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7 December 2017 – extempore

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Shane

7 December 2017

extempore

[ik-stem-puh-ree]

adverb

1. on the spur of the moment; without premeditation or preparation; offhand:
Questions were asked extempore from the floor.
2. without notes:
to speak extempore.
3. (of musical performance) by improvisation.
adjective
4. extemporaneous; impromptu.

Origin of extempore

1545-1555; Latin: literally, out of the time, at the moment, equivalent to ex out of (see ex-1) + tempore the time (ablative singular of tempus)

Related forms

nonextempore, adverb, adjective

Synonyms

4. See extemporaneous.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for extempore

Historical Examples

In his discourses he was neither an extempore preacher, nor did he read.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
William Dobein James

It was that night Tony’s extempore prayer was echoed so earnestly by his aunt.
Jan and Her Job
L. Allen Harker

All works of art should not be detached, but extempore performances.
Essays, First Series
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Carpenters were at work converting the library into an extempore theatre.
Frank Fairlegh
Frank E. Smedley

And now Pastor Tappau began his prayer, extempore, as was the custom.
Curious, if True
Elizabeth Gaskell

The smoked, extempore fireplace where a party cooked their fish.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 102, April, 1866
Various

It is not a natural gift, an extempore thing like authorship and song.
Dwellers in Arcady
Albert Bigelow Paine

The prayer was extempore, and roused the girls to amazed attention.
Betty Vivian
L. T. Meade

In a few moments the doors opened and revealed an extempore stage.
The Art of Amusing
Frank Bellew

Being strollers in the streets, we delight in this extempore illumination.
Saunterings in and about London
Max Schlesinger

Anagram

exert poem

Today’s quote

You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

– Marcus Aurelius

On this day

7 December 43BC – death of Marcus Tullius Cicero (sometimes Anglicised as Tully), Roman statesman, politician, philosopher, orator. Tully’s influence on Latin and other European languages was immense and still felt up to the 19th century. The history of prose in Latin and other languages was said to be either a reaction against, or a return to, his style. Born 3 January 106BC .

7 December 1941 – bombing of Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The bombing was a major tactical victory for Japan and led to the United States entering World War II. The USA suffered 2403 deaths, including 68 civilians, and 1178 wounded. Japan lost 64 lives.

7 December 1941 – At the same time as Pearl Harbour, Japan attacked British and Australian forces in Malaysia and Singapore, British forces in Hong Kong and US forces in the Philippines. British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill declared war on Japan as a result. Singapore fell to Japan on 15 February 1942. US General Douglas MacArthur escaped the Philippines in March 1942 as the country fell to Japan. He relocated his headquarters to Brisbane, Australia, and became the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the Pacific, with forces from the United States, Australia, Netherlands, Britain and other countries coming under his command.

7 December 1987 – USSR President Mikael Gorbachev arrives in the USA for an arms control summit with US President Ronald Reagan. The summit resulted in the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty (INF) which called for elimination of all cruise and ballistic missiles and launchers in Europe that had a range of 320 to 3,400 miles. This was one of the most significant arms treaties of the Cold War.

7 December 1988 – An earthquake registering 7.2 on the richter scale, completely destroys the Armenian city of Spitak, in the Soviet Union, killing 50,000.

7 December 2001 – the Taliban regime surrenders 61 days after commencement of US-led war in Afghanistan.

6 December 2017 – gwapo

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Shane

6 December 2017

gwapo (feminine: gwapa)

adjective

1. of a person: visually attractive, handsome, good-looking. (He’s very gwapo).
2. of an object/merchandise: very good quality, excellent. (The bag was gwapo).

Origin

Cebuano / Tagalog – taken from Spanish: guappo, ultimately Latin: vappo

Anagram

go paw

Today’s quote

Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another.

– Ambrose Bierce

On this day

6 December 1790 – The United States Capitol is relocated from New York to Philadelphia. Ten years later, the District of Columbia is completed and the capitol permanently relocates there.

6 December 1922 – Creation of the Irish Free State as a dominion under the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Northern Ireland was included in the State, but chose not to join.

6 December 1928 – Chiquita Banana massacre. On 12 November 1928, workers for the American- owned United Fruit Company in Columbia went on strike. To protect UFC’s interests, the United States positioned Naval vessels off the coast of Columbia, threatening to invade if the Columbian government didn’t bring the strike under control. On 6 December, Columbian Army troops opened fire on the strikers, killing up to 3,000 people.

6 December 1956 – birth of Randy Rhoads, American heavy metal guitarist, played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. Rhoads was on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, heading to Orlando, Florida when their bus broke down near an airstrip at Leesburg, Florida. While some of the band continued sleeping in the van, the driver (an ex-commercial pilot) took one of the light planes for joy-rides with some of the band members. He didn’t have permission for the flights. Randy Rhoads and make-up artist, Rachel Youngblood were on the second flight. The pilot thought it would be funny to buzz the tour bus by flying as close as possible to it. On the third pass, the plane’s wing clipped the bus causing the plane to spiral out of control and for Rhoads and Youngblood’s heads to smash through the plane’s windshield. The plane severed the top of a pine tree before crashing into a garage at a nearby mansion. Rhoads, Youngblood and the pilot (Andrew Aycock) died instantly, all burnt beyond recognition. In 1987, Ozzy Osbourne released a live album in memory of Rhoads, called ‘Tribute’, it featured Osbourne and Rhoad’s work together. Died 19 March 1982.

