February 2017
28 February 2017
lintel
[lin-tl]
noun
1. a horizontal architectural member supporting the weight above an opening, as a window or a door.
Also, British, lintol.
Origin of lintel
Middle English, Middle French, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English lyntel < Middle French lintel, dissimilated variant of *linter < Latin līmitāris orig., belonging to or indicating a boundary; later taken as synonym of līmināris orig., of the threshold. See limit, -ar1
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for lintel
Historical Examples
A lintel, consisting of a single stone, some two tons’ weight, was supported by the protruding jambs.
Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia
Thomas Forester
On the lintel of the gate and in the lock dust lies accumulated.
Chaldea
Znade A. Ragozin
At the door, in the middle of the end of the street, he paused and struck on the lintel three times with his gun-butt.
King–of the Khyber Rifles
Talbot Mundy
Anagram
in tell
let nil
27 February 2017
orotund
[awr-uh-tuhnd, ohr-]
adjective
1. (of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness.
2. (of a style of speaking) pompous or bombastic.
Origin of orotund
Latin
1785-1795; contraction of Latin phrase ōre rotundō, with round mouth
Related forms
orotundity [awr-uh-tuhn-di-tee, ohr-], noun
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for orotund
Historical Examples
Hamlet saw that pithy old Polonius was a preposterous and orotund ass.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley
Mrs. Hallam was sitting in orotund silence, but seemed in good humour.
Visionaries
James Huneker
He pitched his orotund voice upon me as if he were giving a command in a gale at sea.
A Republic Without a President and Other Stories
Herbert Ward
Anagram
rout nod
door nut
torn duo
26 February 2017
grandiloquence
[gran-dil-uh-kwuh ns]
noun
1. speech that is lofty in tone, often to the point of being pompous or bombastic.
Origin of grandiloquence
Latin
1580-1590; Latin grandiloqu (us) speaking loftily ( grandi (s) great + -loquus speaking) + -ence
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for grandiloquence
Contemporary Examples
Our central problem is that the combination of his grandiloquence and the September 2008 financial crisis led to his election.
I Told You So
Lynn Forester De Rothschild
February 27, 2010
But in opposing the Bush-Cheney march to war, his grandiloquence changed to eloquence.
Remembering Robert Byrd
Paul Begala
June 27, 2010
Historical Examples
He was waving his hand with his usual sense of the grandiloquence of his remarks.
The Seven-Branched Candlestick
Gilbert W. (Gilbert Wolf) Gabriel
He was young, and liked a bit of grandiloquence as well as another.
Phoebe, Junior
Mrs [Margaret] Oliphant
But that which really distinguishes a Gascon, is grandiloquence on all subjects.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 67, Number 414, April, 1850
Various
Mrs. Dodd smiled at the grandiloquence of youth, and told him he had mistaken her character.
Hard Cash
Charles Reade
Mere wordiness and grandiloquence may sound like ecstasy yet lack that quality.
The Literature of Ecstasy
Albert Mordell
grandiloquence is never more characteristic than in its figures; there it disports itself in a very carnival of bombast.
The Art of Illustration
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The grandiloquence went out of the voice of Telfer and his face became serious.
Windy McPherson’s Son
Sherwood Anderson
It was Maggie who was becoming a mean figure in spite of her grandiloquence —perhaps because of it.
The Lowest Rung
Mary Cholmondeley
Word Origin and History for grandiloquence Expand
n.
1580s, from Latin grandiloquentia, from grandiloquus “using lofty speech, bombastic,” from grandis “big” (see grand (adj.)) + -loquus “speaking,” from loqui “to speak” (see locution ).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Anagram
equaled corning
align conquered
25 February 2017
execrate
[ek-si-kreyt]
verb (used with object), execrated, execrating.
1. to detest utterly; abhor; abominate.
2. to curse; imprecate evil upon; damn; denounce:
He execrated all who opposed him.
verb (used without object), execrated, execrating.
