3 December 2017 – char-à-banc

3 December 2017

char-à-banc or charabanc

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

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

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

Origin of char-à-banc

French

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for char-à-banc

Historical Examples

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

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

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

Anagram

cab ranch

 


Today’s quote

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

– Henri Nouwen


On this day

3 December – International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 December 2017 – logrolling

1 December 2017

logrolling

[lawg-roh-ling, log-]

noun

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

Origin of logrolling

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

Examples from the Web for logrolling

Historical Examples

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

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

Anagram

rolling log


Today’s quote

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

– Mother Teresa


On this day

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 2017 – WOTDs

December 2017 – WOTDs


31 December 2017

halitosis

[hal-i-toh-sis]

noun

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

Origin of halitosis

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for halitosis

Contemporary Examples

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

Anagram

Haiti loss
hoist sail
it so hails


30 December 2017

Poujadism

/ˈpuːʒɑːdɪzəm/

noun

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

Derived Forms

Poujadist, noun, adjective

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

Example

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

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

Anagram

adios jump
jam duo sip
I jump soda


29 December 2017

unguent

[uhng-gwuh nt]

noun

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

Origin of unguent

late Middle English Latin

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

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for unguent

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


28 December 2017

blench(1)

[blench]

verb (used without object)

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

Origin of blench(1)

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

Related forms

blencher, noun
blenchingly, adverb

blench(2)

[blench]

verb (used with or without object)

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

Origin

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for blench

Historical Examples

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

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

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


 December 2017

parapet

[par-uh-pit, -pet]

noun

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

Origin of parapet

Italian

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

Related forms

parapeted, adjective
parapetless, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for parapet

Contemporary Examples

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

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

Historical Examples

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

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

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


26 December 2017

decorous

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

adjective

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

Origin of decorous

Latin

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

Related forms

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

Synonyms

proper, becoming.

Antonyms

undignified.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for decorous

Contemporary Examples

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

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

Historical Examples

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

Anagram

sour code
do course
door cues
us or code
scour ode


25 December 2017

insensate

[in-sen-seyt, -sit]

adjective

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

Origin of insensate

Late Latin

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

Related forms

insensately, adverb
insensateness, noun

Synonyms

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for insensate

Contemporary Examples

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

Historical Examples

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

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

Anagram

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


24 December 2017

escritoire

[es-kri-twahr]

noun

1. writing desk (def 1).

Origin of escritoire

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for escritoire

Historical Examples

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

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

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

Anagram

Sir Coterie
icier store
rice sortie


23 December 2017

deontology

[dee-on-tol-uh-jee]

noun

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

Origin of deontology

Greek

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

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for deontology

Historical Examples

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

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

Anagram

goodly note
ogled on toy
not to lodge


21 December 2017

mulct

[muhlkt]

verb (used with object)

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

Origin of mulct

Latin

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

Related forms

unmulcted, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for mulct

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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


20 December 2017

knell

[nel]

noun

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

Origin of knell

Middle English Old English

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

Related forms

unknelled, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for knell

Historical Examples

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

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

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


19 December 2017

atelier

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

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

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

Origin of atelier

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for atelier

Contemporary Examples

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

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

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

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

Anagram

I relate
ale rite
real tie


18 December 2017

émigré

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

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

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

Origin of émigré

Latin

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for émigré

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anagram

regime
I merge


17 December 2017

lieu

[loo]

noun

1. place; stead.
Idioms

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

Origin of lieu

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lieu

Contemporary Examples

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

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

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


16 December 2017

inimical or inimicable

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

adjective

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

Origin of inimical

Latin

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

Related forms

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

Can be confused

inimical, inimitable.

Synonyms

1. noxious. 2. antagonistic. See hostile.

Antonyms

2. friendly.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for inimical

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anagram

I claim in


15 December 2017

ballista

[buh-lis-tuh]

noun, plural ballistae [buh-lis-tee]

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

Origin of ballista

Greek

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ballista

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anagram

lib atlas
tail slab


14 December 2017

speleology or spelaeology

[spee-lee-ol-uh-jee]

noun

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

Origin of speleology

Latin

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

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com

Anagram

loopy glees


13 December 2017

eurhythmic or eurythmic

[yoo-rith -mik, yuh-]

adjective

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

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

Origin of eurhythmic

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

Related forms

eurhythmically, eurythmically, adverb

Can be confused

arrhythmic, eurhythmic.

Dictionary.com

Anagram

rheumy itch


12 December 2017

fenestrated or fenestrate

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

adjective, Architecture.

1. having windows; windowed; characterized by windows.

2. (biology) perforated or having fenestrae

Origin of fenestrated

Latin

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

Related forms

nonfenestrated, adjective
unfenestrated, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for fenestrated

Historical Examples

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

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

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

Anagram

feared tents
feasted rent


11 December 2017

raucous

[raw-kuh s]

adjective

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

Origin of raucous

Latin

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

Related forms

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

Synonyms

1. rough, jarring, raspy.

Antonyms

1. soft, mellow, dulcet.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for raucous

Contemporary Examples

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

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

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

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

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

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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


10 December 2017

coracle

[kawr-uh-kuh l, kor-]

noun

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

Origin of coracle

Welsh

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for coracle

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


9 December 2017

sidebar

[sahyd-bahr]

noun

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

Origin of sidebar

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sidebar

Contemporary Examples

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

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

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

Anagram

braised
a debris
a brides
dab sire
I beards


exculpate

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

verb (used with object), exculpated, exculpating.

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

Origin of exculpate

Latin

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

Related forms

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

Can be confused

exculpate, exonerate, inculpate.
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for exculpate

Historical Examples

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

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

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

Anagram

cape exult
exact pule


7 December 2017

extempore

[ik-stem-puh-ree]

adverb

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

Origin of extempore

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

Related forms

nonextempore, adverb, adjective

Synonyms

4. See extemporaneous.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for extempore

Historical Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anagram

exert poem


6 December 2017

gwapo (feminine: gwapa)

adjective

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

Origin

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

Anagram

go paw


5 December 2017

superego

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

noun, plural superegos. Psychoanalysis.

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

Origin of superego

German

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for superego

Contemporary Examples

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

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

Anagram

go rupees
Peru goes


4 December 2017

ostinato

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

noun, plural ostinatos. Music.

1. a constantly recurring melodic fragment

Origin of ostinato

Latin

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ostinato

Historical Examples

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

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

Anagram

too saint
ion toast


3 December 2017

char-à-banc or charabanc

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

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

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

Origin of char-à-banc

French

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

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for char-à-banc

Historical Examples

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

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

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

Anagram

cab ranch


2 December 2017

bumf

[buhmf]

noun, British.

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

Origin of bumf

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

Dictionary.com


1 December 2017

logrolling

[lawg-roh-ling, log-]

noun

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

Origin of logrolling

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

Examples from the Web for logrolling

Historical Examples

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

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

Anagram

rolling log

29 November 2017 – crocus

29 November 2017

crocus

[kroh-kuh s]

noun, plural crocuses.

