April 2016 WOTDs

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30 April 2016

stupa

[stoo-puh]

noun

1. a monumental pile of earth or other material, in memory of Buddha or a Buddhist saint, and commemorating some event or marking a sacred spot.

Origin of stupa

1875-1880; < Sanskrit stūpa

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for stupa

Historical Examples

For instance the many-storeyed pagoda is an elongation of the stupa.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)
Charles Eliot

Some authorities think that this stupa may be one of those erected over a portion of the Buddha’s ashes after his funeral.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)
Charles Eliot

The one which is best preserved (or at any rate reproduced in greatest detail) is the stupa of Rawak.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)
Charles Eliot

The usual manis lie along the road, and a large red chhorten or stupa has a touch of the Indian style.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Sven Hedin

As more Sogdians became Buddhist, stupas were built alongside their principal routes, as can be seen in the Hunza valley of northern Pakistan; scores of passing Sogdians carved their names into rocks alongside images of the Buddha in hope that their long journeys would be fruitful and safe – poignant reminders of the traveller’s need for spiritual comfort when far from home.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
Peter Frankopan

Anagram

tap us
sat up

29 April 2016

stave

[steyv]

noun

1. one of the thin, narrow, shaped pieces of wood that form the sides of a cask, tub, or similar vessel.
2. a stick, rod, pole, or the like.
3. a rung of a ladder, chair, etc.
4. Prosody.
a verse or stanza of a poem or song.
the alliterating sound in a line of verse, as the w- sound in wind in the willows.
5. Music. staff1(def 10).
verb (used with object), staved or stove, staving.
6. to break in a stave or staves of (a cask or barrel) so as to release the wine, liquor, or other contents.
7. to release (wine, liquor, etc.) by breaking the cask or barrel.
8. to break or crush (something) inward (often followed by in).
9. to break (a hole) in, especially in the hull of a boat.
10. to break to pieces; splinter; smash.
11. to furnish with a stave or staves.
12. to beat with a stave or staff.
verb (used without object), staved or stove, staving.
13. to become staved in, as a boat; break in or up.
14. to move along rapidly.
Verb phrases
15. stave off,
to put, ward, or keep off, as by force or evasion.
to prevent in time; forestall:
He wasn’t able to stave off bankruptcy.

Origin of stave

1125-1175; (noun) Middle English, back formation from staves; (v.) derivative of the noun

Related forms

unstaved, adjective

Synonyms

4. See verse.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for stave

Contemporary Examples

Will “loyalty cards” be enough to stave of a Republican massacre of House Democrats on Tuesday?
The Democrats’ Simple Midterm Weapon
Ben Jacobs
November 3, 2014

The amount was large: $125 billion in loans from the European Union to stave off the collapse of Spanish banks.
Markets Relieved at Spain Bailout Deal; Financial World Still Worried
Zachary Karabell
June 10, 2012

Anagram

a vest
sea TV

28 April 2016

abnoy

tagalog

adjective

1. (informal)Oddly-behaving.

2. (informal)Crazy, in both senses of risky or mentally unstable..

Noun

abnoy

1. (informal)A freak.
2. (informal)An eccentric.
3. One of the three types of balut:
a. balut – fertilised duck egg – consumed usually around 17 days old.
b. penoy – unfertilised duck egg
c. abnoy (or bugok) – undeveloped duck egg which smells terrible and is considered ‘rotten’. Not generally recommended for consumption. Although some areas do make it into a dish called bibingkang abnoy.

Origin

English: abnormal

Example

Yep, the politicians are just like bibingkang abnoy: their corrupt practices smell like hell, but their dirty money tastes like heaven.
The politics of balut
Perryscope
Perry Diaz
Filamstar.com/the-politics-of-balut

Anagram

on bay

27 April 2016

thunderation

[thuhn-duh-rey-shuh n]

interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise or petulance.

