22 July 2016

mephitis

[muh-fahy-tis]

noun

1. (in nontechnical use) a noxious or pestilential exhalation from the earth, as poison gas.
2. any noisome or poisonous stench.

Origin of mephitis

Latin

1700-1710; < Latin mephītis, mefītis; compare Oscan Mefit (eí) the goddess of such exhalations

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for mephitis

Historical Examples

mephitis is, however, purely American wherever he comes from.
Belford’s Magazine, Vol II, No. 10, March 1889
Various

A skunk, ( mephitis Americana,) which was killed in the afternoon, made a supper for one of the messes.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont

Because the odor is quite like mephitis it is considered a so-called anti-spasmodic.
New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers
Various

Anagram

time ship
it is hemp

Today’s quote

Throw off your worries when you throw off your clothes at night.

– Napoleon Bonaparte

On this day

22 July 1298 – Battle of Falkirk in which the English, led by King Edward VI, defeated the Scots, led by William Wallace. It was part of the First War of Scottish Independence.

22 July 1456 – Siege of Belgrade, or Siege of Nandorfehervar, in which Hungarian troops defeated the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II. Since 22 July 2011, Hungary celebrates this as their National Memorial Day.

22 July 1933 – Wiley Post completes the world’s first solo flight around the world.

22 July 1946 – Irgun, a militant Zionist group under the leadership of Menachim Begin, bombs Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, which housed the British administrative headquarters for Palestine. The bombing killed 91 people and injured 46.

22 July 1968 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacks its first plane, an El-Al Israel Airlines flight travelling from Rome to Tel Aviv, carrying 32 passengers and 10 crew. The plane was diverted to Algiers where 7 crew & 5 Israeli passengers were held hostage for 5 weeks until Israel agreed to exchange imprisoned Palestinian militants.

22 July 1983 – Dick Smith, Australian entrepreneur and adventurer, completes first solo helicopter flight around the world.

22 July 1983 – World’s coldest day recorded at Vostok, Antarctica where the temperature dropped to -89.2oC (128.6oF)

21 July 2016

corroborate

[verb kuh-rob-uh-reyt; adjective kuh-rob-er-it]

verb (used with object), corroborated, corroborating.

1. to make more certain; confirm:
He corroborated my account of the accident.
adjective
2. Archaic. confirmed.

Origin of corroborate

Latin

1520-1530; < Latin corrōborātus past participle of corrōborāre to strengthen, equivalent to cor- cor- + rōbor (āre) to make strong (derivative of rōbor, rōbur oak (hence, strength); see robust ) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

corroborative [kuh-rob-uh-rey-tiv, -er-uh-tiv], corroboratory, adjective
corroboratively, corroboratorily, adverb
corroborator, noun
noncorroborating, adjective
noncorroborative, adjective

Can be confused

collaborate, corroborate.

Synonyms

1. verify, authenticate, support, validate.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for corroborate

Contemporary Examples

Daisey appears to have intentionally misled the producers and to have lied about his ability to corroborate his story.
The Conning of ‘This American Life’ Leads to an Embarrassing Retraction
Philip Bump
March 16, 2012

Initial interviews with people in the hotel seem to corroborate her story.
No Apologies Over DSK
Peter Beinart
July 4, 2011

Of course, the only reason we retell the story is precisely the data did corroborate Einstein’s theory.
How Do We Know a Theory is Correct?
David Frum
April 17, 2013

Anagram

October roar
cobra err too

Today’s quote

They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.

– Ernest Hemingway

On this day

21 July 1542 – Pope Paul III establishes the Inquisition (the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition) to ‘defend the faith’ against reformists, protestants and heretics.

21 July 1899 – birth of Ernest Hemingway, American author. He wrote books including ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls‘ and ‘Old Man and the Sea‘. Died 2 July 1961.

21 July 1970 – Aswan Dam opens in Egypt.

21 July 1973 – USSR launches Mars-4 space probe to photograph Mars.

21 July 1990 – Roger Waters performs a charity concert of the Pink Floyd concept album, ‘The Wall’, on the site where part of the Berlin Wall had stood. Approximately, 450,000 people attended. The stage was 170m long and 25m high. The concert included special guest performances by a large number of high profile artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, Cyndi Lauper, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams and a number of others.

20 July 2016

chortle

[chawr-tl]

verb (used without object), chortled, chortling.

1. to chuckle gleefully.
verb (used with object), chortled, chortling.
2. to express with a gleeful chuckle:
to chortle one’s joy.
noun
3. a gleeful chuckle.

