19 September 2017

forswear

[fawr-swair]

verb (used with object), forswore, forsworn, forswearing.

1. to reject or renounce under oath:
to forswear an injurious habit.
2. to deny vehemently or under oath.
3. to perjure (oneself).
verb (used without object), forswore, forsworn, forswearing.
4. to swear falsely; commit perjury.

Origin of forswear

Middle English, Old English
900 before 900; Middle English forsweren, Old English forswerian. See for-, swear

Related forms

forswearer, noun

Synonyms

1. abjure, relinquish, forgo, forsake, abandon.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for forswear

Contemporary Examples

You do not forswear studying by electric light because Lincoln relied on his fireplace.
Randy Cohen’s Three Favorite Ethicist Columns
Randy Cohen
October 8, 2012

Historical Examples

The old girl must be protected from that sort of eye-opener, if I’ve to forswear my soul.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

He would not forswear his fathers’ faith and did not understand what the priest said.
From Pole to Pole
Sven Anders Hedin

“Then I forswear all rash promises for the future,” he declared.
That Girl Montana
Marah Ellis Ryan

All the world seemed bent on compelling her to forswear herself.
The Madigans
Miriam Michelson

What is the secret of thy ring that a man must forswear love for it?
Operas Every Child Should Know
Mary Schell Hoke Bacon

The Tunker says that I must forswear myself to become a Christian.
In The Boyhood of Lincoln
Hezekiah Butterworth

But what right had he to defend from gallantry the woman he was about to forswear before the world?
Excuse Me!
Rupert Hughes

If you would belong to me, forswear all of which this is the emblem.
The Pastor’s Fire-side Vol. 4 (of 4)
Jane Porter

I abhor myself, and from this hour, I forswear all woman-kind for your sake.
Self-control
Mary Brunton

Anagram

fear rows
safer row
few roars

Today’s quote

Fairness is not about statistical equality.

– John Bercow

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 2017

fillip

[fil-uh p]

verb (used with object)

1. to strike with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of the thumb.
2. to tap or strike smartly.
3. to drive by or as by a fillip:
Anticipation filliped his passion.
verb (used without object)
4. to make a fillip with the fingers.
noun
5. an act or instance of filliping; a smart tap or stroke.
6. anything that tends to rouse, excite, or revive; a stimulus:
Praise is an excellent fillip for waning ambition.

Origin of fillip

late Middle English

1425-1475; late Middle English philippe to make a signal or sound with thumb and right forefinger; expressive word of uncertain orig; cf. flip1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for fillip

Historical Examples

And doubtless some break in the monotony gives a fillip of pleasure.
Hiero
Xenophon

It was just a fillip to my enjoyment, as I looked on and off my page alternately.
Daisy
Elizabeth Wetherell

He has given a fillip to existence, loath as I am to acknowledge it.
The Prairie Mother
Arthur Stringer

Corrupting a Legislature is not something a man may do with a fillip of his finger and thumb.
Frenzied Finance
Thomas W. Lawson

She knew that it wanted but this fillip to carry her through.
The Merry-Go-Round
Carl Van Vechten

Eat, drink, play; all other human joys are not worth a fillip.’
The Works of Lord Byron
Lord Byron

And the baron with a fillip of the finger made this toy whirl round.
Original Short Stories, Volume 10 (of 13)
Guy de Maupassant

The common parent was given a fillip of a contemptuous thumb and finger.
A Man of Two Countries
Alice Harriman

Vaucorbeil watched him, then, with a fillip, knocked off his cap.
Bouvard and Pcuchet
Gustave Flaubert

A fillip to the wheel of her fate was given as she and Ellis went up the hill.
The Barrier
Allen French

Anagram

if pill
fill pi

Today’s quote

I have this one little saying, when things get too heavy just call me helium, the lightest known gas to man.

– Jimi Hendrix

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 2017

esoteric

[es-uh-ter-ik]

adjective

1. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite:
poetry full of esoteric allusions.
2. belonging to the select few.
3. private; secret; confidential.
4. (of a philosophical doctrine or the like) intended to be revealed only to the initiates of a group:
the esoteric doctrines of Pythagoras.