Origin of thunderation

1830-1840, Americanism; thunder + -ation

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for thunderation

Historical Examples

Why, thunderation, you might as well be a day scholar for all the school life you get!
Center Rush Rowland
Ralph Henry Barbour

This is a thunderation nice kind of a night to have a celebration on!
The Skipper and the Skipped
Holman Day

Why in thunderation did I ever leave the office without my portable instrument?
The Young Wireless Operator–As a Fire Patrol
Lewis E. Theiss

Anagram

anointed hurt
rationed hunt
attuned rhino

26 April 2016

perigee

[per-i-jee]

noun, Astronomy.

1. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, especially the moon, or of an artificial satellite at which it is nearest to the earth.

Origin of perigee

French Greek
1585-1595; < French perigée < New Latin perigēum, perigaeum < Greek perígeion (sēmeîon limit), neuter of perígeios near, of the earth, equivalent to peri- peri- + -geios, adj. derivative of gaîa, gê the earth

Related forms

perigeal, perigean, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for perigee

Historical Examples

She occupied the exact point, to a mathematical nicety, where our 28th parallel crossed the perigee.
All Around the Moon
Jules Verne

That point of the moon’s orbit which is furthest from the earth; the opposite of perigee.
The Sailor’s Word-Book
William Henry Smyth

In 1907 Mars was in perigee, as it is termed, seven days after the opposition; while in 1909, perigee was before opposition.
To Mars via The Moon
Mark Wicks

Anagram

rig epee
gee ripe

25 April 2016

upbraid

[uhp-breyd]

verb (used with object)

1. to find fault with or reproach severely; censure:
The military tribunal upbraided the soldier for his cowardice.
2. (of things) to bring reproach on; serve as a reproach to.
verb (used without object)
3. Archaic. to utter reproaches.

Origin of upbraid

Middle English Old English
1000 before 1000; Middle English; Old English upbrēdan to adduce as a fault. See up-, braid

Related forms

upbraider, noun
unupbraided, adjective

Synonyms

1. reprove, blame. See reprimand.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for upbraid

Historical Examples

You may upbraid me, and I will sit here and make not one excuse.
Ravenshoe
Henry Kingsley

You are young now; some day your conscience may upbraid you.
An Eagle Flight
Jos Rizal

For he could not very well follow his inclination to upbraid, without seriously impairing his efficacy for reasoning with her.
The Honour of the Clintons
Archibald Marshall

Applerod, who had been the first to upbraid him, was now the first to recover his spirits.
The Making of Bobby Burnit
George Randolph Chester

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him
James 1:5
Bible (King James Version)

upbraid me with the loss of all of which you have bereft me.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

If she did not upbraid herself, at any rate she denounced Miss Henderson.
Double Harness
Anthony Hope

But conscience has not to upbraid me with any of these things.
Concerning Cats
Helen M. Winslow

Henry knew what was on his comrade’s mind but he did not upbraid him for weakness of spirit.
The Young Trailers
Joseph A. Altsheler

Then they began to upbraid me for bringing them upon this fatal expedition.
A Tramp Abroad, Complete
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Anagram

rabid up
burp aid
paid rub
arid pub

23 April 2016

caitiff

[key-tif] Archaic.

noun

1. a base, despicable person.
adjective
2. base; despicable.

Origin of caitiff

Latin Middle English Anglo-French
1250-1300; Middle English caitif < Anglo-French < Latin captīvus captive

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for caitiff

Historical Examples

The constable has sworn that the caitiff had pea-green hair.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, October 6, 1894
Various

Her eloquent sighs and sobs soon told the caitiff he had nothing to fear.
A Simpleton
Charles Reade

Galaor spurred to the rescue, and by his aid the caitiff crew were slain or routed.
Legends & Romances of Spain
Lewis Spence

What man would be so caitiff and thrall as to fail you at your need?
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle

caitiff, you knew there was another one worth all these twice told.
The Cloister and the Hearth
Charles Reade

The caitiff who had undersold them was in the village at that moment!
The Woodlands Orchids
Frederick Boyle

They set a spy on her, a caitiff priest named L’Oyseleur, who pretended to be her friend, and who betrayed her.
The Red True Story Book
Various

So long as this caitiff knight lives, your life will not be safe.
Saint George for England
G. A. Henty

We passed for good knights one time: / what caitiff ‘s death, if we Here in far-off country / a woman’s game are doomed to be!
The Nibelungenlied
Unknown

Then after the search ‘he perceived the barrels and so bound the caitiff fast.’
What Gunpowder Plot Was
Samuel Rawson Gardiner

Anagram

If I fact

21 April 2016

psephology

[see-fol-uh-jee]

noun

1. the study of elections.