3. to utter curses.
Origin of execrate
Latin
1555-1565; < Latin ex (s) ecrātus (past participle of ex (s) ecrārī to curse), equivalent to ex- ex-1+ secr- (combining form of sacrāre to consecrate; see sacrament ) + -ātus -ate1
Related forms
execrator, noun
unexecrated, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for execrate
Historical Examples
But the day will, come when they will execrate Pierce before Benedict Arnold, sir.
The Crisis, Complete
Winston Churchill
I execrate the enslavement of the mind of our young children by the ecclesiastics.
The Necessity of Atheism
Dr. D.M. Brooks
As it was, we could do nothing but stand there and execrate them, which naturally was useless.
The Putumayo, The Devil’s Paradise
Walter Hardenburg
And yet, have I a right to execrate the thrall of the beaker?
Cleopatra, Complete
Georg Ebers
Why do we execrate in one set of men, what we laud so highly in another?
An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans
Lydia Maria Child
He longed to execrate aloud, to bring his fist down on something violently.
Dubliners
James Joyce
And just as I reverence this, do I execrate, with all my heart’s indignation, a corrupt judicature.
The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II.(of II)
Charles James Lever
I pity the man, I execrate and hate the man who has only to boast that he is white.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 9 (of 12)
Robert G. Ingersoll
But they refused to execrate, and made peace with him on the condition of their paying tribute.
Selections From The Kur-an
Edward William Lane
One learns in these aged lands to hate and execrate the past.
Venetian Life
William Dean Howells
Anagram
ace exert
24 February 2017
dissolute
[dis-uh-loot]
adjective
1. indifferent to moral restraints; given to immoral or improper conduct; licentious; dissipated.
Origin of dissolute
Latin, Middle English, Anglo-French
1350-1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin dissolūtus (past participle of dissolvere to dissolve ). See dis-1, solute
Related forms
dissolutely, adverb
dissoluteness, noun
undissolute, adjective
Can be confused
desolate, dissolute (see synonym study at desolate )
Synonyms Expand
corrupt, loose, debauched, wanton, abandoned.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for dissolute
Contemporary Examples
On his execution, state media accused Jang of leading a ” dissolute, depraved life” and running up £6.4 million in gambling debts.
The Women Behind the Throne in North Korea’s ‘Empire of Horror’
The Telegraph
December 14, 2013
Even if they do not manage to take and hold power, they are examples of the dissolute lives that sons of dictators often lead.
Dictators’ Sons, From Egypt to Libya, Are Doomed
Stephen Kinzer
February 8, 2011
Historical Examples
At least, first take out of it the drunkard and the dissolute of your own Church.
fCharles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume II (of 2)
Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner and J. M. (John Mackinnon) Robertson
Anagram
solitudes
side lotus
dilutes so
soul tides
23 February 2017
shebeen
[shuh-been]
noun, Scot., Irish English, South African.
1. a tavern or house where liquor is sold illegally.
Origin of shebeen
Irish, English
1780-1790; Irish síbín illicit whiskey, place where such whiskey is sold (ellipsis from teach síbín shebeen house), orig., a unit of measure < English chopin1
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for shebeen
Historical Examples
shebeen, an unlicensed place where spirituous liquors are illegally sold.
The Slang Dictionary
John Camden Hotten
“‘Twas at Micky’s shebeen that they had the first encounther wid the inimy,” said old Martin.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 148, January 20th 1915
Various
shebeen or sheebeen; an unlicensed public-house or alehouse where spirits are sold on the sly.
English As We Speak It in Ireland
P. W. Joyce
A reconciliation took place, and in due time it was determined that Peter, as he understood poteen, should open a shebeen house.
Phil Purcel, The Pig-Driver; The Geography Of An Irish Oath; The Lianhan Shee
William Carleton
The gabble and laugh were again heard loud and hearty, and the public and shebeen houses once more became crowded.
