12 June 2013

sentient

[sen-shuhnt]
adjective
1. having the power of perception by the senses; conscious.
2. characterized by sensation and consciousness.
noun
3. a person or thing that is sentient.
4. Archaic. the conscious mind.
Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin sentient- (stem of sentiēns, present participle of sentīre to feel), equivalent to senti- verb stem + -ent- -ent

Related forms
sen·tient·ly, adverb
non·sen·tient, adjective
non·sen·tient·ly, adverb
un·sen·tient, adjective
un·sen·tient·ly, adverb

Today’s aphorism

If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.

– Bertrand Russell

On this day

12 June 1929 – birth of Anne Frank, author of the ‘Diary of Anne Frank’. On her 13th birthday (1942) she was given a diary which she kept while the family was in hiding from the German Army. The family hid for two years in a secret annex behind her father’s office. In 1944, the family was discovered and sent to concentration camps. She died on 12 March 1945 in Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The diary was published in 1947.

12 June 1967 – the US Supreme Court declares that inter-racial marriages are Constitutional and cannot be banned by the states.

11 June 2013

verbose

[ver-bohs]
adjective
characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy: a verbose report.
Origin:
1665–75; < Latin verbōsus, equivalent to verb ( um ) word + -ōsus -ose1

Related forms
ver·bose·ly, adverb
ver·bose·ness, noun
un·ver·bose, adjective
un·ver·bose·ly, adverb
un·ver·bose·ness, noun

Can be confused: verbal, verbose.

Synonyms
prolix; tedious, inflated, turgid; voluble, talkative, loquacious. See bombastic.

Antonyms
laconic.

The Reveal

For the last couple of weeks the Words of the Day have all had one thing in common besides most of them starting with the letter ‘V’. I can now reveal (for those who haven’t already guessed) that the recent WOTDs (highlighted below) are from the discourse delivered by V at the beginning of the cult movie, ‘V for Vendetta’:

‘But on this most auspicious of nights…permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet…to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voilà!In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran…cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate.This visage, no mere veneer of vanity…is a vestige of the vox populi,now vacant, vanished.However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified…and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice…and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.The only verdict is vengeance,a vendetta…held as a votive not in vain,for the value and veracity of such…shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose.So let me simply add that it’s my very good honor to meet you…and you may call me V‘.

Today’s aphorism

If you spend too long thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.

– Bruce Lee

On this day

11 June 1955 – during the 24 hour Le Mans race, a Mercedes 300 crashes at high speed. Debris, including the engine block, axles and bonnet, slams through the crowd killing 83 spectators. The bonnet decapitated a number of spectators who had been tightly packed into the stand. The driver was also killed.

8 June 2013

verily

[ver-uh-lee]
adverb
in truth; really; indeed.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English; see very, -ly

Today’s aphorism

More the knowledge, lesser the ego, lesser the knowledge, more the ego …

– Albert Einstein.

On this day

8 June 1921 – birth of Ivan Southall AM, DFC, Australian writer of young-adult fiction and non-fiction. Books include ‘Ash Road’, ‘Let the Balloon Go’, ‘Hill’s End’, ‘Fly West’ and ‘Josh. Died 15 November 2008.

8 June 1967 – During the Six Day War, Israel launched a naval and air assault on the USS Liberty as it sits in international waters near Egypt’s Gaza Strip. The attack left 34 US crewmen dead and injured 171 others. Israel claimed the attack was an accident, while some witnesses claimed it was deliberate.

7 June 2013

virtuous

[vur-choo-uhs]

adjective
1. conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright: Lead a virtuous life.
2. chaste: a virtuous young person.

Origin:
1300–50; alteration (with i < Latin ) of Middle English vertuous < Anglo-French < Late Latin virtuōsus, equivalent to Latin virtu ( s ) virtue + -ōsus -ous

Related forms
vir·tu·ous·ly, adverb
vir·tu·ous·ness, noun
non·vir·tu·ous, adjective
non·vir·tu·ous·ly, adverb
non·vir·tu·ous·ness, noun

Today’s aphorism

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

– Muhammad Ali

On this day

7 June 1929 – The Lateran Treaty is ratified by the Italian Parliament, allowing Vatican City to become an independent sovereign state.

6 June 2013

vigilant

[vij-uh-luhnt]

adjective

1. keenly watchful to detect danger; wary: a vigilant sentry.
2. ever awake and alert; sleeplessly watchful.

Origin:
1470–80; < Latin vigilant- (stem of vigilāns ), present participle of vigilāre to be watchful. See vigil, -ant

Related forms
vig·i·lant·ly, adverb
vig·i·lant·ness, noun
hy·per·vig·i·lant, adjective
hy·per·vig·i·lant·ly, adverb
hy·per·vig·i·lant·ness, noun

Can be confused: vigilant, vigilante.

Synonyms
2. wide-awake, sleepless. See alert.

Antonyms
1. careless.

Today’s aphorism

‘Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will’.

– Frederick Douglass

On this day

6 June 1944 – D-day (Operation Overlord), when the Allies launch a massive invasion of Europe to combat the German war machine. Over a million troops from Allied troops storm the beaches of Normandy.

5 June 2013

vindicate

[vin-di-keyt]

verb (used with object), vin·di·cat·ed, vin·di·cat·ing.
1. to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like: to vindicate someone’s honor.
2. to afford justification for; justify: Subsequent events vindicated his policy.
3. to uphold or justify by argument or evidence: to vindicate a claim.
4. to assert, maintain, or defend (a right, cause, etc.) against opposition.
5. to claim for oneself or another.

Today’s aphorism

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered ‘Man…. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived’.

On this day

5 June 1967 – start of the Six Day War, when Israel attacked Egypt and Syria. During the six days of the War, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, West Bank and East Jerusalem, effectively doubling its size. Although Israel eventually withdrew from the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula, it continues to controversially occupy Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem.

3 June 2013

votive

[voh-tiv]

adjective

1. offered, given, dedicated, etc., in accordance with a vow: a votive offering.
2. performed, undertaken, etc., in consequence of a vow.
3. of the nature of or expressive of a wish or desire.

Origin:
1585–95; < Latin vōtīvus, equivalent to vōt ( um ) a vow + -īvus -ive

Related forms
vo·tive·ly, adverb
vo·tive·ness, noun

Today’s aphorism

‘The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It’s not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It’s encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way’.

― Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and Ajq’ij of the Eagle Clan

On this day

3 June 1926 – birth of Allen Ginsberg, leading American beat-generation writer and poet. Died 5 April 1997.

3 June 1937 – Following his abdication in December 1936, former King Edward VIII of Britain, marries American divorcee, Wallis Simpson.

3 June 1968 – Andy Warhol, pop-artist, is shot by feminist Valerie Solanas, founder of the Society for Cutting Up Men (S.C.U.M.) because she felt that Warhol had too much control over her life. Warhol was seriously injured in the shooting. Doctors had to cut his chest open and massage his heart to keep him alive. Warhol survived but the shooting, but suffered permanent physical effects. The shooting had a profound effect on the direction his life and art took.