6 December 1962 – a deadly smog, mainly containing sulfur dioxide, kills 90 people in London.

6 December 1969 – The Rolling Stones organise a free concert at the disused Altamont Speedway, Livermore, California, featuring themselves, as well as Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hell’s Angels were used as security, but the concert was marred by the deaths of four people, including one who was stabbed by a member of the Hell’s Angels.

5 December 2017 – superego

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Shane

5 December 2017

superego

[soo-per-ee-goh, -eg-oh]

noun, plural superegos. Psychoanalysis.

1. the part of the personality representing the conscience, formed in early life by internalization of the standards of parents and other models of behavior.

Origin of superego

German

1890-1895; translation of German Über-Ich (Freud); see super-, ego

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for superego

Contemporary Examples

Imagine that the superego comes as a low-voltage father who cannot stop struggling with his bowels.
Who Is Philip Roth’s Portnoy Satirizing?
Bernard Avishai
August 28, 2012

His words come in a torrent, an id-gush; I imagine his superego watching with its usual resignation from the balcony.
Rick Sanchez Licks His Wounds
Adam Hanft
January 9, 2011

Anagram

go rupees
Peru goes

Today’s quote

Business? It’s quite simple; it’s other people’s money.

– Alexandré Dumas

On this day

5 December – International Volunteer Day

5 December 1791 – death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer. Born 27 January 1756.

5 December 1870 – death of Alexandré Dumas, French author of celebrated works such as ‘Count of Monte Christo‘, ‘The Three Musketeers‘, ‘The Black Tulip‘. Born 24 July 1802.

5 December 1972 – Gough Whitlam appointed Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to its first victory since 1949. The results of some electoral seats had not been finalised, so Whitlam and Deputy Prime Minister, Lance Barnard ran a duumvirate government by taking on all 27 ministerial portfolios between them for two weeks, until Whitlam could select his ministry. Labor had won control of the House of Representatives but failed to gain control of the Senate, which resulted in numerous bills being blocked by the Upper House. With the Senate threatening to block supply (failing to vote in favour of the budget), Whitam introduced a bill that was defeated twice in the Senate, leading to a double dissolution of parliament. Labor was reelected at the subsequent election and continued to control the House of Representatives with a reduced majority. In the Senate, Labor and Liberal both won 29 seats, with the balance of power held by two independents. Even with the almost paralysed government that he led, Whitlam managed a number of crucial achievements including abolition of the White Australia policy, withdrawing Australian troops from Vietnam and ended conscription in 1972, granting independence to Papua New Guinea, Medibank, multi-culturalism, abolition of university tuition fees, establishing a new government department for Aboriginal Affairs and one for Environment, Aboriginal Land Fund Commission, Australian Legal Aid Office, National Employment and Training Scheme, Trade Practices Act 1975, Racial Discrimination Act 1975, National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975, Family Law Act 1975. In October 1975, opposition leader Malcolm Fraser again threatened to block supply which would have seen the government’s budget run out on 10 November 1975. A compromise couldn’t be reached and on 11 November 1975, Governor-General Kerr sacked the Whitlam government and appointed Malcolm Fraser as Prime Minister.

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

4 December 2017 – ostinato

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Shane

4 December 2017

ostinato

[os-ti-nah-toh; Italian aws-tee-nah-taw]

noun, plural ostinatos. Music.

1. a constantly recurring melodic fragment

Origin of ostinato

Latin

1875-1880; Italian: literally, obstinate < Latin obstinātus obstinate

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ostinato

Historical Examples

In my opinion, your Basso ostinato should be written in 3/4 or 6/4 time, but not in 5/4.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
Modeste Tchaikovsky

You have made just such a mistake in your otherwise beautiful Basso ostinato.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
Modeste Tchaikovsky

Anagram

too saint
ion toast

Today’s quote

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.

– Henry David Thoreau

On this day

4 December 1952 – A deadly smog in London caused by soot and sulphur dioxide from factories, cars and home coal-fires. It continues for four days and kills at least 4,000 people.

4 December 1954 – the first franchised Burger King store is opened in Miami, Florida by James McLamore and David Edgerton.

4 December 1961 – the birth control contraceptive pill (‘the pill’) available publicly through the National Health Service.

4 December 1969 – 14 police shoot dead two members of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton and Mary Clark, who were asleep in their apartment. The Black Panther Party was committed to racial equality and rights for African Americans.

4 December 1971 – Montreux Casino in Switzerland burns to the ground, becoming the inspiration for rock’s most identifiable riff, Smoke on the Water. Savvy listeners will hear the song refer to Montreux, the Gambling House, a flare gun and of course, the brilliant, Frank Zappa & the Mothers. Deep Purple was in Montreux, on Lake Geneva, recording their legendary album, Machine Head, in the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio (or ‘truck thing’ as they call it in the song) and penned arguably the greatest riff of all time after the gambling house went up in flames during a Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention concert. The fire began when someone fired a flare gun into the rattan ceiling during the Zappa song, ‘King Kong’. This link is footage of the actual concert that Frank Zappa & the Mothers were playing in the Montreux Casino on the Lake Geneva shoreline when ‘some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground’ causing smoke on the water & fire in the sky … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lpFeopjJhI

3 December 2017 – char-à-banc

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Shane

3 December 2017

char-à-banc or charabanc

[shar-uh-bang, -bangk; French sha-ra-bahn]

noun, plural char-à-bancs [-bangz, -bangks; French sha-ra-bahn]. British.