The Hedge School; The Midnight Mass; The Donagh
William Carleton
There was a bitter taste in his mouth, and a pain in his ear where somebody’d hit him during a shebeen brawl the night before.
The Buttoned Sky
Geoff St. Reynard
Schele de Vere derives it from the French cabane, but it seems rather more likely that it is from the Irish shebeen.
The American Language
Henry L. Mencken
On reaching St. John’s he would go to a shebeen that he knew, in a narrow and secluded back street, and there rent a room.
The Harbor Master
Theodore Goodridge Roberts
In this lane at the time to which we allude the widow Mulready kept the shebeen shop, of which mention has before been made.
The Macdermots of Ballycloran
Anthony Trollope
Anagram
bee hens
she been
22 February 2017
morass
[muh-ras]
noun
1. a tract of low, soft, wet ground.
2. a marsh or bog.
3. marshy ground.
4. any confusing or troublesome situation, especially one from which it is difficult to free oneself; entanglement.
Origin of morass
Dutch, Middle Dutch, Old French
1645-1655; < Dutch moeras, alteration (by association with moer marsh; cf. moor1) of Middle Dutch maras < Old French mareis < Germanic. See marsh
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for morass
Contemporary Examples
His life became a morass of anger and self-destruction: suicide attempts, gang activity.
Carmine Galasso’s ‘Crosses’: Childhoods Robbed by the Church
The Daily Beast
March 10, 2013
CEO waded into the morass and basically declared himself Scientology Enemy No. 1.
Rupert Murdoch Attacks Scientology Because It Once Courted His Son Lachlan
Paula Froelich
July 1, 2012
The facts on the ground are anything but auspicious for America injecting itself into an intra-Arab morass, writes Lloyd Green.
Obama’s Syrian “Red Line” Could Return Us To The Mistakes of Iraq
Lloyd Green
May 4, 2013
The facts on the ground are anything but auspicious for America injecting itself into an intra-Arab morass.
Obama’s Syrian “Red Line” Could Return Us To The Mistakes of Iraq
Lloyd Green
May 4, 2013
He can bring about two states living in peace and security, or continue the drift into the morass of an unsustainable occupation.
Come Clean, Mr. Prime Minister
Stephen Robert
May 31, 2012
Historical Examples
I should think some of them might lead less frequently to bramble and morass.
A Woman of Genius
Mary Austin
He knew every inch of the land, the river, the morass, and the commanding hill.
Lafayette
Martha Foote Crow
Humor alone could accomplish Munchausen’s feat, and draw itself by its own hair out of the morass.
Library of the World’s Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 16
Various
The street had been transformed into a morass of sticky mud by the storm.
L’Assommoir
Emile Zola
The Pennsylvania regiment to which the Wyoming troops belonged, occupied the strip of woods near the morass.
In the Days of Washington
William Murray Graydon
Anagram
so rams
mars so
21 February 2017
ptarmigan
[tahr-mi-guh n]
noun, plural ptarmigans (especially collectively) ptarmigan.
1. any of several grouses of the genus Lagopus, of mountainous and cold northern regions, having feathered feet.
Origin of ptarmigan
Scots Gaelic
1590-1600; pseudo-Greek spelling of Scots Gaelic tarmarchan, akin to Irish tarmanach
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for ptarmigan
Historical Examples
The Iceland falcon and the ptarmigan have pretty much the same habitat, the one preying upon the other.
Poachers and Poaching
John Watson
The net was of service, not only for fish and beluga, but also for ptarmigan and foxes.
Short Sketches from Oldest America
John Driggs
At one time or another Elstead probably told the officers of the ptarmigan every detail of his strange twelve hours in the abyss.
The Plattner Story and Others
H. G. Wells
He knew clearly what was to be done, and this he did by promptly eating the ptarmigan.
White Fang
Jack London
Eider-ducks, looms, and dovekies are abundant, as well as hares and ptarmigan.
In the Arctic Seas
Francis Leopold McClintock
Among birds, the ptarmigan is a fine example of protective colouring.
