GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

countenance

/ˈkaʊnt(ə)nəns/
noun
1 A person's face or facial expression.
2 mass noun Support or approval.
verb
[with object]
Admit as acceptable or possible.

Origin
Middle English from Old French contenance ‘bearing, behaviour’, from contenir (see contain). The early sense was ‘bearing, demeanour’, also ‘facial expression’, hence ‘the face’.

This company will not countenance a negative countenance. Smile, even when your wages are cut.

[Algot Runeman]

consistent

/kənˈsɪst(ə)nt/
adjective
1 Acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate.
1.1 Unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time.
2 (of an argument or set of ideas) not containing any logical contradictions.
3 predicative Compatible or in agreement with something.

Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense ‘consisting or composed of’): from Latin consistent- ‘standing firm or still, existing’, from the verb consistere (see consist).

==========

When asked to be consistent
Bob was often resistant.
Though he thought it was time well spent
To be randomly persistent.

[Algot Runeman]

educe

/ɪˈdjuːs/
verb
[with object]
1 - formal Bring out or develop (something latent or potential)
1.1 Infer (something) from data.

Origin
Late Middle English from Latin educere ‘lead out’, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + ducere ‘to lead’.

==========

You say you'll deduce.
While I say I'll educe.
You start from premise stated.
I observe all, unabated.

You come in from a slant
Based upon some cant.
I observe mere fact
And from that, I react.

But let's just call a truce
And avoid such things abstruse.
Don't want to be too formal.
I'd rather just be normal.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

educe
...

I educe from that image that a polite young police sergeant Columbo would have said: "Just the facts, PLEASE, ma'am."

Young Sergeant Columbo's car, a venerable Simca (without the TAXI sign)

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

bosie

/ˈbəʊzi/
(also bosey)
noun
Australian Cricket
An off break bowled with an apparent leg-break action; a googly.
‘Cricket, with its googlies, boseys, chinamen, silly legs, byes, sundries - the whole argot - was incomprehensible without deep explanation.’

Origin
Early 20th century from the name of Bernard J. T. Bosanquet (1877–1936), English all-round cricketer, + -ie.

==========

If you're going to bowl some bosies,
Begin by wiggling your toesies
And if you are one who knows these
Your cricket knowledge wins the rosies.

[Algot Runeman]

freebie

/ˈfriːbi/
noun
informal
A thing that is provided or given free of charge.

Origin
1940s (originally US): an arbitrary formation from free.

==========

In casino parlance, we were "comped" for our room charge. We got a freebie. We lost our shirts at the blackjack tables, though.
In truth, my biggest experience with free stuff is the "swag" (stickers, T-shirts) passed out by vendors at technology conferences.


==========


Lexico offered the following word, but, as it is un-checkable, I took the liberty of using a synonym. I take lots of liberties. By now you must be used to it.

By the magic of tech trickery, though, you all get a double word benefit today.

lig

/lɪɡ/
verb ligs, ligging, ligged
[no object]informal British
Take advantage of free parties, travel, or other benefits offered by companies for publicity purposes.
‘instead of touring, the band spent all their time fighting and ligging’
noun
informal British
A free party or show provided for publicity.
‘I wasn't interested in ligs, or freebies, or expenses’

Origin
1960s from a dialect variant of lie, literally ‘lie about, loaf’, whence ‘freeload’.

[Algot Runeman]

advertently

/ədˈvəːt(ə)ntli/
adverb
In an advertent manner; attentively; knowingly, intentionally. Now often opposed to "inadvertently".

Origin
Mid 18th century. From advertent + -ly. Compare French †advertamment.

==========

Walter wrote words wildly.
They rarely came out mildly.
He did so advertently.
Know that with a certainty.

He routinely filled his need
By writing down his screed,
And though it met no need for us,
His work was never tedious.

[voralfred]

I admit it : I advertently lig all the literary freebies you offer us day after day.
But my behaviour is far from being perfect : I am not consistent, being too often too lazy to educe a sentence to show my gratitude. I am just a hoarder !

[Algot Runeman]

I admit it : I advertently lig all the literary freebies you offer us day after day.
But my behaviour is far from being perfect : I am not consistent, being too often too lazy to educe a sentence to show my gratitude. I am just a hoarder !

Brilliant in your ability to combine so many words in such a small space.

[voralfred]

I am surprised that you even countenanced my post, considering I was so inconsistent that I inadvertently forgot to bold-and-blue one word...

[Algot Runeman]

Speaking of countenance, I was, with a little effort, able to come across this illustration.



[Reminder that I am NEVER sorry for making visual puns.]

[voralfred]

As Hofstadter (Douglas, not Leonard) would confirm, this is one of the early attempts of the celebrated mathematician de Fourmi Lierre. (Remember the french usage is often to write the last name first and the the first name last.)
But de Fourmi Lierre's relative, Aunt Hillary, would not have been able to play such mathematical games...