Origin of psephology

Greek

1950-1955; < Greek psêpho(s) pebble + -logy; so called from the Athenian custom of casting votes by means of pebbles

Related forms

psephological [‐fuh-loj-i-kuh l], adjective
psephologist, noun

Dictionary.com

Example

Today our panel of expert psephologist vegetables, will rate the impact each issue will have on the impending election on a scale of 1 to Barnaby Joyce.
First Dog on the Moon
The Guardian
20 April 2016

Anagram

gloppy shoe

20 April 2016

rodomontade

[rod-uh-mon-teyd, -tahd, -muh n-, roh-duh-]

noun

1. vainglorious boasting or bragging; pretentious, blustering talk.
adjective
2. bragging.
verb (used without object), rodomontaded, rodomontading.
3. to boast; brag; talk big.

Origin of rodomontade

Middle French, Italian

1605-1615; < Middle French < Italian Rodomonte, the boastful king of Algiers in Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso + Middle French -ade -ade1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rodomontade

Historical Examples

Such work was to him for the most part a detestable compound of vulgarity and rodomontade.
Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 3 of 3)
John Morley

Lily said, “Yes, it was so,” without at all understanding what he meant by his rodomontade.
London’s Heart
B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon

The death of Sir Richard Grenville was emphatically what the sixteenth century described as a rodomontade in act.
A Short History of the Royal Navy 1217 to 1688
David Hannay

He spoke with warmth and feeling, but with an entire absence of boastfulness or rodomontade.
Benjamin Franklin
John Torrey Morse, Jr.

Anagram

rooted nomad
tornado mode
toad doormen
odd anteroom
doom a rodent
dared to moon

19 April 2016

obliquity

[uh-blik-wi-tee, oh-blik-]

noun, plural obliquities.

1. the state of being oblique.
2. divergence from moral conduct, rectitude, etc.; immorality, dishonesty, or the like.
3. an instance of such divergence.
4.mental perversity.
5. an instance of mental perversity.
6. an inclination or a degree of inclination.
7. a confusing or obscure statement or passage of writing, especially one deliberately made obscure.

Origin of obliquity

late Middle English Middle French Latin
1375-1425; late Middle English obliquitee < Middle French obliquite < Latin oblīquitās, equivalent to oblīqu (us) oblique + -itās -ity

Related forms

obliquitous, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for obliquity

Historical Examples

He saw no reason why he should not push on; and in the Egyptian obliquity of his heart, he ‘whaled’ his ass to a degree.
The Knickerbocker, Vol. 10, No. 6, December 1837
Various

The obliquity of vision of the European residents on all these points is extraordinary.
Appearances
Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson

I do not think they mean any harm: at least, I can look at this obliquity with indifference in my own particular case.
Table-Talk
William Hazlitt

Variation in obliquity of the ecliptic; about 47″ in 100 years.
Astronomical Curiosities
J. Ellard Gore

On the anomaly of the Prcession of the quinoxes, & of the obliquity of the Zodiack.
On the magnet, magnetick bodies also, and on the great magnet the earth
William Gilbert of Colchester

What utter heartlessness too, and what obliquity of moral vision does it exhibit.
Discussion on American Slavery
George Thompson

Anagram

by oil quit
boy I quilt

18 April 2016

analeptic

adjective

1. restoring; invigorating; giving strength after disease.
2. awakening, especially from drug stupor.
noun
3. a pharmacological substance that stimulates the central nervous system and also acts as an anticonvulsant.