Little Masterpieces of Science:
Various
But that is the substance of the extraordinary story that Elstead related in fragments to the officers of the ptarmigan.
The Plattner Story and Others
H. G. Wells
The rise of the ptarmigan had another effect, on which the travellers had not counted.
The Big Otter
R.M. Ballantyne
The ptarmigan struggled against him, showering blows upon him with her free wing.
White Fang
Jack London
The only ornament which he allowed himself was the white wing of a ptarmigan.
The Prairie Chief
R.M. Ballantyne
Anagram
trim pagain
pig mantra
taping ram
A prim gnat
20 February 2017
dada
[dah-dah]
noun, ( sometimes initial capital letter)
1. the style and techniques of a group of artists, writers, etc., of the early 20th century who exploited accidental and incongruous effects in their work and who programmatically challenged established canons of art, thought, morality, etc.
Origin of dada
1915-1920; < French: hobby horse, childish reduplication of da giddyap
Related forms
dadaism, noun
dadaist, noun
dadaistic, adjective
dadaistically, adverb
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for dada
Contemporary Examples
Was one of dada ‘s fathers really such a mystery or did he show his true self in his art?
Man Ray Revealed
Philip Gefter
November 11, 2009
At Performa, Shana Lutker revisits a wild dada play that featured a nose and some lips.
A Performance Like a Punch in the Face
Blake Gopnik
November 19, 2013
The other day we got in the car and I had a CD on, and he said, “ dada, is that James Brown?”
Kentucky’s Finest Antihero: Walton Goggins on Justified’s Chameleon Villain
Allen Barra
February 10, 2014
Anagram
A dad
19 February 2017
intercalate
[in-tur-kuh-leyt]
verb (used with object), intercalated, intercalating.
1. to interpolate; interpose.
2. to insert (an extra day, month, etc.) in the calendar.
Origin of intercalate
Latin
1605-1615; Latin intercalātus past participle of intercalāre to insert a day or month into the calendar, equivalent to inter- inter- + calā- (stem of calāre to proclaim) + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
intercalative, adjective
unintercalated, adjective
Synonyms
1. interject, introduce, insinuate.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for intercalate Expand
Historical Examples
The rule was to intercalate a day in every fourth year (quarto quoque anno).
Plutarch’s Lives Volume III.
Plutarch
To prevent this it was customary at regular intervals to intercalate days or months.
History of Astronomy
George Forbes
The present appears the fittest place in which to intercalate remarks concerning them.
Luck or Cunning
Samuel Butler
So far it would suffice, in accounting for the facts, to intercalate between A and B a few terms, which would remain discrete.
The Foundations of Science: Science and Hypothesis, The Value of Science, Science and Method
Henri Poincar
‘They answered, “Thous hast dared to fix intercalations and new moons, by which nonconformity has arisen between Babylon and Palestine”.’
The Talmud, Introduction: Chapter 2
Translated by Joseph Barclary LLD
Hebrew Literature: Talmudic Treatises, Hebrew Melodies, and The Kabbalah …
By Epiphanius Wilson
Anagram
lacerate tin
racial tenet
clarinet tea
earn tactile
near lattice
certain tale
React Entail
Antic Relate
Tacit Leaner
Attic Leaner
Clan Iterate
Talc Retinae
A treacle tin
18 February 2017
hauteur
[hoh-tur; French oh-tœr]
noun
1. haughty manner or spirit; arrogance.
Origin of hauteur
1620-1630; French, equivalent to haut high (see haughty ) + -eur -or1
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for hauteur
Contemporary Examples
For all his reputation for hauteur, I would forever after remember this evidence of Vidal’s graciousness and self-confidence.
Putting Words in Gore Vidal’s Mouth—a Copywriter Recalls the 1982 Senate Campaign
Robert Chandler
August 5, 2012
Historical Examples
“I will not pretend to misunderstand your meaning,” he said, slowly and with hauteur.