1. a large bus used on sightseeing tours, especially one with open sides and no center aisle.

Origin of char-à-banc

French

1810-1820; back formation from French char-à-bancs literally, car with benches, the -s being taken as plural ending of word as a whole

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for char-à-banc

Historical Examples

Jones, without the slightest hesitation, climbed into the char-a-banc.
The Man Who Lost Himself
H. De Vere Stacpoole

The char-a-banc drawn by two strong horses was in waiting at the base of the hill.
Which?
Ernest Daudet

The development of char-a-banc tours is another indication of the attractionand the increasing attractionof Natural Beauty.
The Heart of Nature
Francis Younghusband

Anagram

cab ranch

Today’s quote

If fear is the great enemy of intimacy, love is its true friend.

– Henri Nouwen

On this day

3 December – International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

3 December 1854 – the Eureka Rebellion (Battle of the Eureka Stockade) in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Gold miners, led by Peter Lalor and Henry Ross, revolted against the oppression of the British colonial powers as well as the excessive charges for miners licences. Between 22 and 60 people were killed in the rebellion and around 120 were arrested. The rebellion resulted in the right to vote for men and so is often seen as the birth of democracy in Australia.

3 December 1944 – Civil war breaks out in Greece following its liberation during World War II, when communist rebels fight democratic forces for control.

3 December 1948 – birth of Ozzy Osbourne, legendary British rocker, former lead singer of Black Sabbath, who has also had a successful solo career. He was born as John Michael Osbourne.

3 December 1984 – Bhopal Union Carbide accident in India in which thousands of people die from toxic gases that leaked from the factory when safety systems failed.

3 December 1992 – the world’s first SMS is sent. This monumental event occurred in the United Kingdom when Neil Papworth of the SEMA Group used a PC to send the message over a Vodafone GSM network to Richard Jarvis of Vodafone, who was using an Orbitel 901 phone. The message was ‘Merry Christmas’.

3 December 1993 – death of Frank Zappa, American revolutionary musician. Born 21 December 1940.

2 December 2017 – bumf

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Shane

2 December 2017

bumf

[buhmf]

noun, British.

1. Slang. toilet paper. ‘We have plenty of bumf for the camping trip’.
2. memoranda, official notices, or tedious printed material. ‘Most of the mail was bumf’.

Origin of bumf

1885-1890; short for bumfodder. See bum2, fodder

Dictionary.com

Today’s quote

Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.

– Thomas Aquinas

On this day

2 December – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.

2 December 1972 – death of Yip Man, Wing Chun Kung Fu grand-master. Immortalised in the movie, Ip Man. Born 1 October 1893.

1 December 2017 – logrolling

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Shane

1 December 2017

logrolling

[lawg-roh-ling, log-]

noun

1. U.S. Politics. the exchange of support or favors, especially by legislators for mutual political gain as by voting for each other’s bills.
2. cronyism or mutual favoritism among writers, editors, or critics, as in the form of reciprocal flattering reviews; back scratching.
3. the action of rolling a log or logs to a particular place.
the action of rotating a log rapidly in the water by treading upon it, especially as a competitive sport; birling.

Origin of logrolling

1785-1795 An Americanism dating back to 1785-95; log1+ rolling

Examples from the Web for logrolling

Historical Examples

These appropriations are secured by what you call in America ‘ logrolling.’
The Land of the Kangaroo
Thomas Wallace Knox

The state capital was moved to Springfield as a part of the give and take of logrolling.
Children of the Market Place
Edgar Lee Masters

Anagram

rolling log

Today’s quote

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.

– Mother Teresa

On this day

1 December 1761 – birth of Marie Tussaud, French-English sculptor, founder of Madam Tussaud’s wax museum. Died 16 April 1850.

1 December 1901 – Britain and Russia in conflict over parts of Afghanistan, establish boundaries which eventually form modern Afghanistan.

1 December 1913 – Ford introduces the continuous moving assembly line which could produce a complete car every 2.5 minutes. This was a revolutionary change to car manufacturing and ultimately impacted on all manufacturing processes.

1 December 1919 – American-born Lady Astor is sworn in as the first female member of the British Parliament. Lady Astor was not the first woman elected to Parliament however. The first was Constance Markiewicz, an Irish woman, who refused to take her seat because of her Irish nationalist views. Lady Astor and Sir Winston Churchill developed a love/hate relationship which resulted in many famous quotes from their repartee. For instance, Lady Astor once said to Churchill, ‘If you were my husband, I’d poison your tea‘. Churchill replied with, ‘If you were my wife, I’d drink it‘. Another famous exchange reportedly occurred when Lady Astor remarked on Churchill’s drunken state, ‘Mr Prime Minister, you are drunk. You are disgustingly drunk‘. Churchill, drunk but still quick with a quip, replied, ‘Lady Astor, you are ugly. You are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you shall still be disgustingly ugly‘. Some reports claim this latter exchange was between Churchill and socialist MP, Bessie Braddock.

1 December 1942 – British Government accepts the Beveridge Report that proposed the establishment of a welfare system to provide care for all people from cradle to grave.