Origin of analeptic

Greek

1655-1665; < Greek analēptikós restorative, equivalent to analēp-, variant stem of analambánein to restore ( ana- ana- + lambánein to take) + -tikos -tic

Dictionary.com

Anagram

tin palace
at pelican
El Capital

 

17 April 2016

tinder

[tin-der]

noun

1. a highly flammable material or preparation formerly used for catching the spark from a flint and steel struck together for fire or light.
2. any dry substance that readily takes fire from a spark.

Origin of tinder

Middle English, Old English

900 before 900; Middle English; Old English tynder; akin to German Zunder, Old Norse tundr, Old English -tendan (as in ātendan to set on fire), Gothic tundnan to catch fire, German -zünden in entzünden to kindle

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tinder

Contemporary Examples

The men of OKCupid and tinder, too, often perform the virtual equivalent of looking right back at you.
Online Shaming Gives Creeps the Spotlight They Deserve
Samantha Allen
September 22, 2014

Historical Examples

For striking a light, a flint and steel with tinder were used.
The Historical Child
Oscar Chrisman

I always like to hear what he says when his tinder brain has a spark fall into it.
Over the Teacups
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

We are each of us provided with a box of little phosphorus sticks by which we are to do away entirely with all use of tinder.
The Rose of Old St. Louis
Mary Dillon

Ormond took the hint like tinder, and grasped my hand on the bargain.
Captain Canot
Brantz Mayer

The fire engines throbbed up almost immediately, but the building was doomed from the start and went like tinder.
The War Romance of the Salvation Army
Evangeline Booth and Grace Livingston Hill

Anagram

i trend
nerd it

16 April 2016

oblast

[ob-last, -lahst; Russian aw-bluh st]

noun, plural oblasts Russian, oblasti [aw-bluh-styee] (Show IPA)

1. (in Russia and the Soviet Union) an administrative division corresponding to an autonomous province.
2. region; province.

Origin of oblast

1885-1890; < Russian óblast’, Old Russian oblastĭ, equivalent to ob- against, on + vlastĭ authority, power; see volost

Dictionary.com

Anagram

a bolts
lot abs
bloats

14 April 2016

penury

[pen-yuh-ree]

noun

1. extreme poverty; destitution.
2. scarcity; dearth; inadequacy; insufficiency.

Origin of penury

late Middle English Latin

1400-1450; late Middle English < Latin pēnūria; akin to Greek peîna hunger, penía poverty

Synonyms

1. indigence, need, want.

Antonyms

1. wealth.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for penury

Contemporary Examples

The Rev Dr John Jegasothy, a former Tamil refugee and now an Australian citizen, says life on a bridging visa is enforced penury and a poverty made worse because of its interminable nature.
‘We are the forgotten people’: the anguish of Australia’s ‘invisible’ asylum seekers
The Guardian, 13 April 2016
Ben Doherty & Abdul Karim Hekmat

Larry, it looks like traveling up the royal road you slashed through the forest of penury.
Norman Mailer vs. Everyone
Norman Mailer
February 26, 2009

Or perhaps the plague of Strawberry Quick-flavored meth that was luring children into a life of addiction and penury.
Parents Panic Over Old Fake Smarties Snorting Craze
Lizzie Crocker
January 22, 2014

Relative obscurity and penury, her anthem claims, rule just as hard as the point-oh-oh-one percent realm of excess and access.
Duck! Reality TV Returns Us to the Dark Age of Tribal Warfare
James Poulos
December 20, 2013

Historical Examples

Here he experienced all the rigour of penury and imprisonment for seven years.
A Tour throughout South Wales and Monmouthshire
J. T. Barber

The life that passes in penury must necessarily pass in obscurity.
The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. in Nine Volumes
Samuel Johnson

For Care and penury, Night changes not with the ticking of the clock, nor with the shadow on the dial.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

The Admiral had in one hour been reduced from opulence to penury.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay

In the next act there is a scene for Fides in the streets of Mnster, in which, reduced to penury, she begs for alms.
The Complete Opera Book
Gustav Kobb

For the badge of penury is desire, the badge of wealth contempt.
The Apologia and Florida of Apuleius of Madaura
Lucius Apuleius

Notwithstanding her popularity and patronage, she died in France in great obscurity and penury.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology
Joel Munsell

Anagram

prey nu

13 April 2016

deify

[dee-uh-fahy]

verb (used with object), deified, deifying.