The Mystery Girl
Carolyn Wells
He was also accused of hauteur and of an unsoldierly reserve with his brother officers.
White Lies
Charles Reade
I never heard a speaker or actor who could give such a sting to hauteur or the taunt.
Complete Prose Works
Walt Whitman
Then aloud he demanded, with hauteur : “Who do you wish to see, lady?”
A Little Miss Nobody
Amy Bell Marlowe
Into the manner of young Mr. Stuart Farquaharson came now the hauteur of dignified rebuke.
The Tyranny of Weakness
Charles Neville Buck
The hauteur of being one of the élite of Joralemon again flashed out.
The Trail of the Hawk
Sinclair Lewis
“I have always been that,” declared William, with just a touch of hauteur.
Miss Billy
Eleanor H. Porter
Of all nations on earth, they require to be treated with the most hauteur.
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
“Not specially,” she said, with a sudden accession of hauteur.
The Mystery Girl
Carolyn Wells
Anagram
urea hut
17 February 2017
willowwacks
[wil-oh-waks]
noun, New England.
1. a wooded, uninhabited area.
Also, willywacks.
Origin of willowwacks
of uncertain origin
Dictionary.com
Example
The lonely willowwacks of New England provided an atmospheric location for the fertile imagination of horror writer, Stephen King.
Anagram
laws lick wow
awl wick owls
16 February 2017
dapper
[dap-er]
adjective
1. neat; trim; smart:
He looked very dapper in his new suit.
2. lively and brisk:
to walk with a dapper step.
3. small and active.
Origin of dapper
late Middle English Middle Dutch
1400-1450; late Middle English daper < Middle Dutch dapper nimble, stalwart; cognate with German tapfer brave
Related forms
dapperly, adverb
dapperness, noun
undapper, adjective
Synonyms
1. spruce, modish, jaunty, natty.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for dapper
Contemporary Examples
A dapper man with a Georgian charm, Crumpton is sometimes called the “American James Bond.”
CIA’s Henry Crumpton on the Heroes You’ll Never Know
Miranda Green
November 14, 2012
There, the actor—dressed like a dapper, blood-soaked zombie—took on the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 9 Best Musical Performances: Jimmy Fallon, Lady Gaga, More
Marlow Stern
September 26, 2013
The young actor has also gained marks for his dapper red-carpet style, which he credits to fashion designer Tom Ford.
Nicholas Hoult on ‘Warm Bodies,’ ‘X-Men,’ Jennifer Lawrence & More
Marlow Stern
January 31, 2013
Among the ghosts in that alluring photo is Harold L. “Doc” Humes, dapper in suit, vest, and bow tie.
Plimpton’s Crazy Co-Conspirator
Ronald K. Fried
December 7, 2008
One of the few exceptions is James Lindon, dapper director of PaceWildenstein, who always wears something interesting.
Venice by Foot
Bettina Von Hase
June 9, 2009
Historical Examples
It was Lasalle, and with him was a lame gentleman, very neatly dressed in black with dapper ruffles and cuffs.
The Exploits Of Brigadier Gerard
Arthur Conan Doyle
The dapper little officer in khaki was Aguinaldo, and this is the story of how I saw him.
Bamboo Tales
Ira L. Reeves
They went to where they found the dapper warriors standing in the court in a great press of welcoming knights.
The Nibelungenlied
Unknown
Major Forsyth arrived in time for tea, red-faced, dapper, and immaculate.
The Hero
William Somerset Maugham
A genial gentleman, the druggist, white-coated and dapper, stepping affably about the fragrant-smelling store.
Half Portions
Edna Ferber
Anagram
rapped
per pad
15 February 2017
samovar
[sam-uh-vahr, sam-uh-vahr]
noun
1. a metal urn, used especially by Russians for heating water for making tea.
Origin of samovar
1820-1830; Russian samovár, equivalent to samo- self (see same ) + -var, noun derivative of varítʾ to cook, boil
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for samovar
Historical Examples
The samovar was brought in, and over hot tea and buns we speedily became acquainted.
