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.

10 September 2017

dearth

[durth]

noun

1. an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack:
There is a dearth of good engineers.
2. scarcity and dearness of food; famine.

Origin of dearth

Middle English

1200-1250 First recorded in 1200-50, dearth is from the Middle English word derthe. See dear1, -th1

Can be confused

dearth, plethora.
dearth, death.

Synonyms

1. shortage, want, paucity, insufficiency.

Antonyms

1. abundance, plenty, sufficiency; surplus.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dearth

Contemporary Examples

The Pentagon security reviewers must have been suffering a dearth of caffeine or sleep.
‘They Don’t Call It SEAL Team 6-Year-Old for Nothing’: Commandos Clash Over Tell-All Book
Kimberly Dozier
November 2, 2014

The FDA is hoping to remedy the dearth of knowledge with a plea aimed at influential drugmakers.
Why Male Breast Cancer Is Back in the Limelight
Kevin Zawacki
July 15, 2014

And the dearth of top Democratic visitors could have a real impact on down-ballot Democrats.
Iowa Has a Phantom Democratic Presidential Candidates Problem
Ben Jacobs
July 7, 2014

Anagram

hatred
thread

Today’s quote

Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.

– Stevie Wonder

On this day

10 September – World Suicide Prevention Day.

10 September 1945 – birth of José Feliciano, blind Puerto Rican singer/musician.

9 September 2017

peignoir

[peyn-wahr, pen-, peyn-wahr, pen-]

noun

1. a woman’s dressing gown.
2. a cloak or gown of terry cloth for wear after swimming or, especially in France, after the bath.

Origin of peignoir

1825-1835; < French: literally, comber, i.e., something worn while one’s hair is being combed, equivalent to peign(er) to comb (<
Late Latin pectināre; see pecten) + -oir < Latin -ōrium -ory1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for peignoir

Historical Examples

So I had to put on her peignoir, and tidy her up, and arrange her hair just as I have done.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales
Guy De Maupassant

Her peignoir of beige, embroidered with red silk, was evidently of Parisian manufacture.
The Downfall
Emile Zola

Besides, the peignoir weighs nothing; a feather, a puff of vapour.
Rita
Laura E. Richards

Yes, but you will not care to go to the dining-room in your peignoir?
The Son of Monte Christo
Jules Lermina

Ma’ame Plagie had been sitting beside the bed in her peignoir and slippers.
Bayou Folk
Kate Chopin

Anagram

ignore pi
pi region
rip in ego

Today’s quote

An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life – becoming a better person.

– Leo Tolstoy

On this day

9 September 1543 – Mary Stuart crowned ‘Queen of Scots’. She was 9 months old.

9 September 1828 – birth of Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer, (‘Anna Karenina‘, ‘War and Peace‘). Died 20 November 1910.

9 September 1890 – birth of Harlan Sanders who eventually becomes a Colonel and chickens throughout Kentucky, and ultimately the rest of the world, are never the same again as he invents Kentucky Fried Chicken. Died 16 December 1980.

9 September 2004 – Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, bombed. 10 people killed.

8 September 2017

remiss

[ri-mis]

adjective

1. negligent, careless, or slow in performing one’s duty, business, etc.:
He’s terribly remiss in his work.
2. characterized by negligence or carelessness.
3. lacking force or energy; languid; sluggish.

Origin of remiss

late Middle English Latin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin remissus (past participle of remittere to send back, slacken, relax); see remit

Related forms

remissly, adverb
remissness, noun
overremiss, adjective
overremissly, adverb
overremissness, noun

Synonyms

1, 2. derelict, thoughtless, lax, slack, neglectful. 3. dilatory, slothful, slow.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for remiss

Contemporary Examples

But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what gives me hope from this case.
For Ricky Jackson, a Just Verdict—But 39 Years Too Late
Cliff Schecter
November 25, 2014

I would be remiss not to mention David Wenham, who played Al.
Elisabeth Moss Reveals Four Tough Challenges in Making ‘Top of the Lake’
August 26, 2013

And I’d be remiss not to direct you a display of animal behavior in action.
Meet Germany’s Wolf Man
Justin Green
January 28, 2013

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated.
Obama’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Barack Obama
December 9, 2009

Historical Examples

If you will pardon the offense, I will promise not to be so remiss in the future.
Jolly Sally Pendleton
Laura Jean Libbey

Giusippe and I have been both rude and remiss, haven’t we, Giusippe?
The Story of Glass
Sara Ware Bassett

I was thunderstruck, and tried to think if I had been remiss in anything.
Behind the Scenes
Elizabeth Keckley

Anagram

misers

Today’s quote

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

– Michelangelo

On this day

8 September – International Day of Literacy.

8 September 1504 – Michelangelo unveils his iconic sculpture, ‘David‘.

8 September 1930 – Richard Drew invents ‘scotch’ tape, the world’s first transparent, adhesive tape … otherwise known as ‘sticky tape’.

8 September 1966 – Star Trek premiers on NBC TV in the U.S.

8 September 2006 – death of Peter Brock, Australian car racing legend. Born 26 February 1945.

4 September 2017

ambivalence

[am-biv-uh-luh ns]

noun

1. uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.
2. Psychology. the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.

Also, ambivalency.

