Author Archives: Shane

About Shane

Powered by chilli, chocolate & coffee - not necessarily in that order and sometimes mixed together, sometimes taken separately!

7 May 2019 – suspiration

Posted on by
Reply

7 May 2019

suspiration

[suhs-puh-rey-shuh n]

noun

a long, deep sigh.

Origin of suspiration

1475–85; Latin suspīrātiōn- (stem of suspīrātiō ), equivalent to suspīrāt(us ) (past participle of suspīrāre to suspire) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for suspiration

Historical Examples of suspiration

At times, it is true, like a deep sigh, the suspiration of the open sea rose and fell among the islands.
The Washer of the Ford
Fiona Macleod

The girl’s voice trembled, her breath came so hard Morgan could hear its suspiration where he stood.
Trail’s End
George W. Ogden

Today’s quote

If the present world go astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought.

– Dante Alighieri

On this day

7 May 351 – Jews in Palestine revolt against the rule of Constantius Gallus, Caesar of the East and brother-in-law of Emperor Constantius II, after he arrived in Antioch to take up his post.

7 May 1429 – Joan of Arc leads the victorious final charge in the Siege of Orleans, marking a turning point in the One Hundred Years war.

7 May 1718 – the city of New Orleans is founded on the banks of the Mississippi River in the American state of Louisiana, by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville.

7 May 1919 – birthday of Eva Perón, first lady of Argentina and second wife of Argentine President, Juan Perón. Her life was immortalised in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Evita, which included the hit song, ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’. Died 26 July 1952.

7 May 1952 – the concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is published by Geoffrey W.A. Drummer.

6 May 2019 – tincture

Posted on by
Reply

6 May 2019

tincture

[tingk-cher]

noun

1. Pharmacology. a solution of alcohol or of alcohol and water, containing animal, vegetable, or chemical drugs.
2. a slight infusion, as of some element or quality:
A tincture of education had softened his rude manners.
3. a trace; a smack or smattering; tinge :
a tincture of irony.
4. Heraldry. any of the colors, metals, or furs used for the fields, charges, etc., of an escutcheon or achievement of arms.
5. a dye or pigment.
verb (used with object), tinctured, tincturing.
6. to impart a tint or color to; tinge.
7. to imbue or infuse with something.

Origin of tincture

Latin

1350-1400; Middle English: dye; Latin tīnctūra dyeing. See tinct, -ure

Related forms

pretincture, noun
untinctured, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tincture

Historical Examples

Mix two drams of the tincture of galls with one dram of lunar caustic, and for marking of linen, use it with a pen as common ink.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

A tincture for the gums may be made of three ounces of the tincture of bark, and half an ounce of sal ammoniac, mixed together.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

Bruise three ounces of cloves, steep them for ten days in a quart of brandy, and strain off the tincture through a flannel sieve.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

Thou canst not withhold a tincture of lemon from the sweetest cup!
St. Cuthbert’s
Robert E. Knowles

Used as a sedative in tincture ; ten to twenty drops in water.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

Externally, vesicant; used in form of ointment, or tincture.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

The water or brine solution must be at least twenty times the bulk of the tincture.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

Today’s quote

Men of genius sometimes accomplish most when they work the least, for they are thinking out inventions and forming in their minds the perfect idea that they subsequently express with their hands.

– Giorgio Vasari

On this day

6 May – Following ‘May the Fourth be with you’, and Cinco de Mayo yesterday, does this make today ‘Revenge of the Sixth?’

6 May 1937 – the German passenger dirigible (Zeppelin), The Hindenburg, crashes bursts into flames, falling 200 feet to the ground, killing 37 people. The Hindenburg was the world’s largest hydrogen airship and the disaster marked the end of the airship era. The disaster was captured on camera and a newsreel released, which can be viewed on Youtube.

6 May 1945 – Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second in command and the most powerful Nazi alive, surrenders to US forces, effectively marking the end of the Second World War. The official surrender was announced by German officers on 8 May 1945.

6 May 1954 – Roger Bannister becomes the first man to break the 4 minute mile on foot. He ran the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds at the Iffley Road Track, Oxford, England.

5 May 2019 – ewer

Posted on by
Reply

5 May 2019

ewer

[yoo-er]

noun

1. a pitcher with a wide spout.
2. Decorative Art. a vessel having a spout and a handle, especially a tall, slender vessel with a base.

Origin of ewer

Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French, Latin

1275-1325; Middle English; Anglo-French; Old French evier; Latin aquārius vessel for water, equivalent to aqu(a) water + -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for ewer

Historical Examples

Without a word Oliver turned to a side-table, where stood a metal basin and ewer.
The Sea-Hawk
Raphael Sabatini

The bowl had scallops around the edge, and the ewer was tall and slim.
A Little Girl in Old Boston
Amanda Millie Douglas

He found an ewer and basin, and his ablutions refreshed and invigorated him.
The Last Of The Barons, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

And she knelt down with ewer and basin and a napkin to wash the feet of the poor.
The Ruinous Face
Maurice Hewlett

A basin of similar material and design accompanied the ewer.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 5
Various

When he had undressed, he dipped a towel into his ewer and rubbed himself all over.
Married
August Strindberg

Luckily there was no water in the ewer because we had forgotten it, only dust and spiders.
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
E. Nesbit

She was obliged to break the ewer to free the little dog’s head.
Hungarian Sketches in Peace and War
Mr Jkai

And the ewer is said to be of gold, to express the dignity of the head.
Medica Sacra
Richard Mead

He got up and poured some water from the ewer into a cracked cup and drank it.
The Angel of the Revolution
George Griffith

Today’s quote

Our revenge will be the laughter of our children.

– Bobbie Sands

On this day

5 May – Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for 5th of May), celebrates Mexican heritage and pride. It originated as a celebration of freedom for Mexicans following the victory by Mexican forces over the French at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862.

5 May 1818 – birth of Karl Marx, German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist and revolutionary socialist. One of the most influential economists in history. Marx’s work included Das Kapital, as well as The Communist Manifesto which he co-authored with German social scientist, Friedrich Engels. He fathered modern communism and socialism with the aim of putting the means of production in the hands of the workers to end exploitation at the hands of the bourgeoisie. He believed in the redistribution of wealth for the benefit of all, rather than accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few. The wealth, he believed, was created by the workers and should therefore be shared amongst the workers. He stated that communism would not succeed in the individual nation unless other nations supported it, hence the adoption of L’internationale as the socialist anthem following the ‘First International’ conference held by Marx and Engels in 1864. His international theory perhaps makes him the world’s first globalisationist. He believed socialism would not succeed in poverty, but required the building of wealth to succeed and distribution of wealth to be sustainable. Died 14 March 1883.

