31 August 2012

Zeitgeist

[tsahyt-gahyst] [zit-gist]

noun (German)

– the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.

30 August 2012

yex

noun, intrasitive verb

1. to hiccup or belch.

‘He yexeth and he speaketh through the nose‘ – Chaucer.

Examples:

‘As the pre-dawn light softly illuminated the house, John’s deep sleep was shattered by an involuntary, yet deafening yex, unleashed from the deepest fathoms of his slumbering wife’s famished stomach’.

29 August 2012

ignotum per ignotius 

ignotum per ignotius

[ɪɡˈnəʊtʊm pər ɪɡˈnəʊtɪʊs]

— noun (latin)

1. An attempt to explain something obscure in terms of something else which is even more obscure.

2. (logic) A type of fallacious argument in which one attempts to prove something unknown by relying upon an assumption that is also unknown.

[literally: the unknown by means of the more unknown]

For example (from Wikipedia):

“The oven felt hot because of Fourier’s Law.” It is unlikely that a person unfamiliar with the hotness of ovens would be illuminated by a reference to the fundamental laws of physics. Of course, such a person might exist in theory, so ignotum per ignotius is not strictly a logical fallacy; it is just a criticism of an argument on rhetorical grounds, stating that such an argument is not useful in a particular context.

[guhmp-shuhn]
noun (informal)
1. initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness. For example: ‘With his gumption he’ll make a success of himself’.
2. courage; spunk; guts. For example: ‘It takes gumption to quit a high-paying job’.
3. common sense; shrewdness.

Limerence

– being overwhelming in love with someone and strongly desiring they return that love.

(definition from Wikipedia):

A term coined c. 1977 by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one’s feelings reciprocated. The concept grew out of Tennov’s mid-1960s work, when she interviewed over 500 people on the topic of love, and was first published in her 1979 book Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love.

26 August 2012

empyrean

[em-puh-ree-uhn, -pahy-, em-pir-ee-uhn, -pahy-ree-]

— n
1. archaic the highest part of the (supposedly spherical) heavens, thought in ancient times to contain the pure element of fire and by early Christians to be the abode of God and the angels
2. poetic the heavens or sky

— adj
3. of or relating to the sky, the heavens, or the empyrean
4. heavenly or sublime
5. archaic composed of fire

[from Medieval Latin empyreus, from Greek empuros fiery, from pur fire]

Example Sentences
The professional bailiwick we’ve staked out is the empyrean of pure thought.
From the ninth sphere to the empyrean, which is mere light.

25 August 2012

contiguous

[kuhn-tig-yoo-uhs]

adjective

1. touching along the side or boundary; in contact
2. physically adjacent; neighbouring
3. preceding or following in time.

For example:

a. Most units have private outdoor space either contiguous to the apartment or on the roof.

b. The museum makes a good starting point for a walk along one of the longest contiguous sections of this ancient structure.

c. The district is billed as the nation’s largest contiguous urban arts district, and that’s not its only distinction.

24 August 2012 

Nihilarian

(ˈnaɪhɪl, ˈniːhɪl) – arian.

noun

– one who does useless work.

For example:

“As his soul was slowly destroyed by the mind-numbing repetition of his daily duties, he realised that the job description should have read ‘nihilarian’ “

23 August 2012

Inaniloquent

In-ani-lo-que-ent

Adjective – an alternative spelling for ‘Inaniloquous’

– Tending to speak profusely; loquacious; garrulous

For example:

‘My friend can be very inaniloquent‘.

adverb:

inaniloquently

22 August 2012

skew-whiff

adjective
1. turned or twisted toward one side; “a…youth with a gorgeous red necktie all awry”- G.K.Chesterton; “his wig was, as the British say, skew-whiff” [syn: askew]

adverb
1. turned or twisted to one side; “rugs lying askew”; “with his necktie twisted awry” [syn: askew]

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21 August 2012

perfidy 

[pur-fi-dee]

noun, plural perfidies.

1. deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery: perfidy that goes unpunished.
2. an act or instance of faithlessness or treachery.

Example Sentences:

– These independent artists rue the perfidy of apostate millionaires, and moan about pop stars who abandoned the true faith.
– Donating the proceeds of his first novel, which exploited his perfidy for profit, would be a start.
– And the figures hint at why journalists are more fascinated by perfidy among our own than civilians are.

