2 January 2018

ergot

[ur-guh t, -got]

noun

1. Plant Pathology.
a disease of rye and other cereal grasses, caused by a fungus of the genus Claviceps, especially C. purpurea, which replaces the affected grain with a long, hard, blackish sclerotial body.
the sclerotial body itself.
2. Pharmacology. the dried sclerotium of C. purpurea, developed on rye plants: used in the production of ergotamine and ergotoxine.

Origin of ergot

Old French

1675-1685; French: literally, a rooster’s spur; Old French argos, argoz, argot spur(s)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ergot

Historical Examples

A peculiar variety of sugar, extracted by alcohol from ergot of rye.
Cooley’s Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley

All the poisonous symptoms of ergot are induced from continuously partaking of bread made with ergot ised flour.
Cooley’s Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades…, Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

To prevent this the ergot should be well dried, and then placed in bottles or tin canisters, and closely preserved from the air.
Cooley’s Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades…, Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

The ergot is placed in a wide-mouth stoppered bottle, and covered with a thick layer of the powdered charcoal.
Cooley’s Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades…, Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

A small quantity of ether is dropped on the ergot contained in a bottle, and the latter closed with a well-fitting stopper.
Cooley’s Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades…, Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

M. Tancret states that he has succeeded in obtaining an alkaloid from ergot of rye, which he names ergot inine.
Cooley’s Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades…, Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

According to M. Bonjean, this preparation possesses all the hmostatic without any of the poisonous qualities of ergot.
Cooley’s Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades…, Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

There was ergot in it, cleverly concealed by the natural smell and taste of the sauce.
The Social Gangster
Arthur B. Reeve

The history of ergot of Rye is too fresh in the memory of most people to require more than an allusion here.
Epidemics Examined and Explained: or, Living Germs Proved by Analogy to be a Source of Disease
John Grove

ergot and turpentine are administered in case of hemorrhage—the former best, perhaps, hypodermatically.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II
Various

Anagram

or get

Today’s quote

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we’ve discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.

– Jimmy Carter

On this day

2 January – the ninth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

2 January 1952 – birth of Graeme ‘Shirley’ Strachan. Lead singer of Australian band, Skyhooks. Died 29 August 2001 in a helicopter crash near Maroochydore, Queensland.

2 January 1979 – Sid Vicious, former bass player with the Sex Pistols, goes on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spugen. Vicious and Spungen had allegedly been using heroin, and Vicious claimed he woke to find her dead on the bathroom floor. He was released on bail on 1 February 1979. It was later revealed that Mick Jagger paid the bail. That night he celebrated his release with friends. Vicious had stopped using heroin, however, his mother provided some that night. Early the following morning (2 February 1979), Vicious died of an overdose.

1 January 2018

élan

[ey-lahn, ey-lan; French ey-lahn]

noun

1. dash; impetuous ardor:
to dance with great élan.
2. a combination of style and vigour: he performed the concerto with élan

Origin of élan

Middle French

1875-1880; French, Middle French eslan a dash, rush, noun derivative of eslancer to dart, equivalent to es- ex-1+ lancer to lance1

Can be confused

éclat, élan.

Dictionary.com

Contemporary Examples

The romance of elan energized the volunteers who flocked to the colors in the early years of the struggle.
Lawrence of Arabia Became Popular as the Dashing Antithesis of the War in Europe
Jack Schwartz
December 21, 2013

Now that we know about DNA, we no longer need an elan vital.
Is the Brain No Different From a Light Switch? The Uncomfortable Ideas of the Philosopher Daniel Dennett
Jonathan Weiner
May 19, 2013

As the indictment notes, Martoma was regarded by an SAC official as a “one-trick pony with elan.”
The Insider-Trading Cloud Hanging Over SAC Capital’s Steven A. Cohen
Daniel Gross
November 27, 2012

Historical Examples

Besides, there isnt any dead body awaiting his elan on that ship or any ship.
A Place in the Sun
C.H. Thames

The course of the aqueduct from elan to Birmingham was marked by a thin red line.
The Blue Germ
Martin Swayne

My friend Sarakoff and I introduced the germ that we discovered into the elan reservoirs.
The Blue Germ
Martin Swayne

On the north lay the river elan and on the south the steep side of a mountain towered up against the luminous sky.
The Blue Germ
Martin Swayne

elan was its characteristic—but it was hard to reduce to the stratified regularity of an army.
Four Years in Rebel Capitals
T. C. DeLeon

Daim is the French for deer, and cerf for stag; elan is the true term, when one would speak of an elk.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper

It was not an ordinary movement, but an intense rush made with all the elan and vigour of hardy and highly-trained men.
The Lady of the Shroud
Bram Stoker

Anagram

lean
lane

Today’s quote

Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.