5 May 1821 – death of Napoleon Bonaparte, French Emperor. Born 15 August 1769.

5 May 1970 – University of New Mexico is the scene of protests against the Vietnam War, US attacks on Cambodia and the Kent State University massacre (see 4 May 1970), the National Guard and police are called in. The National Guard fixed bayonets and attacked the protestors, resulting in eleven protestors and journalists being bayonetted.

5 May 1981 – death of Bobby Sands, member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died following a hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze. He and other prisoners, were protesting against the removal of special category status which conferred a ‘Prisoner of War’ status on prisoners convicted of ‘Troubles-related’ offences in Ireland. Special Category Status meant they were subject to the Geneva Convention so didn’t have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work, were housed within paramilitary factions, received extra visits and more food. During his fast, Sands was elected to British Parliament as an anti-H-Block candidate (H-Block representing Maze Prison’s H-shaped block). Sands was one of 10 hunger strikers to die during the 1981 hunger strike. Born 9 March 1954.

3 May 2019 – utilitarian

Posted on by
Reply

3 May 2019

utilitarian

[yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]

adjective

pertaining to or consisting in utility.

having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.
of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

noun
an adherent of utilitarianism.

RELATED WORDS

sensible, functional, pragmatic, down-to-earth, effective, efficient, hard, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, realistic, serviceable, useful, commonsensical, pragmatical, unromantic, unidealistic

NEARBY WORDS
utile dulci, utilicare, utilidor, utilisation, utilise, utilitarianism, utility, utility function, utility man, utility player

ORIGIN OF UTILITARIAN

First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

SYNONYMS FOR UTILITARIAN

2. practical, useful, functional, sensible.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR utilitarian ON THESAURUS.COM

RELATED FORMS

an·ti·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
non·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
un·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective

Dictionary.com

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR UTILITARIAN

Is that a utilitarian approach—that you need to understand how institutions have changed to understand the way they are?
THANK CONGRESS, NOT LBJ FOR GREAT SOCIETY|JULIAN ZELIZER, SCOTT PORCH|JANUARY 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Everything is meant to be utilitarian and efficient, at the expense of relaxation or comfort.
WHY SMART PEOPLE ARE DUMB PATIENTS|JEAN KIM|JULY 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The problem is that professional intelligence is mechanical and functional – utilitarian .
RICHARD HOFSTADTER AND AMERICA’S NEW WAVE OF ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM|DAVID MASCIOTRA|MARCH 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The available options were utilitarian and only came in a few colors.
CONCEALED CARRY HANDBAGS: AN EVENING BAG FOR YOUR GUN?|ERIN CUNNINGHAM|OCTOBER 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Today’s quote

One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.

― Antonio Porchia

On this day

3 May 1913 – The Indian film industry (otherwise known as Bollywood) kicks off with the release of its first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra.

3 May 1915 – The iconic poem In Flanders Fields written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

3 May 1919 – birth of Peter Seeger, American singer-songwriter, musician, activist. Died 27 January 2014.

3 May 1921 – birth of Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr), American welterweight and middleweight professional boxer, declared to be the greatest boxer of all time. Sugar Ray stood at 5′ 11″ (1.80m). He fought 200 fights, winning 173 (108 by knock-out), lost 19, drew six, with two no contests. By 1946 Sugar Ray had won 40 fights straight, but was denied a shot at the world welterweight championship because he refused to cooperate with the mafia, which controlled much of boxing. In December 1946, he was finally allowed to contest the world championship and won. In 1947 Sugar Ray defended his welterweight title against Jimmy Doyle. In the eighth round, Doyle was knocked out and died later that night. Sugar Ray crossed weight classes and also won the world middleweight championship. In 1950, he broke the record for the shortest fight by knocking out Jose Basora 50 seconds into the first round. The record wasn’t broken for a further 38 years. in 1951, he fought Jake La Motta in what became known as the St Valentine’s Day massacre after the fight was stopped in the 13th round when La Motta was out on his feet, unable to even lift his arms throw a punch. That fight and some of the other matches with La Motta were adapted for the Martin Scorsese movie, Raging Bull. Died 12 April 1989.

3 May 1933 – birth of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. He died 25 December 2006.

3 May 1978 – the first spam email (unsolicited bulk email) is sent by a marketing representative for Digital Equipment Corporation to every ARPANET address on the West Coast of the USA.

2 May 2019 – felicific

Posted on by
Reply

2 May 2019

felicific

[fee-luh-sif-ik]

adjective

– causing or tending to cause happiness.

ORIGIN OF FELICIFIC

1860–65; < Latin fēlīci- (stem of fēlīx ) happy + -fic

Dictionary.com

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FELICIFIC

The ‘ felicific calculus’ is enough to show the inadequacy of his method.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN

We are bound to apply our ‘ felicific calculus’ with absolute impartiality.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN

It is the economic equivalent of the ‘utility’ of Bentham’s ‘ felicific calculus.’
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME II (OF 3)|LESLIE STEPHEN

Today’s quote

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

– Leonardo Da Vinci

On this day

2 May 1519 – death of Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian renaissance inventor, painter, sculptor, mathematician, writer. Born 15 April 1452.

