tsatske.
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 Tuesday October 17, 2006
exemplar \ig-ZEM-plar; -pluhr\, noun: 1. A model or pattern to be copied or imitated. 2. A typical or standard specimen. 3. An ideal model or type. 4. A copy of a book or text.
What charmed me was the idea of a boy too young to understand the lecture but not too young to recognize the eminent man on the platform as his model, the exemplar of what would become his own life work.
-- William Zinsser, "A Travel Nut's Library", New York Times, August 26, 1990
It was this cathedral that Monet famously painted in different weathers, and that was William Morris's favorite exemplar of French Gothic; for its sake he visited "Rouen, glorious Rouen" twice.
-- Peter Gay, Pleasure Wars
Our need, he declared in his 1981 inaugural address, was "to renew ourselves here in our own land" so that we would again "be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom."
-- Frances Fitzgerald, Way Out There in the Blue
To suggest that this exemplar of financial probity was enriching himself at public expense was to shake the very foundations of the new Republic.
-- William Safire, Scandalmonger
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Exemplar derives from Latin exemplum, "example," from eximere, "to take out," from ex-, "out" + emere, "to take."
exemplar \ig-ZEM-plar; -pluhr\, noun: 1. A model or pattern to be copied or imitated. 2. A typical or standard specimen. 3. An ideal model or type. 4. A copy of a book or text.
What charmed me was the idea of a boy too young to understand the lecture but not too young to recognize the eminent man on the platform as his model, the exemplar of what would become his own life work.
-- William Zinsser, "A Travel Nut's Library", New York Times, August 26, 1990
It was this cathedral that Monet famously painted in different weathers, and that was William Morris's favorite exemplar of French Gothic; for its sake he visited "Rouen, glorious Rouen" twice.
-- Peter Gay, Pleasure Wars
Our need, he declared in his 1981 inaugural address, was "to renew ourselves here in our own land" so that we would again "be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom."
-- Frances Fitzgerald, Way Out There in the Blue
To suggest that this exemplar of financial probity was enriching himself at public expense was to shake the very foundations of the new Republic.
-- William Safire, Scandalmonger
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exemplar derives from Latin exemplum, "example," from eximere, "to take out," from ex-, "out" + emere, "to take."
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 Wednesday October 18, 2006
obstreperous \uhb-STREP-uhr-uhs; ob-\, adjective: 1. Noisily and stubbornly defiant; unruly. 2. Noisy, clamorous, or boisterous.
He began standing up to the Orderlies, talking back, openly obstreperous.
-- John Darnton, The Experiment
When he was ordered from above to expel two obstreperous comrades -- they insisted on challenging the leadership -- he found himself "caught between my Jeffersonian upbringing and my Party loyalty."
-- William Herrick, "Truth Was the Last Straw", New York Times, July 12, 1987
He becomes obstreperous and truculent as an infant in need of an afternoon nap.
-- James Doran, "Bonus question raises ire of fund managers", Times (London), April 19, 2001
Many booksellers . . . were reluctant to carry books that would attract the sometimes obstreperous youngsters who lived by rock and roll.
-- Ray Walters, "Paperback Talk", New York Times, September 13, 1981
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obstreperous derives from Latin obstrepere, "to make a noise, to clamor at or against; hence, to disturb, to interrupt by clamor," from ob-, "toward, against" + strepere, "to make a loud noise."
obstreperous \uhb-STREP-uhr-uhs; ob-\, adjective: 1. Noisily and stubbornly defiant; unruly. 2. Noisy, clamorous, or boisterous.
He began standing up to the Orderlies, talking back, openly obstreperous.
-- John Darnton, The Experiment
When he was ordered from above to expel two obstreperous comrades -- they insisted on challenging the leadership -- he found himself "caught between my Jeffersonian upbringing and my Party loyalty."
-- William Herrick, "Truth Was the Last Straw", New York Times, July 12, 1987
He becomes obstreperous and truculent as an infant in need of an afternoon nap.
-- James Doran, "Bonus question raises ire of fund managers", Times (London), April 19, 2001
Many booksellers . . . were reluctant to carry books that would attract the sometimes obstreperous youngsters who lived by rock and roll.
-- Ray Walters, "Paperback Talk", New York Times, September 13, 1981
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obstreperous derives from Latin obstrepere, "to make a noise, to clamor at or against; hence, to disturb, to interrupt by clamor," from ob-, "toward, against" + strepere, "to make a loud noise."
