18 February 2015

periphrasis

[puh-rif-ruh-sis]

noun, plural periphrases [puh-rif-ruh-seez]
1. the use of an unnecessarily long or roundabout form of expression; circumlocution.
2. an expression phrased in such fashion.

Also, periphrase [per-uh-freyz]

Origin
Latin, Greek
1525-1535; < Latin < Greek períphrasis. See peri-, phrase, -sis

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for periphrasis

– Other languages employ periphrasis, with idiomatic expressions or auxiliary verbs.

Anagram

sapphire sire
rip parishes
per airships

Today’s aphorism

Terror made me cruel.

– Emily Bronte, from Wuthering Heights

On this day

18 February 1294 – death of Kublai Khan, of the Mongol Empire. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan. In 1271, Kublai Khan established the Yuan Empire ruling over modern-day Mongolia, China and Korea. He became the first non-Chinese Emperor to conquer all of China. He was born on 23 February 1215.

18 February 1965 – Australian Freedom Rides led by Charles Perkins. The Freedom Rides were inspired by the Freedom Rides in America. Perkins and 33 others travelled by bus to numerous towns in New South Wales challenging and protesting against discrimination and segregation. They picketed pools, parks and pubs where aborigines were expected to be segregated. Some of the protests turned violent, such as in Moree and Walgett when locals attacked the protesters. One of the protesters was Jim Spigelman who became Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales and later, Chief Justice of New South Wales. Charles Perkins became the first aborigine to graduate from university.