2 May 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.

2 May 1568 – Mary Queen of Scots escapes from Loch Leven Castle.

2 May 1611 – the King James Bible is published for the first time in London by Robert Barker.

2 May 1933 – Within months of becoming Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler bans trade unions. Hitler saw unions as organising the power of workers which could be a threat to his power. Police arrested union leaders and confiscated union money. The funds had essentially been provided by workers so to quell any worker uprisings, Hitler created the German Labour Force to replace the unions and to supposedly represent workers’ rights. The GLF was sold to the workers under a veil of patriotism. Strikes were banned and labelled un-German. He further duped the workers under the ‘Strength Through Joy’ movement that offered them subsided holidays and other events. To reduce unemployment he introduced forced labour. Any worker refusing to take up a job assigned to them, was imprisoned. Under the GLF wages dropped while the cost of living of increased 25%. (http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi-germany/trade-unions-and-nazi-germany/)

2 May 1986 – The Ukrainian city of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the nuclear reactor disaster.

2 May 2011 – Osama bin Laden, founder and leader of Al Qaeda, FBI’s most wanted man, is killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Born 10 March 1957 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

1 May 2019 – palimpsest

Posted on by
Reply

1 May 2019

palimpsest

[pal-imp-sest]

noun

a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

Origin

1655–65; < Latin palimpsēstus < Greek palímpsēstos rubbed again ( pálin again + psēstós scraped, rubbed, verbid of psân to rub smooth)

Related form

pal·imp·ses·tic , adjective

Dictionary.com

Contemporary example

Sri Lankan Muslims and Catholics have not been in conflict in the past, adding to a palimpsest of reasons that make this attack all the more puzzling to experts.
Sri Lankan Muslims To Fast In Solidarity With Fellow Christians
Muslim Matters
24 April 2019

Today’s quote

The rarest of all human qualities is consistency.

― Jeremy Bentham

On this day

1 May – May Day, a pagan celebration in the Northern Hemisphere to celebrate Spring and which includes crowning the May Queen. Led Zeppelin referenced it in ‘Stairway to Heaven’: ‘if there’s a bustle in your hedge-row don’t be alarmed now, it’s just a spring clean for the May Queen‘.

1 May – International Workers Day, or Labour Day, which includes celebrating the introduction of the 8 hour work day: ‘8 hours labour, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours rest’.

1 May 1962 – First KMart store opens in Garden City, Michigan, USA. In 2005, the USA KMart merged with Sears, Roebucks and Company.

1 May 1967 – Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Ann Beaulieu in Las Vegas.

May 2019 WOTDs

Posted on by
Reply

May 2019 WOTDs

31 May 2019

ormolu

[awr-muh-loo]

noun

1. Also called mosaic gold. an alloy of copper and zinc used to imitate gold.
2. Also called bronze doré, gilt bronze. gilded metal, especially cast brass or bronze gilded over fire with an amalgam of gold and mercury, used for furniture mounts and ornamental objects.
3. gold or gold powder prepared for use in gilding.

Origin of ormolu

French

1755-1765; French or moulu ground gold, equivalent to or (Latin aurum) + moulu, past participle of moudre to grind < Latin molere

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for ormolu

Historical Examples

The wood-work is painted white, and enriched with wreaths of leaves in ormolu.
The Care of Books
John Willis Clark

Coal-scuttles, like andirons, should be made of bronze, ormolu or iron.
The Decoration of Houses
Edith Wharton

I shall merely present them with an ormolu timepiece—whatever that may be.
Pincher Martin, O.D.
H. Taprell Dorling

30 May 2019

aplomb

[uh-plom, uh-pluhm]

noun

1. imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.
2. the perpendicular, or vertical, position.

Origin of aplomb

French

1820-1830 First recorded in 1820-30, aplomb is from the French word à plomb according to the plummet, i.e., straight up and down, vertical position

Synonyms

1. composure, equanimity, imperturbability.

Antonyms

1. confusion, discomposure; doubt, uncertainty.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.

Examples from the Web for aplomb

Contemporary Examples

Resolving moral dilemmas is her daily work, and she does it with clarity and aplomb.
Ian McEwan’s New Novel Keeps Life at Arm’s Length
Nick Romeo
September 11, 2014

Meanwhile, during the past several years in Champagne, the “Grower” movement has gained momentum and aplomb.
Champagne Goes Rogue
Jordan Salcito
December 28, 2013

When he needed to put Rick Perry and Rick Santorum away during the primaries, by God he did it, and with aplomb.
Mitt Romney’s Game-Change Moment in the Denver Presidential Debate
Michael Tomasky
October 2, 2012

But Obama and his party have been playing the race card with the aplomb of a Jim Crow Democrat.
The Tribal Election: Barack Obama Turns to the Karl Rove Playbook
Joel Kotkin
July 24, 2012

The no-nonsense Belvin Perry Jr. presided over the tangled proceedings with aplomb.
World’s Crankiest Judges
Alex Berg
July 4, 2011

Historical Examples

She received his bits of news with the aplomb of a resourceful commander.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson

Miss Milbrey disunited the chatting couple with swiftness and aplomb.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson

I could read as much in her narrowed eyes as she tried for aplomb with her guests.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson

The aplomb—why should there be a French word for an English quality?
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)
Charles James Lever

Before the end of the repast he had recovered all his assurance, all his aplomb.
Samuel Brohl & Company
Victor Cherbuliez

29 May 2019

orthopraxy

[awr-thuh-prak-see]

noun

  1. correctness or orthodoxy of action or practice.
  2. Medicine/Medical. orthopraxiaOrigin of orthopraxy1850-1855 First recorded in 1850-55; ortho- + prax(is) + -y3Dictionary.com Unabridged
    Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
    Cite This Source

    Examples from the Web for orthopraxy

    Historical Examples

    And what is the good of all your orthodoxy unless the orthodoxy of creed issues in orthopraxy of conduct?

Expositions of Holy Scripture
Alexander Maclaren

28 May 2019

chanticleer

[chan-tuh-kleer]

noun Now Literary.

a rooster: used as a proper name in medieval fables.

Also chan·te·cler [chan-tuh-klair] /ˈtʃæn təˌklɛər/.

Origin of chanticleer

1250–1300; Middle English Chauntecler < Old French Chantecler noun use of verb phrase chante cler sing clear. See chant, clear

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for chanticleer

Historical Examples

Once down, however, he shook his fluttered plumes, and crowed like any chanticleer.
Sir Ludar
Talbot Baines Reed

Never was chanticleer so crouse on his own dung-hill, as Johnny Darbyshire was in his own house.
Stories of Comedy
Various

I never heard that Chanticleer was a pattern of fatherly devotion.
A Little Girl in Old St. Louis
Amanda Minnie Douglas

The exciting cause of the professor’s outburst was an attempt to get from his class some information about Chanticleer.
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association Held at Ottawa, Canada June 26-July 2, 1912
Various

You might not get the answer you were looking for, but you could not get a foolish answer, if you asked him of Chanticleer.
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association Held at Ottawa, Canada June 26-July 2, 1912
Various

27 May 2019

yurt

[yoo rt]

noun

a tent-like dwelling of the Mongol and Turkic peoples of central Asia, consisting of a cylindrical wall of poles in a lattice arrangement with a conical roof of poles, both covered by felt or skins.