1. any of the small, bulbous plants of the genus Crocus, of the iris family, cultivated for their showy, solitary flowers, which are among the first to bloom in the spring.
2. the flower or bulb of the crocus.
3. a deep yellow; orangish yellow; saffron.
4. Also called crocus martis [mahr-tis] (Show IPA). a polishing powder consisting of iron oxide.

Origin of crocus

Middle English, Latin, Greek, Arabic

1350-1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek krókos saffron, crocus < Semitic; compare Arabic kurkum saffron

Related forms

crocused, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for crocus

Contemporary Examples

Saffron is the dried stigmas (the female reproductive parts) of the saffron crocus (crocus sativus).
In Search of the $10,000 Spice
Sarah Whitman-Salkin
July 14, 2009

It takes about 70,000 crocus blossoms or 210,000 stigmas to yield just a pound of saffron.
In Search of the $10,000 Spice
Sarah Whitman-Salkin
July 14, 2009

Historical Examples

And why should the year’s first crocus have brought him luck?
Europe After 8:15
H. L. Mencken, George Jean Nathan and Willard Huntington Wright

Anagram

occurs


Today’s quote

My imagination functions much better when I don’t have to speak to people.

– Patricia Highsmith


On this day

29 November – International Day of Solidarity with Palestine.

29 November 1898 – birth of Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis, Irish novellist, author of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Screwtape Letters’. Died 22 November 1963.

29 November 1922 – Federal authorities are engaged to assist in the enforcement of prohibition laws in the United States.

29 November 1947 – the United Nations votes in favour of Resolution 181 for the partitioning of the land of Palestine in order to create both a Jewish state, named Israel, and an Arab state named Palestine. Arab nations refused to accept the resolution and the state of Palestine was not created, while the state of Israel was.

29 November 1948 – the first Holden car is manufactured in Australia by General Motors Holden Automotive (GMH). The first model is a Holden FX.

29 November 1963 – The Warren Commission is established to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After 10 months, the Chief Justice Earl Warren hands down his findings that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in the assassination.

29 November 1986 – death of Cary Grant, born Archibald Alexander Leach, actor (‘North by Northwest‘, ‘To Catch a Thief‘, ‘An Affair to Remember‘, ‘Gunga Din‘). Born 18 January 1904.

29 November 2012 – The United Nations votes to recognise Palestine as a ‘non-member state’, implicitly acknowledging Palestinian statehood.

28 November 2017 – courgette

28 November 2017

courgette

[koo r-zhet]

noun
1. (mainly Brit) a small variety of vegetable marrow, cooked and eaten as a vegetable Also called zucchini

Word Origin

from French, diminutive of courge marrow, gourd

Collins English Dictionary

Example

A German man feared a monster courgette he found in his garden was an unexploded World War Two bomb and called the police. The 5kg (11-pound) courgette had probably been thrown over a hedge into the 81 year old’s garden, police said. Luckily no evacuation was required in Bretten, a town near Karlsruhe in south-west Germany. The 40cm (16-inch) vegetable – also called zucchini – “really did look like a bomb”, police said.
German police find ‘WW2 bomb’ was big courgette
BBC.com
3 November 2017

Anagram

urge octet
ego cutter
cute ergot


Today’s quote

When all else fails there’s always delusion.

– Conan O’Brien


On this day

28 November 1968 – death of Enid Blyton, British author of numerous series of children’s stories, including ‘Noddy‘, ‘Famous Five‘, and ‘Secret Seven‘. Born 11 August 1897.

28 November 1990 – UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher formally tenders her resignation following disendorsement by her Cabinet on 22 November 1990.

28 November 1992 – death of Sidney Nolan, one of Australia’s leading artists, best known for his series of Ned Kelly paintings. During the 2000 Olympics, performers wore costumes based on Nolan’s depiction of Ned Kelly. Nolan painted a number of Australian legends and historical events, including the Eureka Stockade, and explorers Burke and Wills. Nolan was influenced by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Born 22 April 1917.

28 November 1994 – U.S. serial killer and cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer, bashed to death while cleaning a prison toilet. Dahmer was serving 15 life sentences for the murder of 15 men and boys. He had initially faced 17 murder charges, but this had been reduced.

27 November 2017 – mulsum

27 November 2017

mulsum

[mul suhm]

noun

– mixture of wine and honey commonly drunk with the first course of the meal.

Origin

Ancient Roman

encyclopedia.com


Today’s quote

A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.

– Jim Morrison


On this day

27 November 1940 – birth of Bruce Lee. (born as Lee Jun-fan), martial artist and actor. Died 20 July 1973.

27 November 1942 – birthday of Jimi Hendrix. American guitarist and singer-songwriter. Died 18 September 1970.

27 November 1975 – Ross McWhirter, co-founder of the Guinness Book of World Records, is shot dead outside his house in North London. Police suspect the Irish Republican Army (IRA) of the murder, as McWhirter had posted a £50,000 reward for information that lead to the arrest of IRA bombers.

27 November 1999 – Helen Clark is elected as New Zealand’s first female Prime Minister. She represented the centre-left of the Labour Party.

26 November 2017 – otalgia

26 November 2017

otalgia

[oh-tal-jee-uh, -juh]

noun, Pathology.

1. earache.

Origin of otalgia

Greek

1650-1660; New Latin; Greek ōtalgía, equivalent to ōt- ot- + -algia -algia

Related forms

otalgic, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for otalgia

Historical Examples

In this case the otalgia belongs to the fourth class of diseases.
Zoonomia, Vol. II
Erasmus Darwin

Anagram

tail ago
ail goat

 


Today’s quote

Love is the affinity which links and draws together the elements of the world… Love, in fact, is the agent of universal synthesis.

– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin


On this day

26 November 1922 – British archaeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnavon enter the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen which Carter had discovered a few days earlier. Legend held that the tomb was protected by the ‘Mummy’s Curse’. Within 7 months of entering the tomb, both Carter and Carnavon were dead.

26 November 1942 – world premiere of iconic film ‘Casablanca’, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The movie was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 of them.

26 November 1992 – The Queen begins paying income tax and the number of royals receiving tax-payers funds is reduced to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother.

August 2017 WOTDs

August 2017


31 August 2017

birling

[bur-ling]

noun, Chiefly Northern U.S.

1. a game played by lumberjacks, in which each tries to balance longest on a floating log while rotating the log with the feet.

Origin of birling

birl + -ing1
birl
[burl]

Spell Syllables

verb (used with object)

1. Chiefly Northern U.S. Lumbering. to cause (a floating log) to rotate rapidly by treading upon it.
2. British. to spin or cause to rotate.
verb (used without object)
3. Chiefly Northern U.S. Lumbering. to cause a floating log to rotate rapidly by treading on it.
4. British.
to move or rotate rapidly.
Informal. to spend money freely.
Informal. to gamble.
noun
5. British Informal. an attempt; a gamble.

Origin

1715-25; perhaps blend of birr1and whirl, influenced, in some senses, by birle

Related forms

birler, noun
birle
[burl; Scot. birl] Chiefly Scot.

verb (used with object), birled, birling.

