word 29

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

simulacrum

PRONUNCIATION:

(sim-yuh-LAY-krum)

MEANING:

noun:
1. An image or representation.
2. A vague resemblance to something.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin simulare (to simulate), from similis (like). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sem- (one) that is also the source of simultaneous, assemble, simple, Sanskrit sandhi (union), Russian samovar (a metal urn, literally, self-boiler), and Greek hamadryad (a wood nymph, who lives in a tree and dies when it dies).

USAGE:

"The game [Webkinz] also offers an outlet to exercise a simulacrum of control over aspects of their lives, an opportunity often not available in the day-to-day world."
Akin Ajayi; Every Kid Wants A Petting Zoo at Home; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Dec 3, 2009.
"Edward [the vampire] is stuck forever in the simulacrum of a devastatingly attractive 17-year-old boy."
Olivia Laing; The Mormon Queen of the Damned; New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Nov 21, 2009.
Explore "simulacrum" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. -Marcus Aurelius, philosopher and writer (121-180)

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word 28

A.Word.A.Day

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avoirdupois

PRONUNCIATION:

(av-ur-duh-POIZ, -PWA)

MEANING:

noun: Heaviness or weight of a person.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Middle English avoir de pois (goods sold by weight), from Old French aveir de peis (goods of weight), originally referred to things sold in bulk.

USAGE:

"Both McKay and Welles are tall and carry a fair amount of avoirdupois."
Sam Allis; Getting Orson Welles Just Right; Boston Globe; Dec 6, 2009.
Explore "avoirdupois" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The vanquished know war. They see through the empty jingoism of those who use the abstract words of glory, honor, and patriotism to mask the cries of the wounded, the senseless killing, war profiteering, and chest-pounding grief. -Chris Hedges, journalist, author, and war correspondent (b. 1956)

word 27

A.Word.A.Day

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pother

PRONUNCIATION:

(POTH-uhr)

MEANING:

noun: 1. A commotion or fuss. 2. Mental turmoil. 3. A smothering cloud of dust or smoke.
verb tr.: To confuse or worry someone.
verb intr.: To worry or fuss.

ETYMOLOGY:

Of unknown origin.

USAGE:

"Very little will change whether that appointee is Caroline Kennedy or someone else. So why all the pother?"
Ed Quillen; Expanded Non-story Season; Denver Post; Dec 28, 2008.
Explore "pother" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigrees of nations. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)

word .. 26

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

dipsomania

PRONUNCIATION:

(dip-suh-MAY-nee-uh)

MEANING:

noun: An insatiable, periodic craving for alcohol.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek dipsa (thirst) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze).

USAGE:

"As the emperor Janangir began his decline in the old familiar grip of dipsomania (both his brothers had died early of drink), his wife Nur Jahan took complete charge as his proxy."
Sunil Sethi; Jahangir's Josephine; Outlook (New Delhi, India); Nov 27, 2000.
Explore "dipsomania" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970)

word – 23rd December

PRONUNCIATION:

(as-truh-FO-bee-uh)

MEANING:

noun: An abnormal fear of lightning and thunder.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek astrape (lightning). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ster- (star) that is also the source of star, asterisk, asteroid, astrology, disaster, stellar, constellation, Persian sitareh (star), and the names Stella and Esther.

NOTES:

Also known as astrapophobia and brontophobia (from Greek bronte-, thunder, which also gave us brontosaurus).

USAGE:

"In the USA, it is estimated around 10 per cent of people suffer from astraphobia to some degree."
Don White; Weatherwatch; The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia); Dec 11, 2001.
Explore "astraphobia" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Any advertisement in public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It belongs to you. It's yours to take, re-arrange, and re-use. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head. -Banksy, street artist (b. 1974)

word 24

This week's theme
Miscellaneous words
This week's words
anomie
simulacrum
avoirdupois
arrogate

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arrogate

PRONUNCIATION:

(AIR-uh-gayt)

MEANING:

verb tr.:
1. To claim as a right for oneself presumptuously.
2. To claim on behalf of another: to attribute or assign.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin arrogatus (appropriated), past participle of arrogare, from rogare (to ask). Ultimately from the Indo-European reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule) that is also the source of arrogant, regent, regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, surge, supererogatory, abrogate, and prorogue.

