22 September 2015

nebbish

[neb-ish]

noun, Slang.

1. a pitifully ineffectual, luckless, and timid person.

Origin of nebbish
Czech
1890-1895; < Yiddish nebekh poor, unfortunate, probably < Slavic; compare Czech nebohý poor; spelling with -sh perhaps < Western Yiddish forms of the word

Related forms

nebbishy, adjective

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2015.

Examples from the Web for nebbish

Contemporary Examples

In his own photos, Savader looks like your average Beltway nebbish : pasty, bespectacled, bad hair.
Paul Ryan Aide Charged With Stalking, Harassing Women for Nude Photos
Michelle Cottle
April 24, 2013

Word Origin and History for nebbish Expand
n.
1905, nebbich, from Yiddish (used as a Yiddish word in American English from 1890s), from a Slavic source akin to Czech neboh “poor, unfortunate,” literally “un-endowed,” from Proto-Slavic *ne-bogu-, with negative prefix (see un- (1)) + PIE *bhag- “to share out, apportion” (see -phagous ).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

ebb shin

Today’s quote

I suspect the older you get the more invisible you become.

– Nick Cave

On this day

22 September 1913 – execution by hanging of Ernest Austin at Boggo Road Gaol. Austin was the last man to be legally executed in Queensland. He had been convicted of the rape and murder of 12 year old Ivy Mitchell at Cedar Creek Road near Samford. Austin is buried in South Brisbane Cemetry. It is said that his ghost haunts Boggo Road Gaol. Queensland abolished the death penalty in 1922, becoming the first Australian state to do so.

22 September 1957 – birth of Nick Cave in Warracknabeal, Victoria (Australia). Australian gothic/alternative musician. Frontman of ‘The Birthday Party’ and ‘Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’, also having a successful solo career. In 2006, he formed ‘Grinderman’, an alternative rock band which disbanded in 2011.

22 September 2890 – birth of Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit, born in the Shire. Star of the iconic novel, ‘The Hobbit‘, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Bilbo also features in Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings‘. Note, his birthday is in the year 2890 in the Third Age or in the year 1290 in Shire-Reckoning). There is some disparity between Shire-Reckoning and the Gregorian calendar. Some believe that 12 September is the comparative Gregorian date, others believe 14 September is the Gregorian date to celebrate Bilbo’s birthday, as explained in one of the appendices to Lord of the Rings.

22 September 2968 – birth of Frodo Baggins, Hobbit, born in the shire. Nephew of legendary hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, with whom he shares his birthday. Star of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings‘. His birthday is in the year 2968 in the Third Age, or in the year 1368 in Shire-Reckoning). As Bilbo celebrated his eleventy-first (111th) birthday, Frodo was celebrating his 33rd birthday, which is the age at which a hobbit legally comes of age.

21 September 2015

cachet

[ka-shey, kash-ey; French ka-she]

noun, plural cachets [ka-sheyz, kash-eyz; French ka-she] (Show IPA)

1. an official seal, as on a letter or document.
2. a distinguishing mark or feature; stamp:
Courtesy is the cachet of good breeding.
3. a sign or expression of approval, especially from a person who has a great deal of prestige.
4. superior status; prestige:
The job has a certain cachet.
5. Pharmacology. a hollow wafer for enclosing an ill-tasting medicine.
6. Philately. a firm name, slogan, or design stamped or printed on an envelope or folded letter.

Origin of cachet
1630-1640; < French: literally, something compressed to a small size, equivalent to cache cache + -et -et

Can be confused
cache, cachet, cash.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cachet

Contemporary Examples

Daniel Gross on how cachet has a way of developing into a real business.
Tesla’s Rise Forces Other Automakers to Up Their Electric Car Game
Daniel Gross
September 24, 2013

“I think there was a cachet about having an African-American president because of guilt,” she said.
Sorry, Michele Bachmann. We Are Ready for a Female President. And It’s Partially Because of You.
Eleanor Clift
February 20, 2014

We thought Morning Joe started to get this cachet, so why not extend the brand a little bit?
MSNBC’s Earliest Star
Lloyd Grove
July 20, 2009

Today’s quote

Crime and bad lives are the measure of a State’s failure, all crime in the end is the crime of the community.

– H. G. Wells

On this day

21 September – International Day of Peace.

21 September – World Alzheimer’s Day.

21 September 1866 – birth of Herbert George ‘H.G.’ Wells, British science fiction writer, author of The War of the Worlds, Time Machine, Island of Dr Moreau, The War of the Worlds. Died 13 August 1946.

21 September 1937 – J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ first published.

21 September 2012 – ‘The Hobbit Second Breakfast’ at 11am – to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Hobbit, people everywhere are invited to celebrate the Hobbit Second Breakfast at 11am by popping on the kettle and sitting down with family and friends for camaraderie, companionship and a love of good food.

