GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[voralfred]

pelage

The meanings of the words pelage and pelagic have nothing whatsoever in common.
Another example of English illogicality.

As for me myself, in spite of my three score and fourteen years, I'm glad to still have a full head of dense gray pelage. People estimate me 15 years younger.

Reminder to self: update my 15-year old profile picture!

Spoiler: show

No current picture available.

Your pelage is your own, but if I remember correctly your Grandmother used a lot of pelages belonging to various creatures, didn't she ?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Your pelage is your own, but if I remember correctly your Grandmother used a lot of pelages belonging to various creatures, didn't she ?

Yes.
Though my grandma passed away, I still have a few of her valuable pelages.
A legacy by way of my late mom, of course, and unsellable now.

BTW, you or your wife wouldn't be interested in ...?

[Algot Runeman]

allogenic

/ˌaləˈdʒɛnɪk/
adjective
1 Geology
(of a mineral or sediment) transported to its present position from elsewhere.
Often contrasted with authigenic
2 Ecology
(of a successional change) caused by non-living factors in the environment.

==========

Deltas, like the well-known location of New Orleans along the south coast of the United States, are a product of millennia of allogenic deposits of silt from large rivers like the Mississippi.

[Algot Runeman]

stickler

/ˈstɪklə/
noun
A person who insists on a certain quality or type of behavior.

Origin
Mid 16th century (in the sense ‘umpire’): from obsolete stickle ‘be umpire’, alteration of obsolete stightle ‘to control’, frequentative of Old English stiht(i)an ‘set in order’.

==========

As a stickler for appropriate spelling, I changed one word of today's definition from "behaviour" to "behavior". You will, however, note that I put the terminal period of that sentence outside the quotation mark, capriciously mixing the style rules from American and UK English.

[Algot Runeman]

arcology

/ɑːˈkɒlədʒi/
noun
An ideal integrated city contained within a massive vertical structure, allowing maximum conservation of the surrounding environment.

Origin
1969: blend of architecture and ecology. Urban development theory proposed by Paolo Soleri involving three-dimensional building methods and efficient use of space and resources.

==========

While not quite equivalent, lacking the vertical element, the Erickburg Living Communities for seniors around the United States are as close to arcologies as we have achieved. They are self-contained, providing all services to the "55+" residents who never need to leave except to get away from the rest of the old prunes living there.

[Algot Runeman]

flagman

/ˈflaɡmən/
noun
A person who gives signals with a flag, especially at horse races or on railway lines.

==========

After serving in the navy as a semaphore operator, Jefferey retired to work for the railroad as a flagman.

[Algot Runeman]

degrade

/dɪˈɡreɪd/
verb
[with object]
1 Treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect.
1.1 Lower the character or quality of.
1.2 archaic - Reduce (someone) to a lower rank, especially as a punishment.
2 Break down or deteriorate chemically.
2.1 Physics Reduce (energy) to a less readily convertible form.
2.2 Geology Wear down (rock) and cause it to disintegrate.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French degrader, from ecclesiastical Latin degradare, from de- ‘down, away from’ + Latin gradus ‘step or grade’.

Sally, perpetual first place in high school and college, felt degraded when she came in second in the race in the Olympics, becoming the first-ever medalist from her country in the games. She was her own worst critic.

[Algot Runeman]

switch-hitter

/swɪtʃ-hɪtə/
noun
1 Baseball
An ambidextrous batter.
2 North American - informal
A bisexual person.

====\o===o/====

A switch-hitter must choose whether to bat left or right handed at the start of an at-bat but can switch once after the first pitch if desired.

[The corollary rule is that an ambidextrous pitcher must first establish which hand will throw the first pitch before the batter need decide, though he, too, may switch once during the at-bat. See: "Venditte Guidelines".]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

switch-hitter

Did this term perhaps originate with the railroad personnel?
I can easily imagine a switch-hitter being a person who manually operates railroad switches.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

tranquil

/ˈtraŋkwɪl/
adjective
Free from disturbance; calm.

Origin
Late Middle English: from French tranquille or Latin tranquillus.

==========

The morning is still,
Some would say tranquil.
But as I stand on this hill,
Looking down...a different slant,
To me that pond looks stagnant.

[Algot Runeman]

fantast
(also phantast)

/ˈfantast/
noun
North American
archaic
An impractical, impulsive person; a dreamer.

Origin
Late 16th century (formerly also as phantast): originally via medieval Latin from Greek phantastēs ‘boaster’, from phantazein or phantazesthai (see fantastic); in modern use from German Phantast.

==========

I fear that people buy clothing from the shopping channels they are convinced will look "perfect" on them. Fantasts that they are, they frequently suffer buyer's remorse.



Of course, with sufficient will and effort, and careful buying acumen, their dreams might come true.

[Algot Runeman]

monitum

/ˈmɒnɪtəm//ˈmɒnɪtʊm/
noun
A document giving warning of something, or giving a warning to someone; (Roman Catholic Church) a warning sent to a particular person or about a particular issue by the Holy Office.

Origin
Early 18th century; earliest use found in John Flamsteed (1646–1719), astronomer. From post-classical Latin monitum, specifically use of singular form corresponding to classical Latin monita warnings, precepts, use as noun of neuter plural of monitus, past participle of monēre to advise, warn.

==========

"The sky is falling!" was the monitum of Chicken Little, though that classic children's story probably wasn't taken from classical Latin.

[Algot Runeman]

horology

/hɒˈrɒlədʒi/
noun
mass noun
1 The study and measurement of time.
2 The art of making clocks and watches.

Origin
Early 19th century: from Greek hōra ‘time’ + -logy.