Origin of esoteric

Greek

1645-1655; < Greek esōterikós inner, equivalent to esṓter(os) inner + -ikos -ic

Related forms

esoterically, adverb
nonesoteric, adjective
nonesoterically, adverb
unesoteric, adjective

Can be confused

esoteric, exoteric.

Synonyms

1. abstruse, arcane, cryptic, enigmatic.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for esoteric

Contemporary Examples

There is a pill in Tibetan Buddhism that contains a lot of esoteric ingredients, some of which are bodily substances.
How to Think With Your Gut
Mindy Farabee
April 8, 2013

He noted that some esoteric historians call them “Palestinians.”
Moshe Feiglin Is Now Mainstream
Gabriel Fisher
December 6, 2012

Suddenly you can hold forth about leading and kerning and other esoteric aspects of typesetting.
Instagram App Deepens Class Warfare Between Apple and Android Smartphones
Dan Lyons
April 5, 2012

In the old days it was not uncommon for the admissions officer to pose some esoteric —make that wacko—question.
Do College Interviews Count?
Steve Cohen, Mike Muska
October 5, 2011

Dig deeper into exotic and esoteric areas of interest for direction in creative pursuits, especially.
Zodiac Beast
Starsky + Cox
April 8, 2011

Historical Examples

He was again conscious of that esoteric disturbance in his temples.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance

The design of this cave-like aperture should betray its esoteric meaning.
Sex=The Unknown Quantity
Ali Nomad

There might be an esoteric book for the individual’s own account of himself.
The Task of Social Hygiene
Havelock Ellis

A key to some great and deep occult teachings, and esoteric mysteries.
The Human Aura
Swami Panchadasi

Instruct him in the meaning of the Vedas,Reveal to him their esoteric sense.V.
The Buddha
Paul Carus

Anagram

so recite
cite rose
eco tiers
core site

Today’s quote

I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.

– Vincent Van Gogh

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.

15 September 2017

epicure

[ep-i-kyoo r]

noun

1. a person who cultivates a refined taste, especially in food and wine; connoisseur.
2. Archaic. a person dedicated to sensual enjoyment.

Origin of epicure

Middle English, Latin

1350-1400 for earlier sense; 1555-65 for def 2; Middle English Epicures, Epicureis Epicureans (plural) < Latin Epicūrēus (singular) (see epicurean )

Synonyms

1. gastronome, gourmet, epicurean. 2. voluptuary, sensualist, gourmand.

Antonyms

1. ascetic.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for epicure

Historical Examples

It was introduced into England as an epicure ‘s dish in the seventeenth century.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson

Kingozi’s methods of eating had in them little of the epicure.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White

Across the top of its door were painted in gold letters, the words: “The epicure.”
The Einstein See-Saw
Miles John Breuer

I was always an epicure in the matter of love, and knew the best when I found it.
The Golden Fountain
Lilian Staveley

These are quite an epicure ‘s dish, and care must be taken to cook them slowly.
Nelson’s Home Comforts
Mary Hooper

Certainly, he mused to himself, his brother was an epicure in love.
The Mask
Arthur Hornblow

Your book, “The epicure of Medicine,” is worth its weight in gold.
Food for the Traveler
Dora Cathrine Cristine Liebel Roper

We are told by Chaucer that he was a great householder and an epicure.
The Canterbury Puzzles
Henry Ernest Dudeney

The oyster is now a dish for the epicure and the lobster for the millionaire.
The Old Coast Road
Agnes Rothery

He spoke in French, fluent and exact, and his manner was entirely that of the epicure.
Hushed Up
William Le Queux

Anagram

pure ice
pie cure
ice peru

Today’s quote

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

– T. S. Eliot

On this day

15 September – International Day of Democracy.

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

14 September 2017

undine

[uhn-deen, uhn-deen]

noun

1. any of a group of female water spirits described by Paracelsus.

Origin of undine

New Latin undīna (1658; coined by Paracelsus), equivalent to Latin und(a) wave, water + -īna -ine1

Synonyms

See sylph.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for undine

Historical Examples

“She’s like undine after she had found her soul,” said the Englishman.
The Eternal City
Hall Caine

You remind me just now of pictures I have seen of undine and the woodland nymphs.
Pretty Madcap Dorothy
Laura Jean Libbey

Urquhart called her undine, and she was mostly known as the Mermaid.
Love and Lucy
Maurice Henry Hewlett

I will sell it, fair undine, and you shall have the proceeds.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

Then there is undine, but she only appears on the operatic stage, and that but rarely.
From a Terrace in Prague
Lieut.-Col. B. Granville Baker

I didn’t make much success of waking my undine ‘s soul to life!
The Making of a Soul
Kathlyn Rhodes

Anagram

in dune

Today’s quote

Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar.