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
Cheap tchotchke in one hand, and church key in the other, Felonius pondered the former, while using the latter to pry open yet another bottle of Tsing Tao ... his fifteenth of the evening. The alcohol was making him drunk, but it was a welcome respite from the fascade of exemplary behavior he had to maintain while in the public eye. Safely esconced in the smoky recesses of his favorite dive bar, however, he was free to be as obstreperous as he liked.
The tchotchke was a poor reward indeed for having lost most of his life savings in that blasted pachinko machine, and he flung it across the room in disgust, to smash against the far wall. He sobbed uncontrollably, and then ... mercifully ... he passed out.
The tchotchke was a poor reward indeed for having lost most of his life savings in that blasted pachinko machine, and he flung it across the room in disgust, to smash against the far wall. He sobbed uncontrollably, and then ... mercifully ... he passed out.
When a colleague asked him if he would tend bar at his cousin's Jewish wedding, Brad had initially refused; then accepted when he was offered triple his normal fee.
Standing behind the counter now, adjusting his ill-fitting yarmulke, he surveyed the crowd of obstreperous patrons, taking advantage of a free moment to crouch down on his haunches and guzzle liberally from his private keg of Stella Artois.
Refreshed, he rose, stifling a belch that would have been anything but exemplary in his present surroundings, and came face to face with the wizened grandfather of the bride, leaning against the bar and regarding him quizzically.
"Vat you do down dere?" the man asked him.
Brad thought fast. "Preparing complimentary tchotchkes for the happy newlyweds, sir."
The man's eyebrows raised, impressed. "Your Yiddish good, young man."
Standing behind the counter now, adjusting his ill-fitting yarmulke, he surveyed the crowd of obstreperous patrons, taking advantage of a free moment to crouch down on his haunches and guzzle liberally from his private keg of Stella Artois.
Refreshed, he rose, stifling a belch that would have been anything but exemplary in his present surroundings, and came face to face with the wizened grandfather of the bride, leaning against the bar and regarding him quizzically.
"Vat you do down dere?" the man asked him.
Brad thought fast. "Preparing complimentary tchotchkes for the happy newlyweds, sir."
The man's eyebrows raised, impressed. "Your Yiddish good, young man."
Colourless green ideas sleep furiously
/~ Felon: if you substitute 2 cases of vintage Dom Perignon for the keg of Stella, and a wealthy wallstreet actuary for the elderly jewish father ... then that actually happened to me in real life, about 10 years ago, when I was moonlighting as a bartender a private party. And yes, I frequently squatted behind the bar to sip some Dom ... to save it from the unspeakable horror of being mixed with orange juice, for mimosas. I think I managed to save one full bottle from that sad demise. ~/
Word of the Day Thursday October 19, 2006
qua \KWAY; KWAH\, preposition: In the capacity or character of; as.
This might be thought a decisive objection to a federal judge's writing about this subject even if the judge writes qua academic rather than qua judge.
-- Richard A. Posner, An Affair of State
Gossipmongers aren't obsessed with gossip qua gossip; they're grappling with the great issues of our day: Truth, Honor and Justice.
-- Robert Plunket, "Cyberscandal", New York Times, June 1, 1997
Another problem is the estimation in which one is held qua artist by fellow New Yorkers.
-- John Romano, "Is Hollywood Fatal for New York Writers?", New York Times, March 11, 1984
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Qua is from the Latin, from qui, "who."
qua \KWAY; KWAH\, preposition: In the capacity or character of; as.
This might be thought a decisive objection to a federal judge's writing about this subject even if the judge writes qua academic rather than qua judge.
-- Richard A. Posner, An Affair of State
Gossipmongers aren't obsessed with gossip qua gossip; they're grappling with the great issues of our day: Truth, Honor and Justice.
-- Robert Plunket, "Cyberscandal", New York Times, June 1, 1997
Another problem is the estimation in which one is held qua artist by fellow New Yorkers.
-- John Romano, "Is Hollywood Fatal for New York Writers?", New York Times, March 11, 1984
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Qua is from the Latin, from qui, "who."
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
The existential problem Miss Mallardine Aflac was having was that when she when she walked qua duck, and quacked qua duck, people assumed that she was, in fact, just an ordinary duck.
Speaking qua her ex-lover (I'm fully fluent in quackese by the way), I can assure you that Miss Aflac is NOT your ordinary duck. She is highly intelligent, highly senstive, and is descended from English duck royalty.
When she quacks, she quacks qua Duckess of York !