Origin of chortle

blend of chuckle and snort; coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (1871)

Related forms

chortler, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for chortle

Contemporary Examples

Lewis Carroll really did introduce the word “ chortle ” to the English language in his 1871 poem Jabberwocky.
Why Big Data Doesn’t Live up to the Hype
Nick Romeo
January 3, 2014

He appeared also to be saying he had inside information about it that he could only chortle about, unable to spell it out.
A Keith Olbermann Hint From Morning Joe
Wayne Barrett
May 24, 2011

Historical Examples

They will not actually steal, but they will cheat you every time and chortle over it.
The American Egypt
Channing Arnold

They can yawp and chortle and call me Skyrider as if it was a joke.
Skyrider
B. M. Bower

It was almost a chortle he emitted, but he was solemn enough before Lafe had closed the door.
The Sheriff of Badger
George B. Pattullo

A dirty, yellow hand seized the bag; there was a chortle of exultation, and the two scurried out of the room.
Riders of the Silences
John Frederick

It rose again—it was like a perplexing cheep and chirrup, changing to a chortle of glee.
A Reversible Santa Claus
Meredith Nicholson

The Governor began to chortle after a quick glance at the vanishing red light of the Portsmouth car.
Blacksheep! Blacksheep!
Meredith Nicholson

Eli began to chortle, and Hannah stirred in her sleep, throwing both chubby arms over her head.
The Little Mixer
Lillian Nicholson Shearon

Frighten me, floor me, then chortle with glee, And fly away fast from the gutter and me.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, October 19 1895
Various

Anagram

her colt

Today’s quote

It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.

– Voltaire

On this day

20 July 356 BC – birth of Alexander the Great, Macedonian King. He conquered the Persia Empire, which ruled Asia Minor, The Levant and Syria, Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia. He then invaded India before returning to Persia. He died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon, most likely by poisoning. Died 10 June 323 BC.

20 July 1919 – birth of Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Died 11 January 2008.

20 July 1969 – Apollo 11 becomes the first manned landing on the moon, with Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldren Jr. Michael Collins drew the short straw and remained in orbit in order to pick up Armstrong and Aldren later.

20 July 1973 – death of Bruce Lee (born as Lee Jun-fan), martial artist and actor. Born 27 November 1940.

20 July 1976 – birth of Andrew Stockdale, Australian rock musician, leader singer, lead guitarist and founding member of Wolfmother. In 2007, Stockdale and his Wolfmother mates, won ‘Songwriter of the Year’ at the APRA Awards. Stockdale’s vocal style has been described as a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Robert Plant. Musically, he has been compared with Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. He grew up in Ashgrove, Brisbane.

19 July 2016

antithesis

[an-tith-uh-sis]

noun, plural antitheses [an-tith-uh-seez]

1. opposition; contrast:
the antithesis of right and wrong.
2. the direct opposite (usually followed by of or to):
Her behavior was the very antithesis of cowardly.
3. Rhetoric.
the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas, as in “Give me liberty or give me death.”.
the second sentence or part thus set in opposition, as “or give me death.”.
4. Philosophy. See under Hegelian dialectic.

Origin of antithesis

Latin

1520-1530; < Latin < Greek: opposition, equivalent to anti (ti) thé (nai) to oppose + -sis -sis. See anti-, thesis

Related forms

self-antithesis, noun

Can be confused

antithesis, synthesis, thesis.

Synonyms

2. opposite, reverse.

Hegelian dialectic

noun

1. an interpretive method, originally used to relate specific entities or events to the absolute idea, in which some assertible proposition (thesis) is necessarily opposed by an equally assertible and apparently contradictory proposition (antithesis) the mutual contradiction being reconciled on a higher level of truth by a third proposition (synthesis)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for antithesis

Contemporary Examples

Laura Hillenbrand is the antithesis of the popular concept of a world-famous, bestselling author.
Laura Hillenbrand’s Acclaimed Bestsellers Haven’t Changed Her
Sandra McElwaine
December 20, 2011

Our fundamental values demand that America stand with demonstrators opposing a regime that is the antithesis of all we believe.
Leave Iran to the Iranians
Leslie H. Gelb
June 20, 2009

Anagram

in hastiest
siesta hint
at shiniest

Today’s quote

If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.

– Herodotus

On this day

19 July 64 AD – Rome’s Circus Maximus destroyed by fire, during the Great Fire of Rome.

19 July 1553 – 15 year old, Lady Jane Grey, the ‘Nine Day Queen’, deposed as Queen of England. On his deathbed, King Edward VI (also 15) named his cousin, Lady Jane, as his successor. She ‘ruled’ for 9 days before being deposed and charged with high treason, as was her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley. They were both executed in February 1554.