USAGE:

"Youth fills you with optimistic thoughts, bursts with energy, and brims with confidence. It is the stage where you feel that your calling in life is to change the existing order for betterment arrogating the role of the social arbiter."
Philip Fernando; Understanding the JVP; Daily News (Colombo, Sri Lanka); Dec 8, 2009.
Explore "arrogate" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Many demolitions are actually renovations. -Jalaluddin Rumi, poet and mystic (1207-1273)

word…23

A.Word.A.Day--rapporteur

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Mon, 30 November, 2009 11:18:26 AM

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The Magic of Words

This week's theme
French terms
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rapporteur
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A common misconception is that in the past when an immigrant to the US arrived on Ellis Island, the clerk at the registration office often changed a name, from Kwiatkovski to Kay, for example. While stories of renaming at the port of entry are mostly myths, many names were later anglicized, such as Pedersen becoming Peterson.
Something similar happens with the language. What do the words puny, petty, mayday have in common? Each is a French word that has been adopted into English with a phonetic respelling, from puisné, petit, and m'aidez (literally, Help me).
This week we've picked five French terms that are used in English with little change. They have the same spellings and meanings, though English pronunciations are a little different from their original French.

rapporteur

PRONUNCIATION:

(rap-or-TUHR)

MEANING:

noun:
1. Someone appointed by an organization, group, or committee to investigate or monitor an issue, and compile and present the findings.
2. One who is designated to record the deliberations of a meeting.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French raportour (reporter), from rapporter (to bring back, report), from apporter (to bring), from Latin portare (carry). Ultimately from the Indo-European root per- (to lead, pass over) that also gave us support, comport, petroleum, sport, passport, colporteur (a peddler of religious books), Swedish fartlek (a training technique), Norwegian fjord (bay), and Sanskrit parvat (mountain).
The word rapporteur in French has various other meanings besides a reporter, such as an informer or a tattletale, and a protractor.

USAGE:

"The United Nations special rapporteur, Raquel Rolnik, listened to it all patiently, occasionally taking notes, nodding encouragement."
Chris McGreal; UN Meets Homeless Victims of American Property Dream; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 12, 2009.
Explore "rapporteur" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Reading a book is like rewriting it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms. -Angela Carter, novelist and journalist (1940-1992)

word.. subserve

A.Word.A.Day

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subserve

PRONUNCIATION:

(suhb-SURV)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To help to further something.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin subservire (to serve under), from sub- (under) + servire (to serve), from servus (slave).

USAGE:

"The decisions were ad hoc in nature and were taken to subserve political expediency."
H.N. Das; Ethnic Aspirations; The Assam Tribune (India); Apr 19, 2009.
Explore "subserve" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

One can promise actions, but not feelings, for the latter are involuntary. He who promises to love forever or hate forever or be forever faithful to someone is promising something that is not in his power. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)

word 21….lentiginous

A.Word.A.Day

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lentiginous

PRONUNCIATION:

(len-TIJ-uh-nuhs)

MEANING:

adjective: Covered with freckles.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin lentiginosus (freckled), from lentigo (freckle), from lens (lentil).

USAGE:

"I realised that my freckly Celtic complexion wasn't a curse I had to endure for life, and my offensively lentiginous skin could be smoothed into picture-perfect ivory."
Simon Price; Cover-up, Powder and Eyeliner; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 14, 2002.
Explore "lentiginous" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals. -Jonathan Swift, satirist (1667-1745)

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word… 20… curtilagee

A.Word.A.Day

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"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." While there's truth in Plato's words, most of us fall somewhere between good and bad. And for people in that spectrum, laws serve as good deterrents.
Like any other profession, the world of law has its own jargon. Even though legal terms may seem designed to keep laypersons in the dark so that the lawyers can charge hefty fees, there's a need for them. In a field where a single word can make a world of difference, a succinct, and more importantly, unambiguous vocabulary is essential.
May you never have to consult a lawyer (or a barrister, solicitor, attorney, advocate, or whatever they are called in your land), but it's good to know some of the legal jargon. This week we'll summons five of these terms to AWAD.

curtilage

PRONUNCIATION:

(KUR-til-ij)

MEANING:

noun: An area of land encompassing a dwelling and its surrounding yard, considered as enclosed whether fenced or not.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old French courtillage, from courtil (garden), from cort (court). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gher- (to enclose or grasp) that is also the source of such words as orchard, kindergarten, French jardin (garden), choir, courteous, Hindi gherna (to surround), yard, and horticulture.