20 August 2012

curmudgeon

[ker-muhj-uhn]

19 August 2012

rubric

[roo-brik]

noun

1. a title, heading, direction, or the like, in a manuscript, book, statute, etc., written or printed in red or otherwise distinguished from the rest of the text.
2. a direction for the conduct of divine service or the administration of the sacraments, inserted in liturgical books.
3. any established mode of conduct or procedure; protocol.
4. an explanatory comment; gloss.
5. a class or category

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18 August 2012

apropos
[ap-ruh-poh]
adverb
1. fitting; at the right time; to the purpose; opportunely.
2. Obsolete . by the way.

adjective
3. opportune; pertinent: apropos remarks.

17 August 2012

personas mediocribus

noun (latin)

– non-citizen, like a nobody …

Ancient Roman society was very status-conscious, so those who were of low status or who associated with those of low status were considered to be ‘personas mediocribus’. It was later associated with humility and servitude, becoming an honoured trait.

strine

noun

– Australian english, particularly in relation to slang or pronunciation.

For a list of strine refer to the following page: http://shaneduran.com/blog/strine-words/

Some examples of strine:

Straya – official Australian pronunciation of ‘Australia’

av-a-go-ya-mug – meaning that you should try harder or put some effort in.

dinki-di – meaning true blue … er … meaning the real thing.

dja-av-a-gooweegen? – meaning ‘did you have a good weekend?’

dunny – meaning toilet

fair dinkum – meaning genuine

ol’ mate – usually in reference to some complete stranger whose name you don’t know … or a good friend whose name you do know …. or a good friend whose name you know but you’ve forgotten because you’re plastered.

ridgie-didge – meaning genuine.

15 August 2012

1. sic

[sik]
adverb

1. latin for ‘thus’; so. Used to indicate that a quoted passage, especially one containing an error or unconventional spelling, has been retained in its original form or written intentionally.

2. sic

[sik]
transitive verb.

sicced also sicked, sic·cing also sick·ing, sics also sicks

1. To set upon; attack.
2. To urge or incite to hostile action; set: sicced the dogs on the intruders.

[sik-uh-fuhnt, -fant, sahy-kuh-]
noun

a person who uses flattery to win favour from individuals wielding influence; toady

sycophancy
noun
1. self-seeking or servile flattery.
2. the character or conduct of a sycophant.

11 August 2012

erinaceous
[er-uh-ney-shuhs]
adjective (Zoology)
– of the hedgehog kind or family.
– like a hedgehog

avulsion 

[uh-vuhl-shuhn]

noun
1. a tearing away.
2. Law . the sudden removal of soil by change in a river’s course or by a flood, from the land of one owner to that of another.
3. a part torn off.

Medical: an avulsion fracture – bone that is broken off from the rest of the bone, usually by a strong impact or when a tendon or ligament is torn from the bone, taking a piece with it.

agee

[uh-jee]

adverb British Dialect .

to one side; awry.

29 July 2012

jollification

[jol-uh-fi-key-shuhn]
noun
jolly merrymaking; jolly festivity.

27 July 2012

Philopedia

– one who loves and is pleased by education and culture.

The prefix ‘Philos’ (classical Greek): loved, beloved, dear, pleasing, loving, friendly, fond

The suffix ‘pedia’ is from the greek root paideia, meaning education, culture.

26 July 2012

Catawampus

[kat-uh-wom-puhs]

adjective
1. askew; awry.
2. positioned diagonally; cater-cornered

Sockdolager

[sok-dol-uh-jer]

noun, older slang

1. something unusually large, heavy, etc.
2. a decisive reply, argument, etc.
3. a heavy, finishing blow: His right jab is a real sockdolager.

Interesting fact: Sockdolager is one of the last words that Abraham Lincoln heard before he was assassinated.  The word was used as the cue for John Wilkes Booth to shoot the President.

[muhs-kuh vol-i-tanz]

plural: muscae voli·tantes [muhs-kee vol-i-tan-teez, muhs-ee]

noun, Ophthalmology .

– floater (this is the name for the spots that float before the eyes)

23 July 2012

Lollapalooza

[lol-uh-puh-loo-zuh]

[noun] Slang

– an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.”

22 July 2012

tawpie

\TAW-pee\, noun:

A foolish or thoughtless young person.

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21 July 2012

sui generis

[soo-i ge-ne-ris; Eng. soo-ahy jen-er-is, soo-ee]

Latin .

of his, her, its, or their own kind; unique.

20 July 2012

animus

[an-uh-muhs]

noun

1. strong dislike or enmity; hostile attitude; animosity.

2. purpose; intention; animating spirit.

