GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

inspiration

Pronunciation /ɪnspɪˈreɪʃ(ə)n/

(excerpted from a much more detailed definition - https://www.lexico.com/definition/inspiration )
noun
mass noun The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Origin
Middle English (in the sense ‘divine guidance’): via Old French from late Latin inspiratio(n-), from the verb inspirare (see inspire).

Inspiration: After the stage is set, we need to take a deep breath and then jump right in to doing the work.



That was the inspiration...which lead to the work.

[Algot Runeman]

interaction

Pronunciation /ɪntərˈakʃ(ə)n/
noun
mass noun
1 Reciprocal action or influence.
1.1 Communication or direct involvement with someone or something.

==========

Inspiration can lead to interest, interaction, and creative interplay.

[This word/illustration follows on from yesterday's word and really illustrates the kind of interaction which occurs here on IBDoF and the WoTD topic. Thanks to all, and tell your friends!]

[Algot Runeman]

interplay

Pronunciation /ˈɪntəpleɪ/
noun
mass noun
The way in which two or more things have an effect on each other.

==========

I suppose inter-league play has less gravity than the interplay between the Earth and its moon.

[This may be the least interesting series of non-interspersed words ever attempted on IBDoF WotD. One hopes it won't lead to having this thread interred.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

interplay

Inter-league play is intermittent.

Spambot attempts are also intermittent, but much more frequent.

Earth-Moon interplay is continuous.

[voralfred]

If I had more inspiration for humorous contributions, I could contribute more to the interplay at WOTD. I so enjoy to have interaction with other players !

PS: Welcome back, Grim ! It's been a long time I haven't seen you here (but not that long ago on FB, of course)
PS2: I can't believe it ! I've been on IBDOF even longer than you, fully 14 years by now ! That's interaction !

[Algot Runeman]

intractable

Pronunciation /ɪnˈtraktəb(ə)l/
adjective
1 Hard to control or deal with.
1.1 (of a person) difficult or stubborn.

Origin
Late 15th century from Latin intractabilis, from in- ‘not’ + tractabilis (see tractable).

==========

Beware, all who enter here: Participants are intractable. Rules are firm, but routinely bent!

[Of what use is a firm bow if it cannot be bent to a useful purpose? --unknown archer]

[As we, the "participants" are arbiters of topic decorum, ourselves, we are eager for word lovers, and also those who have just an affection for words, to feel comfortable making contributions. Grim Reaper, take note. Whether one has been engaged for fourteen years or fourteen minutes, please chime in. The "management" aims to please.]

[Algot Runeman]

polylithic

Pronunciation /ˌpɒlɪˈlɪθɪk/
adjective
Made of several stones; Geology containing several kinds of stone or rock; also figurative (opposed to monolithic).

Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal.

==========

Participants in the word of the day exchange have demonstrated that our group is polylithic, with many points of view. I, for example, know I have lots of varied rocks in my head. Yet I am often referred to as "a blockhead".

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

polylithic
...
I, for example, know I have lots of varied rocks in my head. Yet I am often referred to as "a blockhead".

Is this how you got that nickname?

[Algot Runeman]

Is this how you got that nickname?

Oh, E.P.S., you have found an exactly perfect illustration of my polylitihic/blockhead predicament!

[Algot Runeman]

resolute

Pronunciation /ˈrɛzəluːt/
adjective
Admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.

Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense ‘paid’, describing a rent): from Latin resolutus ‘loosened, released, paid’, past participle of resolvere (see resolve).

==========

These words are present because of the resolute effort of the administrators of the forum who worked diligently to fix its flaws.

The specific word for this time around is of questionable validity, since resolute rule watchers may complain that we've already used the negative irresolute some time back. The fact is, your intrepid word chooser does not quail under the glare of harsh judgment from such finicky, picky, and officious arbiters.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

resolute

Belgian online news described Biden's preferred appointments for the Oval Office.

Among other things it was noted that he uses the Resolute Desk.

.
.

[voralfred]

Thank you E.P.S. for attracting my attention to the remarkable desk actually used in the Oval Office.

Now being, as Algot described,

finicky, picky and officious,

I would like to ask from you, respected administrators and other users of this thread, who are better versed in the subtleties of the english language than me, whether the use of this desk by Joe Biden should be considered as a resolution, since it was already used in the Oval Office by his predecessor, and not brought back by Biden from some other place, as happened, for instance, at the start of the Clinton presidency. Bill Clinton, in that matter at least, had to prove, as several other presidents before him, he was a resolute person !

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

...
Bill Clinton, in that matter at least, had to prove, as several other presidents before him, he was a resolute person !

At first I thought you were going to ask me whose legs are dangling from the desk.

I honestly haven't the faintest idea, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if they're Barack Obama's. He strikes me as a person capable of such slightly irreverent gestures without political consequence.

[Algot Runeman]

uncountable

Pronunciation /ʌnˈkaʊntəb(ə)l/
adjective
1 Too many to be counted (usually in hyperbolic use)
2 Grammar
(of a noun) that cannot form a plural or be used with the indefinite article.

==========

Count von Count from "Sesame Street" has certainly made me laugh uncountable times.



[Our only previous encounter with uncountable (though one which does not count against the re-use rule) actually represented the second (grammar) definition of today's word.]

[Could it be the Count's legs hanging from the resolute desk, missing from today's illustration?...as they normally were from his on-screen appearances.]

[Algot Runeman]

incandescent

Pronunciation /ɪnkanˈdɛs(ə)nt/
adjective
1 Emitting light as a result of being heated.
1.1 (of an electric light) containing a filament which glows white-hot when heated by a current passed through it.
2 Full of strong emotion; passionate.
2.1 Extremely angry.