– D. H. Lawrence

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 averaged out at 365.25 days per year, but used 365 days each year with an extra day every four years to allow for the rounded down amount.

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 2017

triumvirate

[trahy-uhm-ver-it, -vuh-reyt]

noun

1. Roman History. the office or magistracy of a triumvir.
2. a government of three officers or magistrates functioning jointly.
3. a coalition of three magistrates or rulers for joint administration.
4. any association of three in office or authority.
5. any group or set of three.

Origin of triumvirate

Latin

1575-1585 From the Latin word triumvirātus, dating back to 1575-85. See triumvir, -ate3
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for triumvirate

Contemporary Examples

Successful politicians seek to marry a triumvirate of charisma, certitude, and leadership.
The Ugly Truth About Ugly Politicians
Tim Teeman
July 25, 2014

Beyond this triumvirate I struggle to recall something or someone truly remarkable.
Gal With a Suitcase
Jolie Hunt
July 16, 2010

Historical Examples

They, with Gallatin, formed the triumvirate which ruled the country for sixteen years.
Albert Gallatin
John Austin Stevens

To him there was no triumvirate: the word had never been mentioned to his ears.
The Life of Cicero
Anthony Trollope

The Third triumvirate went down to breakfast with small appetite.
The Varmint
Owen Johnson

The alliance of these three men is called the First triumvirate.
A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines
Clayton Edwards

Meanwhile what were Cæsar’s partners in the triumvirate doing?
Historic Tales, Volume 11 (of 15)
Charles Morris

When the triumvirate went down, their ways at first lay separate.
Rowlandson’s Oxford
A. Hamilton Gibbs

A triumvirate of Paredes, Tornel and Valencia was much talked of.
The War With Mexico, Volume I (of 2)
Justin H. Smith

This ministry has therefore been sometimes called The triumvirate.
A History of England, Period III.
Rev. J. Franck Bright

Anagram

mutt I arrive
ram virtue it

Today’s quote

Life is always going to be stranger than fiction, because fiction has to be convincing, and life doesn’t.

– Neil Gaiman

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.

12 September 2017

doggerel

[daw-ger-uh l, dog-er-]

adjective

1. comic or burlesque, and usually loose or irregular in measure.
rude; crude; poor.
noun
2. doggerel verse.

Also, doggrel [daw-gruh l, dog-ruh l].

Origin of doggerel

Middle English

1350-1400; Middle English; see dog, -rel; cf. dog Latin

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for doggerel

Historical Examples

Because you recited that doggerel about The Run of Crusader.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser

Ramsey shook his head and tried to force the thoughts from his mind with doggerel.
Equation of Doom
Gerald Vance

This supposition has found strength and sanction in doggerel verse.
Welsh Folk-Lore
Elias Owen

By now, Presley could not tell whether what he had written was true poetry or doggerel.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

My lady was pleased to laugh at the doggerel, and even Mrs. Manners.
Richard Carvel, Complete
Winston Churchill

One of them had written a bit of doggerel on a sheet of paper and tacked it to a tree.
The Putnam Hall Champions
Arthur M. Winfield

It is only doggerel but it helps to keep the idea before our people.
The New Glutton or Epicure
Horace Fletcher

It was doggerel, bad enough to satisfy every aspiration of an antiquary.
The Wizard’s Son, Vol. 1(of 3)
Margaret Oliphant

I occupied myself, as I often do, in composing a bit of doggerel to the rhythm of the wheels.
Walking Shadows
Alfred Noyes

This was at once removed by the saying aloud of some charm in doggerel verse.
Lancashire Folk-lore
John Harland

Anagram

go ledger
gored leg
older egg

Today’s quote

It’s a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with.