In Search of a Siberian Klondike
Homer B. Hulbert
The maid brought in the samovar, and the conversation was interrupted.
Foma Gordyeff
Maxim Gorky
They have been ready since midnight, and the samovar also; you will drink a glass of tea, Excellencies.
The Red Symbol
John Ironside
Anagram
am savor
mars ova
14 February 2017
bonce
[bons]
noun, British Slang.
1. head; skull.
Origin of bonce
1860-1865; perhaps to be identified with bonce a large playing marble, perhaps representing dial. pronunciation of bounce; compare dial. (Yorkshire) bouncer large earthenware marble
Dictionary.com
Example
He dodged a bonce to the head.
Anagram
be con
13 February 2017
introspection
[in-truh-spek-shuh n]
noun
1. observation or examination of one’s own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.
2. the tendency or disposition to do this.
3. sympathetic introspection.
Origin of introspection
Latin
1670-1680; < Latin intrōspect (us), past participle of intrōspicere to look within (equivalent to intrō- intro- + spec (ere) to look + -tus past participle suffix) + -ion
Related forms
introspectional, adjective
introspectionist, noun, adjective
Synonyms
1. self-examination, soul-searching.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for introspection
Contemporary Examples
A salty pragmatism runs throughout, and only a modicum of introspection is encouraged.
Advice From the Oldest Americans
Casey Schwartz
October 28, 2011
Still, some introspection on the part of Hillel International might be worthwhile.
Swarthmore Hillel Breaks From Guidelines Over Ban on ‘Anti-Zionist’ Speakers
Elisheva Goldberg
December 9, 2013
But I really do believe that it can be a time when Republicans engage in an appropriate level of introspection.
Rightward, Ho!
Ana Marie Cox
November 17, 2008
Anagram
rot inceptions
nicotines port
corniest point
incites pronto
nicest portion
scorn petition
12 February 2017
circumspect
[sur-kuh m-spekt]
adjective
1. watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent:
circumspect behavior.
2. well-considered:
circumspect ambition.
Origin of circumspect
late Middle English Latin
1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin circumspectus (past participle of circumspicere to look around), equivalent to circum- circum- + spec (ere) to look + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
circumspectly, adverb
circumspectness, noun
noncircumspect, adjective
noncircumspectly, adverb
noncircumspectness, noun
Synonyms
1. careful, vigilant, guarded.
Antonyms
1. careless, indiscreet.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for circumspect
Contemporary Examples
Some of the Americans joining ISIS are less than circumspect, especially online.
How Many Americans in ISIS? No One Knows
Eli Lake
September 4, 2014
But his subsequent actions will remain case by case and circumspect.
Israel: No Peace in Sight
Leslie H. Gelb
May 15, 2011
(LOC 1011-1015) One more adjective could be added to Summer’s list: circumspect.
David’s Bookclub: The New New Deal
David Frum
November 30, 2012
The poet remains coolly detached: a circumspect observer in the face of cataclysm.
Catastrophe in Verse
Eliza Griswold
April 20, 2011
Mandela did not want messy personal details in his Long Walk to Freedom, and here his handlers have been just as circumspect.
Nelson Mandela’s Revelatory Diaries
James Zug
October 15, 2010
Historical Examples
Trusting me, the little road dared to turn mad, she who had been so circumspect down below in the valley.
The Joys of Being a Woman
Winifred Kirkland
During your courtship let me entreat you to be very careful and circumspect.
The Ladies Book of Useful Information
Anonymous
After that the generals began to disperse with the solemnity and circumspect silence of people who are leaving, after a funeral.
War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy
But she was dutiful to him, and he was circumspect in his behaviour before her.
Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini
Why has this bold and circumspect man kept his secret and become his chief adviser?