1. to make a god of; exalt to the rank of a deity (god); personify as a deity :
to deify a beloved king.
2. to adore or regard as a deity :
to deify wealth.

Origin of deify

Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
1300-1350; Middle English deifien < Old French deifier < Late Latin deificāre. See deification, -ify

Related forms

deifier, noun
half-deified, adjective
hyperdeify, verb (used with object), hyperdeified, hyperdeifying.
self-deifying, adjective
undeified, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for deify

Contemporary Examples

To do so is to deify a celebrity for being what we need them to be, while willfully ignoring who they really are.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers
Stereo Williams
January 7, 2015

Historical Examples

Omitting further details, it is enough to say that Italy has elected to ignore Gozzi and to deify Goldoni.
The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the first
Count Carlo Gozzi

The nincompoop can always be counted on to deify the commonplace.
The Fighting Chance
Robert W. Chambers

Anagram

edify
I defy

12 April 2016

incipient

[in-sip-ee-uh nt]

adjective

1. beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage:
an incipient cold.

Origin of incipient

Latin

1580-1590; < Latin incipient- (stem of incipiēns, present participle of incipere to take in hand, begin), equivalent to in- in-2+ -cipi- (combining form of capi- take) + -ent- -ent

Related forms

incipiently, adverb

Can be confused

incipient, insipid, insipient.

Synonyms

beginning, nascent, developing.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for incipient

Contemporary Examples

Similarly, much of the policy rhetoric coming from Washington focuses on fears of incipient inflation that have yet to pan out.
Chill Out About the Debt
Justin Green
February 27, 2013

He was a prime mover behind the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain a year ago to smash an incipient Shia reform movement.
Meet Prince Salman, the Next Saudi King
Bruce Riedel
June 15, 2012

At a dinner with journalists, hedge-fund manager George Soros spoke of an “ incipient war in currencies.”
Political Tensions Takes Center Stage at World Economic Forum
Daniel Gross
January 26, 2013

“We are all ready,” he said, with the mixture of hospitality and incipient lethalness that one finds here.
The Next 9/11
Ellen Knickmeyer
September 9, 2010

It seems inarguable that the donation has something to do with the incipient arrival of the unflattering film.
Insider: Zuckerberg Wanted to Delay $100 Million Donation
David Kirkpatrick
September 22, 2010

Historical Examples
They sang, and their voices were heavy with wine, passion and incipient catarrh.
Painted Veils
James Huneker

As such, they are associated with incipient centralized authority.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

The halos do not, in cases of incipient storm condensation, always appear.
The Philosophy of the Weather
Thomas Belden Butler

There was poetry in it, however, even on the brow of an incipient apothecary.
Acadia
Frederic S. Cozzens

The air is exquisitely pure and clear, and has proved beneficial in many hundreds of cases of incipient consumption.
Lippincott’s Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, April 1875, Vol. XV., No. 88
Various

Anagram

cite inn pi
incite pin

11 April 2016

vernissage

[ver-nuh-sahzh; French ver-nee-sazh]

noun, plural vernissages [ver-nuh-sah-zhiz; French ver-nee-sazh]

1. Also called varnishing day. the day before the opening of an art exhibition traditionally reserved for the artist to varnish the paintings.
2. a reception at a gallery for an artist whose show is about to open to the public.