/me cues up "One White Duck" by Jethro Tull
Speaking qua her ex-lover (I'm fully fluent in quackese by the way), I can assure you that Miss Aflac is NOT your ordinary duck. She is highly intelligent, highly senstive, and is descended from English duck royalty.
When she quacks, she quacks qua Duckess of York !
/me cues up "One White Duck" by Jethro Tull
Last edited by Darb on Fri Oct 20, 2006 1:06 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Word of the Day Friday October 20, 2006
ken \KEN\, noun: 1. Perception; understanding; knowledge. 2. The range of vision. 3. View; sight.
He was to make several important discoveries, the most significant being that infantile paralysis was caused not by germs, as cerebrospinal meningitis had been, but by a mysterious agent just then emerging into the ken of science.
-- James Thomas Flexner, Maverick's Progress
So we are predisposed -- if not preprogrammed -- to accept tales of animals who display human motives, understanding, reason, and intentions. It takes a far greater imagination to conceive the possibility that a dog's mental life may assume a form that is simply beyond our ken.
-- Stephen Budiansky, If a Lion Could Talk
Libussa, the youngest, particularly beautiful, unworldly and serious, was able to see what was hidden from other people's ken and to prophesy.
-- Peter Demetz, Prague in Black and Gold
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken is from Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan, "to declare, to make known."
ken \KEN\, noun: 1. Perception; understanding; knowledge. 2. The range of vision. 3. View; sight.
He was to make several important discoveries, the most significant being that infantile paralysis was caused not by germs, as cerebrospinal meningitis had been, but by a mysterious agent just then emerging into the ken of science.
-- James Thomas Flexner, Maverick's Progress
So we are predisposed -- if not preprogrammed -- to accept tales of animals who display human motives, understanding, reason, and intentions. It takes a far greater imagination to conceive the possibility that a dog's mental life may assume a form that is simply beyond our ken.
-- Stephen Budiansky, If a Lion Could Talk
Libussa, the youngest, particularly beautiful, unworldly and serious, was able to see what was hidden from other people's ken and to prophesy.
-- Peter Demetz, Prague in Black and Gold
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken is from Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan, "to declare, to make known."
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
GENRE: Action Figure Soap Opera
G.I. Joe: Why do you keep sticking that that limp-wristed loser, Barb ?
Barbie: I dunno .... it just sorta feels like we were meant for each other.
G.I. Joe: Aww c'mon, Barb ... you've been dating him for like three generations now.
Barbie: I know, I know.
G.I. Joe: You're not getting any younger.
Barbie: {defensive} Well, I'm not getting any older either.
G.I. Joe: C'mon Barb, Ken's a metrosexual faggot. If he weren't, don't you think he'd have married a hot chick like you by now ?
Barbie: ......
G.I. Joe: Unlike Ken, I'm a *REAL* man. Check out these guns, Babe {displays vintage Colt 45, M-16A2, and then flexes both biceps}. You WANT me, and you KNOW it. {leers}
Barbie: {wavering} But you're going to be deploying to Afghanistan soon.
G.I. Joe: I can be there, and here, at the same time ... have you seen my sales figures ? Besides, if 50 million young boys playing shoot-em-up for three generations straight can't hurt me, I'm not going to worry about a couple of camel-humping rag heads.
Barbie: {torn} I ... I ... I really like you Joe ... but I can't leave Ken.
G.I. Joe: Jesus H. Christ !! What you see in Ken is utterly beyond my Ken. Anyway, I don't need to chase a frigid biatch like you. I've already got a hot date with all 4 of the Bratz Girls set up later tonite ... hot tub, cold crystal, iPod, and ecstasy. I was gonna invite you over to make it a 6-way, but oh well. To quote Billy Joel, "you Catholic girls start much too late". {leaves}
Barbie: No, wait ... I ... I ...
Barbie:
G.I. Joe: Why do you keep sticking that that limp-wristed loser, Barb ?
Barbie: I dunno .... it just sorta feels like we were meant for each other.
G.I. Joe: Aww c'mon, Barb ... you've been dating him for like three generations now.
Barbie: I know, I know.
G.I. Joe: You're not getting any younger.
Barbie: {defensive} Well, I'm not getting any older either.
G.I. Joe: C'mon Barb, Ken's a metrosexual faggot. If he weren't, don't you think he'd have married a hot chick like you by now ?
Barbie: ......
G.I. Joe: Unlike Ken, I'm a *REAL* man. Check out these guns, Babe {displays vintage Colt 45, M-16A2, and then flexes both biceps}. You WANT me, and you KNOW it. {leers}
Barbie: {wavering} But you're going to be deploying to Afghanistan soon.
