GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

picayune

/ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/
adjective
North American
informal
Of little value or significance; petty.
noun
North American
dated
1 A small coin of little value, especially a 5-cent piece.
1.1 informal - An insignificant person or thing.

Origin
Early 19th century: from French picaillon, denoting a Piedmontese copper coin, also used to mean ‘cash’, from Provençal picaioun, of unknown ultimate origin.

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For many, the appearance of a Word of the Day on the forum is an insignificant event, a picayune moment in the flow of time. For others it is the bright morning focus of each day. Either way, it may prompt a period of consideration as each of us sees how the term of our focus might fit into the larger scheme of our personal vocabulary, enriching our use of the English language.

[Thus endeth the series of WotD introspective posts. A return to frivolous frolic follows.]

[voralfred]

Sometimes, while I travel by plane, there is a announcement about soft drinks that are "with the captain's compliments"
Apparently, this means that I can have a soft drink without having to pay even a picayune, nor "un picaillon".

But I never understood the connection : how did complimentary come to mean free of charge ?

[Algot Runeman]

relume

/rɪˈl(j)uːm/
verb
[with object] - literary
Relight or rekindle (a light, flame, etc.)

Origin
Early 17th century: from re- ‘again’ + illume, partly suggested by French rallumer.

==========

Reneé relumed the candle so he could resume his reexamination of this region of the room. He was not expecting what was revealed.

[Algot Runeman]

Arita

/əˈriːtə/
noun
mass noun
A type of Japanese porcelain characterized by asymmetric decoration.

Origin
Late 19th century: named after Arita, a town in Japan, where it is made.

==========

Sally felt suitably decadent when she served dinner to 5 guests, each one's entré on a different original Arita plate.

[voralfred]

I do not own any Arita plates but I do own a tea set of Kyoto china (it should be called Kyoto japan, shouldn't it ?) which I bought... in Tokyo, actually.
And indeed, in a proper Kyoto set, the tea pot comes with five cups...

(well, mine is not quite as beautiful as the one on the picture, but it is definitely the same style, if somewhat less ornate)

[Algot Runeman]

timeous

/ˈtʌɪməs/
adjective
Scottish
In good time; sufficiently early.

==========

Ensure you have mailed your Valentine's Day wishes in a timeous manner.

[Algot Runeman]

truthiness

/ˈtruːθɪnəs/
noun
mass noun
informal
The quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true.

Origin
Early 19th century (in the sense ‘truthfulness’): coined in the modern sense by the US humorist Stephen Colbert.

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Politicians' speech, especially the answers to questions, normally contain a sense of truthiness, even if they convey little meaning.

[Algot Runeman]

saudade

/saʊˈdɑːdə/
noun
mass noun
(especially with reference to songs or poetry) a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia that is supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament.

Origin
Portuguese.

==========

Her walk was grace.
Perfume, a trace,
And, oh, her face.
But that was yesterday.

She is not here.
For good, I fear.
I shed a tear
For that lost yesterday.

Saudade fills my soul.
But I play my role.
To find a new goal.
But never forgetting yesterday.

[Algot Runeman]

melisma

/mɪˈlɪzmə/
noun
Plural melismas, Plural melismata
Music
A group of notes sung to one syllable of text.

Origin
Late 19th century: from Greek, literally ‘melody’.

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Mike massacred his national anthem by modifying the tune with too many melismata.

[Algot Runeman]

ultimatum

/ʌltɪˈmeɪtəm/
noun
Plural ultimatums, Plural ultimata
A final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.

Origin
Mid 18th century: from Latin, neuter past participle of ultimare ‘come to an end’.

==========

Your ultimatum has arrived at an inconvenient time for us. We are just about to sit for a long-planned dinner and cannot take time out just now to do a battle to the death.

Can we reschedule for the start of next week?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ultimatum

My Grandma's ultimatum to her furrier-couturier was actually an SOP, equivalent to an Olympic Commandment.

It stated: "You shall always present your new fur creations to me first!". "Or else" was implied.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

haemostat

(US hemostat)

/ˈhiːməstat/
noun
Medicine
An instrument for preventing blood flow by compression of a blood vessel.

==========

Susan recounted the hemostats for a fifth time. Everyone had searched the floor. She and the surgeon made reluctant eye contact and he said, "Scalpel!" just before they re-opened the patient.

[Algot Runeman]

reintegrate

/riːˈɪntɪɡreɪt/
verb
[with object]
1 Restore (elements regarded as disparate) to unity.
1.1 Integrate (someone) back into society.

==========

Humans have a perverse resistance to attempts to reintegrate.

[Algot Runeman]

epizoon

/ˌɛpɪˈzəʊɒn/
noun
Plural epizoa
Zoology
An animal that lives on the body of another animal, especially as a parasite.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from epi- ‘upon’ + Greek zōion ‘animal’.