Origin of vernissage

1910-1915; < French: literally, a varnishing, touching up (of paintings). See varnish, -age

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for vernissage

Historical Examples

We had not heard of his arrival until we ran across him at the vernissage in the New Salon.
Nights
Elizabeth Robins Pennell

The spring came at last, and with it vernissage at the Salon.
The Beautiful Miss Brooke
Louis Zangwill

By ten o’clock the night of the ” vernissage ” all his acquaintances and intimates in Paris had brought him their felicitations.
Fairfax and His Pride
Marie Van Vorst

You can’t imagine how impatient I was to get back in time for vernissage.
The Beautiful Miss Brooke
Louis Zangwill

Ledoyen’s has attained a particular celebrity as the restaurant where every one lunches on the vernissage day of the Salon.
The Gourmet’s Guide to Europe
Algernon Bastard

Anagram

I graveness
Avenger sis
Greens visa

10 April 2016

ciao

[chah-aw; English chou]

interjection, Italian.

1. (used as a word of greeting or parting): hello; goodbye; so long; see you later.

Word Origin and History for ciao

parting salutation, 1929, dialectal variant of Italian schiavo “(your obedient) servant,” literally “slave,” from Medieval Latin sclavus “slave”

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ciao

Historical Examples

I believe the word is derived from “schiavo,” a slave, which became corrupted into “schiao,” and “ ciao.”
Selections from Previous Works
Samuel Butler

Nevertheless, ‘we have never sunk to such a disgraceful act’ of selling fellow Christians, he [Pope Hadrain I] wrote, ‘and God forbid that we should’. So widespread was slavery in the Mediterranean and Arabic world that even today regular greetings reference human trafficking. All over Italy, when they meet, people say to each other, ‘schiavo’, from a Venetian dialect. ‘Ciao’, as it is more commonly spelt, does not mean ‘hello’; it means ‘I am your slave’.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
Peter Frankopan

9 April 2016

acuity

[uh-kyoo-i-tee]

noun

1. sharpness; acuteness; keenness:
acuity of vision; acuity of mind.

Origin of acuity

late Middle English Old French Late Latin
1375-1425; late Middle English acuite < Old French < Medieval Latin, Late Latin acuitās, equivalent to Latin acu (ere) to sharpen or acū (tus) sharpened (see acute ) + -itās -ity

Related forms

hyperacuity, noun
nonacuity, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for acuity

Contemporary Examples

His remarkable memory has lost its acuity, and he tires easily.
Nelson Mandela Recovering in South Africa After Brief Hospital Scare
Charlene Smith
February 26, 2012

The unblinking electronic eye was an extension of his own reflexes and acuity —when the red light went on, all else was excluded.
‘A Fiery Tribune’
Clive Irving
August 31, 2013

Historical Examples

The portraits of certain artists in this unique volume recite the history of the critic’s acuity and clairvoyance.
Unicorns
James Huneker

Anagram

icy tau

8 April 2016

tu quoque

[too kwoh-kwe; English too kwoh-kwee, -kwey, tyoo]

Latin.

1. thou too: a retort by one charged with a crime accusing an opponent who has brought the charges of a similar crime.

– tu quoque is an ‘appeal to hypocrisy’: an informal logical fallacy that intends to discredit the validity of the opponent’s logical argument by asserting the opponent’s failure to act consistently in accordance with its conclusion(s).

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tu quoque

Historical Examples

To this she made no retort, though a tu quoque would have been most just.
Springtime and Other Essays
Francis Darwin

He used the inconclusive and dangerous argument of tu quoque.
The War and the Churches
Joseph McCabe

This is what may be called a tu quoque (thou also) argument.
Political economy
W. Stanley Jevons

Tiberius said to Galba, tu quoque, Galba, degustabis imperium.
Essays
Francis Bacon

Durrance could have countered with a tu quoque, but he refrained.
The Four Feathers
A. E. W. Mason

Of course the tu quoque retort was inevitable; but Canning’s curiosity was not gratified.
William Pitt and the Great War
John Holland Rose

The retort, however happy, is no more conclusive than other cases of the tu quoque.
Hours in a Library
Leslie Stephen

Et, quod dicendum hic siet, tu quoque perparce nimium, non laudo.
The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I.
Euripides

The student of history will, however, conceive that the Liberals have a stronger and higher defence than any tu quoque.
Handbook of Home Rule (1887)
W. E. Gladstone et al.

