GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

trepanation

/ˌtrɛpəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
The practice of drilling a hole in the skull as a physical, mental, or spiritual treatment.

-=-=o=-=-

Doctor Tim loved his trepanation tools. His specialty, of course, was treating headaches. That he was a zombie had not been advertized to the medical board. You could say he had a taste for his work. His technique was gentle, and he had very few patients who complained. He just considered them to be soreheads.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

trepanation

Every time Doctor Tim acquired a new Black & Decker trepanation tool, he felt much trepidation at its first time use.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

caulking

/kɔːkɪŋ/
noun
A usually impermeable substance used for caulking. Also called caulking compound

Bob was doubly irked (see following) by the word of the day since he was also long overdue to replace the caulking around his tub.



[Another definition "winner" from the wordsmiths at the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition in which the word to be defined is used to tell us what the word means. Compare with: "A waterproof filler and sealant, used in building work and repairs." which is from Oxford Dictionaries Online for the root word caulk]

[Algot Runeman]

framboise

/frɒmˈbwɑːz/
noun
1 (in cooking) a raspberry.
1.1 mass noun A white brandy distilled from fermented raspberry juice.

Origin
French, ‘raspberry’, from a conflation of Latin fraga ambrosia ‘ambrosial strawberry’.

-=-=-=-=-

Frank always added raspberries to his sundae instead of the more common strawberry. "Framboise avant fraise" was his culinary motto.

[Algot Runeman]

cognize

/kɒɡˈnʌɪz/
(also cognise)
verb
[WITH OBJECT]formal
Know or become aware of.

Origin
Early 19th century: from cognizance, on the pattern of words such as recognize.

-=-=-=-=-

Karel cognized computers at more than one level, but was not an accomplished programmer.

[Algot Runeman]

neritic

/nɪˈrɪtɪk/
adjective
Geology Biology
Relating to or denoting the shallow part of the sea near a coast and overlying the continental shelf.

Origin
Late 19th century: from nerite + -ic.

-=-=-=-=-

Some of the best saltwater fishing is found in neritic waters.

[Algot Runeman]

dotty

/ˈdɒti/
adjective
British
informal
1 Eccentric or slightly mad.
1.1 dotty about Infatuated with.

Origin
Late 19th century: perhaps from obsolete dote ‘simpleton, fool’, apparently from Dutch dote ‘folly’.

-=-=-.-=-=-

A little potty,
Just slightly dotty,
Though often hazy
Marge was never lazy.

She would work all day
No time off to play.
To the boss, a daisy
Most said she was crazy.

[Algot Runeman]

spiritual

/ˈspɪrɪtjʊəl//ˈspɪrɪtʃʊəl/
adjective
1 Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
1.1 Having a relationship based on a profound level of mental or emotional communion.
1.2 (of a person) not concerned with material values or pursuits.
2 Relating to religion or religious belief.

noun
A religious song of a kind associated with black Christians of the southern US, and thought to derive from the combination of European hymns and African musical elements by black slaves.

Origin
Middle English: from Old French spirituel, from Latin spiritualis, from spiritus (see spirit).

-=-=-=-=-=-

Can the image of an ethereal angel represent the spiritual side of humankind?

[Algot Runeman]

kundalini

/ˈkʊndəˌlɪni/
noun
mass noun
1 (in yoga) latent female energy believed to lie coiled at the base of the spine.
1.1 A system of meditation directed towards the release of kundalini energy.

Origin
Sanskrit, literally ‘snake’.


Sharon sat silent, meditating in her yoga pose. Relaxed in one way, she was focused and fierce in another. She gathered her kundalini for the workday ahead.

[Algot Runeman]

psychozoic

adjective
Geology
rare
Geology (now rare) designating or relating to the period of geological time characterized by the presence of human intelligence.

Origin
Early 19th century; earliest use found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834), poet, critic, and philosopher.

-=-=-=-=-

Psychozoic is perhaps rare because since Coleridge used the term, we have come to realize that human intelligence is even more rare.

[Algot Runeman]

ragamuffin

/ˈraɡəmʌfɪn/
(also raggamuffin)
noun
1 A person, typically a child, in ragged, dirty clothes.
2 An exponent or follower of ragga, typically one dressing in scruffy clothes.
as modifier ‘ragamuffin style’
2.1 another term for ragga

Origin

Middle English: probably based on rag, with a fanciful suffix.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Style comes around. There's a high-end clothing company selling jeans with artificial mud stains. Mixed with the craze of prestressed, slashed and torn jeans (also sold that way), we're seeing a faux ragamuffin style.

[Algot Runeman]

negaholism

/ˈnɛɡəhɒlɪz(ə)m//ˈnɛɡəhəlɪz(ə)m/
noun
The condition of being habitually negative or pessimistic.