1. to pour (a drink) or pour a drink for.
verb (used without object), birled, birling.
2. to drink deeply; carouse.

Origin

before 1000; Middle English birlen, Old English byrelian, derivative of byrele butler; akin to bear1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for birling

Historical Examples

By the way, did you fellows ever square up on that birling match?
Blazed Trail Stories
Stewart Edward White

Why was the sympathy of the crowd with Jimmy Powers in the birling match?
Americans All
Various

birling the brown bowl wi’ the fowler and the falconer, and some o’ the serving folk.
Old Mortality, Complete, Illustrated
Sir Walter Scott

Anagram

girl bin
rib ling


30 August 2017

Athazagoraphobia

[ey-thaz-ag-or-uh-foh-bee-uh]

noun

– fear of being forgotten or ignored and fear of forgetting. Athazagoraphobia is considered to be a specific phobia and as with any phobia, the symptoms vary by person depending on their level of fear. The symptoms typically include extreme anxiety, dread and anything associated with panic such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, nausea, inability to articulate words or sentences, dry mouth and shaking

http://common-phobias.com/athazagora/phobia.htm

Example

Sitting, waiting day after day with shaking hands and dry mouth for her reply in Messenger … has she forgotten me … I never thought I suffered athazagoraphobia until I felt panic from her delayed responses.

Anagram

Arabia Hath Zap Goo
Bazaar Hag Patio Oh
Airbag Aha Zap Hoot


29 August 2017

querulous

[kwer-uh-luh s, kwer-yuh-]

adjective

1. full of complaints; complaining.
2. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish:
a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.

Origin of querulous

Latin

1490-1500; Latin querulus, equivalent to quer(ī) to complain + -ulus -ulous

Related forms

querulously, adverb
querulousness, noun
unquerulous, adjective
unquerulously, adverb
unquerulousness, noun

Synonyms

1, 2. petulant, testy; caviling, carping, discontented.

Antonyms

1. contented.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for querulous

Contemporary Examples

The querulous, interconnected pamphlets printed in seventeenth-century Europe prefigure the culture of modern blogging.
Social Media is So Old Even the Romans Had It
Nick Romeo
October 25, 2013

Calasso reconstruction is, in Mounts’ judgment, a superbly ambitious, quirky, querulous, lyrical, and finally persuasive essay.
The Best of Brit Lit
Peter Stothard
April 7, 2010

Historical Examples

And on his countenance there was a sour, querulous, resentful expression.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

A querulous, high-pitched voice, quavering with the palsy of extreme age.
The Slave Of The Lamp
Henry Seton Merriman

But the children had no awe of the gambler, and their protests were many and querulous.
The Twins of Suffering Creek
Ridgwell Cullum

For the moment, however, Mr. Mix was querulous rather than defensive.
Rope
Holworthy Hall
At this moment a querulous, broken voice comes to them from some inner room.
Molly Bawn
Margaret Wolfe Hamilton

I have also heard from James; he too, talks of success, but in a querulous strain.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Elizabeth Robins Pennell

“I have been down to the village looking for you,” he said, in a querulous tone.
The Hand in the Dark
Arthur J. Rees

On his face was an expression of querulous surprise as he reeled to the fall.
The House of Pride
Jack London


28 August 2017

dishevel

[dih-shev-uh l]

verb (used with object), disheveled, disheveling or (especially British) dishevelled, dishevelling.

1. to let down, as hair, or wear or let hang in loose disorder, as clothing.
2. to cause untidiness and disarray in:
The wind disheveled the papers on the desk.

Origin of dishevel

1590-1600 First recorded in 1590-1600; back formation from disheveled
Related forms

dishevelment, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dishevel

Historical Examples

I never can get them there girls of mine to dishevel themselves in time.
Manners, Vol 1 of 3
Frances Brooke

I find it clear and very clarifying, after the innumerable hours I have spent in trying to dishevel him.
The Letters of William James, Vol. II
William James

Rich chaplets these were, that the winds might not dishevel their comely hair, and this is true i’ faith.
The Nibelungenlied
Unknown

Anagram

I shelved
shed evil
she devil
she lived
hid elves


27 August 2017

popinjay

[pop-in-jey]

noun

1. a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb; fop.
2. British Dialect. a woodpecker, especially the green woodpecker.
3. Archaic. the figure of a parrot usually fixed on a pole and used as a target in archery and gun shooting.
4. Archaic. a parrot.

Origin of popinjay

Middle English, Middle French, Spanish, Arabic
1275-1325; Middle English papejay, popingay, papinjai(e) < Middle French papegai, papingay parrot < Spanish papagayo < Arabic bab(ba)ghā’

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for popinjay

Historical Examples

Yes, I was thinking what a popinjay I should look in a cocked hat.
Syd Belton
George Manville Fenn

That it has given a peacock’s strut to the popinjay Anthony Woodville.
The Last Of The Barons, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

“Then will they miss seeing a man, and not a popinjay,” I retorted.
To Have and To Hold
Mary Johnston

Am I to be shot at like a popinjay at a fair, by any reaver or outlaw that seeks a mark for his bow?
Sir Nigel
Arthur Conan Doyle

You should see the figure you cut with that popinjay in your arms.
The Shadow of Life
Anne Douglas Sedgwick

I’ll be shot if you shall have an invitation to Lancaster Park, you popinjay !
Lancaster’s Choice
Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller

Then will they miss seeing a man, and not a popinjay, I retorted.
By order of the company
Mary Johnston

Taylor, the water poet, mentions the popinjay at Ewell, in 1636.
The History of Signboards
Jacob Larwood

Two only of those who followed in order succeeded in hitting the popinjay.
Old Mortality, Complete, Illustrated
Sir Walter Scott

But the popinjay could not sing, and had no invitation to stay.
Dorothy and other Italian Stories
Constance Fenimore Woolson

Anagram

pip yo Jan


26 August 2017

indecorous

[in-dek-er-uh s, in-di-kawr-uh s, -kohr-]

adjective

1. not decorous; violating generally accepted standards of good taste or propriety; unseemly.

Origin of indecorous

Latin

1670-1680 From the Latin word indecōrus, dating back to 1670-80. See in-3, decorous

Related forms

indecorously, adverb
indecorousness, noun

Synonyms

indecent, improper, inappropriate.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for indecorous

Historical Examples

The indecorous Elizabethans regarded this custom almost entirely from the point of view of decorum and morality.
Oxford Lectures on Poetry
Andrew Cecil Bradley

We cannot follow them and listen to their conversation—that would be indecorous.
The Youth of Jefferson
J. E. Cooke.