19 July 1799 – Rosetta Stone discovered by Napoleon’s expeditionary army in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone enabled the translation of hieroglyphs.

19 July 1940 – Adolf Hitler delivers his ‘Last Appeal to Reason’ speech, declaring his victory and appealing for Great Britain to surrender.

19 July 1947 – assassination of General Aung San, founder of modern day Burma and Burmese Army. Father of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, activist and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient. Born 13 February 1915.

19 July 1976 – UK rock group, Deep Purple, breaks up.

18 July 2016

velleity

[vuh-lee-i-tee]

noun, plural velleities.

1. volition in its weakest form.
2. a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it. ‘He felt cast out; divorced from the caprices and the velleities of childhood‘ (Anita Brookner).
(From yourdictionary.com)

Origin of velleity

1610-1620; New Latin velleitās, equivalent to Latin velle to be willing + -itās -ity

Dictionary.com

Anagram

tile levy

Today’s quote

Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.

– Nelson Mandela

On this day

18 July – Mandela Day – An internationally recognised day to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. ‘Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day’. http://www.mandeladay.com/

18 July 64 AD – Great Fire of Rome.

18 July 1918 – birth of Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician. Died 5 December 2013.

18 July 1925 – Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf. He wrote the book in prison while serving a sentence for treason. Mein kampf is German for ‘My Struggle’. The book is a rambling read in which Hitler covers many concepts including what he was like as a child and the reasons for collapse of the Second Reich. At its core it expresses Hitler’s view of his plans for Germany and often blames the Jews for many of the ills that had beset Germany, including the rise of Marxism, controlling the economy, weakening the army and bastardising the white race. Throughout the book, Hitler often mentioned that his plans to combat the Jewish influence in Germany was a fulfilment of the Lord’s will.

18 July 1937 – birth of Hunter S. Thompson, American writer and gonzo journalist. Died 20 February 2005.

18 July 1950 – birth of Richard Branson, British entrepreneur.

15 July 2016

inspissate

[in-spis-eyt]

Spell Syllables

verb (used with or without object), inspissated, inspissating.

1. to thicken, as by evaporation; make or become dense.

Origin of inspissate

Late Latin

1620-1630; < Late Latin inspissātus past participle of inspissāre to thicken, equivalent to Latin in- in-2+ spissā (re) to thicken (derivative of spissus thick) + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

inspissation, noun
inspissator, noun
noninspissating, adjective
uninspissated, adjective

Dictionary.com

Anagram

I assents pi
antisepsis
a tipsiness
Spain sites
Siesta spin

Today’s quote

A painting is not made to be sniffed.

– Rembrandt

On this day

15 July 1099 – First Crusaders conquer Jerusalem.

15 July 1606 – birth of Rembrandt, famous Dutch painter. Died 4 October 1669.

15 July 1815 – Napoleon surrenders and is eventually exiled on the island of St Helena.

15 July 2013 – India sends it last telegram, bringing an end to the 163 year old service. Hundreds of people attended the remaining 75 telegram offices to send their final telegrams.

13 July 2016

gormless

[gawrm-lis]

adjective, Chiefly British Informal.

1. lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid, dull, or clumsy.

Origin of gormless

1880-1890; respelling of earlier gaumless

Dictionary.com

adj.
c.1746, “wanting sense,” a British dialectal word, from gome “notice, understanding” (c.1200), from Old Norse gaumr “care, heed,” of unknown origin; + -less.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Example

The genius of William Shakespeare was unfolded to 35 gormless adolescents.

Her gormless expression was a sub-conscious reaction to her date’s tedious and self-serving drivel.

Anagram

mrs ogles
gross elm

Today’s quote

Yes, I guess you could say I am a loner, but I feel more lonely in a crowed room with boring people than I feel on my own.

– Henry Rollins

On this day

13 July 1863 – the New York Draft Riots – three days of rioting by opponents of conscription. President Abraham Lincoln had enacted the draft to boost military numbers during the American Civil War. Most opponents were working-class men who resented that the rich could pay $300 to hire a substitute in their place. By the time the rioters were suppressed, there were 120 civilians dead and 2000 injured. Considered to be the worst anti-draft riots in US history.