G.I. Joe: I can be there, and here, at the same time ... have you seen my sales figures ? Besides, if 50 million young boys playing shoot-em-up for three generations straight can't hurt me, I'm not going to worry about a couple of camel-humping rag heads.
Barbie: {torn} I ... I ... I really like you Joe ... but I can't leave Ken.
G.I. Joe: Jesus H. Christ !! What you see in Ken is utterly beyond my Ken. Anyway, I don't need to chase a frigid biatch like you. I've already got a hot date with all 4 of the Bratz Girls set up later tonite ... hot tub, cold crystal, iPod, and ecstasy. I was gonna invite you over to make it a 6-way, but oh well. To quote Billy Joel, "you Catholic girls start much too late". {leaves}
Barbie: No, wait ... I ... I ...
Barbie:
Word of the Day Monday October 23, 2006
felicitous \fuh-LIS-uh-tuhs\, adjective: 1. Suitably applied or expressed; appropriate; apt. 2. Happy; delightful; marked by good fortune.
We do this sort of thing most weekends anyway, said a lean rebel with gunpowder smudges on his face and the felicitous name of Troy Cool.
-- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic
I always have a pad of paper and a pencil within reach, to catch on the wing this turn of phrase which strikes me as felicitous, that idea which I hope to be able to examine more closely in the light of day.
-- Roger Martin du Gard, Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort (translated by Timothy Crouse)
The word zakat itself suggests both piety and purity,underscoring the relationship of financial responsibility to righteous living. Like all Islamic requirements, its observance helps assure the giver of abetter chance for a felicitous reward in the hereafter.
-- Jane I. Smith, Islam in America
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Felicitous is derived from Latin felicitas, "fertility, hence success, happiness," from felix, "fertile, successful, happy."
felicitous \fuh-LIS-uh-tuhs\, adjective: 1. Suitably applied or expressed; appropriate; apt. 2. Happy; delightful; marked by good fortune.
We do this sort of thing most weekends anyway, said a lean rebel with gunpowder smudges on his face and the felicitous name of Troy Cool.
-- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic
I always have a pad of paper and a pencil within reach, to catch on the wing this turn of phrase which strikes me as felicitous, that idea which I hope to be able to examine more closely in the light of day.
-- Roger Martin du Gard, Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort (translated by Timothy Crouse)
The word zakat itself suggests both piety and purity,underscoring the relationship of financial responsibility to righteous living. Like all Islamic requirements, its observance helps assure the giver of abetter chance for a felicitous reward in the hereafter.
-- Jane I. Smith, Islam in America
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Felicitous is derived from Latin felicitas, "fertility, hence success, happiness," from felix, "fertile, successful, happy."
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 Tuesday October 24, 2006
solicitous \suh-LIS-uh-tuhs\, adjective: 1. Manifesting or expressing care or concern. 2. Full of anxiety or concern; apprehensive. 3. Extremely careful; meticulous. 4. Full of desire; eager.
He does not appear to have suffered from homesickness, although the suspicion that this might have been due to the unsatisfactory nature of his 'home' life seems belied by the tone and content of his letters; he makes frequent and solicitous inquiries after not only Mabel and his mother but also his father.
-- Matthew Sturgis, Aubrey Beardsley: A Biography
She was often solicitous of her daughter's feelings and intense reactions, trying to shield her from emotional trauma.
-- Adrienne Fried Block, Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian
He . . . was excessively solicitous, constantly apologizing for the car's poor suspension, the heat, the state of the roads, and the insane behavior of other drivers.
-- John Case, The Genesis Code
He was also solicitous of my health and would notice when I was tired or under great strain.
-- Cartha D. "Deke" DeLoach, Hoover's FBI
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Solicitous is from Latin sollicitus, "thoroughly or violently moved, disturbed, or agitated," hence "anxious, uneasy, worried," from sollus, "whole, entire" + citus, past participle of ciere, "to move, to stir."
solicitous \suh-LIS-uh-tuhs\, adjective: 1. Manifesting or expressing care or concern. 2. Full of anxiety or concern; apprehensive. 3. Extremely careful; meticulous. 4. Full of desire; eager.
He does not appear to have suffered from homesickness, although the suspicion that this might have been due to the unsatisfactory nature of his 'home' life seems belied by the tone and content of his letters; he makes frequent and solicitous inquiries after not only Mabel and his mother but also his father.