Shakespearean Tragedy
A. C. Bradley
Anagram
cecum script
11 February 2017
intransigent or intransigeant
[in-tran-si-juh nt]
adjective
1. refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible.
noun
2. a person who refuses to agree or compromise, as in politics.
Origin of intransigent
Spanish
1875-1880; < Spanish intransigente, equivalent to in- in-3+ transigente (present participle of transigir to compromise) < Latin trānsigent- (stem of trānsigēns, present participle of trānsigere to come to an agreement); see transact
Related forms
intransigence, intransigency, noun
intransigently, adverb
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for intransigent
Contemporary Examples
And why is it that the Republicans can be so intransigent and Barack Obama gets blamed?
Bob Woodward and the Rules of Washington Morality
Michael Tomasky
March 2, 2013
But on the subject of marriage, Motilal was intransigent : his son would have to endure an arranged match.
Hold Onto Your Penis
David Frum, Justin Green
November 28, 2012
They know most voters want them to work things out, which is why the other guys should stop being so intransigent.
Obama’s GOP Frenemies Hit the White House
Howard Kurtz
November 29, 2010
Anagram
grannies tint
tenanting sir
in astringent
nattering sin
restating inn
10 February 2017
lien(1)
[leen, lee-uh n]
noun
1. Law. the legal claim of one person upon the property of another person to secure the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of an obligation.
Origin of lien(1)
Old French, Latin
1525-1535; < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin ligāmen tie, bandage, equivalent to ligā (re) to tie + -men noun suffix of result
Related forms
lienable, adjective
lien(2)
[lahy-uh n, -en]
1. the spleen.
Origin
1645-55; < Latin liēn spleen
Related forms
lienal [lahy-een-l, lahy-uh-nl], adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for lien
Contemporary Examples
lien kept going and the bikers pursued him, horns beeping, the big buzz now sounding frenzied, furious.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013
Georgia revenue officials declined to comment on the matter except to say the lien was withdrawn.
Cain’s Tax Delinquency
Daniel Stone
October 24, 2011
lien and Ng were celebrating a much happier marker, their first wedding anniversary.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013
But lien was a 33 year-old e-commerce executive with his young family.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013
lien had been taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he was treated and released.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013
Historical Examples
He is said to have a lien on the goods or proceeds of the sale, for his compensation.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3
Various
But there was—that of debtor and creditor—a lien not always conferring friendship.
The Death Shot
Mayne Reid
His brother proved a lien on it for L300 and the rest went by will to his wife.
Put Yourself in His Place
Charles Reade
The sale of the property was threatened by those who held the lien on the church.
History of Linn County Iowa
Luther A. Brewer
A land tax was certain—it might, and undoubtedly would, be made a lien on the real estate on which it was laid.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)
Thomas Hart Benton
Anagram
line
nile
9 February 2017
impugn
[im-pyoon]
verb (used with object)
1. to challenge as false (another’s statements, motives, etc.); cast doubt upon.
2. Archaic. to assail (a person) by words or arguments; vilify.
3. Obsolete. to attack (a person) physically.
Origin of impugn
Middle English, Middle French, Latin
1325-1375; Middle English impugnen < Middle French impugner < Latin impugnāre to attack, equivalent to im- im-1+ pugnāre to fight, derivative of pugnus fist; see pugnacious
Related forms
impugnable, adjective
impugnability, noun
impugner, noun
impugnment, noun
unimpugnable, adjective
Can be confused
impugn, impute.
Synonyms
1. attack, asperse, malign, criticize, censure.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for impugn
Contemporary Examples
Defense lawyers will look for inconsistencies in the same records as they try to impugn her credibility further.
The Evidence That Could Doom DSK
Christopher Dickey, John Solomon
July 25, 2011
“I think the jury will see it as a desperate attempt to try and impugn his character,” Slotnick says.
Jodi Arias’s Baffling Defense Strategy
Christine Pelisek
February 16, 2013
Historical Examples
No one, I think, will venture to impugn the motives or the purity of the intentions of Miss Heald in taking this step.