1 December 1943 – conclusion of the ‘Tehran Conference’ during World War 2, in which the leaders of the three major allied powers, Churchill (Britain), Stalin (USSR) and Roosevelt (USA) met in Iran to discuss opening a second allied front against Germany. The conference also addressed Turkey, Iran, Yugoslavia and Japan, as well as post-war settlements between the three nations.

December 2017 – WOTDs

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Shane

December 2017 – WOTDs

atelier
ballista
blench
bumf
char-à-banc
coracle
decorous
deontology
émigré
escritoire
eurhythmic
exculpate
extempore
fenestrated
gwapo
halitosis
inimical
insensate
knell
lieu
log rolling
mulct
ostinato
parapet
Poujadism
raucous
sidebar
speleology
superego
unguent

31 December 2017

halitosis

[hal-i-toh-sis]

noun

1. a condition of having offensive-smelling breath; bad breath.

Origin of halitosis

1870-1875 From New Latin, dating back to 1870-75; See origin at halitus, -osis

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for halitosis

Contemporary Examples

Otherwise the halitosis of the old, their extreme make up and the heavy jewels they wear on their tired ears, get in the way.
The 10 Rules of Kissing Hello
Claire Howorth
September 4, 2010

Anagram

Haiti loss
hoist sail
it so hails

30 December 2017

Poujadism

/ˈpuːʒɑːdɪzəm/

noun

1. a conservative reactionary movement to protect the business interests of small traders

Derived Forms

Poujadist, noun, adjective

Word Origin
named after Pierre Poujade (1920–2003), French publisher and bookseller who founded such a movement in 1954
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example

It is a mistake to disqualify such people as racist. Their concerns are widespread, genuine and not to be dismissed. Unfortunately, populist xenophobes such as Nigel Farage exploit these emotions, linking them to subterranean English nationalism and talking, as he did in the moment of victory, of the triumph of “real people, ordinary people, decent people”. This is the language of Orwell hijacked for the purposes of a Poujade.
As an English European, this is the biggest defeat of my political life
Timothy Garton Ash
The Guardian
24 June 2016

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2016/jun/24/lifelong-english-european-the-biggest-defeat-of-my-political-life-timothy-garton-ash-brexit

Anagram

adios jump
jam duo sip
I jump soda

29 December 2017

unguent

[uhng-gwuh nt]

noun

1. an ointment or salve, usually liquid or semiliquid, for application to wounds, sores, etc.

Origin of unguent

late Middle English Latin

1400-1450; late Middle English < Latin unguentum, alteration (probably by association with the suffixes -men, -mentum) of unguen fat, grease, derivative of unguere to smear, anoint

Related forms

unguentary [uhng-gwuh n-ter-ee], adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for unguent

Historical Examples

But the unguent was not forthcoming, and the emperor was crowned without its aid.
Historical Tales, Vol. 6 (of 15)
Charles Morris

At such a time the man should apply some unguent, so as to make the entrance easy.
The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
Vatsyayana

The Selgic iris1246 also, and the unguent which is made from it, are in great esteem.
The Geography of Strabo, Volume II (of 3)
Strabo

Addressing her sportively, Krishna said, For whom are you carrying that unguent ?
Curiosities of Superstition
W. H. Davenport Adams

And she gave them as much of the unguent as was sufficient for their persons.
Curiosities of Superstition
W. H. Davenport Adams

She also ‘invented’ many a lotion and unguent for the preservation and creation of beauty.
She Stands Accused
Victor MacClure

Against my burial she has kept this unguent ; for me ye have not always.
The Expositor’s Bible: The Gospel of St John, Vol. II
Marcus Dods

Now, this unguent has done ‘a deal of good’ to the leather of my boots.
Six to Sixteen
Juliana Horatia Ewing

They anointed the fingers with some unguent, and lighted them.
The Haunters & The Haunted
Various

In such cases the influence of the god, communicated to the victim, passed with the unguent into the stone.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2
Various

28 December 2017

blench(1)

[blench]

verb (used without object)

1. to shrink; flinch; quail:
an unsteady eye that blenched under another’s gaze.

Origin of blench(1)

Middle English, Old English
1000 before 1000; Middle English blenchen, Old English blencan; cognate with Old Norse blekkja, Middle High German blenken

Related forms

blencher, noun
blenchingly, adverb

blench(2)

[blench]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become pale or white; blanch.

Origin

First recorded in 1805-15; variant of blanch(1)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for blench

Historical Examples

Like Hamlet with the king at the play, “If he but blench, I know my course!”
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald

But she did not blench in the least, though she remembered whose words he was quoting.
T. Tembarom
Frances Hodgson Burnett

But though it fell, the people of the dauntless city did not blench.
Vistas in Sicily
Arthur Stanley Riggs

December 2017

parapet

[par-uh-pit, -pet]

noun

1. Fortification.
a defensive wall or elevation, as of earth or stone, in a fortification.
an elevation raised above the main wall or rampart of a permanent fortification.
2. any low protective wall or barrier at the edge of a balcony, roof, bridge, or the like.