The sight struck him as indecorous in the extreme, and he turned his eyes away.
The Damnation of Theron Ware
Harold Frederic

To make such a fuss, also, about your religion seemed to her indecorous and absurd.
The Coryston Family
Mrs. Humphry Ward

The legal gentlemen, I suspect, were responsible for this indecorous zeal, which I never afterwards remarked in a similar party.
Our Old Home, Vol. 2
Nathaniel Hawthorne

A 65 very good showing, in these relaxed and indecorous days.
An Idyll of All Fools’ Day
Josephine Daskam Bacon

I supposed so only, for it would have been indecorous to inquire into the meaning of what I saw.
The American Indians
Henry R. Schoolcraft

It would have been horrible, it would have been indecorous, to ask Kamarowsky for money.
Marie Tarnowska
Annie Vivanti

Wouldn’t it be considered scandalous, or at least indecorous, if it were to leak out now?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 105, September 30th 1893
Various

You may be thankful it was my indecorous, unfeminine self, and not any of the proprieties.
Merkland
Mrs. Oliphant

Anagram

coined ours
sourced ion
since odour
curios done
or so induce

 


25 August 2017

capitulate

[kuh-pich-uh-leyt]

verb (used without object), capitulated, capitulating.

1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms.
2. to give up resistance:
He finally capitulated and agreed to do the job my way.

Origin of capitulate

Medieval Latin

1570-1580; < Medieval Latin capitulātus (past participle of capitulāre to draw up in sections), equivalent to capitul(um) section (literally, small head; see capitulum ) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

capitulant, noun
capitulator, noun
uncapitulated, adjective
uncapitulating, adjective

Can be confused

capitulate, recapitulate.

Synonyms

2. yield, acquiesce, accede, give in.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for capitulate

Contemporary Examples

This meant that even if Saddam sought to capitulate, it would not suffice.
Sanctions Make War More Likely
Trita Parsi
March 22, 2012

Nor is the stubborn, shrewd prime minsiter known to capitulate easily, or to misread public sentiment.
Why Did Netanyahu Release Palestinian Prisoners?
Abraham Katsman
August 5, 2013

As he is walking out the door, the Japanese call him back, capitulate, and a happy medium is agreed on.
‘A Hijacking,’ the Somali Pirate Movie Without Tom Hanks, Is Fantastic
Tom Sykes
July 14, 2013

Anagram

teacup tail
up a lattice
at tulip ace


24 August 2017

millenary

[mil-uh-ner-ee]

adjective

1. consisting of or pertaining to a thousand, especially a thousand years.
2. pertaining to the millennium.
noun, plural millenaries.
3. an aggregate of a thousand.
4. millennium.
5. millenarian.

Origin of millenary

Late Latin

1540-1550; < Late Latin millēnārius consisting of a thousand, equivalent to millēn(ī) a thousand each ( Latin mill(e) thousand + -ēnī distributive suffix) + -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for millenary

Historical Examples

Many legends illustrate the incapacity of the first millenary to realise the relationship between the sexes in any other sense.
The Evolution of Love
Emil Lucka

At Hertford, a pageant began in commemoration of the millenary of the town.
The Annual Register 1914
Anonymous

The millenary Petition asked only some changes in the ritual of the Church and certain moderate reforms.
An Outline of the Relations between England and Scotland (500-1707)
Robert S. Rait

Least of all is any mysterious virtue to be attached to the millenary date with which I begin.
The Ancient East
D. G. Hogarh

The fourth is the Jaik or Rhymnus, on each bank of which a millenary commands.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. I
Robert Kerr

In the millenary year he presented a magnificent silver-mounted horn to the Mayor and Corporation, as guardians of the city.
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 25, January 1893
Various

Anagram

learn limy
early limn
rally mine
manly rile


23 August 2017

deign

[deyn]

verb (used without object)

1. to think fit or in accordance with one’s dignity; condescend:
He would not deign to discuss the matter with us.
verb (used with object)
2. to condescend to give or grant:
He deigned no reply.
3. Obsolete. to condescend to accept.

Origin of deign

Middle English Old French Latin

1250-1300; Middle English deinen < Old French deignier < Latin dignārī to judge worthy, equivalent to dign(us) worthy + -ārī infinitive suffix

Can be confused

deign, dine.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for deign

Contemporary Examples

Should we be grateful for whatever music they deign to release and grade them on a curve because of it?
‘High Hopes’ Review: Bruce Springsteen Lowers the Bar
Andrew Romano
January 6, 2014

Historical Examples

The khan, however, did not deign to interfere in a strife which caused him no trouble.
The Empire of Russia
John S. C. Abbott

Yet deign, white Queen of Beauty, thy fair eyes On our souls’ sacrifice.
Endymion
John Keats

Nor does she deign to look at you until you are back in the city street where you met.
Seductio Ad Absurdum
Emily Hahn

Riviere smiled sadly, but consented to deign to eat a morsel in the porch.
White Lies
Charles Reade


22 August 2017

taciturn

[tas-i-turn]

adjective

1. inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
2. dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

Origin of taciturn

Latin

1765-1775; Latin taciturnus, quiet, maintaining silence, equivalent to tacit(us) silent (see tacit ) + -urnus adj. suffix of time

Related forms

taciturnly, adverb
untaciturn, adjective
untaciturnly, adverb

Synonyms

1. silent, uncommunicative, reticent, quiet.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for taciturn

Contemporary Examples

Tall and taciturn, he exuded the easy authority of a young man used to money and the deference that came with it.
Doug Kenney: The Odd Comic Genius Behind ‘Animal House’ and National Lampoon
Robert Sam Anson
February 28, 2014

No one would confuse him the taciturn, forgetful and vengeful Senate Majority Leader.
Nevada Guv Faces Fans and Foes in Reelection
Lloyd Green
March 17, 2014

The exuberant, indefatigable Democrat from Oregon and the dour, taciturn Republican from New Hampshire made an odd couple.
The Senate’s New Taxman Won’t Be Controlled By His Own Party
Linda Killian
February 17, 2014

I became irrational and flunked the tough-guy test, the show-me-the-evidence test, the taciturn Gary Cooper test.
Warren Buffett’s Cancer Decoded
Kent Sepkowitz
April 18, 2012

But he was also taciturn, rarely betraying his inner thoughts, his friends have said.
Moon Men: The Private Lives of Neil Armstrong and Pals in “Togethersville”
Lily Koppel
August 31, 2012

Historical Examples

Sometimes Master Tommy is obstinate, as well as taciturn, and his “won’t” is as strong as his will.
Manners and Rules of Good Society
Anonymous

Don Saturnino was taciturn and of violent temper, but very industrious.
An Eagle Flight
Jos Rizal

This was the hope which had produced his taciturn resignation and brought that savage smile on his lips.
The Collection of Antiquities
Honore de Balzac

A loquacious advocate is more likely to gain his case than a taciturn one.
The Proverbs of Scotland
Alexander Hislop

Little by little, one word at a time, he gained from the taciturn negro an idea of what had taken place while he slept.
“Forward, March”
Kirk Munroe

Anagram

titan cur
attic run
tunic art


21 August 2017

skelp (1) or scelp

[skelp] Scot. and North England

noun

1. a slap, smack, or blow, especially one given with the open hand.
2. the sound of such a slap or smack.
verb (used with object)
3. to slap, smack, or strike (someone), especially on the buttocks; spank.
4. to drive (animals) by slapping or goading them.

