15 September 2013

manqué

[mahng-key; French mahn-key]
adjective
having failed, missed, or fallen short, especially because of circumstances or a defect of character; unsuccessful; unfulfilled or frustrated (usually used postpositively): a poet manqué who never produced a single book of verse.

Example:

And for the bombastic leader, we have the reformer manqué, blithely at work, planning and executing assassination, smiling all the while.

– Norman Pollack

Origin:
1770–80; < French, past participle of manquer to lack, be short of < Italian mancare, derivative of manco lacking, defective < Medieval Latin, Late Latin mancus ( Latin: feeble, literally, maimed, having a useless hand, probably derivative of manus hand)

Today’s aphorism

Everyone, at same time or another, sits down to a banquet of consequences.

– R.L. Stevenson

On this day

15 September – International Day of Democracy.

15 September 1254 – birth of Marco Polo, Italian explorer. Died 9 January 1324.