Origin of parapet

Italian

1575-1585; < Italian parapetto, equivalent to para- para-2+ petto chest, breast < Latin pectus

Related forms

parapeted, adjective
parapetless, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for parapet

Contemporary Examples

The head of this family, atop his roof with the rest, poked his head gingerly above the parapet, fearing the worst.
Michael Ware on Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, Accused of Killing Afghan Civilians
Michael Ware
March 19, 2012

Then a German soldier popped up from behind a parapet and fired.
My Father, The Inglourious Basterd
Kim Masters
August 8, 2009

Historical Examples

Let us sit down on the parapet and try to realise the scene.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes

He swung himself on—near—near—nearer—a yard from the parapet.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

“This is where Gordon used to stand,” the Sirdar stopped us near the parapet.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson

26 December 2017

decorous

[dek-er-uh s, dih-kawr-uh s, -kohr-]

adjective

1. characterized by dignified propriety in conduct, manners, appearance, character, etc.

Origin of decorous

Latin

1655-1665; < Latin decōrus seemly, becoming, derivative of decus; see decorate, -ous

Related forms

decorously, adverb
decorousness, noun
nondecorous, adjective
nondecorously, adverb
nondecorousness, noun

Synonyms

proper, becoming.

Antonyms

undignified.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for decorous

Contemporary Examples

Not for Rodriguez the decorous, red-carpet likes of Gwynnie, Sandra Bullock, or Tom Cruise, but “hot criminal” Jeremy Meeks.
Meet the PR Guru for the ‘Hot Convict,’ the Octomom, and Every Other D-List Trainwreck
Erin Cunningham
July 16, 2014

A decorous group of nine panelists presented their positions one at a time, following distinctly un-Israeli rules of etiquette.
Israel’s New Election Discourse
Don Futterman
January 7, 2013

Historical Examples

Thus our conversation ran– decorous and harmless enough, in all conscience.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic

Anagram

sour code
do course
door cues
us or code
scour ode

25 December 2017

insensate

[in-sen-seyt, -sit]

adjective

1. not endowed with sensation; inanimate:
insensate stone.
2. without human feeling or sensitivity; cold; cruel; brutal.
3. without sense, understanding, or judgment; foolish.

Origin of insensate

Late Latin

1510-1520 First recorded in 1510-20, insensate is from the Late Latin word insēnsātus irrational. See in-3, sensate

Related forms

insensately, adverb
insensateness, noun

Synonyms

1. lifeless, inorganic. 2. insensible. 3. stupid, irrational, senseless, witless, dumb.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for insensate

Contemporary Examples

He was “overwhelmed by the feeling” that “the Suffolk expanses” had “shrunk once and for all to a single, blind, insensate spot.”
Walking In The Footsteps Of W.G. Sebald, Hiker, Novelist, Strange Genius
Edward Platt
June 4, 2014

Historical Examples

It was insensate folly on his part, ridiculous from any point of view.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance

More than once he had hoped the insensate fury of the blizzard might abate.
Nan of Music Mountain
Frank H. Spearman

Anagram

I neatness
senate sin
teases inn
insane set
sea tennis
nine seats
as intense

24 December 2017

escritoire

[es-kri-twahr]

noun

1. writing desk (def 1).

Origin of escritoire

Middle French, Latin
1605-1615; < French, Middle French < Latin scrīptōrium. See scribe1, -tory2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for escritoire

Historical Examples

I took him to my room, and shewed him my escritoire, my casket, and my will.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

Ernest and myself were seated side by side by the escritoire.
Ernest Linwood
Caroline Lee Hentz

The magistrate pointed to the escritoire with its open drawers.
Fantmas
Pierre Souvestre

Anagram

Sir Coterie
icier store
rice sortie

23 December 2017

deontology

[dee-on-tol-uh-jee]

noun

1. ethics, especially that branch dealing with duty, moral obligation, and right action.

Origin of deontology

Greek

1820-1830; < Greek deont- that which is binding (stem of déon, neuter present participle of deîn to bind), equivalent to de- bind + -ont- present participle suffix + -o- + -logy

Related forms

deontological [dee-on-tl-oj-i-kuh l], adjective
deontologist, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for deontology

Historical Examples

This edition does not include the deontology, which, much rewritten, had been published by Bowring in 1834.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 6
Various

To Bowring we also owe the deontology, which professes to represent Bentham’s dictation.
The English Utilitarians, Volume I.
Leslie Stephen

Anagram

goodly note
ogled on toy
not to lodge

21 December 2017

mulct

[muhlkt]

verb (used with object)

1. to deprive (someone) of something, as by fraud, extortion, etc.; swindle.
2. to obtain (money or the like) by fraud, extortion, etc.
3. to punish (a person) by fine, especially for a misdemeanor.
noun
4. a fine, especially for a misdemeanor.

Origin of mulct

Latin

1475-1485 First recorded in 1475-85, mulct is from the Latin word mul(c)ta penalty involving loss of property

Related forms

unmulcted, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for mulct

Historical Examples

The entire business is carried on to catch and mulct tourists.
Paris Vistas
Helen Davenport Gibbons

If he come into debt by Contract, or mulct, the case is the same.
Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes

It is too early yet to say what the result of the “ mulct ” Act will be.
Sober by Act of Parliament
Fred A. McKenzie

The offence that held 1500 soldiers in check was met by a mulct of two half-crowns.
Merchantmen-at-Arms
David W. Bone

The mulct to be imposed upon the parish of Epinal was never exacted.
The Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales
Richard Garnett

When he is warned on a jury, he had rather pay the mulct than appear.
Character Writings of the 17th Century
Various

20 December 2017

knell

[nel]

noun

1. the sound made by a bell rung slowly, especially for a death or a funeral.
2. a sound or sign announcing the death of a person or the end, extinction, failure, etc., of something:
the knell of parting day.
3. any mournful sound.
verb (used without object)
4. to sound, as a bell, especially a funeral bell.
5. to give forth a mournful, ominous, or warning sound.
verb (used with object)
6. to proclaim or summon by, or as if by, a bell.