==========

Sid slowly, deftly slid the final hand into place. He was proud of his first complete watch build, on his way to his horology credentials.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

horology

You'd better enunciate horology very carefully and clearly, just to avoid confusion with urology.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

E.P.S.

"uritrottoir"

Merci, mon gar. Je nais pas connu de ça!

[voralfred]

I first thought it was a practical joke, someone putting this to take a picture and removing before being caught.

But no, to my deep shame, there are really four such things in Paris.

Remember, however, that I live in Boulogne-Billancourt, which is a municipality by itself, adjacent to Paris proper. I never voted for Anne Hidalgo ! So the shame does not really cling on me...

[Algot Runeman]

pragmatic

/praɡˈmatɪk/
adjective
1 Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
1.1 Relating to philosophical or political pragmatism.
1.2 Linguistics Relating to pragmatics.

Origin
Late 16th century (in the senses ‘busy, interfering, conceited’): via Latin from Greek pragmatikos ‘relating to fact’, from pragma ‘deed’ (from the stem of prattein ‘do’). The current senses date from the mid 19th century.

==========

Joe understood his origins as a naked ape, but he put on shoes every morning, taking the pragmatic view that his feet would be more comfortable on today's concrete pathways through his "jungle".

[Algot Runeman]

torment

noun
/ˈtɔːmɛnt/
mass noun
1 Severe physical or mental suffering.
1.1 count noun A cause of severe suffering.
verb
/tɔːˈmɛnt/
[with object]
Pronunciation /tɔːˈmɛnt/
1 Cause to experience severe mental or physical suffering.
1.1 Annoy or provoke in an unkind way.

Origin
Middle English (as both noun and verb referring to the infliction or suffering of torture): Old French torment (noun), tormenter (verb), from Latin tormentum ‘instrument of torture’, from torquere ‘to twist’.

==========

She tormented him with her words.

[Algot Runeman]

stonkered

/ˈstɒŋkəd/
adjective
NZ, Australian
informal
1 predicative Utterly exhausted or defeated.
1.1 Drunk.

Origin
1920s: from Scots and northern English stonk ‘game of marbles’, perhaps of imitative origin.

==========

Simon was stonkered after the game. It did help that his team had won, but there were at least two more games in the series to go.

[Algot Runeman]

dicrotic

/dʌɪˈkrɒtɪk/
adjective
Medicine
Denoting a pulse in which a double beat is detectable for each beat of the heart.

Origin
Early 19th century: from Greek dikrotos ‘beating twice’ + -ic.

==========

While "dichrotic" is mainly a medical term, a double beat is a strong element of drum and bugle corps performances.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

dicrotic

I tend to associate dicrotic with D. Trump.
I wonder, how come?
Is he more SCROTUS than POTUS?

[Algot Runeman]

rhythm

/ˈrɪð(ə)m/
noun
1 A strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound.
1.1 mass noun The systematic arrangement of musical sounds, principally according to duration and periodical stress.
1.2 A particular pattern formed by musical rhythm.
1.3 mass noun A person's natural feeling for musical rhythm.
2 mass noun The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables.
3 A regularly recurring sequence of events or processes.
3.1 Art A harmonious sequence or correlation of colours or elements.

Origin
Mid 16th century (also originally in the sense ‘rhyme’): from French rhythme, or via Latin from Greek rhuthmos (related to rhein ‘to flow’).

==========

The WotD establishes a rhythm for my day. It sets my brain in motion for the rest of the day's challenges.

[The words in the thought bubble are reminiscent of the song from a New England regional television show from the 1950s to the 80s, "Community Auditions", a bit like today's "______ Got Talent" competition shows. -- "Star of the day, who will it be? Your votes will hold the key..."]

[Algot Runeman]

antique

/anˈtiːk/
noun
A collectable object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its age and quality.
as modifier ‘an antique dealer’
adjective
1 Having a high value because of age and quality.
1.1 Intended to resemble the appearance of high-quality old furniture.
2 Belonging to ancient times.
2.1 Old-fashioned or outdated.
2.2 humorous Showing signs of great age or wear.
verb
1 with object Make (something) resemble an antique by artificial means.
2 usually go antiquing - North American no object - Search or shop for antiques.

Origin
Late 15th century (as an adjective): from Latin antiquus, anticus ‘former, ancient’, from ante ‘before’.

==========

On IBDoF, many times the WotD is an antiquated word, shared by one antique individual with MANY other like-minded codgers. We even recognize our CamelCase abbreviations, we've been at it so long.

[Algot Runeman]

murmur

/ˈməːmə/
noun
1 A low continuous background noise.
2 A softly spoken or almost inaudible utterance.
2.1 The quiet or subdued expression of a particular feeling by a group of people.
2.2 A rumour.
3 Medicine - A recurring sound heard in the heart through a stethoscope that is usually a sign of disease or damage.
verb
1 reporting verb Say something in a low or indistinct voice.
2 no object Make a low continuous sound.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French murmure, from murmurer ‘to murmur’, from Latin murmurare, from murmur ‘a murmur’.

==========

Sometimes a murmur
Sometimes a clamor
Often with bad grammar
Or even a hitching stammer.

It's not quite like a hiss,
Something that I'd miss
No, more like an urge to piss
That's the thing that's this.

It's impossible to ignore
Like a bedmate's broken snore.
The result, your reading chore
With rhyme and beat galore.

[Algot Runeman]

hairslide

/ˈhɛːslʌɪd/
noun
British

A typically bar-shaped clip or ornament for the hair.
North American term barrette

==========

Bonny boldly bore the bright barrette, blissfully unaware that the crowd on the London streets were admiring her hairslide.