Does anybody have an aspirin ?

[Algot Runeman]

grindstone

/ˈɡrʌɪn(d)stəʊn/
noun
1 A thick disc of stone or other abrasive material mounted so as to revolve, used for grinding, sharpening, or polishing metal objects.
1.1 rare
another term for millstone

==========

George sat quietly at the grindstone, doing nothing, but still hoping he could sharpen his wit.

[Algot Runeman]

yeuch

/jɪəx/ /jɪˈəːx/ /jiːʌx/
(US - Yuck)
exclamation
informal
Expressing disgust or strong distaste.

Origin
1970s imitative.

==========

The Brits say "yeuch" while we Yanks say "yuck". Either way, it's a great way to express distaste.

As we both retch,
We will not kvetch.
We won't be dwelling
On the spelling.

[Algot Runeman]

jol

/dʒɔːl/
noun
informal South African
An occasion of celebration and enjoyment; a good time.
verb jols, jolling, jolled
[no object] informal South African
1 with adverbial of direction Set off; go.
2 Have a good time; celebrate in a lively way.
2.1 Engage in a flirtation or a casual love affair.

Origin
Afrikaans, literally ‘party’.

==========

Friday night is a good opportunity to have a big jol. Doing it staring into our phone screens somehow doesn't seem the same as usual.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

jol

I venture to say that "jol" has its root in the Dutch word "jolijt" (fun, hilarity, a jolly good time).

[Algot Runeman]

jol

I venture to say that "jol" has its root in the Dutch word "jolijt" (fun, hilarity, a jolly good time).

In the US, there's a similar phrase, "to get one's jollies", but it has a frequently crude meaning. It is left to the enterprising researcher to do a search.

There was a bit of illicit thrill involved in using such a short word from Lexico. I certainly didn't remember it's earlier use. With our search limitation, I do hope the South African origins make it improbable that jol has given us fun before.

[Algot Runeman]

thallus

/ˈθaləs/
noun thalli
Botany
A plant body that is not differentiated into stem and leaves and lacks true roots and a vascular system. Thalli are typical of algae, fungi, lichens, and some liverworts.

Origin
Early 19th century from Greek thallos ‘green shoot’, from thallein ‘to bloom’.

==========

"You've got no roots,"
Said the tree, being callous
To the lichen on it's bark,
With body called a thallus.

[voralfred]

Some mushrooms, which are technically fungi, and therefore have a thallus, look like a paronym of this word. Just change the initial to some other letter...
For instance, some very toxic species of the genus Amanita, has this shape, as its name implies....

[Algot Runeman]

wortle

/ˈwəːt(ə)l/
(also whortle)
noun
historical Metallurgy
A type of die used to reduce the thickness of metal wire, piping, etc., typically consisting of a steel plate with graduated holes in it through which metal is drawn.

Origin
Early 16th century; earliest use found in The Coventry Leet Book. Origin unknown. Perhaps compare wire and tee.

==========

Walter worked the wortle.
But he was merely mortal.
Yes, the wire did get thinner,
But it wasn't done by dinner.



[There's an effective reference at Wikipedia...no big surprise these days.]

[Algot Runeman]

smoodge
(also smooge)

/smuːdʒ/
verb
[no object] informal Australian, New Zealand
Behave in an ingratiating manner.
noun
mass noun informal Australian, New Zealand
Affectionate flattery.

Origin
Early 20th century probably an alteration of dialect smouch ‘kiss, sidle up to’.

==========

From friends it's always huge
To get a video or verbal smoodge,
Across so many miles,
Tons of face-wide smiles.

From me to you in Australia
All across vast Asia
And through Europe's wide regalias
Then back by Africa to the Americas.



[Sometimes a good image is worth reusing. You're welcome to disagree.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

smoodge...
[... You're welcome to disagree.]

Hey! Don't smoodge US up!
(or down or through or dry or whatever)

[Algot Runeman]

anting

/ˈantɪŋ/
noun
mass noun Ornithology
Behaviour seen in some birds, in which the bird either picks up ants and rubs them on the feathers or stands with the wings spread and allows the ants to crawl over it. It is probable that the ants' secretions help to keep the feathers in good condition.

==========

A sentence, I'll forego
Because my mind's gone slow.
A rhyme, on the other hand,
Just seems really grand.

I'm sometimes out of juice,
And need a gentle goose.
So, now that you are ranting,
Get a glimpse of anting.

[voralfred]

I had assumed that antseriformes, like geese, would resort to anting to keep a positive countenance

[Algot Runeman]

sigil

/ˈsɪdʒɪl/
noun
1 An inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power.
1.1 archaic A seal.
1.2 literary A sign or symbol.

Origin
Late Middle English from late Latin sigillum ‘sign’.

Stanley spied the sigil
While silent on his vigil.
It was, to him, no shock
To see it carved in rock.



[You might guess from the illustration that one of my favorite actors is Sigil Shepherd.]