Origin of knell

Middle English Old English

950 before 950; (noun) Middle English knel, Old English cynll; (v.) Middle English knellen, knyllen, Old English cynllan; cognate with Old Norse knylla to beat, strike; akin to Dutch knal bang, knallen to bang, German Knall explosion, knallen to explode

Related forms

unknelled, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for knell

Historical Examples

The signs, which certainly did look like signs of guilt, struck a knell on the heart of his father.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood

Still that word, which rang like a knell in his dazed brain!
The Fortune of the Rougons
Emile Zola

It sounded the knell of all hope of redress of their wrongs.
Scaramouche
Rafael Sabatini

19 December 2017

atelier

[at-l-yey, at-l-yey; French atuh-lyey]

noun, plural ateliers [at-l-yeyz, at-l-yeyz; French atuh-lyey] (Show IPA)

1. a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer.

Origin of atelier

Old French Late Latin Latin
1830-1840; < French: literally, pile of chips (hence, workshop); Old French astele chip (< Late Latin astella, diminutive of Latin astula, variant of assula splinter, equivalent to ass(is) plank + -ula -ule ) + -ier -ier2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for atelier

Contemporary Examples

Beyond his contributions, Romand had to re-create all of the needed pieces in her atelier, as well as all of the accessories.
Unauthorized ‘Saint Laurent’ Biopic: Quel Scandale!
Liza Foreman
May 19, 2014

“For me, the atelier Ermanno Scervino is a safe place where I feel protected by friendship,” he told the paper.
Renaissance Wedding Bells for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West?
Barbie Latza Nadeau
May 16, 2014

atelier Pallas is one of the only couture houses still doing things the old way—completely in house and completely by hand.
The Last “Real” Couture House
Liza Foreman
March 4, 2014

For Hockney to have the missing link presented to him there in his atelier was a real thrill for him.
Can You Paint Like Johannes Vermeer, Too?
Andrew Romano
December 5, 2013

Anagram

I relate
ale rite
real tie

18 December 2017

émigré

[em-i-grey; French ey-mee-grey]

noun, plural émigrés [em-i-greyz; French ey-mee-grey]

1. an emigrant, especially a person who flees from his or her native land because of political conditions.
2. a person who fled from France because of opposition to or fear of the revolution that began in 1789.

Origin of émigré

Latin

1785-1795; < French: noun use of past participle of émigrer < Latin ēmīgrāre to emigrate

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for émigré

Historical Examples

A future king of France, while an emigre, had been to Louisiana.
The Crossing
Winston Churchill

I thought I was saving an emigre, but I love you better as a Republican.
The Chouans
Honore de Balzac

The old captain was an emigre, and had returned undecided what he would do.
The Private Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Complete
Constant

You do not understand how delicate the position of an emigre is towards those who are now in possession of his property.
An Historical Mystery
Honore de Balzac

Were you aware that sometime in the fall of 1963, that a lady was residing with Mrs. Paine who was a Russian emigre ?
Warren Commission (10 of 26): Hearings Vol. X (of 15)
The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

And was that a social circle of Russian emigre, a certain set of Russian emigre ?
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)
The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

That’s correct, because being of the same nationality, I thought he was hurting all of our emigre here in Dallas.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)
The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

Now, among the Russian emigre group in Dallas, did you ever know of anybody that you even thought might be a Communist?
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)
The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

I had my suspicions, having just come from an emigre party where the Marquise was hating and praising him as usual.
Rewards and Fairies
Rudyard Kipling

I wanted to know more about Monsieur Peringuey, and the emigre party was the very place to find out.
Rewards and Fairies
Rudyard Kipling

Anagram

regime
I merge

17 December 2017

lieu

[loo]

noun

1. place; stead.
Idioms

2. in lieu of, in place of; instead of:
He gave us an IOU in lieu of cash.

Origin of lieu

Middle English Middle French Latin Old French
1250-1300; < Middle French < Latin locus place; replacing Middle English liue < Old French liu < Latin; see locus

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lieu

Contemporary Examples

These “free” games display ads, often in obnoxious places, in lieu of the entry fee.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: ‘Desert Golfing’ Is ‘Angry Birds’ as Modern Art
Alec Kubas-Meyer
January 2, 2015

So as not to die, in lieu of any of these offerings, I decide to go searching for coffee.
I Watched a Casino Kill Itself: The Awful Last Nights of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal
Olivia Nuzzi
December 8, 2014

In lieu of this, dispensaries are getting aggressively green on their websites.
Colorado Weed Dispensaries Celebrate ‘Green Friday’
Abby Haglage
November 28, 2014

16 December 2017

inimical or inimicable

[ih-nim-i-kuh l or ih-nim-i-kuh-buh l]

adjective

1. adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful:
a climate inimical to health.
2. unfriendly; hostile:
a cold, inimical gaze.