– Plato

On this day

1 January – the eighth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

1 January – the official birthday for all thoroughbred horses in the Northern Hemisphere. (see 1 August for Southern Hemisphere).

1 January 1901 – Federation of Australia. The six self-governing colonies in Australia formed a single nation known as the Commonwealth of Australia.

1 January 1915 – Battle of Broken Hill. Two Turkish men shot dead four people and wounded seven others in the remote Australian town of Broken Hill, New South Wales. They claimed it was in relation to ongoing hostilities between the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire.

1 January 1942 – the United Nations is established by representatives of 26 nations in order to enforce peace-keeping campaigns throughout the world. There are now 193 member states and 2 non-member states (the Holy See and Palestine).

1 January 1959 – Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba following a revolution led by Fidel Castro. Batista allegedly fled with around $700 million of art and cash, the result of graft and corruption.

1 January 1985 – the UK’s first mobile phone call is made by British comedian, Ernie Wise (from ‘Morecombe and Wise’), to Vodafone.

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

Today’s quote

Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.

– Anne Frank

On this day

31 December – the seventh day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

31 December 1948 – birth of Disco star, Donna Summer. Died 17 May 2012.

31 December 1967 – Evel Knievel unsuccessfully attempts a motorcycle jump over the fountains of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He received concussion and numerous broken bones, which left him in a coma for 29 days.

31 December 2007 – Murder statistics in the United States reveal that murder rate is 0.055 per head of population, which is slightly less than it was in 1947, when the rate was 0.0551. The population in 1947 was 145,000,000 and there were 8,000 murders. In 2007, the population was 300,000,000 and there were 16,500 murders.

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

Today’s quote

I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.

– Angela Davis

On this day

30 December – the sixth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

30 December 1922 – Lenin establishes the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

30 December 1945 – birth of Davy Jones, singer with British 1960’s rock band, The Monkees. Died 29 February 2012.

30 December 2006 – Former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, hanged after being found guilty of committing crimes against humanity.

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

Today’s quote

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.

– Maya Angelou

On this day

26 December – the second day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

26 December 1941 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

26 December 1966 – The first Kwanzaa is celebrated by Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. a secular festival observed by many African Americans from 26 December to 1 January as a celebration of their cultural heritage and traditional values.

26 December 1982 – Time’s Man of the Year is for the first time a non-human, the personal computer.

26 December 1991 – formal dissolution of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) when the Supreme Soviet dissolved itself following the Alma-Ata Protocol of 21 December 1991 and the resignation of President Gorbachev on 25 December 1991.

26 December 2004 – the Boxing Day tsunami originates in Indonesia and spreads across the Indian Ocean killing 230,000 people in 14 countries. It was triggered by a massive earthquake which registered a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3 and caused the entire planet to vibrate by up to 1cm and caused earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

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

Today’s quote

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?

– Bob Hope

On this day

25 December 1876 – birthday 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 on 11 September 1948. Pakistan celebrates his birthday with a national holiday.

25 December 1914 – Soldiers from Britain, Germany, Russia and France agree to a ‘Christmas’ truce. They crossed no-man’s land and wished each other ‘Merry Christmas’ in each nation’s language.

25 December 1974 – Cyclone Tracy strikes Darwin, Northern Territory, killing 71 people and flattening 70% of the city, leaving 41,000 homeless (out of a population of 47,000). The cyclone had winds up to 240km/h, central pressure of 950 hectorpascals,

25 December 1991 – Soviet President Gorbachev resigns, declaring the Soviet presidency extinct, and hands power to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, effectively bringing an end to the Soviet Union.

25 December 2006 – death of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. He was born 3 May 1933.

25 December 2008 – death of Eartha Kitt, American singer and actress. She played Catwoman in the 1960’s Batman TV series. Two of her more famous songs were ‘C’est Si Bon’ and ‘Santa Baby’. She was born on 17 January 1927.