USAGE:

"Obtaining a licence to step out beyond the curtilage of the site was critical to the feasibility of this concept."
Rob Gregory; 10 Hills Place; Architects' Journal (London, UK); Sep 10, 2009.
Explore "curtilage" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The first symptom of love in a young man is shyness; the first symptom in a woman, it's boldness. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist and dramatist (1802-1885)

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word… 19… vis major

A.Word.A.Day

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vis major

PRONUNCIATION:

(VIS MAY-juhr)

MEANING:

noun: An unavoidable disruptive event (such as an earthquake) that none of the parties is responsible for, which may exempt them from the obligations of a contract. Natural instances of vis major are also called acts of God.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin vis major, literally, greater force. Also see force majeure.

USAGE:

"In any case, the dealer neither placed any evidence nor any documents to indicate that any unforeseen circumstance of vis major had occurred to prevent the delivery."
R.N. Sahai; The Dealer; Business Line (Chennai, India); Oct 20, 1999.
Explore "vis major" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)

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word… 18… barratry

A.Word.A.Day

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barratry

PRONUNCIATION:

(BAR-uh-tree)

MEANING:

noun:
1. The practice of stirring up of groundless lawsuits.
2. An unlawful act by a ship's master or crew that harms the owner of the ship.
3. The buying or selling of positions in church or state.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Anglo-French baraterie (deception), from barater (to cheat), from Vulgar Latin prattare, from Greek prattein (to do).

USAGE:

"A man with the same legal name as the lead character in the 1960s TV law show Perry Mason is charged with barratry. He allegedly tried to solicit former jail inmates for legal services."
Same Name, Different Fame for Perry Mason Accused of Soliciting Clients for Houston Lawyer; Associated Press; Apr 16, 2009.
Explore "barratry" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. -Robert Orben, magician and author (b. 1927)

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word …. 17… res gestae

A.Word.A.Day

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res gestae

PRONUNCIATION:

(REEZ JES-tee, RAYS GES-ty)

MEANING:

noun: Facts incidental to a case, admissible as evidence in a lawsuit. For example, exclamations uttered by a robber during a holdup.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin, literally, things done.

USAGE:

"Evidence of a constable as to what was said to him by the victim of a collision in the presence of the defendant 20 minutes after the incident was hearsay evidence and not admissible as part of the res gestae."
Tobi Nickolas; Evidence 20 Minutes After Motor Incident Inadmissible; The Times (London, UK); Jul 23, 1987.
Explore "res gestae" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)

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word… 16… novation

A.Word.A.Day

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novation

PRONUNCIATION:

(noh-VAY-shuhn)

MEANING:

noun: The replacing of an obligation, a contract, or a party to an agreement with a new one.

ETYMOLOGY:

From novare (to make new), from novus (new). Ultimately from the Indo-European root newo- (new) that is also the source of new, neo-, novice, novel, novelty, innovate, renovate, misoneism (fear of change), and novercal (stepmotherly).

USAGE:

"They are essentially contracts meant to be honoured subject only to agreed changes by novation."
S. Rajaratnam; Direct Taxes Code; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Aug 31, 2009.
Explore "novation" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. -J.K. Rowling, author (b. 1965)

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word…. 15 …. otiose

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg
While growing up in India, I watched many puppet performances, dramas, and movies. And my favorite: the magic shows!
In the magic shows, besides the standard fare -- sawing a girl in half, making rabbits disappear, and the like -- there was a serial performance called The Water of India. After every few acts, the magician would walk to a pitcher on the table in one corner of the stage, lift it up dramatically and announce, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Water of India!"
He would turn the pitcher upside down to let water pour out. The vessel was supposedly empty then, but after 15 minutes he would repeat this action, and more water would pour from the jug. While he performed that trick and I marveled at the magic pitcher that replenished itself, his assistants would set up the next trick.
Well, consider this week's miscellaneous words theme the AWAD equivalent of The Water of India. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy these assorted words (while we put together next week's show of words, definitions, etymologies, usage, pronunciations, quotations, and more).

otiose

PRONUNCIATION:

(O-shee-ohs, O-ti-)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Superfluous.
2. Futile.
3. Indolent.

ETYMOLOGY:

From otium (leisure).