Origin of yurt

1885–90; Russian yurt < Turkic; compare Turkish yurt home, fatherland, with cognates meaning “abode, dwelling” in all branches of Turkic

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for yurt

Contemporary Examples

Her route is well planned, yet somewhere—on the streets of Tehran, in a yurt in Turkmenistan—Lin-Liu loses her way.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 29, 2013
Jessica Ferri, Damaris Colhoun
July 29, 2013

Historical Examples

Round the walls of the yurt were ranged one or two tables and chests of drawers.
A Wayfarer in China
Elizabeth Kendall

Around the yurt gathered women and children, dogs and calves.
A Wayfarer in China
Elizabeth Kendall

26 May 2019

chiaroscuro

[kee-ahr-uh-skyoo r-oh]

noun, plural chi·a·ro·scu·ros.

the distribution of light and shade in a picture.

Painting . the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect:

Rembrandt is a master of chiaroscuro.

a woodcut print in which the colors are produced by the use of different blocks with different colors.

Origin of chiaroscuro

1680–90; < Italian, equivalent to chiaro bright (< Latin clārus ) + oscuro dark (< Latin obscūrus ). See clear, obscure

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for chiaroscuro

shadowy, shaded, leafy, cloudy, cool, dim, dusky, indistinct, sheltered, vague, screened, umbrageous, adumbral, bosky, chiaroscuro, shadowed

Examples from the Web for chiaroscuro

Contemporary Examples of chiaroscuro

This chiaroscuro portrait, intended only to sell underwear, comes alarmingly close to capturing the man.
The Daily Beast logo

Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up
Tom Boswell
September 27, 2014

Historical Examples of chiaroscuro

No chiaroscuro is so difficult as this; and none so noble, chaste, or impressive.
Modern Painters Volume I (of V)
John Ruskin

I was in train to interpret for Ma’moiselle the chiaroscuro.
The Pigeon (Third Series Plays)
John Galsworthy

In chiaroscuro , and in delicacy of execution he is not inferior to his master.
Six Centuries of Painting
Randall Davies

Thus they were familiar with chiaroscuro before the European painters.
Chinese Painters
Raphael Petrucci

The typical German chiaroscuro was therefore from two blocks.
John Baptist Jackson
Jacob Kainen

25 May 2019

décolletage

or de·colle·tage

[dey-kol-tahzh, -kol-uh-, dek-uh-luh-; French dey-kawl-tazh]

noun

the neckline of a dress cut low in the front or back and often across the shoulders.
a décolleté garment or costume.

Origin of décolletage

1890–95; French, equivalent to décollet(er ) (see décolleté + -age -age

Can be confused

décolletage décolleté dishabille

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for decolletage

Historical Examples of decolletage

She was really on probation for higher levels; it was her decolletage delayed her.
Soul of a Bishop
H. G. Wells

The plain, well-made dress will oust the ribbon and the decolletage.
What is Coming?
H. G. Wells

25 May 2019

crotal

(also: crottle)

noun

Scot any of various lichens used in dyeing wool, esp for the manufacture of tweeds

Word Origin for crotal

Gaelic crotal

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

Examples from the Web for crotal

Historical Examples of crotal

It is better, however, to get the shade by altering the quantity of Crotal used.
Vegetable Dyes
Ethel M. Mairet

Thereafter, on cushioned beds were repasts, long and savorous, eaten to the sound of crotal and of flute.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern
Edgar Saltus

My father seemed to age perceptibly, reflecting on his companion gone, and he clung to me like the crotal to the stone.
John Splendid
Neil Munro

20 May 2019

savate

[suh-vat]
noun

a sport resembling boxing but permitting blows to be delivered with the feet as well as the hands.

Origin of savate

1860–65; French: literally, old shoe. See sabot

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for savate

Historical Examples of savate

Max had not expected the savate from an Englishman, and he was very glad of the warning.
A Soldier of the Legion
C. N. Williamson

Savate , boxing and kicking; canne, cane (fencing expression).
John Bull, Junior
Max O’Rell

“I have some acquaintance with the savate ,” he said suavely.
Cynthia’s Chauffeur
Louis Tracy

Then his right foot rose, in the famous and deadly blow of the savate .
The Blue Lights
Arnold Fredericks

It was with the Revolution that the rapier went out, and the savate came in.
Sword and Gown
George A. Lawrence

19 May 2019

tabula rasa

[tab-yuh-luh rah-suh, -zuh, rey-; Latin tah-boo-lah rah-sah]

noun, plural ta·bu·lae ra·sae [tab-yuh-lee rah-see, -zee, rey-; Latin tah-boo-lahy rah-sahy] /ˈtæb yəˌli ˈrɑ si, -zi, ˈreɪ-; Latin ˈtɑ bʊˌlaɪ ˈrɑ saɪ/.

a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc.
anything existing undisturbed in its original pure state.

Origin of tabula rasa

First recorded in 1525–35, tabula rasa is from the Latin word tabula rāsa scraped tablet, clean slate

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for tabula rasa

palimpsest

Example

An opportunity to begin again with no record, history, or preconceived ideas is one kind of tabula rasa.
Vocabulary.com

18 May 2019

whataboutism

[hwuht-uh-bou-tiz-uhm, wuht‐, hwot‐, wot‐]

noun

a conversational tactic in which a person responds to an argument or attack by changing the subject to focus on someone else’s misconduct, implying that all criticism is invalid because no one is completely blameless:

Excusing your mistakes with whataboutism is not the same as defending your record.

RELATED CONTENT

Why Is Everyone’s Favorite Comeback A Whataboutism?
Attention world: Your favorite comeback sucks.

NEARBY WORDS

what’ve, what-if, what-you-may-call-it, whata, whataboutery, whatchamacallit, whate’er, whatever, whatevs, whatnot

ORIGIN OF WHATABOUTISM

First recorded in 2000–05; from the phrase what about? + -ism

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

17 May 2019

conservator

[kon-ser-vey-ter, kuh n-sur-vuh-]

noun

a person who conserves or preserves; preserver; protector.
a person who repairs, restores, or maintains the condition of objects, as paintings or sculptures in an art museum, or books in a library.
Law . a guardian; a custodian.

British . a person employed by the conservancy commission; a conservation worker.