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

Today’s quote

We live in the age of the refugee, the age of the exile.

– Ariel Dorfman

On this day

24 December 1865 – Ku Klux Klan formed by a group of confederate veterans who are opposed to civil rights for African-Americans.

24 December 1979 – The Soviet Army, comprised of 100,000 troops, invades Afghanistan in response to Afghan insurgents (armed by the United States) who had been attacking Soviet troops. The occupation lasts for 10 years and results in the deaths of between 600,000 and 2,000,000 Afghan civilians, as well as 6,000,000 refugees who fled to Pakistan and Iran. The Soviets withdrew in 1989. The cost of the Afghan occupation is a significant factor that led to the economic collapse of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet occupation, the United States funded Afghan resistance in the form of the Mujahideen and other militant Islamic groups, out of whom emerged Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The real victims in this war were the Afghan people, who continue to suffer and to comprise a significant portion of global refugee numbers because of the involvement of the USSR and the USA during this period.

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

Today’s quote

Everyone has talent at twenty-five. The difficulty is to have it at fifty.

– Edgar Degas

On this day

23 December 1947 – Bell Laboratories demonstrates the world’s first transistor radio.

23 December 1972 – 16 survivors of a plane-crash in the Andes, Argentina are rescued. The plane had crashed on 13 October 1972, carrying 45 people. A number of passengers were killed in the crash and some died later from exposure to the cold. Eight died in an avalanche. The survivors lived on chocolate bars, cabin food and the bodies of those who had died.

23 December 1982 – Israeli Consulate in Sydney and Hakoah Club in Bondi, Australia, bombings – both bombings were undertaken by the same three suspects. Two people were injured in the Israeli Consulate bombing and no injuries were recorded in the Hakoah bombing.

23 December 2005 – an earthquake in South-East Asia kills approximately 87,000 people, followed by a chemical spill that poisons China’s Songhue River, contaminating the water supply of millions of people.

23 December 2013 – death of Mikhail Kalashnikov, Soviet Union hero, inventor of the world’s most popular assault weapon, the AK-47, or ‘Kalashnikov’. The AK-47 stood for Kalashnikov Assault, 1947, the year it was designed. He was awarded the ‘Hero of Russia’ medal as well as Lenin and Stalin prizes. Kalashnikov invented the AK-47 to protect the national borders of the Soviet Union. The AK-47 has a simple design, which makes it very reliable and easy to replicate. Kalashnikov hadn’t patented the design internationally. As a result, of the estimated 100 million AK-47s in the world today, it is believed that at least half are copies. Although his weapon has been favoured by armies and guerillas across the globe, Kalashnikov claimed he never lost sleep over the numbers of people killed by it. He always maintained that he invented it to protect the ‘Fatherland’s borders’. He did however, rue the use of it by child soldiers. Kalashnikov was a World War II veteran who was wounded in 1941. While recovering in hospital he conceived the design. Born 10 November 1919.

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

Today’s quote

The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don’t turn against him, they crush those beneath them.

– Emily Bronte

On this day

19 December 1847 – death of Emily Bronte, author of the novel, ‘Wuthering Heights‘. Born 30 July 1818.

19 December 1915 – birth of Édith Piaf, French singer. Born Édith Giovanna Gassion, died 10 October 1963.

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

Today’s quote

I call architecture frozen music.

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

On this day

18 December 1655 – The Whitehall Conference ends with the determination that there was no law preventing Jews from re-entering England after the Edict of Expulsion of 1290.

18 December 1878 – birth of Joseph Stalin, Georgian-Russian marshal and politician, 4th Premier of the Soviet Union, died from suspected poisoning 5 March 1953.

18 December 1892 – Premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

18 December 1942 – U.S. B24 Liberator bomber crashes into Mt Straloch on Hinchinbrook Island, North Queensland. All 29 persons on board were killed. Because of the rugged terrain and monsoonal ‘wet’ season, the bodies were not recovered for some months. The plane had flown from Amberley air base, near Brisbane, to Garbutt air base in Townsville to pick up passengers. The plane crashed during a violent storm, shortly after departure from Garbutt. It was on its way to Iron Range air base, near Lockhardt River, North Queensland.

18 December 1943 – birth of Keith Richards, English guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of the classic rock band, The Rolling Stones.

18 December 1963 – birth of Brad Pitt, American actor.