Altogether the effort was evidently much less to offer a justification than to make a tu quoque rejoinder.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 1
Henry Charles Lea

7 April 2016

contrition

[kuh n-trish-uh n]

noun

1. sincere penitence or remorse.
2. Theology. sorrow for and detestation of sin with a true purpose of amendment, arising from a love of God for His own perfections (perfect contrition) or from some inferior motive, as fear of divine punishment (imperfect contrition)

Origin of contrition

Middle English, Anglo-French, Late Latin
1250-1300; Middle English contricio (u) n (< Anglo-French) < Late Latin contrītiōn- (stem of contrītiō). See contrite, -ion

Synonyms

1. compunction, regret.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for contrition

Contemporary Examples

For now, this story will end, as it often does, with an act of contrition, as Sheen enters a rehab facility.
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men, and the Hollywood Machine
Jace Lacob
January 27, 2011

A geometric explosion of old and new media rants followed every episode of contrition.
Could It Get Worse?
Eric Dezenhall
December 1, 2009

A model of contrition, Foley called his behavior horrific and the consequences dire.
What’s Next for Weiner?
Jill Lawrence
June 16, 2011

Musharraf was still posting updates on Facebook and not showing the contrition expected of a man in his position.
Welcome to the Pervez Musharraf Show
Adnan Siddiqi
April 19, 2013

Anagram

intro tonic
con tin riot

6 April 2016

jip

gyp

modifier

: a gyp joint/ gyp terms

noun

(also gyp artist or gypster) A swindler; cheater; crook: denunciations of punks, tinhorns, and gyps (1889+)
: the victim of any such gyp (1914+)
A cabdriver who does not start the meter, hence can pocket the fare (1930+ Cabdrivers)

verb

To cheat; swindle; con:

– We got gypped out of it all in two days
– What a jip!

[fr gypsy]

gyp

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by Harper Collins Publishers.

5 April 2016

progeny

[proj-uh-nee]

noun, plural progeny or, for plants or animals progenies.

1. a descendant or offspring, as a child, plant, or animal.
2. such descendants or offspring collectively.
3. something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue.

Origin of progeny

Middle English, Middle French, Latin

1250-1300; Middle English progenie < Middle French < Latin prōgeniēs offspring, equivalent to prō- pro-1+ gen-, base of gignere to beget (akin to kin ) + -iēs feminine noun suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for progeny

Contemporary Examples

I exist merely as meat for the hungry wolf, an incubator for his progeny and a servant to his needs.
Judith Regan: Todd Akin and Republican Men’s World of Unicorns, True Love—and No Rape
Judith Regan
August 21, 2012

The memorable last line of the novel reads: “I had no progeny, I transmitted to no one the legacy of our misery.”
Woody Allen’s Favorite Books
FiveBooks
May 5, 2011

Downstairs, a band called Def Generation, composed mostly of Neville progeny, is killing the hour before the brothers come on.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou
John Ed Bradley
April 26, 2014

Socialism is not the father of Canada’s success, but its progeny.
Don’t Credit “Socialism” for Canada’s Success
David Frum
July 17, 2012

For Gainsbourg, the progeny of two superstars, being cool is the last thing she needs to try to be.
Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Raw Performance in ‘Nymphomaniac’ Is Not About the Sex
Jimmy So
March 20, 2014

Historical Examples

In the main, crime begins in progeny where Juke blood crosses X blood.
Consanguineous Marriages in the American Population
George B. Louis Arner

For while in the progeny of the hybrids (Gen. F1), twenty-five per cent.
Being Well-Born
Michael F. Guyer

Anagram

gone pry

4 April 2016

ikigai

(生き甲斐, pronounced [ee(ih)-kee-gahy])

– a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being”. Everyone, according to the Japanese, has an ikigai. Finding it requires a deep and often lengthy search of self. Such a search is regarded as being very important, since it is believed that discovery of one’s ikigai brings satisfaction and meaning to life. Examples include work, hobbies and raising children.