20 September 2015

diatribe

[dahy-uh-trahyb]

noun

1. a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism:
repeated diatribes against the senator.

Origin of diatribe
Latin, Greek
1575-1585; < Latin diatriba < Greek diatribḗ pastime, study, discourse, derivative of diatríbein to rub away ( dia- dia- + tríbein to rub)

Synonyms
tirade, harangue.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for diatribe

Contemporary Examples

This diatribe against the pitiful Washington Redskins summed it all up for their fans.
The Best Columns of the Year
John Avlon
December 30, 2013

But Klein has now unleashed a very public Facebook diatribe against the board.
Michael Jackson Dermatologist Arnold Klein Under Investigation
Diane Dimond
December 4, 2011

But every day that passes without his diatribe appearing shows he has lost out in the struggle for his homelands future.
Al Qaeda’s Odd Silence on Egypt
Bruce Riedel
February 5, 2011

Today’s quote

You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past.

– Chuck Palahniuk

On this day

20 September 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush declares a ‘war on terror’.

20 September 2011 – the U.S. military ends its ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, allowing gay servicemen and women to serve openly.

20 September 2012 – death of Robert G. Barrett, Australian author of books such as ‘Davo’s Little Something’ and the Les Norton series which included, ‘High Noon in Nimbin’, ‘The Tesla Legacy’, ‘Crime Scene Cessnock’, ‘Rosa-Marie’s Baby’, ‘Guns n Rosé’. Barrett sold over 1,000,000 books in Australia. Born 14 November 1942.

19 September 2015

impetuous

[im-pech-oo-uh s]

adjective
1. of, relating to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive:
an impetuous decision; an impetuous person.
2. having great impetus; moving with great force; violent:
the impetuous winds.

Origin of impetuous

Middle English, Anglo-French, Late Latin

1350-1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Late Latin impetuōsus, equivalent to Latin impetu (s) impetus + -ōsus -ous

Related forms

impetuously, adverb
impetuousness, noun

Can be confused
compulsive, impulsive, impetuous (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms Expand

1. eager, headlong. Impetuous, impulsive both refer to persons who are hasty and precipitate in action, or to actions not preceded by thought. Impetuous suggests eagerness, violence, rashness: impetuous vivacity; impetuous desire; impetuous words. Impulsive emphasizes spontaneity and lack of reflection: an impulsive act of generosity.

Antonyms

1. planned, careful.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for impetuous

Contemporary Examples

The old Kaiser Franz Joseph, faithful and hardworking, was the obverse of the feckless and impetuous German kaiser.
Before the Fall: What Did the World Look Like in 1913?
Jacob Heilbrunn
June 8, 2013

Referring to his numerous divorces, he writes, “I was young, impetuous, and lonely.”
The Daily Beast Recommends
The Daily Beast
May 18, 2009

Zakir is a fearless and impetuous fighter, a former Guantanamo prisoner who earned a reputation for brutality on the battlefield.
Afghanistan: Will the Taliban Destroy Itself?
Sami Yousafzai
December 16, 2012

Anagram

opium suet
sum pie out
I spout emu

Today’s quote

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.

—Attributed to Mark Twain, Jonathon Swift, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Spurgeon, John Randolph.

refer: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/07/13/truth/

On this day

19 September – International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

19 September 1952 – Charlie Chaplin exiled from the United States because of his anti-war and humanitarian beliefs which conflicted with McCarthy’s ‘reds under the bed’ policy.

19 September 1959 – USSR President Nikita Khrushchev banned from visiting Disneyland … ironically 31 years after Mickey Mouse debuted on screen. The reason given was that the Los Angeles Police Chief couldn’t provide adequate security.

19 September 1982 – birth of the emoticon. At 11.44am on this day, a computer scientist by the name of Scott Fahlman suggested on a bulletin board forum that the now iconic 🙂 be used to indicate a post was ‘not serious’. It has now come to also mean happy, as well as not serious for when people post comments, emails etc … or when they think a smiley will help ease a flame …

19 September 2003 – death of Slim Dusty AO, MBE, Australian country music singer, song-writer and producer. He was born as David Gordon Kirkpatrick and adopted the name of Slim Dusty at 11 years of age. He released his first record when he was 18. In 1957, he released ‘The Pub With No Beer‘, which became the biggest selling Australian song to that time, and the first Australian single to go gold. He won 36 Golden Guitar Awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. In 2000, he recorded his 100th album, ‘Looking Forward, Looking Back‘. He is the only artist in the world to have recorded 100 albums with the same record label (EMI). Born 13 June 1927.