Origin of conservator

1400–50; late Middle English; Latin, equivalent to conservā(re ) (see conserve) + -tor -tor

Related forms

con·serv·a·to·ri·al [kuh  n-sur-v uh- tawr -ee- uh l, – tohr -] /kənˌsɜr vəˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-/ ,

adjective

con·ser·va·tor·ship , noun
sub·con·ser·va·tor , noun

Dictionary.com

Related Words for conservator

custodian, curator, keeper, guardian, protector

Examples from the Web for conservator

Contemporary Examples of conservator

Later, a Riverside judge ruled that Mills would remain as the conservator of her estate.
The Daily Beast logo
Etta James’s Son Donto Says Addiction Was Part of Famed Singer’s Life
Christine Pelisek
November 15, 2012

A judge ruled that Mills would remain as the conservator of her estate.
The Daily Beast logo
Etta James, Who Blazed Trail for Women in R&B, Dead at 73
Christine Pelisek
January 21, 2012

Historical Examples of conservator

Is God not only the Creator but the Conservator of all things?
The Theistic Conception of the World
B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Cocker

There may be a question as to my being a conservative, but there is no doubt that I am a conservator.
Discourses of Keidansky
Bernard G. Richards

But even in the matter of elided consonants American is not always the conservator .
The American Language
Henry L. Mencken

I do not believe that the church is a conservator of civilization.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 6 (of 12)
Robert G. Ingersoll

The Conservator of orthodoxy is the Holy Ghost in a purified heart.
The Palm Tree Blessing
W. E. Shepard

16 May 2019

presage

[noun pres-ij; verb pres-ij, pri-seyj]

noun

– a presentiment or foreboding.
– something that portends or foreshadows a future event; an omen, prognostic, or warning indication.
– prophetic significance; augury

foresight; prescience.

Archaic . a forecast or prediction.

verb (used with object), pres·aged, pres·ag·ing.

to have a presentiment of.
to portend, foreshow, or foreshadow:
The incidents may presage war.
to forecast; predict.

verb (used without object), pres·aged, pres·ag·ing.

to make a prediction.

Archaic . to have a presentiment.

Origin of presage

1350–1400; Middle English (noun); Middle French presage < Latin praesāgium presentiment, forewarning, equivalent to praesāg(us ) having a foreboding ( prae- pre- + sāgus prophetic; cf. sagacious) + -ium -ium

Related forms

pres·age·ful , adjective
pres·age·ful·ly , adverb
pres·ag·er , noun
un·pres·aged , adjective
un·pres·ag·ing , adjective

Synonyms for presage

1. foreshadowing, indication, premonition. 2. portent, sign, token.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for presage

signify, foresee, portend, foreshadow, forebode, foretell, augur, auspice, omen, prognostic, apprehension, augury, misgiving, forecast, harbinger, prognostication, intimation, premonition, prophecy, sign

Examples from the Web for presage

Contemporary Examples of presage

From quotes Clinton a lot, and he credits Clinton with saying that an intellectual resurgence has to presage political power.
The Daily Beast logo
The Republican Party Needs an RLC
Eleanor Clift
January 10, 2014

But I recall nothing in Possession, Angels & Insects, Babel Tower, or her other books that seems to presage this one.
The Daily Beast logo
Must Reads: Wild Abandon, Ramona Ausubel, A.S. Byatt
Nicholas Mancusi, Jennifer Miller, Allen Barra
March 6, 2012

Historical Examples of presage

For a moment there was a pause, as if at a presage of disaster.
Graham’s Magazine, Vol. XXXII No. 4, April 1848
Various

Fatal words they were,—the presage of the mishap they threatened!
Tom Burke Of “Ours”, Volume II (of II)
Charles James Lever

In the early spring of 1784 Diderot had an attack which he knew to be the presage of the end.
Diderot and the Encyclopdists
John Morley

But the softness in the Christmas air did not presage a thaw.
A Son of the City
Herman Gastrell Seely

Thus she left him without so much as a backward glance to presage future favour.
Simon Dale
Anthony Hope

14 May 2019

colloquium

[kuh-loh-kwee-uh m]

noun

plural col·lo·qui·ums, col·lo·qui·a [kuh-loh-kwee-uh] /kəˈloʊ kwi ə/.

a conference at which scholars or other experts present papers on, analyze, and discuss a specific topic.

Origin of colloquium

1600–10, equivalent to colloqu(ī ) ( col- col-1 + loquī to speak) + -ium -ium

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for colloquium

symposium, discussion, meeting, seminar

Examples from the Web for colloquium

Historical Examples of colloquium

Nor are these Names by any Means more illustrious, than those we meet with in the Colloquium .
An Essay on Criticism
John Oldmixon

13 May 2019

mal de ojo

Spanish (literally, ‘evil from the eye’).

evil eye

n.

1. A look or stare believed to cause injury or misfortune to others. Example: they feared the mal de ojo.

2. The presumed power to cause injury or misfortune to others by magic or supernatural means.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

12 May 2019

parturition

[pahr-too-rish-uh n, -tyoo-, -choo-]

noun, Biology.

1. the process of bringing forth young.

Origin of parturition

Late Latin

1640-1650; Late Latin parturītiōn- (stem of parturītiō) travail, equivalent to Latin parturīt(us) (past participle of parturīre; see parturient ) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for parturition

Historical Examples

The process of bringing a child into the world is called ” parturition.”
Private Sex Advice to Women
R. B. Armitage

Chloroform is employed by some to relieve the pain of parturition.
The Action of Medicines in the System
Frederick William Headland

All appear to be viviparous, and the act of parturition is performed in the water.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier

11 May 2019

amour fou

French noun phrase

\ ä-ˈmu̇r-ˈfü \

: mad love : obsessive passion

Example

He expressed his amour fou for her through hundreds of love letters.

10 May 2019

sawbuck(1)

[saw-buhk]

noun

a sawhorse.

Origin of sawbuck(1)

1860–65, Americanism; compare Dutch zaagbok

sawbuck(2)

[saw-buhk]

noun Slang.

a ten-dollar bill.