-- Matthew Sturgis, Aubrey Beardsley: A Biography
She was often solicitous of her daughter's feelings and intense reactions, trying to shield her from emotional trauma.
-- Adrienne Fried Block, Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian
He . . . was excessively solicitous, constantly apologizing for the car's poor suspension, the heat, the state of the roads, and the insane behavior of other drivers.
-- John Case, The Genesis Code
He was also solicitous of my health and would notice when I was tired or under great strain.
-- Cartha D. "Deke" DeLoach, Hoover's FBI
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solicitous is from Latin sollicitus, "thoroughly or violently moved, disturbed, or agitated," hence "anxious, uneasy, worried," from sollus, "whole, entire" + citus, past participle of ciere, "to move, to stir."
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 Wednesday October 25, 2006
crabwise \KRAB-wyz\, adjective: 1. Sideways. 2. In a cautiously indirect manner.
Grass tells this story in awkward fashion, coming at it crabwise indeed, with hesitations, shifts of direction, and out of sequence, allowing his narrator to display his own confusion, uncertainty, resentment of a history that has deformed his own life.
-- Allan Massie, review of Crabwalk, by Gunter Grass, The Scotsman, April 5, 2003
Atwood moves crabwise through such questions as the place of moral or ideological content in art, the conflict between artistic purity and commercial necessity, and the nature of the relationship between writer, text and reader.
-- Christopher Tayler, review of Negotiating with the Dead, by Margaret Atwood, Sunday Telegraph, March 10, 2002
Without taking his eyes from the road his left hand moved seamlessly from the old-fashioned gear stick to Sally's lap where, after a brief professional rummage, it moved crabwise on to me in the back seat.
-- Sue Arnold, "The difference between a grope and a caress", The Independent, October 4, 2003
crabwise \KRAB-wyz\, adjective: 1. Sideways. 2. In a cautiously indirect manner.
Grass tells this story in awkward fashion, coming at it crabwise indeed, with hesitations, shifts of direction, and out of sequence, allowing his narrator to display his own confusion, uncertainty, resentment of a history that has deformed his own life.
-- Allan Massie, review of Crabwalk, by Gunter Grass, The Scotsman, April 5, 2003
Atwood moves crabwise through such questions as the place of moral or ideological content in art, the conflict between artistic purity and commercial necessity, and the nature of the relationship between writer, text and reader.
-- Christopher Tayler, review of Negotiating with the Dead, by Margaret Atwood, Sunday Telegraph, March 10, 2002
Without taking his eyes from the road his left hand moved seamlessly from the old-fashioned gear stick to Sally's lap where, after a brief professional rummage, it moved crabwise on to me in the back seat.
-- Sue Arnold, "The difference between a grope and a caress", The Independent, October 4, 2003
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
/~ ok, ok, that was a cheap pun rather than a legit usage, granted, but hey ... I saw an opening, and pinched onto it, so soup me. ~/Bartender: What'll ya have, Rick ?
Rick: Scotch. Make it a triple.
Bartender: Whoa ... problems ?
Rick: You betcha. Had to file Chapter 11 today.
Bartender: The Crab Shack ?
Rick: Yeah.
Bartender: Bad harvest ? Boat trouble ?
Rick: Plenty of crabs, and the boat's fine ... I lost everything at the race track.
Bartender: Crabwise, but dollar foolish, eh ?
Rick: Tell me about it.
"Care for a date, Monsieur?" came a soliciting voice to his right.
Arthur turned, and tried hard not to gawk when he saw the stunning young woman who was stepping into the streetlamp's overhead glow. His feet, apparently controlled by that part of him which was a dedicated and happily married Christian, began to edge crabwise in the opposite direction.
"Où allez-vous?" she asked, smiling, continuing to advance. "You look like you would like some company, yes?"
Arthur's feet stopped. For an infinitesimal moment he tottered on the fence of his scruples, then jumped.
"What's your name?" he asked thickly.
"Felicity," she purred.
Arthur turned, and tried hard not to gawk when he saw the stunning young woman who was stepping into the streetlamp's overhead glow. His feet, apparently controlled by that part of him which was a dedicated and happily married Christian, began to edge crabwise in the opposite direction.
"Où allez-vous?" she asked, smiling, continuing to advance. "You look like you would like some company, yes?"
Arthur's feet stopped. For an infinitesimal moment he tottered on the fence of his scruples, then jumped.
"What's your name?" he asked thickly.
"Felicity," she purred.
Colourless green ideas sleep furiously