Origin
1980s. From nega- + -holism. Compare negaholic [adjective].

-=-=-=-=-=-

Sid strived daily to avoid his negaholism. He purposfully filled his glass half full so he could see it that way instead of half empty. Then he ruined the effect by adding half again as much whiskey. Did I mention he was also troubled by alcoholism?

[Algot Runeman]

pococurante

/ˌpəʊkəʊkjʊˈranti/
adjective
rare
Indifferent or unconcerned.
noun
rare
An indifferent or unconcerned person.

Origin
Mid 18th century: Italian, from poco ‘little’ + curante ‘caring’.

-=-=-=-=-

It matters little to me.
I could (or couldn't) care less.
I'm pococurante you see.
That's why my life's such a mess.

[Algot Runeman]

primavera

/ˌpriːməˈvɛːrə/
noun
mass noun
The hard, light-coloured timber of a Central American tree.
adjective
postpositive (of a pasta dish) made with lightly sautéed spring vegetables.

Origin
Late 19th century: from Spanish, denoting the season of spring, from Latin primus ‘first, earliest’ + ver ‘spring’ (alluding to the tree's early flowering).

-=-=-=-=-

Paul sat in his primavera chair and ate his pasta primavera with gusto. He rose from dinner with a spring in his step.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Somehow this photo makes me think of a pococurante Mr. Donald Trump spouting some outrageous comment, while being photobombed by a ragamuffin child adorably riding on her/his father's shoulders.

Spoiler: show

(How Weird Street annual fair in San Francisco)

[Algot Runeman]

grift

verb
[NO OBJECT]
North American
informal
Engage in petty or small-scale swindling.
noun
North American
informal
A petty or small-scale swindle.

Origin
Early 20th century: alteration of graft.
Pronunciation
grift/ɡrɪft/

-=-=-=-=-

Grift happens because of our gullible nature. Snake oil salesmen were called grifters. Though, today, selling cheap potions at high prices is called "business as usual".

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

grift

Tom couldn't access to his Gmail all day long.

"So now my Gmail is Grift!"

Until he found the prank with his Hosts file ...

[Algot Runeman]

staffage

/stəˈfɑːʒ/
noun
mass noun
Accessory items in a painting, especially figures or animals in a landscape picture.

Origin
Late 19th century: from German, from staffieren ‘decorate’, perhaps from Old French estoffer, from estoffe ‘stuff’.

-=-=-=-=-

Frank Swah became a noted, if frequently ridiculed, artist because of the oddities he added to the staffage of his work.

[Algot Runeman]

amnesia

/amˈniːzɪə/
noun
mass noun
A partial or total loss of memory.

Origin
Late 18th century: from Greek amnēsia ‘forgetfulness’.

-=-=-=-=-=-

I had a good sentence planned. I'm sure of it. Now, I can't remember it. Amnesia has struck!

[Algot Runeman]

indumentum

/ˌɪndjʊˈmɛntəm/
noun
Botany Zoology
A covering of hairs (or feathers) on an animal or plant.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin, literally ‘garment’, from induere ‘put on, don’.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

She wore the skins of dozens of chinchillas for their soft indumentum.

[Algot Runeman]

intimism

/ˈɪntɪmɪz(ə)m/
noun
mass noun
A style of painting showing intimate views of domestic interiors using impressionist techniques, used by artists such as Bonnard in the early 20th century.

Origin
Early 20th century: from French intimisme, from Latin intimus ‘innermost’.

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Arlo attempted an illustration using intimism, the style of Bonnard. He does not think it worked too well.

[Algot Runeman]

saucier

/ˈsəʊsɪeɪ/
noun
A chef who prepares sauces.

Origin
French.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Shelly was more saucy than most sauciers.

[Algot Runeman]

satyr

/ˈsatə/
noun
1 Greek Mythology
One of a class of lustful, drunken woodland gods. In Greek art they were represented as a man with a horse's ears and tail, but in Roman representations as a man with a goat's ears, tail, legs, and horns.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French satyre, or via Latin from Greek saturos.

-=-=-=-=-

Happy Satyr-day!
(Bob knows that the day was named for Saturn instead of the woodland gods, those lusty satyrs. He's just funnin'. It's his weak end joke.)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

satyr

I used to think a satyr is saucier than any saucier.

I don't think so any more. I'm quite sure now ...

[Algot Runeman]

shockumentary

/ˌʃɒkjʊˈmɛnt(ə)ri/
noun
A documentary film or programme that deals with subjects such as death or violence in a graphic and often sensationalized way.

Origin
1970s: blend of shock and documentary.

-=-=-=-=-

Terence tended toward slasher films, and the producers said his style was exactly perfect for their shockumentary.