GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

dissonant

Pronunciation: /ˈdisənənt /
adjective
Music
1 Lacking harmony: irregular, dissonant chords
1.1 Unsuitable or unusual in combination; clashing: Jackson employs both harmonious and dissonant color choices

Origin
late Middle English (in the sense 'clashing'): from Old French, or from Latin dissonant- 'being discordant or inharmonious', from the verb dissonare, from dis- 'apart' + sonare 'to sound'.



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Dissonant discord battered Donnie. All around him, colors and sound clashed, crashed and smashed him down. Squinting, Donnie shambled, stumbled and shoved through the crowd, seeking silent solace.

[Algot Runeman]

avenge

Pronunciation: /əˈvenj /
verb
[with object]
1 Inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong done to oneself or another): his determination to avenge the murder of his brother they are eager to avenge last year’s Super Bowl defeat
1.1 Inflict harm on behalf of (oneself or someone else previously wronged or harmed): we must avenge our dead she avenged herself after he broke off their engagement the warrior swore he would be avenged on their prince

Origin
late Middle English: from Old French avengier, from a- (from Latin ad 'to') + vengier, from Latin vindicare 'vindicate'.

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"Never Forget" is too often used as the excuse to kill again. Humans avenge the deaths of even distant ancestors whom they never even met. Our modern world is a patchwork of people who hate other patches. It is truly sad.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

avenge

So to avenge is to coerce retribution or inflict revenge ex post facto for the perceived or actual wrongful deed(s).

I wonder if The Avengers isn't a misnomer. As I understand from the latest spate of Marvel's movies I've seen, these superheroes don't seek to exact revenge after the fact, but by fighting the baddies, they try to *prevent* individual or collective calamities to innocent people.

[Algot Runeman]

"To serve and protect" is a common motto for the police departments here in the US. That phrase also gives a much better impression than "To wait and then avenge."

[Algot Runeman]

quiescent

Pronunciation: /kwēˈesnt , kwīˈesnt /
adjective
In a state or period of inactivity or dormancy: strikes were headed by groups of workers who had previously been quiescent quiescent ulcerative colitis

Origin
mid 17th century: from Latin quiescent- 'being still', from the verb quiescere, from quies 'quiet'.



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After the flurry of complex activity that surrounds the preparation of the WotD post, a long quiescent period follows until lunch again stirs me to action.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

quiescent

You have a thing with -scents, haven't you?

Okay, I promise to be quiescently acquiescent.

...

Statue of Willem de Zwijger (William the Silent), in The Hague, Netherlands.

[Algot Runeman]

...a thing with -scents

Oooh! Thanks for telling me. I shall immediately apply the strongest deodorant I can find and make it an evanescent problem.

[Algot Runeman]

gesundheit

Pronunciation: /ɡəˈzo͝on(t)īt /
exclamation
Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed.

Origin
from German Gesundheit 'health'.


Nick Holliday

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"Gesundheit!" was the chorus from the crowd when John sneezed. Though, there was one who muttered, "Cover your mouth, Bozo."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

gesundheit
...
Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed.
...

Sometimes Flemish people behave similarly, though they say "gezondheid" instead of "gesundheit".

But if the sneeze immediately followed an outrageous statement (by someone else), Flemings may confirm the statement with " 't Is beniesd [ 't is dus waar.]" (It's besneezed [so it must be true.])

[Algot Runeman]

lambent

Pronunciation: /ˈlambənt /
adjective
literary
(Of light or fire) glowing, gleaming, or flickering with a soft radiance: the magical, lambent light of the north

Origin
mid 17th century: from Latin lambent- 'licking', from the verb lambere.


Anton Matthee

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Laurie, looking under the flap of the tent, watched her boyfriend. Tom Lamb bent forward to add another billet of wood to the fire. All across the campsite, morning mist was made magical by the lambent light. Tom was at home in the woods, and could make a fire even with wet wood. Laurie had camped a lot in her twenty year life. For a girl who loved the ourdoors, Tom seemed the perfect boyfriend.

[Algot Runeman]

bamboozle

Pronunciation: /bamˈbo͞ozəl /
verb
[with object] informal
1 Fool or cheat (someone): Tom Sawyer bamboozled the neighborhood boys into doing it for him
1.1 Confound or perplex: bamboozled by the number of savings plans being offered

Origin
early 18th century: of unknown origin.