Origin of sawbuck(2)

1840–50, Americanism; so called from the resemblance of the Roman numeral X to the crossbars of a sawbuck(1)

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sawbuck

Historical Examples of sawbuck

“Here’s your ten and costs,” says Pinckney, tossing him a sawbuck.
Shorty McCabe
Sewell Ford

They drove a pack-horse, their supplies loaded on a sawbuck saddle with kyacks.
Oh, You Tex!
William Macleod Raine

Rob threw the sawbuck pack-saddle on top of the padded blanket.
The Young Alaskans in the Rockies
Emerson Hough

“It pleases me to say that I pulled a sawbuck out of Emery,” he said.
Frank Merriwell’s Races
Burt L. Standish

The sawbuck followed it, the cinch flying high so that it should go clear.
The Eagle’s Heart
Hamlin Garland

9 May 2019

echidna

[ih-kid-nuh]

1. In Greek mythology, Echidna (/ɪˈkɪdnə/; Greek: Ἔχιδνα, “She-Viper”) was a monster, half-woman and half-snake, who lived alone in a cave. She was the mate of the fearsome monster, Typhon and was the mother of monsters, including many of the most famous monsters of Greek myth. (Wikipedia)

2. Also called spiny anteater. any of several insectivorous monotremes of the genera Tachyglossus, of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, and Zaglossus, of New Guinea, that have claws and a slender snout and are covered with coarse hair and long spines.

Origin of echidna

New Latin (1798), originally a genus name; Latin: serpent, Echidna a mythical creature which gave birth to the Hydra and other monsters; Greek échidna, akin to échis viper

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for

Historical Examples of echidna

Echidna was a bloodthirsty monster, half maiden, half serpent.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
E.M. Berens

The Ornithorhyncus has fur, the Echidna has spines, with hairs between them.
Stories of the Universe: Animal Life
B. Lindsay

Man-serpent, therefore, in Dante, as Echidna is woman-serpent.
Modern Painters, Volume V (of 5)
John Ruskin

In Ornithorhynchus the zygomatic arch is much stouter than in Echidna .
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds

In Echidna the carpus is broad, the scaphoid and lunar are united and there is no centrale.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds

8 May 2019

cloister

[kloi-ster]

noun

a covered walk, especially in a religious institution, having an open arcade or colonnade usually opening onto a courtyard.

a courtyard, especially in a religious institution, bordered with such walks.

a place of religious seclusion, as a monastery or convent.

any quiet, secluded place.

life in a monastery or convent.

verb (used with object)

to confine in a monastery or convent.
to confine in retirement; seclude.
to furnish with a cloister or covered walk.
to convert into a monastery or convent.

Origin of cloister

1250–1300; Middle English cloistre; Anglo-French, Old French, blend of cloison partition (see cloisonné) and clostre (< Latin claustrum barrier (Late Latin: enclosed place); see claustrum)

Related forms

clois·ter·less, adjective
clois·ter·like, adjective

Synonyms for cloister

3. abbey, priory.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for cloister

nunnery, convent, hermitage, monastery, abbey, cell, sanctuary, house, order, retreat, priory, friary, lamasery, priorate

Examples from the Web for

Historical Examples of cloister

For five years Angelique lived and grew there, as if in a cloister, far away from the world.
The Dream
Emile Zola

But, to say he turned his eyes upon the cloister keys, is a mere figure of speech.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood

The convent-bell struck midnight, and there was a foot-fall in the cloister.
Graham’s Magazine Vol. XXXII No. 2. February 1848
Various

This enclosed, quiet residence vaguely recalled the cloister.
Therese Raquin
Emile Zola

Here they may have supported the wooden roof of a cloister or porch.
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople
Alexander Van Millingen

7 May 2019

suspiration

[suhs-puh-rey-shuh n]

noun

a long, deep sigh.

Origin of suspiration

1475–85; Latin suspīrātiōn- (stem of suspīrātiō ), equivalent to suspīrāt(us ) (past participle of suspīrāre to suspire) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for suspiration

Historical Examples of suspiration

At times, it is true, like a deep sigh, the suspiration of the open sea rose and fell among the islands.
The Washer of the Ford
Fiona Macleod

The girl’s voice trembled, her breath came so hard Morgan could hear its suspiration where he stood.
Trail’s End
George W. Ogden


6 May 2019

tincture

[tingk-cher]

noun

1. Pharmacology. a solution of alcohol or of alcohol and water, containing animal, vegetable, or chemical drugs.
2. a slight infusion, as of some element or quality:
A tincture of education had softened his rude manners.
3. a trace; a smack or smattering; tinge :
a tincture of irony.
4. Heraldry. any of the colors, metals, or furs used for the fields, charges, etc., of an escutcheon or achievement of arms.
5. a dye or pigment.
verb (used with object), tinctured, tincturing.
6. to impart a tint or color to; tinge.
7. to imbue or infuse with something.

Origin of tincture

Latin

1350-1400; Middle English: dye; Latin tīnctūra dyeing. See tinct, -ure

Related forms

pretincture, noun
untinctured, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tincture

Historical Examples

Mix two drams of the tincture of galls with one dram of lunar caustic, and for marking of linen, use it with a pen as common ink.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

A tincture for the gums may be made of three ounces of the tincture of bark, and half an ounce of sal ammoniac, mixed together.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

Bruise three ounces of cloves, steep them for ten days in a quart of brandy, and strain off the tincture through a flannel sieve.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

Thou canst not withhold a tincture of lemon from the sweetest cup!
St. Cuthbert’s
Robert E. Knowles

Used as a sedative in tincture ; ten to twenty drops in water.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

Externally, vesicant; used in form of ointment, or tincture.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

The water or brine solution must be at least twenty times the bulk of the tincture.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

5 May 2019

ewer

[yoo-er]

noun

1. a pitcher with a wide spout.
2. Decorative Art. a vessel having a spout and a handle, especially a tall, slender vessel with a base.

Origin of ewer

Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French, Latin

1275-1325; Middle English; Anglo-French; Old French evier; Latin aquārius vessel for water, equivalent to aqu(a) water + -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for ewer

Historical Examples

Without a word Oliver turned to a side-table, where stood a metal basin and ewer.
The Sea-Hawk
Raphael Sabatini

The bowl had scallops around the edge, and the ewer was tall and slim.
A Little Girl in Old Boston
Amanda Millie Douglas

He found an ewer and basin, and his ablutions refreshed and invigorated him.
The Last Of The Barons, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

And she knelt down with ewer and basin and a napkin to wash the feet of the poor.
The Ruinous Face
Maurice Hewlett

A basin of similar material and design accompanied the ewer.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 5
Various

When he had undressed, he dipped a towel into his ewer and rubbed himself all over.
Married
August Strindberg

Luckily there was no water in the ewer because we had forgotten it, only dust and spiders.
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
E. Nesbit

She was obliged to break the ewer to free the little dog’s head.
Hungarian Sketches in Peace and War
Mr Jkai

And the ewer is said to be of gold, to express the dignity of the head.
Medica Sacra
Richard Mead

He got up and poured some water from the ewer into a cracked cup and drank it.
The Angel of the Revolution
George Griffith

3 May 2019

utilitarian

[yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]

adjective

pertaining to or consisting in utility.

having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.
of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

noun
an adherent of utilitarianism.