USAGE:

"I hung around that summer until my presence became otiose. Friends' parents started asking me how long I would be in town."
Ian Frazier; Out of Ohio; The New Yorker; Jan 10, 2005.
"The measure is entirely otiose. There are already laws against harassment."
Dominic Lawson; What Fearful Hypocrites Ministers Are; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 9, 2007.
Explore "otiose" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

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word… 14… mendicant

A.Word.A.Day

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mendicant

PRONUNCIATION:

(MEN-di-kuhnt)

MEANING:

adjective:

1. Living on alms.
2. Like a beggar.

noun:

1. A beggar.
2. A member of any of various orders of friars forbidden to own property and living on alms.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin mendicare (to beg), from mendicus (beggar), from mendum (defect).

USAGE:

"But Metro, a perennial mendicant with no dependable dedicated, long-term source of capital funding, could hardly afford to scrap or completely rebuild the older cars."
Common Sense at Metro; Washington Post; Sep 30, 2009.
Explore "mendicant" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

He who praises everybody, praises nobody. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)

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word … 13… peremptory

peremptory

PRONUNCIATION:

(puh-REMP-tuh-ree)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Dictatorial.
2. Expressing command or urgency.
3. Not admitting any question or contradiction.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin peremptorius (decisive), from perimere (to take away), from per- (thoroughly) + emere (to take). Ultimately from the Indo-European root em- (to take or distribute) that is also the source of words such as example, sample, assume, consume, prompt, ransom, vintage, and redeem.

USAGE:

"'Easily provoked by minor irritations,' wrote Dimbleby about this period, '[Charles] became uncharacteristically impatient and peremptory.' The smallest things would prompt verbal abuse or 'sudden outbursts of rage'."
Catherine Bennett; In Princes We Trust ... to Do Absolutely Nothing Useful; The Observer (London, UK); Sep 27, 2009.
Explore "peremptory" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The idealists and visionaries, foolish enough to throw caution to the winds and express their ardor and faith in some supreme deed, have advanced mankind and have enriched the world. -Emma Goldman, social activist (1869-1940)

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word… 12… encomium

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encomium

PRONUNCIATION:

(en-KO-mee-uhm)

MEANING:

noun: Glowing praise.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin encomium, from Greek enkomion, from komos (revel).

USAGE:

"The speech cheered the faithful no end, as did Sarah Brown's smooth and skilful introduction of her husband. Yet though her encomium went down well with the party, it nauseated many television viewers."
Ruth Dudley Edwards; Why Mrs Brown Should Have Skipped the Heroics; Irish Independent (Dublin); Oct 4, 2009.
Explore "encomium" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

One law for the lion and ox is oppression. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827)

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word … 11 … gimcrack

A.Word.A.Day

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gimcrack

PRONUNCIATION:

(JIM-krak)

MEANING:

noun: Something cheap and showy, of little use.
adjective: Showy, but worthless.

ETYMOLOGY:

Of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of Middle English gibecrake (small ornament), possibly from Old French giber (to shake).

USAGE:

"Uncle Rabid Prophet TechEye has worshiped more gimcrack bits of junk and practiced more half-baked religions than all of Hollywood combined."
Bow Down And Open Your Wallet; Warsaw Business Journal (Poland); Aug 21, 2006.
Explore "gimcrack" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. -William G. McAdoo, lawyer and politician (1863-1941)
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word… 10..Byronic

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg
"Proper names that have become improper and uncommonly common" is how the author Willard R. Espy described eponyms, and that is the theme for this week's words in AWAD: words coined after people's names.
We are going to meet a poet, a novelist, a prophet, a statesman, and a legislator. They wrote poems, novels, holy books, political treatises, and laws.
In our quest for eponyms, we are going to visit England, Persia, Italy, and Greece. All aboard!

Byronic

PRONUNCIATION:

(by-RON-ik)

MEANING:

adjective: One who is melancholic, passionate, and melodramatic, and disregards societal norms.

ETYMOLOGY:

After poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), who displayed such characteristics, as did his poetry, i.e. a flawed character marked by great passion who exhibits disrespect for social institutions and is self-destructive.

NOTES:

A little-known fact: He was the father of Ada Lovelace, today known as the first computer programmer, who wrote programs for Charles Babbage's analytical engine.