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Slick Smith was well known to the authorities. He had bamboozled even the mayor with his confidence schemes. Of course, the police didn't think much of the mental capacity of the mayor.

[Algot Runeman]

bouffant

Pronunciation: /bo͞oˈfänt /
adjective
[attributive]
(Of a person’s hair) styled so as to puff out in a rounded shape: a blonde lady with bouffant hair
noun
A bouffant hairstyle.

Origin
early 19th century: from French, literally 'swelling', present participle of bouffer.



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Joe twisted his head side-to-side, checking his hair in the bathroom mirror. Not a hair out of place. He was determined to bring back male bouffant style.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

bouffant

Whenever I hear or read "bouffant hair do", I'm reminded of the era when Elvis Presley promoted that ridiculous hair style. It was called the "vetkuif" in Dutch.

Some Dutch to English dictionary sites translate the latter to "fetlock" hair style.

Barbers used to ask clients who wanted this style, "You want a hair cut or an oil change?"

Yes, yes, I know. I'm talking heresy. So sue me.

[Algot Runeman]

flagitious

Pronunciation: /fləˈjiSHəs /
adjective
(Of a person or their actions) criminal; villainous.

Origin
late Middle English: from Latin flagitiosus, from flagitium 'importunity, shameful crime', from flagitare 'demand earnestly'.


JLM Photography

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Pete didn't think of his drug sales as flagitious, just entrepreneurial. Actually, he was just aware he might make a boatload of money. Neither of those fancy words occurred to him. His effective education ended in the sixth grade when his mother died of an overdose. After that, school was less importannt. Making enough money to survive was more important. Pete became a runner, then a corner man and just recently a successful inside man with a half-dozen corners to service. He was looking at his next options.

[voralfred]

gesundheit

Pronunciation: /ɡəˈzo͝on(t)īt /
exclamation
Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed.

Origin
from German Gesundheit 'health'.

(…)

On can also say in german Zum Wohlsein (to your well-being) when someone sneezes

or simply add Wohlsein after a resounding Tchuuuuum….

[voralfred]

flagitious

Pronunciation: /fləˈjiSHəs /
adjective
(Of a person or their actions) criminal; villainous.

Origin
late Middle English: from Latin flagitiosus, from flagitium 'importunity, shameful crime', from flagitare 'demand earnestly'.

(…)

Pete didn't think of his drug sales as flagitious, just entrepreneurial. Actually, he was just aware he might make a boatload of money. Neither of those fancy words occurred to him. His effective education ended in the sixth grade when his mother died of an overdose. After that, school was less importannt. Making enough money to survive was more important. Pete became a runner, then a corner man and just recently a successful inside man with a half-dozen corners to service. He was looking at his next options.

In some places, Pete could be sentenced to flagellation for selling drugs, or for various other flagitious behaviours...

[Algot Runeman]

jaunty

Pronunciation: /ˈjôn(t)ē /
adjective (jauntier, jauntiest)
Having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner: there was no mistaking that jaunty walk

Origin
mid 17th century (in the sense 'well-bred, genteel'): from French gentil (see gentle1, genteel).



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To be pedestrian and to be jaunty seem opposite. Yet pedestrians walk and that walk may be jaunty. English is a wonderful language. English is a confusing language. Gotta love it!

[Algot Runeman]

obstreperous

Pronunciation: /əbˈstrepərəs /
adjective
Noisy and difficult to control: the boy is cocky and obstreperous

Origin
late 16th century (in the sense 'clamorous, vociferous'): from Latin obstreperus (from obstrepere, from ob- 'against' + strepere 'make a noise') + -ous.


Amaya & Laurent

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Billy was rude, mean, obstreperous. But he was the boss's son, and the boss didn't like employees to complain.

[Algot Runeman]

peripeteia

Pronunciation: /ˌperipəˈtēə, -ˈtīə /
noun
formal
A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative.

Origin
late 16th century: from Greek peripeteia 'sudden change', from peri- 'around' + the stem of piptein 'to fall'.


Olaf Meyer

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Maggie stared at the beautifully mounted triangle of the folded American flag. Her father had hung it on the wall for her. It was difficult to look at it.