Origin of skelp(1)

Middle English

1350-1400; Middle English; probably imitative

skelp(2)

[skelp]

noun

1. metal in strip form that is fed into various rolls and welded to form tubing.

Origin

First recorded in 1805-15; perhaps special use of skelp(1)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for skelp

Historical Examples

In making tubes of an inch of internal diameter, a skelp four inches and a half broad is employed.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
Andrew Ure

Hed admire to take a skelp, that Tomcat would, but hes shy the sand.
The Sunset Trail
Alfred Henry Lewis

Kilt yer coats, ye cutty, and skelp at it withouten fear or dread!
Wilson’s Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. 9

Anagram

kelps


20 August 2017

delusive

[dih-loo-siv]

adjective

1. tending to delude; misleading; deceptive:
a delusive reply.
2. of the nature of a delusion; false; unreal:
a delusive belief.

Also, delusory [dih-loo-suh-ree]

Origin of delusive

1595-1605 First recorded in 1595-1605; delus(ion) + -ive

Related forms

delusively, adverb
delusiveness, noun
nondelusive, adjective
undelusive, adjective
undelusively, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for delusive

Contemporary Examples

It would be delusory to take the MB’s democratic protestations at face value.
Beware Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood
Leslie H. Gelb
January 28, 2011

Historical Examples

Such are often given over to woeful hard-heartedness or despair; for God will not be mocked with delusory words.
A Christian Directory (Volume 1 of 4)
Richard Baxter

Anagram

us veiled
Sue lived


19 August 2017

braw

[braw, brah]

adjective, Scot. and North England.

1. fine or fine-looking; excellent.
2. finely dressed; dressed in a splendid or gaudy fashion.

Origin of braw

1555-1565 First recorded in 1555-65; variant of brave

Related forms

brawly, brawlie, brawlis, brawlys [braw-lis, brah-] (Show IPA), adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for braw

Historical Examples

They rade on braw wee white naigs, wi’ unco lang swooping tails, an’ manes hung wi’ whustles that the win’ played on.
The Fairy Mythology
Thomas Keightley

They’re a braw set of men, and there’s many a gude Scotchman among them.
Ben Comee
M. J. (Michael Joseph) Canavan

His lairdship wrote a braw note of acknowledgements to my maister, and gie it me to take away.
The Lost Lady of Lone
E.D.E.N. Southworth

Ye’re as braw as Bink’s wife,—like the sun on shairney water.
The Proverbs of Scotland
Alexander Hislop

Well, it was no such a braw thing to me that night, as it had seemed on the previous day.
The Record of Nicholas Freydon
A. J. (Alec John) Dawson

After all, this braw wooer was bearing himself with manly dignity.
Lover or Friend
Rosa Nouchette Carey

“He’s a braw lad,” he rumbled, as he busied himself about the stove.
Connie Morgan in Alaska
James B. Hendryx

The children had left off their mourning, and Gabrielle was braw with sashes and trinkets.
Missy
Miriam Coles Harris

He’s sending in a cart by a groom, and I’m to tak’ Bobby out and fetch him hame after a braw dinner on gowd plate.
Greyfriars Bobby
Eleanor Atkinson

It’s a braw thing that ye are no’ to meet wi’ her the nicht.
The Men of the Moss-Hags
S. R. Crockett


18 August 2017

couchant

[kou-chuh nt]

adjective

1. lying down; crouching.
2. Heraldry. (of an animal) represented as lying on its stomach with its hind legs and forelegs pointed forward.

Origin of couchant

late Middle English

1400-1450; late Middle English; Middle French, present participle of coucher to lay or lie. See couch, -ant

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for couchant

Historical Examples

She began to picture herself traveling with Ralph in a land where these monsters were couchant in the sand.
Night and Day
Virginia Woolf

Sordello, that noble and disdainful Lombard, eyes us from afar like a couchant lion.
Intentions
Oscar Wilde

The carving of one pair of arms might be couchant lions; on the next, leopards; on the next, hounds, and so on.
In the Days of the Guild
Louise Lamprey

Anagram

coach nut
tan couch
cut nacho


17 August 2017

jouk or jook

[jook] Scot.

noun

1. a sudden, elusive movement.
verb (used with or without object)
2. to dodge or duck.

Origin of jouk

1510-1520 First recorded in 1510-20; apparently variant of duck2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for jouk

Historical Examples

Do not now jouk, or bow, or yield to your adversaries in a hair-breadth.
Letters of Samuel Rutherford
Samuel Rutherford

It was blithe and heartsome to go birling to Skeighan in the train; it was grand to jouk round Barbie on the nichts at e’en!
The House with the Green Shutters
George Douglas Brownjoukor jook
[jook] Scot.

Word Origin

noun

1. a sudden, elusive movement.

verb (used with or without object)

2. to dodge or duck.

Origin of jouk

1510-1520 First recorded in 1510-20; apparently variant of duck2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for jouk

Historical Examples

Do not now jouk, or bow, or yield to your adversaries in a hair-breadth.
Letters of Samuel Rutherford
Samuel Rutherford

It was blithe and heartsome to go birling to Skeighan in the train; it was grand to jouk round Barbie on the nichts at e’en!
The House with the Green Shutters
George Douglas Brown


16 August 2017

costive

[kos-tiv, kaw-stiv]

adjective

1. suffering from constipation; constipated.
2. slow in action or in expressing ideas, opinions, etc.
3. Obsolete. stingy; tight-fisted.

Origin of costive

Middle English, Anglo-French, Middle French, Latin

1350-1400; Middle English < Anglo-French *costif, for Middle French costivé, past participle of costiver to constipate < Latin constīpāre (see constipate )

Related forms

costively, adverb
costiveness, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for costive

Historical Examples

Anything that tends to make her costive, such as fruits or green vegetables, should be partaken of with discrimination.
Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife
Marion Mills Miller

He took no other medicine, except a little rhubarb when costive.
An Account of the Foxglove and some of its Medical Uses
William Withering

Sometimes the patient is costive, and has been so for several days, the dysentery coming on without being preceded by looseness.
An Epitome of Homeopathic Healing Art
B. L. Hill

I finds un fine to hunt with, and ’tis not so costive as the others.
Left on the Labrador
Dillon Wallace

This gruel is proper for children, or persons of a costive habit.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

I was of a costive, dyspeptic habit, which has been entirely removed.
Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages
William Andrus Alcott

The stool may be normal or costive, but is very often diarrhoetic.
Prof. Koch’s Method to Cure Tuberculosis Popularly Treated
Max Birnbaum

A costive reserve on these subjects might have procured me more esteem from some people, but less from myself.
Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson

An egg may be taken at this meal by those luxuriously inclined, and if not of a costive habit.
The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book
Thomas R. Allinson

To relieve the bowels when costive, take a dose of Nux Vomica at night, and Podophyllin in the morning.
An Epitome of Homeopathic Healing Art
B. L. Hill

Anagram

so evict
covet is


15 August 2017

gomerel or gomeral, gomeril

[gom-er-uh l]

noun, Scot. and North England.

