19 October 2016

dilettante

[dil-i-tahnt, dil-i-tahnt, -tahn-tey, -tan-tee]

noun, plural dilettantes, dilettanti [dil-i-tahn-tee]

1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
2. a lover of an art or science, especially of a fine art.
adjective
3. of or relating to dilettantes.

Origin of dilettante

Latin

1725-1735; < Italian, noun use of present participle of dilettare < Latin dēlectāre to delight

Related forms

dilettantish, dilettanteish, adjective

Synonyms

1. amateur.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dilettante

Contemporary Examples

Men who marry rich, by contrast, are often seen as dilettantish —effete even.
Mitt Romney: The GOP’s Own John Kerry, or Is He More an Al Gore?
Michelle Cottle
January 13, 2012

Historical Examples

His dilettantish manner was gone for good, as was also his foppish beard.
Molly Brown of Kentucky
Nell Speed

Evelyns suggestions were unpractical and dilettantish, and Pepyss ramblings not over wise.
Haunted London
Walter Thornbury

Anagram

elated tint
talent tide
latent edit
latte end it

Today’s quote

Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one’s enemies.

– Leon Trotsky

On this day

19 October 1924 – Leon Trotsky, one of the founders of the Soviet Union and founder of the Red Army, is thrown out of the Soviet Politburo and his followers persecuted after he opposed Stalin. Trotsky was eventually expelled from the Communist Party and in 1929 was deported from the Soviet Union. He continued his opposition to Stalinism from his base in Mexico.

19 October 1944 – birth of Peter Tosh, Jamaican reggae singer and musician. From 1963 to 1974, Tosh was a member of Bob Marley and Wailers until going solo. His most famous song is ‘Legalize It’, about legalising marijuana. Tosh’s album, ‘Bush Doctor’, included a duet with Mick Jagger in the song, ‘Don’t Look Back’. Tosh was a Rastafarian. He campaigned against apartheid, which he sang about on his album ‘Equal Rights’. Tosh was murdered on 11 September 1987, after three men broke into his house and tortured him in an effort to extort money. After several hours, one of the men shot Tosh in the head, killing him. Two other friends of Tosh’s were also killed.

19 October 2001 – 353 asylum seekers drown when the boat they are on sinks 70km south of Java. The victims included 146 children, 142 women and 65 men. They were travelling from Indonesia to Australia and were predominantly Iraqi. Australian authorities labelled the boat SIEV-X (SIEV is short for ‘Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle’). The incident became a major political issue and coupled with other incidents, such as the ‘Tampa crisis’ and the ‘Children Overboard affair’, resulted in major changes to Australia’s migration laws, including excising 4,600 islands from Australia’s migration zone and introduction of the controversial ‘Pacific Solution’.