13 July 1985 – Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organise and stage the Live Aid Concert. The concert was held simultaneously in London, UK, and Philadelphia, USA, to raise money to fight famine in Ethiopia. Similar concerts were performed across the globe in solidarity with Live Aid. The Live Aid concerts were broadcast live to an estimated audience of 1.9 billion people across 150 nations. An estimated £150 million was raised. Some of the world’s biggest musical acts participated, including Elton John, Boomtown Rats, Dire Straits, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Sting, U2, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Joan Baez, BB King, Paul McCartney, The Who, Black Sabbath, Eric Clapton, Status Quo, Sade, ‘Crosby, Stills & Nash’, George Thorogood, Madonna, Duran Duran, Bob Dylan, and a host of others.

12 July 2016

hypnagogic

[hip-nuh-goj-ik, -goh-jik]

adjective

1. of or relating to drowsiness.
2. inducing drowsiness.

Origin of hypnagogic

French

1885-1890; < French hypnagogique; see hypn(o)-, -agogue, -ic

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for hypnagogic

Contemporary Examples

Nighttime “visitations” may be chalked up to sleep deprivation, to hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations.
A Night with The Conjuring’s Ed & Lorraine Warren
Stefan Beck
August 17, 2013

Historical Examples

And there are crystal-seers who are not subject to hypnagogic illusions.
Cock Lane and Common-Sense
Andrew Lang

The experience of hypnagogic illusions also seems far more rare than ordinary dreaming in sleep.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7
Various

For bad visualisers, on the other hand, the vividness of these hypnagogic pictures may be absolutely a revelation.
Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily Death
Frederick W. H. Myers

Anagram

piggy nacho
icy hog pang

Today’s quote

I just don’t believe that when people are being unjustly oppressed that they should let someone else set rules for them by which they can come out from under that oppression.

– Malcolm X

On this day

12 July 1943 – The Soviet Army commences a counter-offensive in the Battle of Kursk, Russia to combat the German Army’s ‘Operation Citadel’ offensive on the Eastern Front. It was the largest tank battle in history, involving more than 8,000 tanks, 3 million troops, 35,000 guns and mortars, and more than 5,000 aircraft, between both sides. By mid-August, the Soviets had prevailed, driving the German’s out.

12 July 1950 – birth of Eric Carr (Paul Charles Caravello), drummer with Kiss. Died 24 November 1991.

12 July 1962 – Rolling Stones make their first live performance. The concert was at the Marquee Club on London’s Oxford St.

10 July 2016

peccant

[pek-uh nt]

adjective

1. sinning; guilty of a moral offense.
2. violating a rule, principle, or established practice; faulty; wrong.

Origin of peccant

Latin

1595-1605; < Latin peccant- (stem of peccāns), present participle of peccāre to err, offend; see -ant

Related forms

peccancy, peccantness, noun
peccantly, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for peccant

Historical Examples

How came it that he included Florentine among the peccant idioms, and maintained that the true literary speech was still to seek?
Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature
John Addington Symonds

But it is useless and canting to say that peccant women are worse than men.
She Stands Accused
Victor MacClure

For this reason I desired to divert the peccant matter downward, a point which the physician should consider and observe.
Gilbertus Anglicus
Henry Ebenezer Handerson

Anagram

cap cent

Today’s quote

The newspapers of the twenty-first century will give a mere ‘stick’ in the back pages to accounts of crime or political controversies, but will headline on the front pages the proclamation of a new scientific hypothesis.

– Nikola Tesla

(I don’t usually editorialise these quotes, but I think Mr Tesla would be sadly disappointed with today’s media!)

On this day

10 July 1856 – Birth of Nikola Tesla, Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and futurist. Inventor of alternating current (A/C) electricity supply. Died 7 January 1943.

10 July 1942 – birth of Ronald James Padavona, otherwise known as Ronny James Dio, heavy metal singer. Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as lead singer of Black Sabbath, for two years before leaving after disagreements with other band members. Dio was also associated with Rainbow, Dio, and Elf. Died 16 May 2010.

10 July 1947 – birth of Sixto Rodriguez, elusive American folk musician. Rodriguez recorded two albums, Cold Fact and Coming From Reality, in the early 1970s. Neither album sold well in the USA, however, unknown to Rodriguez, he gained cult status in Australia and South Africa. Rodriguez disappeared into obscurity as legends abounded of his fate, including that he had either shot himself or set fire to himself on stage. In the 1996, two South African fans, Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman and Craig Styrdrom, tracked him down in Detroit, breaking the news to him that he was bigger than Elvis and the Rolling Stones in South Africa. Rodriguez flew out to South Africa and performed six concerts. Rodriguez has since played concerts across the globe, including Australia, South Africa, USA, UK. The Oscar-winning documentary, ‘Searching for Sugarman’ is a gritty, intriguing biopic of this story.