RELATED WORDS

sensible, functional, pragmatic, down-to-earth, effective, efficient, hard, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, realistic, serviceable, useful, commonsensical, pragmatical, unromantic, unidealistic

NEARBY WORDS
utile dulci, utilicare, utilidor, utilisation, utilise, utilitarianism, utility, utility function, utility man, utility player

ORIGIN OF UTILITARIAN

First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

SYNONYMS FOR UTILITARIAN

2. practical, useful, functional, sensible.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR utilitarian ON THESAURUS.COM

RELATED FORMS

an·ti·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
non·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
un·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective

Dictionary.com

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR UTILITARIAN

Is that a utilitarian approach—that you need to understand how institutions have changed to understand the way they are?
THANK CONGRESS, NOT LBJ FOR GREAT SOCIETY|JULIAN ZELIZER, SCOTT PORCH|JANUARY 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Everything is meant to be utilitarian and efficient, at the expense of relaxation or comfort.
WHY SMART PEOPLE ARE DUMB PATIENTS|JEAN KIM|JULY 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The problem is that professional intelligence is mechanical and functional – utilitarian .
RICHARD HOFSTADTER AND AMERICA’S NEW WAVE OF ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM|DAVID MASCIOTRA|MARCH 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The available options were utilitarian and only came in a few colors.
CONCEALED CARRY HANDBAGS: AN EVENING BAG FOR YOUR GUN?|ERIN CUNNINGHAM|OCTOBER 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

2 May 2019

felicific

[fee-luh-sif-ik]

adjective

– causing or tending to cause happiness.

ORIGIN OF FELICIFIC

1860–65; < Latin fēlīci- (stem of fēlīx ) happy + -fic

Dictionary.com

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FELICIFIC

The ‘ felicific calculus’ is enough to show the inadequacy of his method.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN

We are bound to apply our ‘ felicific calculus’ with absolute impartiality.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN

It is the economic equivalent of the ‘utility’ of Bentham’s ‘ felicific calculus.’
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME II (OF 3)|LESLIE STEPHEN

1 May 2019

palimpsest

[pal-imp-sest]

noun

a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

Origin

1655–65; < Latin palimpsēstus < Greek palímpsēstos rubbed again ( pálin again + psēstós scraped, rubbed, verbid of psân to rub smooth)

Related form

pal·imp·ses·tic , adjective

Dictionary.com

Contemporary example

Sri Lankan Muslims and Catholics have not been in conflict in the past, adding to a palimpsest of reasons that make this attack all the more puzzling to experts.
Sri Lankan Muslims To Fast In Solidarity With Fellow Christians
Muslim Matters
24 April 2019

28 January 2019 – stolid

Posted on by
Reply

28 January 2019

stolid

[stol-id]

adjective

1. not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive.

Origin of stolid

Latin

1590-1600 First recorded in 1590-1600, stolid is from the Latin word stolidus inert, dull, stupid

Related forms

stolidity [stuh-lid-i-tee], stolidness, noun
stolidly, adverb

Can be confused

solid, stolid.

Synonyms

apathetic, lethargic, phlegmatic.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for stolid

Contemporary Examples

The New York Times began its review with the words “ stolid and humorless.”
‘From Up on Poppy Hill’: Goro Miyazaki, the Next Generation of Studio Ghibli
Melissa Leon
March 15, 2013

And when he did, he was not positioned in front of a stolid stage set.
Election Night 2012: Fashion of Jubilation And Mourning
Robin Givhan
November 7, 2012

Taylor was perfectly formed for the intuitive, opportunistic life of a rebel, but not for the stolid bureaucracy of government.
Liberian Nostalgia for War Criminal Charles Taylor
Finlay Young
April 28, 2012

Today’s quote

There is a great deal of pain in life and perhaps the only pain that can be avoided is the pain that comes from trying to avoid pain.

– R.D. Laing

On this day

28 January 1853 – birth of José Julián Martí Pérez, (José Martí), Cuban national hero, nicknamed The Maestro. He was a poet, essayist, revolutionary philosopher. Fought for Cuba’s independence from Spain. Martí’s poetry is respected across the globe. One of his poems was adapted into the song, Guantanamera. Died 19 May 1895.

28 January 1968 – 4 hydrogen bombs are lost when the B-52 bomber that was carrying them, crashes near Thule, Greenland. The bombs are eventually located, but it took nine months to clear the area of radiation.

28 January 1939 – death of William Butler Yeats (W.B. Yeats), Irish poet, Nobel Prize laureate. One of the foremost literary figures of the 20th century. He served as an Irish senator for two terms. He led the Irish Literary Revival. In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for ‘inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation‘. Born 13 June 1865.

28 January 1986 – the space shuttle, Challenger, explodes moments after lift-off, killing all seven astronauts on board, including Christa MacAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire, who was scheduled to deliver a lesson from outer-space as part of the ‘Teacher in Space’ project.

27 January 2019 – maenad

Posted on by
Reply

27 January 2019

maenad

[mee-nad]

noun

1. bacchante.
2. a frenzied or raging woman.