USAGE:

"Zenovich casts [movie director Roman] Polanski, whose face repeatedly fills the screen with a Byronic luminosity, as a tragic figure, a child survivor of the Holocaust haunted by the murder of his wife, the actress Sharon Tate, at the hands of the Manson family."
Bill Wyman; Whitewashing Roman Polanski; Salon (New York); Feb 19, 2009.
"Laurie may have his pet theories as to why [Gregory] House-the-character has become a cult -- the damaged, Byronic genius/healer who can say the unsayable and (almost always) get away with it."
Stuart Husband; Hugh Laurie Interview; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jun 3, 2009.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts. -Khalil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (1883-1931)

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word … 9…. Orwellian

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

Orwellian

PRONUNCIATION:

(or-WEL-ee-uhn)

MEANING:

adjective: Of or relating to a totalitarian state in which citizens' activities are tightly controlled.

ETYMOLOGY:

After George Orwell, pen name of Eric Blair (1903-1950), whose novel Nineteen Eighty-Four depicted a futuristic totalitarian state. Also see Big Brother.

USAGE:

"Military satellites designed to guide nuclear missiles are being used to monitor prison parolees and probationers in a technological advance designed to reduce the nation's skyrocketing prison population. But critics say it also raises the specter of an Orwellian future."
Gary Fields; Satellite 'Big Brother' Eyes Parolees; USA Today; Apr 8, 1999.
"The [remote deletion by Amazon of Orwell's books from customers' ebook devices] prompted widespread criticism from Amazon customers, rights advocates, and bloggers, on whom the Orwellian nature of Amazon's actions were not lost."
Thomas Claburn; Amazon Settles Kindle Deletion Lawsuit For $150,000; InformationWeek (New York); Oct 2, 2009.
Explore "orwellian" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. -Richard Dawkins, biologist and author (b. 1941)

word ….8 … Manichean

A.Word.A.Day

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Manichean or Manichaean

PRONUNCIATION:

(man-i-KEE-uhn)

MEANING:

adjective: Of or relating to a dualistic view of the world, dividing things into either good or evil, light or dark, black or white, involving no shades of gray.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Manes/Mani (216-276 CE), Persian founder of Manichaeism, an ancient religion espousing a doctrine of a struggle between good and evil.

USAGE:

"The most crucial feature of neoconservatism is its Manichean worldview, wherein the Earth is pitted in an urgent struggle between purely good and purely evil nations. As George W. Bush famously told then Sen. Joe Biden: 'I don't do nuance.'"
Jacob Bronsther; What Do Neocons Have to Do With Obama?; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Sep 29, 2009.
"Here the schema is too obvious, and its Manichaean contrasts of dark/light, good/evil don't resonate beyond the special effects that deliver them."
Judith Mackrell; Wind Shadow; Guardian (London, UK); Oct 7, 2009.
Explore "manichean" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

If I could be sure of doing with my books as much as my [doctor] father did for the sick! -Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922)

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Word … 7 … Machiavellian

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Machiavellian

PRONUNCIATION:

(mak-ee-uh-VEL-ee-uhn)

MEANING:

adjective: Characterized by cunning, deception, and expediency.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), Florentine statesman and author of The Prince, a political treatise describing use of craft and deceit to achieve political power.

USAGE:

"Rumours of Machiavellian plots and conspiracy theories have permeated the period of mourning."
Darryl Broadfoot; Mitchell: End the Revisionism; The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland); Nov 23, 2007.
Explore "machiavellian" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992)

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word …6…draconian

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draconian

PRONUNCIATION:

(dray-KO-nee-uhn, druh-)

MEANING:

adjective: Unusually harsh.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Draco (late 7th century BCE), Athenian legislator, noted for the harshness of his code of laws.

NOTES:

Under Draco's laws even trivial offenses, such as idleness, brought capital punishment. When asked why he had instituted the death penalty for most offenses, he supposedly replied that the lesser crimes deserved it and he knew of no greater punishment for more important ones. Could it be an example of an aptronym (in Greek his name means dragon)? His laws were said to be written in blood instead of ink.
When it comes to lawmaking, the name of one of Draco's successors has entered the language in an opposite sense. The Athenian lawmaker Solon's reform to make Draco's laws humane earned him a place in the dictionary as an eponym meaning "a wise lawgiver". It was Solon who said: Laws are the spider's webs which, if anything small falls into them they ensnare it, but large things break through and escape.