Origin of inimical

Latin

1635-1645; < Latin inimīc(us) unfriendly, hostile (see enemy ) + -al1

Related forms

inimically, adverb
inimicalness, inimicality, noun
uninimical, adjective
uninimically, adverb

Can be confused

inimical, inimitable.

Synonyms

1. noxious. 2. antagonistic. See hostile.

Antonyms

2. friendly.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for inimical

Historical Examples

Wealth is not inimical to welfare; it ought to be its friendliest agency.
United States Presidents’ Inaugural Speeches
Various

When Pausanias remarks that personal attachments are inimical to despots.
Symposium
Plato

“You appear to be inimical to money,” the Angel interjected, with a penetrating look.
Another Sheaf
John Galsworthy

That order of feeling was comprehensible enough to the most inimical of my critics.
Some Reminiscences
Joseph Conrad

Grimness was in every feature, and to its very bowels the inimical shape was desolation.
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Thomas Hardy

They were huge, and ugly, and alien, but they were not inimical to humans.
Rebels of the Red Planet
Charles Louis Fontenay

She looked at him helplessly, so attractive and so inimical to her.
The Coast of Chance
Esther Chamberlain

They are not hostile to employers, not inimical to the interests of the general public.
Socialism As It Is
William English Walling

At noon a large crowd had gathered, composed of those most inimical to the strangers.
Terry
Charles Goff Thomson

It is not only when criticism is inimical that I object to it, but also when it is incompetent.
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
James McNeill Whistler

Anagram

I claim in

15 December 2017

ballista

[buh-lis-tuh]

noun, plural ballistae [buh-lis-tee]

1. an ancient military engine for throwing stones or other missiles.

Origin of ballista

Greek

1590-1600; < Latin, probably < Greek *ballistā́s, dialectal variant of *ballistḗs, equivalent to báll(ein) to throw + -istēs -ist

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ballista

Historical Examples

The ballista was considerably larger and more expensive than this.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5
Various

No ballista, however, is made without regard to the given amount of weight of the stone which the engine is intended to throw.
Ten Books on Architecture
Vitruvius

The ballista (Fig. 229) was in reality a large cross-bow, built to shoot long, heavy bolts or arrows.
The Boy Craftsman
A. Neely Hall

Like a modern field gun, the ballista shot low and directly toward the enemy.
Artillery Through the Ages
Albert Manucy

Various names were applied to these weapons, the chief of which were the ballista and the catapult.
Great Inventions and Discoveries
Willis Duff Piercy

Trebuchet, treb′ū-shet, n. a military engine like the ballista.
Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)
Various

Anagram

lib atlas
tail slab

14 December 2017

speleology or spelaeology

[spee-lee-ol-uh-jee]

noun

1. the exploration and study of caves.
2. the sport or pastime of exploring caves.

Origin of speleology

Latin

1890-1895; < Latin spēlae(um) (see spelaean ) + -o- + -logy

Related forms

speleological [spee-lee-uh-loj-i-kuh l] (Show IPA), adjective
speleologist, noun

Dictionary.com

Anagram

loopy glees

13 December 2017

eurhythmic or eurythmic

[yoo-rith -mik, yuh-]

adjective

1. characterized by a pleasing rhythm; harmoniously ordered or proportioned.
2. of or relating to eurhythmics.

Also, eurhythmical, eurythmical [yoo-rith-mi-kuh l, yuh-]

Origin of eurhythmic

1825-1835 First recorded in 1825-35; eurhythm(y) + -ic

Related forms

eurhythmically, eurythmically, adverb

Can be confused

arrhythmic, eurhythmic.

Dictionary.com

Anagram

rheumy itch

12 December 2017

fenestrated or fenestrate

[fen-uh-strey-tid, fi-nes-trey- or fi-nes-treyt, fen-uh-streyt]

adjective, Architecture.

1. having windows; windowed; characterized by windows.

2. (biology) perforated or having fenestrae

Origin of fenestrated

Latin

1820-1830; < Latin fenestrātus furnished with windows (see fenestra, -ate1) + -ed2

Related forms

nonfenestrated, adjective
unfenestrated, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for fenestrated

Historical Examples

Never in this order is there any trace of the latticed or fenestrated shell, which characterises the second order, Sphrellaria.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia)
Ernst Haeckel

The suborder Prunoidea comprises those Spumellaria in which the fenestrated spherical shell appears prolonged into one axis.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia)
Ernst Haeckel

In these four subfamilies the concentric shells are all simple (not spongy) fenestrated spheres or endospherical polyhedra.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia)
Ernst Haeckel

Anagram

feared tents
feasted rent

11 December 2017

raucous

[raw-kuh s]

adjective

1. harsh; strident; grating:
raucous voices; raucous laughter.
2. rowdy; disorderly:
a raucous party.

Origin of raucous

Latin

1760-1770; < Latin raucus hoarse, harsh, rough; see -ous

Related forms

raucously, adverb
raucousness, raucity [raw-si-tee] (Show IPA), noun

Synonyms

1. rough, jarring, raspy.