1. a fool.

Origin of gomerel

Old English

1805-1815; obsolete gome man ( Old English guma; cognate with Gothic guma, Latin homō) + -rel

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gomerel

Historical Examples

Eden stared at her friend with the astonishment of a gomeril at a contortionist.
Eden
Edgar Saltus

Wasn’t she the jewel of the world altogether, an’ how could he ever have been such a gomeril as to doubt her?
North, South and Over the Sea
M.E. Francis (Mrs. Francis Blundell)

Anagram

mere log
more leg
gem lore


14 August 2017

ken

[ken]

noun

1. knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception:
an idea beyond one’s ken.
2. range of sight or vision.
verb (used with object), kenned or kent, kenning.
3. Chiefly Scot.
to know, have knowledge of or about, or be acquainted with (a person or thing).
to understand or perceive (an idea or situation).
4. Scots Law. to acknowledge as heir; recognize by a judicial act.
5. Archaic. to see; descry; recognize.
6. British Dialect Archaic.
to declare, acknowledge, or confess (something).
to teach, direct, or guide (someone).

verb (used without object), kenned or kent, kenning.

7. British Dialect.
to have knowledge of something.
to understand.

before 900; Middle English kennen to make known, see, know, Old English cennan to make known, declare; cognate with Old Norse kenna, German kennen; akin to can

Example

But if you think so poorly of me, ye’ll be pleased to ken I’ll soon be returning to my home at Lallybroch.

– Outlander TV series


13 August 2017

nom de guerre

[nom duh gair; French nawn duh ger]

noun, plural noms de guerre [nomz duh gair; French nawn duh ger] (Show IPA)

1. n assumed name, as one under which a person fights, paints, writes, etc.; pseudonym.

Origin of nom de guerre

< French: literally, war name

Examples from the Web for nom de guerre

Contemporary Examples

A former military man, Molina had served under Rios Montt, reportedly under the nom de guerre Major Tito.
Guatemala’s Trial of the Century
Mac Margolis
May 5, 2013

It is headed by another shadowy figure using the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al Golani.
Al Qaeda’s Most Dangerous Stronghold
Bruce Riedel
November 10, 2013

Anagram

mourn degree
rodgered menu
demure goner
ruder genome
Mr dengue roe


12 August 2017

laird

[laird; Scot. leyrd]

noun, Scot.

1. a landed proprietor.

Origin of laird Expan

late Middle English Scots

1400-1450; late Middle English laverd, northern and Scots form of loverd lord

Related forms

lairdly, adjective
lairdship, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for laird

Contemporary Examples

Excerpted from The Cocktail Dress by laird Borelli-Persson © 2009.
A Short History of the Cocktail Dress
Laird Borrelli-Persson
April 4, 2009

“Sometimes people shoot Marc in a sensational way,” laird says.
Lady Gaga, Marc Jacobs, Olsen Twins and More at 2011 CFDA Awards
Isabel Wilkinson
June 5, 2011

laird Borrelli-Persson is the senior features editor at Style.com, the online home of Vogue and W magazines.
A Short History of the Cocktail Dress
Laird Borrelli-Persson
April 4, 2009

When I get on the phone with Georgie, I ask her who told her the story of the cook, the laird, his wife and the Queen Mother.
The Cook, the Laird, his Wife and the Queen Mother
Tom Sykes
May 14, 2012

Historical Examples

What said your landlord, the laird of Saint Ronan’s, to all this?
St. Ronan’s Well
Sir Walter Scott

We meant to carry on the deception next morning, but the laird was too happy for concealment.
Spare Hours
John Brown

He was the cleverest man I ever knew, and the best—except Taffy and the laird and your dear son!
Trilby
George Du Maurier

There’s an act in the laird o’ Grant’s court, that no abune eleven speak at ance.
The Proverbs of Scotland
Alexander Hislop

“You would be much more foolish throwing it backwards and forwards and not catching anything,” remarked the laird.
Norman Vallery
W.H.G. Kingston

Ye’re ower het and ower fu’, sib to some o’ the laird ‘s tenants.
The Proverbs of Scotland
Alexander Hislop


11 August 2017

scut(1)

[skuht]

noun

1. a short tail, especially that of a hare, rabbit, or deer.

Origin of scut(1)

Old Norse

1400-1450; late Middle English: hare < Old Norse skutr stern

scut(2)

[skuht]

noun, Slang.

1. a worthless, contemptible person.

Origin

1870-75; origin uncertain; perhaps continuation of Scots and dial. scout, scoot, Middle English scoute in same sense; perhaps noun use of Scots scout to spurt, squirt out, scoot

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for scut

Historical Examples

Im a free sailor of Queen Bess and fear no scut of a Spaniard as ever twisted a thumb-screw.
In Search of Mademoiselle
George Gibbs

Pinch its scut or bite its ears, and when it exclaims, “Miauw!”
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 102, May 21, 1892
Various

On his head is a little round cap, with a tuft made out of a hare’s or rabbit’s scut.
The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the first
Count Carlo Gozzi

The white napkin whisked like the scut of a rabbit, and he bounded to my side.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 158, February 25th, 1920
Various

Anagram

cuts


9 August 2017

fabulist

[fab-yuh-list]

noun

1. a person who invents or relates fables.
2. a liar.

Origin of fabulist

Middle French

1585-1595; Middle French fabuliste, equivalent to; fābul(a) fable + -iste -ist

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for fabulist

Contemporary Examples

The fabulist seems to want only to rant in his new monologue.
Mike Daisey’s Monologue ‘Journalism’: This Is Not an Apology Tour
Winston Ross
May 21, 2013

From there stemmed the idea of a fabulist, a man who lives in this alternate reality.
Rebecca Miller on Broadway’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ Revival
Rebecca Miller
May 31, 2012

It is subtitled a “family fable” because there is a moral attached, and because Mac was a fabulist.
The Best of Brit Lit
Peter Stothard
March 17, 2010

To some I will always be a fabulist, a scoundrel, and a liar.
Mike Daisey Remembers Steve Jobs a Year After His Death
Mike Daisey
October 4, 2012

Historical Examples

The fabulist had not in him sufficient hypocrisy of which to manufacture the commonplace politeness of society.
The Fables of La Fontaine
Jean de la Fontaine

Gay the fabulist is only interesting in a certain sense and to a small extent.
Views and Reviews
William Ernest Henley

The born poet still talks that way, he is naturally a fabulist and cannot help himself.
Homer’s Odyssey
Denton J. Snider

The fabulist is to create a laugh, but yet, under a merry guise, to convey instruction.
Aesop’s Fables
Aesop

In 1664 La Fontaine published his first collection of fables, and it gave him immediately the very highest rank as a fabulist.
Paris: With Pen and Pencil
David W. Bartlett

That is the fabulist ‘s opinion—Harriet Shelley’s is not reported.
In Defense of Harriet Shelley
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Anagram

flab suit
flu baits


8 August 2017

ambergris

[am-ber-grees, -gris]

noun

1. an opaque, ash-colored secretion of the sperm whale intestine, usually found floating on the ocean or cast ashore: used in perfumery.