18 September 2015

trumpery

[truhm-puh-ree]

noun, plural trumperies.

1. something without use or value; rubbish; trash; worthless stuff.
2. nonsense; twaddle:
His usual conversation is pure trumpery.
3. Archaic. worthless finery.
adjective
4. of little or no value; trifling, worthless; rubbishy; trashy.

Origin of trumpery
late Middle English Middle French
1425-1475; late Middle English trompery deceit < Middle French tromperie, equivalent to tromp (er) to deceive + -erie -ery

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for trumpery

Historical Examples

“Locksley, have none of this trumpery prize,” cried he, in loud anger.
Robin Hood
Paul Creswick

But I might have known that she could not, all at once, wean herself from the trumpery.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark

The trumpery thing had seemed a sign to them, and now the sign was broken.
Tristram of Blent
Anthony Hope

Anagram

merry put

Today’s quote

Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

On this day

18 September 1873 – ‘The panic of 1873’ – a severe economic crisis in Europe and the United States caused by a drop in demand for silver following Germany’s decision to abandon the silver standard after the Franco-Prussian Wars. ‘The Panic’ lasted until 1879. It was known as the ‘Great Depression’, until the financial crisis of the 1930s.

18 September 1965 – ‘Get Smart’ premieres on U.S. television.

18 September 1970 – death of Jimi Hendrix. American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was 27. Born 27 November 1942

17 September 2015

sodality

[soh-dal-i-tee, suh-]

noun, plural sodalities.

1. fellowship; comradeship.
2. an association or society.
3. Roman Catholic Church. a lay society for religious and charitable purposes.

Origin of sodality

Latin

1590-1600; < Latin sodālitās companionship, equivalent to sodāl (is) companion + -itās -ity

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sodality

Historical Examples

He then proceeded to the chapel of the sodality which was crowded with bishops and most of the notables then in the city.
The Jesuits, 1534-1921
Thomas J. Campbell

An’ Mis’ Sykes, she’s just crazy to get a-hold o’ you an’ your house for the sodality.
Friendship Village
Zona Gale

Pirkheimer and the monk Chelidonius also belonged to this sodality.
Durer
M. F. Sweetser

Anagram

dial toys
tidy laos

Today’s quote

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

– Maya Angelou

On this day

17 September 1916 – Baron Manfred Von Richthofen (a.k.a The Red Baron), wins his first aerial combat in World War I.

17 September 1947 – the United State Department of Defense forms and is tasked with coordinating all defense related organisations in the U.S. The DoD is the largest employer in the world, with over 3.2 million employees, including active soldiers, sailors, airmen/women, and National Guard.

17 September 1951 – birth of Cassandra Peterson a.k.a Elvira, U.S. actress and host of late-night B-grade horror and sci-fi movies.

17 September 1961 – birth of Baz Luhrmann, Australian film director (Romeo and Juliet, Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge).

17 September 1966 – St George Dragons beat Balmain Tigers 23-4, to win the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) grand final for the 11th consecutive year. The longest premiership-winning streak in Australian sport.

17 September 1972 – M*A*S*H* premieres on NBC-TV.

17 September 1991 – first version of Linux released.

16 September 2015

sedulous

[sej-uh-luh s]

adjective

1. diligent in application or attention; persevering; assiduous.
2. persistently or carefully maintained:
sedulous flattery.

Origin of sedulous

Latin

1530-1540; < Latin sēdulus, adj. derivative of the phrase sē dolō diligently, literally, without guile; replacing sedulious (see sedulity, -ous )

Related forms
sedulously, adverb
sedulousness, noun
unsedulous, adjective
unsedulously, adverb
unsedulousness, noun

Synonyms

1. constant, untiring, tireless.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sedulous

Historical Examples

sedulous attention is paid to the effect of each employment upon children of different temperaments.
Education in The Home, The Kindergarten, and The Primary School
Elizabeth P. Peabody

But if these gallants were sedulous, she was correspondingly indifferent.
Under the Rose
Frederic Stewart Isham

The sedulous, however sage, have little idea how large a part of active life depends on food.
Of Walks and Walking Tours
Arnold Haultain

“Will you kindly leave the room,” he said to the sedulous Mary.
Cripps, the Carrier
R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore

Taught by the fencers, he trained himself by sedulous practice to parrying and dealing blows.
The Danish History, Books I-IX
Saxo Grammaticus (“Saxo the Learned”)

He was, however, not often aware of this sedulous espionage.
The Destroying Angel
Louis Joseph Vance

Anagram

soul dues

Today’s quote

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything.

– Vincent Van Gogh.