The word ikigai is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile. Secondly, the word is used to refer to mental and spiritual circumstances under which individuals feel that their lives are valuable. It’s not necessarily linked to one’s economic status or the present state of society. Even if a person feels that the present is dark, but they have a goal in mind, they may feel ikigai. Behaviours that make us feel ikigai are not actions which we are forced to take—these are natural and spontaneous actions.

Origin

The term ikigai is composed of two Japanese words: iki (生き?), referring to life, and kai (甲斐?), which roughly means “the realisation of what one expects and hopes for”.

History

In the culture of Okinawa, ikigai is thought of as “a reason to get up in the morning”; that is, a reason to enjoy life. In a TED Talk, Dan Buettner suggested ikigai as one of the reasons people in the area had such long lives.

Example

In the article named Ikigai — jibun no kanosei, kaikasaseru katei (“Ikigai: the process of allowing the self’s possibilities to blossom”) Kobayashi Tsukasa says that “people can feel real ikigai only when, on the basis of personal maturity, the satisfaction of various desires, love and happiness, encounters with others, and a sense of the value of life, they proceed toward self-realization.”

– Wikipedia

3 April 2016

contumacious

adjective

1. stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.

Origin of contumacious
1590-1600; contumacy + -ous

Related forms

contumaciously, adverb
contumaciousness, contumacity [kon-too-mas-i-tee, -tyoo-] (Show IPA), noun
noncontumacious, adjective
noncontumaciously, adverb
noncontumaciousness, noun

Synonyms

contrary, pigheaded, factious, refractory, headstrong, intractable.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for contumacious

Historical Examples

The summons being disregarded, he declared him contumacious, and condemned him to the loss of all his estates in France.
Cassell’s History of England, Vol. I (of 9)
Anonymous

Hugh simply added excommunication to the contumacious deacon.
Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln
Charles L. Marson

They cited the queen to appear before them; she appealed to the pope; they declared her contumacious.
Monks, Popes, and their Political Intrigues
John Alberger

Anagram

mutinous coca
caucus motion
um no acoustic
ciao scum unto

2 April 2016

gambol

[gam-buh l]

verb (used without object), gamboled, gamboling or (especially British) gambolled, gambolling.

1. to skip about, as in dancing or playing; frolic.
noun
2. a skipping or frisking about; frolic.

Origin of gambol

Middle French

1495-1505; earlier gambold, gambald, gamba (u) de < Middle French gambade; see gambade

Can be confused

gamble, gambol.

Synonyms

1. spring, caper, frisk, romp.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gambol

Contemporary Examples

“ gambol and I sat down and made a meal of his balls,” Juarez tells Luntz.
Pulp Fiction, With a Poet’s Touch
Taylor Antrim
April 28, 2009

Historical Examples

It was a lark, but I think its up to us to gambol over there, clothed and in our right mindsand own up.
Winona of the Camp Fire
Margaret Widdemer

Mr. Heath, bring on your Chinese and let them gambol and frisk.
The Readjustment
Will Irwin

In earnest about everything, he must work out his liberty before he could gambol.
There and Back
George MacDonald

No one was in sight, and he was free to gambol as much as he pleased.
A Chosen Few
Frank R. Stockton

Anagram

lag mob
go lamb

1 April 2016

monkeyshine

[muhng-kee-shahyn]

noun

1. Usually, monkeyshines. a frivolous or mischievous prank; monkey business.

Origin of monkeyshine

1820-1830; monkey + shine1(in the sense of ‘a foolish prank’)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for monkeyshine

Historical Examples

His achievements had won for him a certain respect even from the officers whom he amused with his 49 monkeyshines.
The Heart of Pinocchio
Collodi Nipote

Run, then; an’ if Job abuses you, just let me know it, an’ I’ll keep him from cuttin’ up any monkeyshines.
Toby Tyler
James Otis

Anagram

Homeness kin

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