3. (in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the masculine principle, especially as present in women ( contrastedwith anima).

hubris
[hyoo-bris, hoo-]
noun
excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

egregious

[ih-gree-juhs, -jee-uhs]

16 July 2012

hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

[hip-poh-poht-oh-mon-stro-says-kwip-ad-dal-ee-oh-fob-bee-uh]

noun

– fear of long words.

idyll

[ahyd-l]noun
1. a poem or prose composition, usually describing pastoral scenes or events or any charmingly simple episode, appealing incident, or the like.
2. a simple descriptive or narrative piece in verse or prose.
3. material suitable for such a work.
4. an episode or scene of idyllic charm.
5. a brief or inconsequential romantic affair.

14 July 2012

acatalepsy
[ey-kat-l-ep-see]

noun Philosophy .

Luddite

[luhd-ahyt]

– noun

1. any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816

2. any opponent of industrial change or innovation

– adjective

3. of or relating to the Luddites

[origin: alleged to be named after Ned Ludd,  an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery]

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s WOTD, which was ‘mumpsimus‘, is the equally intriguing ‘sumpsimus‘.

sumpsimus

\SUHMP-suh-muhs\,

noun:

1. Adherence to or persistence in using a strictly correct term, holding to a precise practice, etc., as a rejection of an erroneous but more common form (opposed to mumpsimus).
2. A person who is obstinate or zealous about such strict correctness (opposed to mumpsimus).

And now let all defenders of present institutions, however bad they may be — let all violent supporters of their old mumpsimus against any new sumpsimus whatever, listen to a conversation among some undergraduates.
— Frederic William Farrar , Julian Home
She is a master of sumpsimus, more anal in language usage than Doc in his rigid professionalism. She insists on saying It is I, or He gave the book to John and me.
— Ann Burrus, Astride the Pineapple Couch
Like its counterpart mumpsimus, sumpsimus comes from to a story about an illiterate priest. In this case, sumpsimus refers to the opposite practice as mumpsimus.

mumpsimus \MUHMP-suh-muhs\, noun:

1. Adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, memorization, practice, belief, etc., out of habit or obstinacy.
2. A person who persists in a mistaken expression or practice.

“I profess, my good lady,” replied I, “that had any one but you made such a declaration, I should have thought it as capricious as that of the clergyman, who, without vindicating his false reading, preferred, from habit’s sake, his old Mumpsimus…
— Sir Walter Scott, THE TALISMAN

Mr. Burgess, who sticks (I fancy) to his old mumpsimus, thought that the other gentleman might have given the canoe a shove to get it clear of the lock…
— Ronald A. Knox, THE FOOTSTEPS AT THE LOCK

Mumpsimus comes from a story (perhaps first told by Erasmus, 1466-1536) about an illiterate priest who mispronounced a word while reciting the liturgy. The priest refused to change the word, even when he was corrected.

Agemate

noun

[ayj-meyt]

A person of about the same age as another.

Agemate entered English in the late 1500s when the word mate meant “guest” in Old English.

[im-brohl-yoh]

noun, plural im·bro·glios.
1. a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.
2. an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation.
3. a confused heap.

5 July 2012

Today’s word is in commemoration of the Queensland Maroons winning their 7^thconsecutive State of Origin Series at Lang Park last night as they vanquish their hapless opponents, the New South Wales Blues!

Erythrophobia

[ih-rith-ruh-foh-bee-uh]

1. abnormal fear of the color red.

2. extreme fear of blushing.

With Queensland on the brink of winning a record 7 straight State of Origin series, and New South Wales desperate to win their first series since 2005, today’s WOTD is in recognition of tonight’s blood-bath at Lang Park, Brisbane.

hecatomb
[hek-uh-tohm, -toom]
noun
1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a public sacrifice of 100 oxen to the gods.
2. any great slaughter: the hecatombs of modern wars.

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3 July 2012

absquatulate

[ab-skwoch-uh-leyt]

verb (used without object), slang

– to flee, abscond.

related forms:
absquatulater (noun)
absquatulation (noun)
absquatulated (verb)

2 July 2012

ad hominem
[ad hom-uh-nuhm ‐nem, ahd-]
adjective
1. appealing to one’s prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one’s intellect or reason.
2. attacking an opponent’s character rather than answering his argument.
Compare ad feminam.

Origin:
[Latin: lit, to the man]

World English Dictionary
ad hominem (æd ˈhɒmɪˌnɛm)

— adj , — adv
1. directed against a person rather than against his arguments
2. based on or appealing to emotion rather than reason

[literally: to the man]