Origin of ambergris

late Middle English Middle French

1375-1425; < Middle French ambre gris gray amber (see amber ); replacing late Middle English imbergres

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ambergris

Historical Examples

These Portuguese exchanged a lump of ambergris, or what was supposed to be ambergris, for old clothes.
History of the Buccaneers of America
James Burney

The hatches were off her hold and our sealskins and our ambergris gone from below.
Sonnie-Boy’s People
James B. Connolly

A drop or two (not more) of essence of ambergris or vanilla improves it.
Cooley’s Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley

Anagram

barge rims
Ambers rig
miser brag


7 August 2017

peruke

[puh-rook]

noun

1. a man’s wig of the 17th and 18th centuries, usually powdered and gathered at the back of the neck with a ribbon; periwig.

Origin of peruke

Middle French

1540-1550 First recorded in 1540-50, peruke is from the Middle French word perruque head of hair, wig, of disputed orig.

Related forms

peruked, adjective
perukeless, adjective
unperuked, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for peruke

Historical Examples

Daniel’s head is covered with a peruke of considerable magnitude.
Notes and Queries, Number 80, May 10, 1851
Various

The peruke, and, as it were, all that the peruke symbolized.
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Volume IV. (of XXI.)
Thomas Carlyle

He found his peruke a model of perfection; tight, yet easy; not an inch more on one side than on the other.
Imaginary Conversations and Poems
Walter Savage Landor

Anagram

reek up


6 August 2017

wiseacre

[wahyz-ey-ker]

noun

1. a person who possesses or affects to possess great wisdom.
2. wise guy.

Origin of wiseacre

Middle Dutch, Middle High German late Old High German
1585-1595; < Middle Dutch wijssager prophet, translation of Middle High German wīssage, late Old High German wīssago, by popular etymology equivalent to wīs wise + sago sayer, from earlier wīzzago wise person; cognate with Old English wītega, akin to wit2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for wiseacre

Contemporary Examples

Yes, as some wiseacre will point out in the comments, this is the hometown of the Chiefs.
Dan Snyder’s Indian Chief Is Neither
Michael Tomasky
June 27, 2013

Historical Examples
The learned ignorance of the wiseacre always compels him to laugh at the man with an idea that is new.
The Common Sense of Socialism
John Spargo

A barrel may sound hollow, but not a bird–this wiseacre acquaints us.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson

Anagram

wiser ace
I we cares


5 August 2017

lachrymose

[lak-ruh-mohs]

adjective

1. suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful.
2. given to shedding tears readily; tearful.

Origin of lachrymose

Latin

1655-1665; Latin lacrimōsus, equivalent to lacrim(a) tear (see lachrymal ) + -ōsus -ose1

Related forms

lachrymosely, adverb
lachrymosity [lak-ruh-mos-i-tee], noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lachrymose

Historical Examples

The gills are notched, rather distant, pallid, then cinnamon; lachrymose.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise
M. E. Hard

Then it had cried out once, and so remained ever lachrymose and in agony.
The Fifth Queen Crowned
Ford Madox Ford

I am as limp, lachrymose, and lamentable, a young woman as you would find between the three seas.
Nancy
Rhoda Broughton

The too lachrymose Madonna in terra-cotta, 256, already ushers in the decadence.
The Story of Paris
Thomas Okey

He is the only one who has attempted the lachrymose, the sentimental novel.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century
Leo Wiener

But women must beware of sham emotion and lachrymose sentimentality.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley

Nor did any lachrymose letter in the Times predict a speedy downfall of the Empire140 for this apathy of its local guardians.
My Reminiscences
Rabindranath Tagore

For Servius, who is timid and lachrymose, everything has gone astray.
The Life of Cicero
Anthony Trollope

And now Luisa also was vexed, and went to fetch Maria, whom she presently brought back in a lachrymose but mute state.
The Patriot
Antonio Fogazzaro

Besides, the expression of her face was lachrymose in the extreme.
The Girls of Central High in Camp
Gertrude W. Morrison

Anagram

horsy camel
holy creams
cola rhymes


4 August 2017

ramble

[ram-buh l]

verb (used without object), rambled, rambling.

1. to wander around in a leisurely, aimless manner:
They rambled through the shops until closing time.
2. to take a course with many turns or windings, as a stream or path.
3. to grow in a random, unsystematic fashion:
The vine rambled over the walls and tree trunks.
4. to talk or write in a discursive, aimless way (usually followed by on):
The speaker rambled on with anecdote after anecdote.
verb (used with object), rambled, rambling.
5. to walk aimlessly or idly over or through:
They spent the spring afternoon rambling woodland paths.
noun
6. a walk without a definite route, taken merely for pleasure.

Origin of ramble

1610-1620 First recorded in 1610-20; origin uncertain

Synonyms

1. stroll, saunter, amble, stray, straggle. See roam.

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Examples from the Web for ramble

Contemporary Examples

The result is a long narrative that can ramble, as conversations do, but is an essential contribution all the same.
The Unguarded Bill Clinton
Ted Widmer
October 4, 2009

Now, the judges, while passionate as always, seem to have more time than ever to ramble.
The Reality Makeover That Failed
Andy Dehnart
August 9, 2010

So he started alone for a ramble among the Channel Islands, and I went back to Paris.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 19, 2014

Historical Examples

A Devonshire botanist told me he had identified nearly three hundred different mosses in a two days’ ramble in that county.
Gairloch In North-West Ross-Shire
John H. Dixon, F.S.A. Scot

They ramble up and down, and Eugene allows himself to sup of delight.
Floyd Grandon’s Honor
Amanda Minnie Douglas

I had now time to ramble round, and examine various things of interest.
Q.6.a and Other places
Francis Buckley

From its top it was five miles to ramble Valley by the main road.
Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1904
Lucy Maud Montgomery

And so anybody can write a decent dialogue if you allow326 him to ramble as we all do in actual talk.
Hours in a Library
Leslie Stephen

There is a point on that road where we could get down and have an hour’s ramble on the hillside.
A Room With A View
E. M. Forster

Something in the stolid way he did so caused Flambeau’s fierce black eyes to ramble over his companion afresh.
The Wisdom of Father Brown
G. K. Chesterton

Anagram

elm bar
Mr Able


2 August 2017

Nissen hut

[nis-uh n]

noun

1. a prefabricated, tunnel-shaped shelter made of corrugated metal and having a concrete floor; Quonset hut: first used by the British army in World War I.

Origin of Nissen hut

1915-1920; after Lieutenant Colonel Peter N. Nissen (1871-1930), Canadian military engineer who invented it

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Nissen hut

Historical Examples

Our first discovery was a Nissen hut in a dank field on the eastern outskirts.
Pushed and the Return Push
George Herbert Fosdike Nichols, (AKA Quex)

In fact, the room was very much of the shape and size of a Nissen hut.
The Escaping Club
A. J. Evans

Camblain l’Abb was not a large place, so we were cramped for room, and a Nissen hut had to be built for “C” mess.
The Great War As I Saw It
Frederick George Scott

Anagram

nuns heist
tune shins
ninth uses


1 August 2017

cony or coney

[koh-nee, kuhn-ee]

noun, plural conies.