On this day

16 September – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

16 September 1908 – General Motors is founded by William C. Durrant.

16 September 1920 – The bombing of Wall St, New York, which kills 38 and injures 143. The crime has never been solved, but is believed to have been committed by Italian anarchists known as Galleanists, (after their leader Luigi Galleani), who were protesting against capitalism. The bomb had been placed in a horse wagon.

16 September 1927 – birth of Peter Falk, U.S. actor (Colombo) … ‘therrre ya go‘… (died 23 June 2011.

16 September 1975 – Papua New Guinea gains independence from Australia. PNG National Day.

16 September 1977 – death of Marc Bolan in a car accident. Singer/guitarist for T-Rex. (Born 30 September 1947 as Mark Feld).

16 – 18 September 1982 – Lebanese Christian militia (Phalange) massacres between 765 and 3,500 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut. An inquiry in 1983 held Israeli troops indirectly responsible as they had surrounded the camps, controlling access to them, and were aware a massacre was occurring without taking steps to stop it.

15 September 2015

stalwart

[stawl-wert]

adjective
1. strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
2. strong and brave; valiant:
a stalwart knight.
3. firm, steadfast, or uncompromising:
a stalwart supporter of the U.N.
noun
4. a physically stalwart person.
5. a steadfast or uncompromising partisan:
They counted on the party stalwarts for support in the off-year campaigns.

Origin of stalwart

Middle English
1325-1375; Middle English (Scots), variant of stalward, earlier stalwurthe; see stalworth

Related forms
stalwartly, adverb
stalwartness, noun
Stalwart
[stawl-wert]

Spell Syllables
noun
1. a conservative Republican in the 1870s and 1880s, especially one opposed to civil service and other reforms during the administrations of presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for stalwart

Contemporary Examples

He is stalwart and indefatigable in the service of the principles he holds dear.
Quit Redefining Conservatism
Christopher Buckley
February 18, 2010

With the area now on the mend, we paid these stalwart souls a visit, dressed up in the best of the New York collections.
Rihanna To Show In London; Karlie Kloss Wants To Go To Harvard
The Fashion Beast Team
January 16, 2013

The specter of this virus fills some of our most stalwart souls with unreasoning dread even when it is no immediate threat.
Ebola Nurses Are As Brave As Soldiers
Michael Daly
October 16, 2014

Anagram

last wart
tart laws

Today’s quote

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

– Mahatma Gandhi

On this day

15 September – International Day of Democracy.

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

14 September 2015

Throttlebottom

[throt-l-bot-uh m]

noun, ( sometimes lowercase)

1. a harmless incompetent in public office.

Origin of Throttlebottom

after Alexander Throttlebottom, character in Of Thee I Sing (1932), musical comedy by George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind

Dictionary.com

Anagram

blotto them tort
blotter moth tot

Today’s quote

Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.

– Blaise Pascal

On this day

14 September 1752 – the British Empire commences using the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian calendar. To balance the calendar, the 10 days from 3 September to 13 September are written off. This is because the Gregorian claimed the annual cycle was 365.2425 days. The Julian calendar was based on 365.25 days per year, hence the leap year every 4 years to make up the 0.25 days each year.

14 September 1812 – Fire of Moscow – French troops under the command of Napoleon defeat Russian troops in the Battle of Borodino and invade Moscow. Count Fyodor Rostopchin orders Russian citizens to destroy the Kremlin and other major buildings as they retreat. The fires burn for 4 days and destroy around 75% of Moscow.

14 September 1983 – birthday of Amy Winehouse. English singer-songwriter. Died 23 July 2011.

13 September 2015

mendaciloquent

adjective

– the ability to tell convincing and masterful lies.

Etymology

from Latin mendāciloquus (from mendāci-, -mendax mendacious + loqui to speak) + -ent

First documented use

1656 – Glossographia, Thomas Blount – Mendaciloquent, that tells lies

Example

Not to mention, that seditious harangues have been duly authenticated, which were never uttered by the persons impeached, for the purpose of affording a colour and pretext to the mendaciloquent accusations, which they have dared, in the face of honest indignation of all upright men, to charge your noblest counsellors, protectors and friends.

(The Book of the Bastiles: Or, The History of the Working of the New Poor-Law, By G.R. Wythen Baxter, 1841, Part I. Letters, Sketches, Petitions, Addresses, Etc.
Mr. Richard Oastler, the People’s Patriot, P. 96)

– from WordsAndPhrasesFromThePast.com

Anagram

condemn tequila
equal condiment

Today’s quote

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.

– Albert Einstein

On this day

13 September 1503 – Michelango commences his iconic sculpture, ‘David‘.

13 September 1922 – official highest temperature ever recorded: 57.8oC (138oF) at Azizya, Libya.

13 September 1940 – German Luftwaffe bombs Buckingham Palace, London, while King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) are in residence.