Charlie was gone. He was not just away, not just off on another deployment. He was GONE! There wasn't even a clutter of children around her to be his next generation. Nothing left. Just some snapshots in the drawer and the flag on the wall.

Though Maggie was not an academic or even a student of literature, she was going through peripeteia. Pointing that out to her would have been silly. She would only have stared blankly back at you. This wasn't fiction, something to read and then write a book report for class. This was bitter truth, her life, such as it still was. Maggie didn't even respond much to the kindness of her family and friends. They still had lives. She didn't. No Charlie. Nothing.

She didn't see the sidewalk in front of her as she walked to the convenience store later in the afternoon. She saw only a hole or something worse, a void, an empty future.

Back at home, she put the bread on the counter and mechanically constructed a basic bologna sandwich, just a slice of the lunch meat and the two pieces of the bread. Mustard and mayonnaise were in the fridge, but she didn't think to add them. Eating the sandwich with a glass of tap water took her all the way through the local news at 5:00.

She turned, lowered herself to the cushions of the sofa, pulled the pillow close and stared at the fabric of the sofa's back for a long time before something like sleep finally came.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

peripeteia

If anyone really thinks that I shall remember, let alone ever use this WotD, then sadly that person is in for a disappointing peripeteia.

And the Greeks who thought it up can go soak their heads.

[Algot Runeman]

If anyone really thinks that I shall remember, let alone ever use this WotD, then sadly that person is in for a disappointing peripeteia.

Thanks for not shooting the messenger. WotD from ODO is occasionally a PIA for which an SOS or RIP is appropriate. Nonetheless, we forge ahead, providing the public with some word, no matter how formal, archaic, abstract or downright silly.



WotD - Word of the Day
ODO - Oxford Dictionaries Online
PIA - Pain in the Ass
SOS - Cry for Help - "Save our Ships"
RIP - Requiescat in Pace - Rest in Peace - Let this silly word completely fade away!

[Algot Runeman]

hippogriff

Pronunciation: /ˈhipəˌɡrif /
(also hippogryph)
noun
A mythical creature with the body of a horse and the wings and head of an eagle, born of the union of a male griffin and a filly.

Origin
mid 17th century: from French hippogriffe, from Italian ippogrifo, from Greek hippos 'horse' + Italian grifo 'griffin'.


CharReed

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Sandy stood in petrified awe as the creature rose and stretched from a night's sleep. She was in the presence of a hippogriff. Though she still was hoping to find a unicorn, this mighty creature was proof her quest wouldn't end in failure.

[voralfred]

peripeteia

If anyone really thinks that I shall remember, let alone ever use this WotD, then sadly that person is in for a disappointing peripeteia.

And the Greeks who thought it up can go soak their heads.
(...)

Here is one peripeteia for you : my (recently retired) wife used to be a high school teacher of french (for french speakers, or at least supposedly so). She mostly taught first year junior-high kids, and taught them how to write short stories.
a) start from initial situation
b) introduce a destabilizing element (for instance, the unexpected arrival of an obstreperous hippogriff)
c) whatever happens next, in response to this destabilization, peripeteia in short, or rather peripeteies since more than one was expected
d) resolution
e) final state

My point is that the word she used to mean peripeteia for these 11-12 years, most of them from rather uneducated families, was the french term péripéties which she fully expected them to understand and remember. It is not at all a weird word in french.

[Algot Runeman]

Ça va, mon ami!

English is so much at the center of my language thinking that it didn't cross my mind that an odd academic word like peripeteia might be in relatively common use in another language. It is great to have the chance to discuss words with people who routinely use other languages. Thanks.

[Algot Runeman]

entelechy

Pronunciation: /ɛnˈtɛləki , ɪn-/
noun (plural entelechies)
[mass noun] Philosophy
1 The realization of potential.
1.1 The supposed vital principle that guides the development and functioning of an organism or other system or organization: such self-organization required a special biological force—entelechy [count noun]: an entelechy generating a work of art from within

Origin
late Middle English: via late Latin from Greek entelekheia (used by Aristotle), from en- 'within' + telos 'end, perfection' + ekhein 'be in a certain state'.



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A 50th anniversary represents entelechy of marriage when friendship and mutual support outlast the lust of youth.