Antonyms

1. soft, mellow, dulcet.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for raucous

Contemporary Examples

An hour-and-a-half of pure, raucous, profanity-fueled laughter: what a perfect edition of Fashion Police aired on E!
Melissa Rivers: Life After Joan—A Funny, Moving Celebration on a Special ‘Fashion Police’
Tim Teeman
September 19, 2014

Actually, the scene was so darned enthusiastic that it began to look a little like a raucous Walmart employee rally.
Diane Sawyer’s Swan Song: ‘ABC World News’ Anchor’s Warm (and Long) Goodbye
Lloyd Grove
August 27, 2014

Then 45 years old, Robert Foligny Broussard was a raucous and charismatic Democrat from New Iberia, Louisiana.
Lake Bacon: The Story of The Man Who Wanted Us to Eat Mississippi Hippos
Jon Mooallem
August 9, 2014

At first it was raucous, trembling with patriotism, a sea of seething yellow.
Germany Humiliates World Cup Host Brazil 7-1 in Semifinal Slaughter
Tunku Varadarajan
July 7, 2014

So raucous did the celebration get that City Tavern took the unusual step of sending along a bill for “breakage.”
Life, Liberty, and the Founding Fathers’ Pursuit of Hoppiness
Kevin Bleyer
July 3, 2014

Historical Examples

“Cottonton” was a mass of frantic arms, raucous voices, white faces.
Garrison’s Finish
W. B. M. Ferguson

For a while, Oliver Symmes heard the raucous music of the crowd.
Life Sentence
James McConnell

His voice was so deep and raucous that it seemed to jar the soles of her feet.
The Nebuly Coat
John Meade Falkner

They roared the raucous song of freedom, and faster and faster they charged.
The Trail of ’98
Robert W. Service

Cochran’s voice rose above the clamor of the room in a raucous whoop.
Terry
Charles Goff Thomson

10 December 2017

coracle

[kawr-uh-kuh l, kor-]

noun

1. a small, round, or very broad boat made of wickerwork or interwoven laths covered with a waterproof layer of animal skin, canvas, tarred or oiled cloth, or the like: used in Wales, Ireland, and parts of western England.

Origin of coracle

Welsh

1540-1550; < Welsh corwgl, corwg; akin to Irish curach boat; see currach

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for coracle

Historical Examples

Immensely tall she looked to me from my low station in the coracle.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson

I sprang to my feet and leaped, stamping the coracle under water.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson

I sprang to my feet, and leaped, stamping the coracle under water.
Sea Stories
Various

Fin came in close to land with his coracle, and asked what he wanted.
More Celtic Fairy Tales
Various

For sure, God would not come in a coracle, just as he himself might come.
The Divine Adventure etc. (Works vol. 4)
Fiona Macleod

When he unfolded his mantle, he saw that the coracle was already far from Iona.
The Divine Adventure etc. (Works vol. 4)
Fiona Macleod

The coracle swerved, and the four men were wet with the heavy spray.
The Divine Adventure etc. (Works vol. 4)
Fiona Macleod

If the result rested on her, coracle Dick would have nothing to fear.
Gwen Wynn
Mayne Reid

coracle ‘s house is but a hovel, no better than the cabin of a backwoods squatter.
Gwen Wynn
Mayne Reid

Ground game at that, for coracle is in the act of “jugging” a hare.
Gwen Wynn
Mayne Reid

9 December 2017

sidebar

[sahyd-bahr]

noun

1. follow-up (def 3b).
2. a typographically distinct section of a page, as in a book or magazine, that amplifies or highlights the main text.
3. a conference between the judge and lawyers out of the presence of the jury.
4. a subordinate or incidental issue, remark, activity, etc.

Origin of sidebar

1945-1950 First recorded in 1945-50; side1+ bar1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sidebar

Contemporary Examples

sidebar : the Electoral College is the balk rule of government.
Baseball’s Problem Is Politics’ Problem
Doug McIntyre
November 4, 2014

Its addictive “ sidebar of shame” catalogues every celebrity roll of fat, fashion faux pas, and shaky early-morning nightclub exit.
Hollywood vs. The Daily Mail: George Clooney and Angelina Jolie Take On The UK’s Leanest, Meanest Gossip Machine
Lizzie Crocker, Lloyd Grove
July 12, 2014

He went on to describe the probe as a “ sidebar issue” and hinted it was politically motivated.
Scott Walker Investigated in Secret Wisconsin Probe
Ben Jacobs
October 24, 2013

Anagram

braised
a debris
a brides
dab sire
I beards

exculpate

[ek-skuhl-peyt, ik-skuhl-peyt]

verb (used with object), exculpated, exculpating.

1. to clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame; vindicate.

Origin of exculpate

Latin

1650-1660; < Latin exculpātus freed from blame, equivalent to ex- ex-1+ culpātus blamed (past participle of culpāre; see culpable )

Related forms

exculpable [ik-skuhl-puh-buh l], adjective
exculpation, noun
nonexculpable, adverb
nonexculpation, noun
self-exculpation, noun

Can be confused

exculpate, exonerate, inculpate.
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for exculpate

Historical Examples

Ossipon tried to exculpate the lukewarmness of his past conduct.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad

The McMurrough cried, breathlessly eager to exculpate himself.
The Wild Geese
Stanley John Weyman

I have made many inquiries about this affair, and they all tend to exculpate you.
Tom Burke Of “Ours”, Volume I (of II)
Charles James Lever

Anagram

cape exult
exact pule