Origin
Late 18th century from French, from Latin incandescent- ‘glowing’, from the verb incandescere, from in- (expressing intensive force) + candescere ‘become white’ (from candidus ‘white’).

==========

The nicest thing about posting again to this forum topic is the incandescent involvement of its devotees.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

incandescent

Sometimes I've wished to be incandescent on demand.

It would come in handy in a blackout, when having to find the loo.
And then aiming to pee in it ...

[Algot Runeman]

Sometimes I've wished to be incandescent on demand.

It would come in handy in a blackout, when having to find the loo.
And then aiming to pee in it ...

I'd happily suggest buying one of these. [wink, wink]



The Flashlight

Though I may be quite humble,
At mid of night, no stumble.
Nor too bright a light above
To make you loudly grumble.

Both my wife and I have a small flashlight on our bedside tables. They are very helpful.

(Ours have LED bulbs, though, not the older incandescent ones.)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

(Ours have LED bulbs, though, not the older incandescent ones.)

Er ... "LED bulb", isn't that an oxymoron?

I would use either LED or bulb, never both.
Because bulb implies an incandescent filament in a vacuum while LED implies a semiconductor in clear resin.

Voralfred? Contradict me if my physics are off.

[Algot Runeman]

(Ours have LED bulbs, though, not the older incandescent ones.)

Er ... "LED bulb", isn't that an oxymoron?

I would use either LED or bulb, never both.
Because bulb implies an incandescent filament in a vacuum while LED implies a semiconductor in clear resin.

Voralfred? Contradict me if my physics are off.

Call me "Randy Redundant". ATM machine, cutting scissors, and, also, too, as well, in addition LED bulbs...stop me now!

Last Thought

The poet wrote an ode
On it, his reputation rode
But he was too tired,
And, in the end expired.
Hence no light emitting die ode...

[Algot Runeman]

vacate

Pronunciation /veɪˈkeɪt/ /vəˈkeɪt/
verb
[with object]
1 Leave (a place that one previously occupied)
1.1 Give up (a position or employment)
2 Law
Cancel or annul (a judgement, contract, or charge)

Origin
Mid 17th century (as a legal term, also in the sense ‘make ineffective’): from Latin vacat- ‘left empty’, from the verb vacare.

==========

Louis felt vaguely empty after vacating his old office.

[Algot Runeman]

frostie

Pronunciation /ˈfrɒsti/
noun frosties
informal Australian
An ice-cold can or bottle of beer.

==========

Mark made no bones about enjoying another frostie.

[Algot Runeman]

blubber

[ bluhb-er ]
noun
1 Zoology. the fat layer between the skin and muscle of whales and other cetaceans, from which oil is made.
2 excess body fat.
3 an act of weeping noisily and without restraint.
verb (used without object)
4 to weep noisily and without restraint: Stop blubbering and tell me what's wrong.
verb (used with object)
5 to say, especially incoherently, while weeping: The child seemed to be blubbering something about a lost ring.
6 to contort or disfigure (the features) with weeping.

==========

Blubbering will not accomplish anything. Act to save the whales.



[Of interest to some? The Lexico word was "blub", but owing to the forum search length limitation, I decided to go for the longer form, but Lexico, seemed to feel that blubbering was archaic. Now, I'll concede blubbering is mostly useless, but I definitely remember doing it myself as a child. I am not old enough to make that archaic!]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

blubber
[ bluhb-er ]
noun
1 Zoology. the fat layer between the skin and muscle of whales and other cetaceans, from which oil is made.
...

A special cutting tool was used extensively on cetacean blubber.

So why was it called a flensing knife instead of blubber knife?

[Algot Runeman]

accouchement

Pronunciation /əˈkuːʃmɒ̃/
noun
mass noun archaic
The action of giving birth to a baby.

Origin
Late 18th century French, from accoucher ‘act as midwife’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + coucher ‘put to bed’ (see couch).

==========

Margo marched right into the room and took over. After that, the entire accouchement went without a hitch.

[voralfred]

Well, since I am not able to find any funny sentence using recent words, maybe I can answer seriously

- LED bulb : Usually "bulb" is indeed supposed to involve an incandescent filament. But I have a LED flashlight with two options, one is lighting up 20 LEDs in a 4*5 rectangle, and they really look like what one expects of LEDs. The other is to have three lights on one side of the device. It looks like the each of these three lights comes from something like a small round object inside the flashlight, looking from the outside a bit like the small bulbs that were used long ago, precisely for flashlights. Now I did not break the thing to see exactly what is inside. And not being a native english speaker anyway, I would not know whether the thingies between the LED and the exit of the flashlight should be still called "bulbs" because of their shapes, though they are not the source of the light, just some (I suppose) refracting stuff.
I understand "bulb" can mean various objects of totally different uses, provided their shape is vaguely spherical. Our resident SF writer LMB uses "bulb", more precisely "drink bulb" as a neologism for a liquid container that can be used to drink in zero gravity. So "LED bulb" does not strike me as an absurdity. But again, I see it as question of language, not of physics.

- from what I saw on Google I got the impression that blubber knive and flensing knive were more or less equivalent

- I have always thought that frosties were breakfast cereals, similar to corn flakes but with frosted sugar already present, so you have just to add milk, but no extra sugar...

- and finally, my daughter had an accouchement on December 6th, and I am now a Granddad.


After using all this space without writing anything humorous, I'll vacate this post on tiptoes...