1. the fur of a rabbit, especially when dyed to simulate Hudson seal.
2. the daman or other hyrax of the same genus.
3. the pika.
4. a rabbit.
5. Obsolete. a person who is easily tricked; gull; dupe.

Origin of cony

Old French, Latin

1150-1200; Middle English, back formation from conyes < Old French conis, plural of conil < Latin cunīculus rabbit, burrow, a word said to be of Iberian orig., according with evidence that the rabbit spread through Europe from NW Africa and the Iberian Peninsula

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cony

Historical Examples

Upon the mountain tops the cony, or Little Chief Hare, stacks hay each autumn.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

The American cony lives on top of the world—on the crest of the continent.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

A merchant named cony did more to wreck the Protectorate by a suit at law than did the Cavaliers by their armed insurrection.
The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660
David Masson

The cony is found over a belt that extends from this altitude down to 9,500.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

One probably was the owner of the little haystack—the other the cony from the wrecked home.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

About all the cony has to do is to find the den and take possession.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

Far up the mountainside I found and saw an account of a cony adventure written in the snow.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

The cony appears something of a traveller, something of an explorer.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

The weasel is agile, powerful, slender bodied, and can follow a cony into the smaller hiding places of the den and capture him.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

But he clung to the cony and dragged it out of reach beneath a boulder.
Watched by Wild Animals
Enos A. Mills

25 November 2017 – deference

25 November 2017

deference

[def-er-uh ns]

noun

1. respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another.
2. respectful or courteous regard:
in deference to his wishes.

Origin of deference

French

1640-1650; < French déférence, Middle French, equivalent to defer(er) to defer2+ -ence -ence

Related forms

nondeference, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for deference

Contemporary Examples

He oversaw a brutal regime, aimed at instilling respect, deference and acceptance of duty into the princes.
Kate and William’s Royal Family Values
Tom Sykes
September 21, 2014

Other themes are more character-based, such as the “Bowie, Cocteau, Visconti” section, in deference to dandies and dapper men.
What Drives Fashion Designer Dries Van Noten
Sarah Moroz
March 3, 2014

Tall and taciturn, he exuded the easy authority of a young man used to money and the deference that came with it.
Doug Kenney: The Odd Comic Genius Behind ‘Animal House’ and National Lampoon
Robert Sam Anson
February 28, 2014

From the deference with which he was received they rightly guessed that he was the chief of the tribe.
The Story Behind The World’s Greatest Headline
Brandy Zadrozny
January 20, 2014

Heritage Action pushed for the government shutdown, but stayed out of the debt ceiling fight in deference to their funders.
Republicans Compromise on the Budget, but Don’t Expect Them To Compromise on the Debt Ceiling
Eleanor Clift
December 17, 2013

Historical Examples

Garson, however, was unconvinced, notwithstanding his deference to the judgment of his leader.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana

Yes, sir; but not my anxiety for your approbation, and my deference for your opinion.
Tales And Novels, Volume 9 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

Anagram

deer fence


Today’s quote

They talk about the failure of socialism but where is the success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and Latin America?

– Fidel Castro


On this day

25 November 1963 – funeral of assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Washington DC. Over 800,000 people lined the streets. He was interred at Arlington Cemetery.

25 November 1947 – The ‘Hollywood Ten’ are blacklisted for their allegiance with, or sympathy for the American Communist Party. They were cited for Contempt of Congress when they refused to testify to the House Committee on Unamerican Activities. The Hollywood Ten were unable to work in the movie industry again. The ten were Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott and Dalton Trumbo.

25 November 2016 – death of Fidel Castro, former Cuban President. Born 13 August 1926.

23 November 2017 – Thespian

23 November 2017

Thespian

[thes-pee-uh n]

adjective

1. (often lowercase) pertaining to tragedy or to the dramatic art in general.
2. of or characteristic of Thespis.
3. of or relating to Thespiae.
noun
4. (sometimes lowercase) a tragedian; an actor or actress.

Origin of Thespian

1665-1675 First recorded in 1665-75; Thespi(s) + -an
“of or pertaining to tragedy or dramatic acting,” from Greek Thespis, poet of 6c. B.C.E., the traditional father of Greek tragedy. The names is literally “inspired by the gods.”

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Thespian

Contemporary Examples

In the installation, the British Thespian would sleep in a glass box in the museum with nothing but pillows and a water jug.
Lady Gaga, John Lennon & More Celebs Doing Performance Art (VIDEO)
Rachel Osman , Victoria Kezra
August 8, 2013

Brooding British Thespian Henry Cavill (famous to Showtime fans of The Tudors) is on tap as the new Superman.
Invasion of the Bodybuilders
Chris Lee
June 5, 2011

His sublimated rage at Madonna notwithstanding, he is happy to defend her as a Thespian.
The New Adventures of Guy Ritchie
Jacob Bernstein
December 20, 2009

Anagram

ashen pit
hasten pi
heap nits
heat spin

 

 


Today’s quote

Acting is magical. Change your look and your attitude, and you can be anyone.

– Alicia Witt


On this day

23 November 534BC – Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character on stage. The word ‘thespian’ is derived from Thespis.

23 November 1859 – birth of William H. Bonney aka Billy ‘The Kid’. American outlaw. Legend has it that he killed 21 men, although historians believe it may have been between 4 and 9 men. He was shot dead by Sheriff Pat Garrett around 14 July 1881. Some conspiracy theorists believe that Bonney did not get shot that day, but that Garrett staged the shooting so that Billy ‘The Kid’ could escape.

23 November 1889 – the first jukebox commences operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco.

23 November 1963 – Dr Who premiers on BBC TV, starring William Hartnell. It has become the longest running science fiction series in the world.

23 November 1981 – US President Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Directive 17 (NSDD-17), authorising the Central Intelligence Agency to recruit, train and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua, in order to wage guerilla warfare against the ruling leftist Sandanista regime. In 1982, the Boland Amendment was passed by Congress which banned US support of the Contras. The Reagan administration illegally continued funding the rebels. Part of the funding was obtained by illegally selling arms to Iran, which was the subject of an international arms boycott. The Reagan administration sold the arms in an effort to free seven US hostages being held by a group linked with Iran. The scandal became known as the Iran-Contra affair and was the subject of a Presidential Commission (the Tower Commission) as well as investigations by a number of Congressional Committees. As a result, a number of high ranking members of Reagan’s administration were indicted, including Caspar Weinberger (Secretary of Defence) – later pardoned by President H.W. Bush in 1991 before standing trial, William Casey (Head of the CIA), Robert C. MacFarlane (Assistant Secretary of State), Oliver North (National Security Council), Admiral John Poindexter, and numerous others. While Reagan knew of the operations, it was not definitively shown that he issued the orders.