– Peter Seeger

On this day

12 September 1869 – death of Peter Roget, British lexographer and creator of Roget’s Thesaurus. (Born 18 January 1779).

12 September 1885 – the highest scoring soccer match in history is a Scottish Cup match played between Arbroath and Bon Accord. Arbroath won 36-0.

12 September 1990 – formal end of World War II. In 1945 there was no formal German state to accept the terms of surrender or the ongoing governing of Germany. The 1945 Potsdam Agreement set the provisional terms under which the Allies would govern Germany. The lack of a German government at the time, became known as ‘The German Question’ and was used by the U.S.A. as the reason for maintaining American bases in West Germany throughout the Cold War. It wasn’t until German re-unification in 1990, that the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) unified. To achieve full sovereignty the new unified state was required to accept the terms of the Potsdam Agreement. A settlement was then negotiated with the new German government between the new German state, the U.S.A, France, U.S.S.R and Britain, formally ending World War II.

12 September 2001 – Ansett, Australia’s first commercial airline, collapses.

12 September 2003 – death of Johnny Cash, American singer and musician. Born 26 February 1932.

11 September 2017

belay

[bih-ley]

verb (used with object), belayed, belaying.

1. Nautical. to fasten (a rope) by winding around a pin or short rod inserted in a holder so that both ends of the rod are clear.
2. Mountain Climbing.
to secure (a person) by attaching to one end of a rope.
to secure (a rope) by attaching to a person or to an object offering stable support.
3. to cease (an action); stop.
to ignore (an announcement, order, etc.):
Belay that, the meeting will be at 0900 instead of 0800.
verb (used without object), belayed, belaying.
4. to belay a rope:
Belay on that cleat over there.
noun
5. Mountain Climbing. a rock, bush, or other object sturdy enough for a running rope to be passed around it to secure a hold.

Origin of belay

Middle English, Old English

900 before 900; Middle English beleggen, Old English belecgan. See be-, lay1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for belay

Historical Examples

The order was given to belay the head braces, and we waited the result in silence.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper

By the time a voice on board her cried, ” belay,” faintly, she had gone from my sight.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

Well there with the throat-halliards; well with the peak; belay !
The Pirate Slaver
Harry Collingwood

“ belay that sea-lawyering, Marline,” interposed Captain Miles.
The White Squall
John Conroy Hutcheson

“ belay that,” said Captain Miles, rousing up now and rubbing his eyes.
The White Squall
John Conroy Hutcheson

There now, old man, just belay all that, and let me finish my snooze.
Salt Water
W. H. G. Kingston

“After that round turn, you may belay,” cried young Tom, laughing.
Jacob Faithful
Captain Frederick Marryat

None of the four that remained could do more than haul aft and belay a sheet.
The Celebrity, Complete
Winston Churchill

He did not belay the tired animal with a whip and curse and swear at him in his helplessness.
My Wonderful Visit
Charlie Chaplin

All he has to do when on a wind is to take and harden in all he can, and belay.
Yachting Vol. 1
Various.

Anagram

by ale

Today’s quote

The laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over by themselves.

– W. C. Fields

On this day

11 September 1297 – William Wallace leads Scottish forces to victory against the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

11 September 1941 – construction of the Pentagon commences in Washington DC. (Completed on 15 January 1943).

11 September 1948 – death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan. Leader of the Muslim League calling for the creation of Pakistan. Served as Pakistan’s first Governor-General from 15 August 1947 until his death. In Pakistan, his birthday is a national holiday. Born 25 December 1876.

11 September 1972 – Democratically elected President Salvador Allende of Chilé, is overthrown in a U.S. sponsored coup which brings to power General Augusto Pinochet. The Church Committee, commissioned by the U.S. Department of State to investigate covert C.I.A. operations in Chilé, found that Henry Kissinger had directed the C.I.A. to prevent the socialist Allende from being elected, then to undermine his presidency, before supplying arms to a military junta which succeeded in overthrowing Allendé. Thousands of people died or disappeared under Pinochet’s rule, with approximately 40,000 suffering human rights violations, including torture.

11 September 1987 – death 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. Born 19 October 1944.

11 September 2001 – 9/11 Terrorist Attacks in which four commercial airliners were hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists. Two planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, one plane hit the Pentagon in Washington DC and one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought with the hijackers. Approximately, 3,000 people died in the attacks.