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The main thing you want to do with an epizoon is to get the epizo OFF! Said another way, 'having ticks can tick you off'.

[Algot Runeman]

invigorate

/ɪnˈvɪɡəreɪt/
verb
[with object]
Give strength or energy to.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from medieval Latin invigorat- ‘made strong’, from the verb invigorare, from in- ‘towards’ + Latin vigorare ‘make strong’ (from vigor ‘vigour’).

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The banana and peanut butter he ate for breakfast invigorated him enough to prepare the post for a word of the day. It would just take him through until lunch, as well.

[Algot Runeman]

miscreant

/ˈmɪskrɪənt/
noun
1 A person who has done something wrong or unlawful.
1.1 archaic A heretic.

adjective
1 (of a person) behaving badly or unlawfully.
1.1 archaic Heretical.

Origin
Middle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘disbelieving’): from Old French mescreant, present participle of mescreire ‘disbelieve’, from mes- ‘mis-’ + creire ‘believe’ (from Latin credere).

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Mark was a mythic miscreant, passing through the world with no belief in the law. He saw all of his actions as pure and selfish. What else, he felt, should one do?

[Algot Runeman]

curtail

/kəːˈteɪl/
verb
[with object]
1 Reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on.
1.1 curtail someone of archaic Deprive someone of (something)

Origin
Late 15th century: from obsolete curtal ‘horse with a docked tail’, from French courtault, from court ‘short’, from Latin curtus. The change in the ending was due to association with tail and perhaps also with French tailler ‘to cut’.

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Yesterday's work was curtailed by a need to go to the hospital to deal with an uneven heartbeat. Rating its rate, the doctors said, "lie still while we get this organ under control!"

[Algot Runeman]

inconvenient

/ˌɪnkənˈvinjənt//ˌinkənˈvēnyənt/
adjective
Causing trouble, difficulties, or discomfort.

Origin
Late Middle English (originally in the sense ‘incongruous’ or ‘unsuitable’): via Old French from Latin inconvenient-, from in- ‘not’ + convenient- ‘agreeing, fitting’ (see convenient). Current senses date from the mid 17th century.

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Trips to get meds at the pharmacy are merely inconvenient when compared to an onerous trip around the hospital floor with a saline drip.



[It was possible to work out a formula to use the dictionary's word, even though "onerous" had formerly been posted in the forum, so technically we have conformed with the rules around here!]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

inconvenient...
Trips to get meds at the pharmacy are merely inconvenient when compared to an onerous trip around the hospital floor with a saline drip.
...

Inconveniently, Al Gore truthfully said so before.

[Algot Runeman]

folklore

/ˈfəʊklɔː/
noun
mass noun
1 The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.
1.1 A body of popular myths or beliefs relating to a particular place, activity, or group of people.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from folk + lore.

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History consists of recorded material, but there is generally also a body of folklore not officially noted, though that does not make it any less important.

[Algot Runeman]

sitzkrieg

/ˈzɪtskriːɡ/
noun
A war, or a phase of a war, in which there is little or no active warfare.

Origin
1940s: suggested by blitzkrieg, from German sitzen ‘sit’.

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He was not a rabid soldier; Mark appreciated the downtime between missions. He was a real fan of the hurry-and-wait routine of a sitzkrieg.

[Algot Runeman]

hadal

/ˈheɪdəl/
adjective
Relating to the zone of the sea greater than 6000 m in depth (chiefly oceanic trenches).

Origin
1950s: from Hades + -al.

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Charlie threw a penny overboard as the ship passed over the Mariana Trench, hoping that his wish would gain in strength while descending to hadal depths. All the coins through all the years in all those shallow fountains had produced nothing.

[Algot Runeman]

indistinct

/ɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/
adjective
Not clear or sharply defined.

Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin indistinctus, from in- ‘not’ + distinctus ‘separated, distinguished’ (see distinct).

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The "Doctor Who" convention organizers decorated the portable toilets to look like Tardises. The conference was very popular, and their combined odor was far from indistinct. And, owing to a location oversight, one of them was an actual police box, not a "Johnny-on-the-Spot". It was totally ruined.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

indistinct

If one is not cognizant of English idiom, then "Rent-a-Loo" is extremely indistinct.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

contemplate

/ˈkɒntəmpleɪt//ˈkɒntɛmpleɪt/
verb
[with object]
1 Look thoughtfully for a long time at.
1.1 Think about.
1.2 no object Think deeply and at length.
1.3 Have in view as a probable intention.

Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin contemplat- ‘surveyed, observed, contemplated’, from the verb contemplari, based on templum ‘place for observation’.

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Harry was the king of staring contests, primarily because as he looked at you, he was really contemplating what he might later have for supper.