USAGE:

"The 'criminalization of any criticism' of General Musharraf, his regime, and other state functionaries was an unprecedented draconian measure against the freedom of speech."
17 Retired Judges Want Revival of Constitution; Daily Times (Lahore, Pakistan); Nov 28, 2007.
Explore "draconian" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The tragedy of modern war is not so much that young men die but that they die fighting each other, instead of their real enemies back home in the capitals. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

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word … 5… acnestis

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Little strokes make a letter and those letters come together to form words. We assign meanings to the words. Often they express simple ideas: a tree, a rock, water, and so on. Sometimes a word describes a more complex idea.
Have you ever found yourself wondering, "Wouldn't it be nice if there were a word for it?" Well, there is a word for almost everything under the sun. This week we have dug up five words you may not have known existed.

acnestis

PRONUNCIATION:

(AK-nist-uhs)

MEANING:

noun: The part of the body where one cannot reach to scratch.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek aknestis (spine), from Ancient Greek knestis (spine, cheese-grater).

USAGE:

"In what has to be the longest post-election season in living memory, the last five months have felt like an acnestis upon our collective soul; like that little patch of skin on our backs that we just can't reach to scratch ourselves. It's irritating. It's annoying. It's left us reaching and spinning around in circles."
A Wish List to Soothe Our Collective Itch; New Straits Times (Malaysia); Aug 5, 2008.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilisation. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)

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word .. 4… Daymare

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daymare

PRONUNCIATION:

(DAY-mayr)

MEANING:

noun: A terrifying experience, similar to a nightmare, felt while awake.

ETYMOLOGY:

Coined after nightmare, from a combination of day + mare (an evil spirit believed to produce nightmares). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mer- (to rub away or to harm) that is also the source of mordant, amaranth, morbid, mortal, mortgage, ambrosia, and nightmare.

USAGE:

"Reports like these give me a deep and sickening feeling, somewhere between a daymare and deja vu."
Margaret McCartney; A Swiss Cheese Method to Eliminate Fatal Errors; Financial Times (London, UK); Feb 18, 2006.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The truth is that every morning war is declared afresh. And the men who wish to continue it are as guilty as the men who began it, more guilty perhaps, for the latter perhaps did not foresee all its horrors. -Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922)

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2 day… nihilarian

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nihilarian

PRONUNCIATION:

(nih-i-LAR-ee-uhn)

MEANING:

noun: One who does useless work.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin nihil (nothing).

USAGE:

"You may find yourself worrying that you're turning into a nihilarian."
Sian Prior; Ineffable; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Dec 16, 2002.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

In the struggle between yourself and the world second the world. -Franz Kafka, novelist (1883-1924)

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one word… learn

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Gordon Bennett

PRONUNCIATION:

(GOR-dn BEN-it)

MEANING:

interjection: Expressing surprise, puzzlement, incredulity, annoyance, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:

The expression is primarily used in the UK even though Gordon Bennett was an American. It comes from the name of newspaperman James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (1841-1918). He was known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr., a Scottish immigrant to the US and founder of the New York Herald. The son inherited the paper and wealth and was known for his extravagant and shocking life. The term Gordon Bennett alludes to his wild ways, and perhaps originated as a euphemism for gorblimey. Gordon Bennett escaped to France and became famous in Europe for establishing awards in sports such as yachting, auto and airplane racing, ballooning, etc.

USAGE:

"Gordon Bennett, have they nothing better to do than gawp*?"
Robert McNeil; A Date For Your Diary; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Jun 19, 2009.

[* to gawk]

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970)

Word...... 1...... evitable

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with Anu Garg

Negativeland is the title of a slim novel I came across recently that's written with a constraint. Here's how it begins:

"None of the stations played anything good, but I kept at the buttons, pushing off songs from a childhood we were all supposed to have had. Commercials bothered me more than ever, news was propaganda, and traffic reports were no more useful than the weather. It wasn't yet 1988, and I was driving home from Tacoma."

Notice anything interesting in this paragraph? Anything in common in the three sentences? Well, the title of the book gives a hint. Each sentence in this book has something negative going on. All 186 pages of it. And it's a tribute to the author that his self-imposed constraint doesn't constrain the storytelling. There's a long tradition of writing with self-imposed constraints. There's a group called Oulipo that has tried many things, often with admirable results (also see lipogram and univocalic).

To purge all the negativity, in this week's AWAD I'll feature five words that are positive counterparts of terms usually seen in negative forms.

evitable

PRONUNCIATION:

(EV-i-tuh-buhl)

MEANING:

adjective: Capable of being avoided or evaded.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin evitare (to avoid).

USAGE:

"Racers insist they do it 'for the glory', which is a shrewd way of saying they do it for no good reason. This is an Entirely Evitable Event."
Don Kahle; Kinetic Challenge Recalls Rickies; The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon); Jul 18, 2008.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)