Origin of maenad

Latin, Greek

1570-1580; < Latin Maenad- (stem of Maenas) < Greek Mainás a bacchante, special use of mainás madwoman

Related forms

maenadic, adjective
maenadism, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for maenad

Historical Examples

These were the eyes of a girl who had raved like a maenad the night through.
A Thorny Path [Per Aspera], Complete
Georg Ebers

maenad : a frenzied Nymph, attendant on Dionysus in the Greek mythology.
The Golden Treasury
Various

Her eye gleamed: she ran to the cupboard and took out the maenad ‘s dress.
The History of David Grieve
Mrs. Humphry Ward

I was in a mind to wring the maenad ‘s neck three minutes ago.
The History of David Grieve
Mrs. Humphry Ward

But that statue will put it all right,’ and she pointed behind her to the maenad.
The History of David Grieve
Mrs. Humphry Ward

The tigress-mother swelled in her heart, and she looked like a maenad indeed.
Thomas Wingfold, Curate
George MacDonald

He followed: but the intense passion of the old hag hurled her onward with the strength and speed of a young maenad.
Hypatia
Charles Kingsley

She ceased to be a woman, complex, kind and petulant, considerate and thoughtless; she was a maenad.
The Moon and Sixpence
W. Somerset Maugham

She felt the gravity of his tone but, like a fierce maenad, she snatched at the torch, not caring how it revealed her.
Adrienne Toner
Anne Douglas Sedgwick

She flings her arms and tresses of Fire to the stars, a maenad in the planetary dance.
The Masque of the Elements
Herman Scheffauer

Today’s quote

The large print giveth and the small print taketh away.

― Tom Waits

On this day

27 January – International Holocaust Memorial Day in remembrance of the 11 million victims of the Nazi holocaust before and during the Second World War. Victims included 6 million Jews (3 million of whom were Polish), 3 million Polish Christians, 2 million gypsies, and millions of others, including Africans, Asians, people with mental or physical disabilities, Communists, Socialist, Unionists, intellectuals, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Slavs, Freemasons, political activists and anyone else either opposed to Nazi ideology, or living in land Hitler wanted (particularly Poland) or who didn’t fit his idea of a perfect master race. The date was chosen because 27 January 1945 was the date that Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birchenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps.

27 January 1756 – birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer. Died 5 December 1791.

27 January 1926 – In London, John Logie Baird publicly demonstrates a revolutionary new invention, the television system.

27 January 1945 – The Soviet Army liberates survivors of the largest Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland, where it is estimated more than 1,000,000 Jews and tens of thousands of others were executed.

27 January 1967 – Outer Space Treaty was signed by 60 countries, including the USA and USSR, prohibiting the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space.

27 January 1973 – the Vietnam War formally ends with a treaty signed between the USA, North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

27 January 1984 – Michael Jackson’s hair catches on fire while he is singing ‘Billy Jean’ during filming of a Pepsi commercial.

27 January 2014 – death of Peter Seeger, American singer-songwriter, musician, activist. Born 3 May 1919.

26 January 2019 – connive

Posted on by
Reply

26 January 2019

connive

[kuh-nahyv]

verb (used without object), connived, conniving.

1. to cooperate secretly; conspire (often followed by with):
They connived to take over the business.
2. to avoid noticing something that one is expected to oppose or condemn; give aid to wrongdoing by forbearing to act or speak (usually followed by at):
The policeman connived at traffic violations.
3. to be indulgent toward something others oppose or criticize (usually followed by at):
to connive at childlike exaggerations.

Origin of connive

French, Latin

1595-1605; (< French conniver) < Latin co(n)nīvēre to close the eyes in sleep, turn a blind eye, equivalent to con- con- + -nīvēre, akin to nictāre to blink (cf. nictitate )

Related forms

conniver, noun
connivingly, adverb
unconnived, adjective
unconniving, adjective

Can be confused

connive, conspire.

Synonyms

1. plan, plot, collude.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for connive

Contemporary Examples

He defeated what was left of the Tatars, mostly by conniving with leaders of what was left of the Tatars.
Russian History Is on Our Side: Putin Will Surely Screw Himself
P. J. O’Rourke
May 11, 2014

Why, then, are we led to believe that her conniving ways are so ineffectual and misdirected?
The Abused Wives of Westeros: A Song of Feminism in ‘Game of Thrones’
Amy Zimmerman
April 30, 2014

Fondly nicknamed “the Worst Boy In Town,” Penrod is conniving but not clever, wicked but rarely cruel.
American Dreams, 1914: Penrod by Booth Tarkington
Nathaniel Rich
February 27, 2014

A sexy, sexual, conniving, social-media mentioning, sexy baby spider!
Frank Underwood Will Not Tolerate Insubordination in This Olive Garden
Kelly Williams Brown
February 24, 2014

Predictably, Harding was cast as a conniving, violent woman.
ESPN’s ‘The Price of Gold’ Revisits the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Scandal
Amy Zimmerman
January 15, 2014

Historical Examples

We shall never cast out the devil while conniving at his crimes.
Broken Bread
Thomas Champness

He was accused of conniving at the attempt of the king and queen to escape.
Lafayette
Martha Foote Crow

It never struck him that he was conniving at fraud; if it had, he would not have been deterred.
The Mystery of Lincoln’s Inn
Robert Machray

She felt that she had been conniving in one of the spy-plots that all the Empire was talking about.
The Cup of Fury
Rupert Hughes

This seems strikingly true in our conniving at the faults of our children.
Coelebs In Search of a Wife
Hannah More

Today’s quote

Language is a virus from outer space.

– William S. Burroughs

On this day

26 January 1788 – Australia Day – Having landed in Sydney Cove a few days earlier, Captain Arthur Phillip plants the British flag and declares possession of the land in the name of King George III of Britain.

26 January 1808 – The Rum Rebellion: Twenty years after establishing the colony of New South Wales, the only successful military coup in Australia’s history results in the New South Wales Corps deposing the Governor of NSW, William Bligh. For the following two years, the colony was under military rule, until the arrival of new Governor, Major-General Lachlan Macquarie. At the time, it was referred to as the Great Rebellion. The rebellion was over a disagreement between the government and private entrepreneurs regarding the future of the colony. The government wanted to keep it as an open prison with a primitive economy. Years later, an English Quaker named William Howitt, a tee-totaller, looking to blame the ills of the world on alcohol, claimed the rebellion was about Bligh threatening the profits made from the Army’s trading of spirits. He coined the term ‘Rum Rebellion’.

26 January 1939 – During the Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces loyal to General Francisco Franco enter Barcelona, overthrowing the Republican forces headquartered there.

26 January 1945 – Soviet troops liberate 7,000 survivors of the Auschwitz network of concentration camps in Poland.

26 January 1950 – India becomes a republic, freed from British rule. The new President, Dr Rajenda Prasad had campaigned with Mahatma Gandhi for Indian self-rule. Jawaharlal Nehru becomes the country’s first Prime Minister on 10 February 1952.

26 January 1965 – Hindi becomes the official language of India.

26 January 1988 – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ opens on Broadway for its first performance. The musical becomes a world-wide smash and is the longest running show on Broadway.