Origin of ambivalence

1910-1915 First recorded in 1910-15; ambi- + valence

Related forms

ambivalent, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ambivalence

Contemporary Examples

The ambivalence is reflected in U.S. policy, which often has served to complicate aid delivery in conflict zones.
Why Humanitarians Talk to ISIS
Joshua Hersh
October 23, 2014

A strong note of ambivalence is also present in the conflict over love and duty between Gromov and his wife.
Fake Snowden Is Russia’s Newest TV Star
Cathy Young
October 11, 2014

The administration appears united behind Obama, but with an undercurrent of ambivalence that the president no doubt shares.
How the Obama Administration Reversed Course on Syria Strikes
Eleanor Clift, Josh Rogin
August 28, 2013

In content, they deal in lost loves, lost opportunities, and the ambivalence inspired by a difficult childhood.
This Week’s Hot Reads: June 17, 2013
Sarah Stodola, Jen Vafidis
June 16, 2013

After 10 years of marriage, our ambivalence towards kids has been consistent.
Why I Choose to Be Child-Free: Readers Share Their Stories
Harry Siegel
February 26, 2013

Or at least an ambivalence toward reading the Megilla—an invitation to drink in itself.
Purim Perils: His View Is His Own
Rabbi Daniel Landes
February 17, 2013

The thoughtful man said he was surprised at how the top security officials expressed their own ambivalence and regrets.
‘The Gatekeepers,’ Brooklyn College BDS Forum: Week of Israel Debate
Gail Sheehy
February 7, 2013

Historical Examples

But now also the psychological fatality of ambivalence demands its rights.
Totem and Taboo
Sigmund Freud

With the decline of this ambivalence the taboo, as the compromise symptom of the ambivalent conflict, also slowly disappeared.
Totem and Taboo
Sigmund Freud

Anagram

manacle vibe
becalm naive
bail cavemen

Today’s quote

It seems we are capable of immense love and loyalty, and as capable of deceit and atrocity. It’s probably this shocking ambivalence that makes us unique.

– John Scott

On this day

4 September 1937 – birth of Dawn Fraser AO MBE, Australian swimming legend. Won Olympic gold medals in 1956, 1960 and 1964, as well as a number of silver medals.

4 September 2006 – death of Steve Irwin, ‘The Crocodile Hunter’, Australian wildlife expert and television personality. (Born 22 February 1962).

3 September 2017

reave(1)

[reev]

verb (used with object), reaved or reft, reaving. Archaic.

1. to take away by or as by force; plunder; rob.

Origin of reave(1)

Middle English Old English
900 before 900; Middle English reven, Old English rēafian; cognate with German rauben, Dutch roven to rob

reave(2)

[reev]

verb (used with or without object), reaved or reft, reaving.

1. Archaic. to rend; break; tear.

Origin

1175-1225; Middle English; apparently special use of reave(1)(by association with rive )

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for reave

Historical Examples

I am doing what I can to reave the heavens of these monsters.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 7 (of 12)
Robert G. Ingersoll

But they try to reave from God, His part, who would be praised of men for good deeds.
The Form of Perfect Living and Other Prose Treatises
Richard Rolle of Hampole

Not forty Van Hupfeldts nor a legion of ghosts should reave him of those telling pieces of evidence!
The Late Tenant
Louis Tracy

Anagram

a ever

Today’s quote

Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that’s why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right.

– Wade Boggs

On this day

3 September 1901 – Australian national flag flies for the first time. The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne has the honours. 3 September is celebrated each year as Australia’s National Flag Day.

3 September 1939 – Britain declares war on Germany.

3 September 1970 – death of Alan Wilson from barbiturate poisoning. It’s unclear whether his death was accidental or suicide. American guitarist and singer-songwriter for Canned Heat. He was 27. His death occurred exactly 14 months after the death of Rolling Stones founder and guitarist Brian Jones, two weeks before the death of Jimi Hendrix, four weeks before the death of Janis Joplin and exactly 10 months before the death of Jimmy Morrison, all of whom were 27 when they died, fanning concerns for musicians at this age and referencing the deaths as the 27 Club. Born 4 July 1943.

2 September 2017

stramash

[struh-mash, stram-uh sh]

noun, Scot.

1. an uproar; disturbance.

Origin of stramash

1795-1805 First recorded in 1795-1805; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for stramash

Historical Examples

Men hae been married afore now without making sic a stramash.
Tommy and Grizel
J.M. Barrie

British Dictionary definitions for stramash

stramash

/strəˈmæʃ/

noun

1. an uproar; tumult; brawl
verb (transitive)
2. to destroy; smash

Word Origin

C18: perhaps expanded from smash

Collins English Dictionary

Anagram

ah smarts
harm tsars
art shams

Today’s quote

Readers are plentiful: thinkers are rare.

– Anthony Burgess

On this day

2 – 5 September 1666 – Great Fire of London. It destroyed 13,200 homes, leaving 70,000 of the 80,000 inhabitants homeless, 87 churches, St Paul’s Cathedral.

2 September 1752 – last day of the Julian calendar as the British Empire adopts the Gregorian calendar. To balance the books, the next 10 days (3 – 13 September) are written off so the Gregorian commences on 14 September, which should have been 3 September in the Julian calendar.

2 September 1945 – Japan signs the ‘Instrument of Surrender’, on the USS Missouri, bringing World War II to an end.

2 September 1951 – Australia, New Zealand and United States sign the ANZUS Security Treaty, a defence pact.

2 September 1973 – death of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of ‘The Hobbit‘ and ‘Lord of the Rings‘. Born 3 January 1892.