Lola Montez
Edmund B. d’Auvergne
Not being able to impugn her beauty, they attacked her costume.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Victor Hugo
We take refuge in a grievance rather than impugn the supremacy of our ego.
Appletons’ Popular Science Monthly, Vol. 56, March 1900
Various
“I am not attempting to impugn the qualifications of the witness,” I snapped.
…Or Your Money Back
Gordon Randall Garrett
His choice was unexceptionable: and those who impugn it are blind.
Northern Spain
Edgar T. A. Wigram
Nor in the town, nor among the caste, could any one impugn the act.
Tara
Philip Meadows Taylor
What we have to do is an act of justice, and I don’t wish that anyone should be able to impugn my motives.
Jack Harkaway and His Son’s Escape From the Brigand’s of Greece
Bracebridge Hemyng
To suppose it so little as most people do, is to impugn the justice of Providence.
Life Without and Life Within
Margaret Fuller
Anagram
mug pin
8 February 2017
discommode
[dis-kuh-mohd]
verb (used with object), discommoded, discommoding.
1. to cause inconvenience to; disturb, trouble, or bother.
Origin of discommode
French
1715-1725; < French discommoder, equivalent to dis- dis-1+ -commoder, verbal derivative of commode convenient; see commode
Related forms
discommodious, adjective
discommodiously, adverb
discommodiousness, noun
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for discommode
Historical Examples
An air of breathlessness about Rachel seemed to discommode her friends.
Erik Dorn
Ben Hecht
To ask for a guarantor for a reputable resident is simply to discommode two people instead of one.
A Library Primer
John Cotton Dana
“Yet not so far aside as to discommode any one,” responded Mason.
From Farm House to the White House
William M. Thayer
The boys shouted to their animals, who flew across the plain as though the snow did not discommode them in the least.
The Young Ranchers
Edward S. Ellis
For this end it was necessary to discommode myself of my cloak, and of the volume which I carried in the pocket of my cloak.
Edgar Huntley
Charles Brockden Brown
I objected, for I did not wish to discommode him in the least and told him a good bed could be fixed in the mess wagon.
Dangers of the Trail in 1865
Charles E Young
Anagram
discoed mom
medic moods
7 February 2017
mendicant
[men-di-kuh nt]
adjective
1. begging; practicing begging; living on alms.
2. pertaining to or characteristic of a beggar.
noun
3. a person who lives by begging; beggar.
4. a member of any of several orders of friars that originally forbade ownership of property, subsisting mostly on alms.
Origin of mendicant
late Middle English Latin
1425-1475; late Middle English < Latin mendīcant- (stem of mendīcāns), present participle of mendīcāre to beg, equivalent to mendīc (us) beggarly, needy + -ant- -ant
Related forms
nonmendicant, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for mendicant
Historical Examples
Or else, we have representations of those interested visits that mendicant friars paid to the dying.
A Literary History of the English People
Jean Jules Jusserand
The strength of the mendicant orders was in their popularity.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
“Well-disposed” persons, with a good word from the priests, can obtain food at the convents of the mendicant friars.
Rome in 1860
Edward Dicey
The mendicant orders furnished the 218army of papal absolutism.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
As in the case of Cybele, mendicant priests were attached to her service.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6
Various
Other mendicant orders prove the dominant ideas of the time.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
The mendicant monks stirred up the populace to acts of fanatical 35 enmity.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 1
Various
You may be certain there was a mendicant priest in attendance on his godship.
In Eastern Seas
J. J. Smith
The mendicant orders were subject only to their own general or superior, not to the bishops.
Chaucer’s Works, Volume 5 (of 7) — Notes to the Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
As she came closer to him, the mendicant acted very strangely.
Monte-Cristo’s Daughter
Edmund Flagg
Anagram
caned mint
mind enact
6 February 2017
hooptie
noun
– a large older automobile, often in poor condition; jalopy
Usage Note
slang
Dictionary.com
Example.
If you had a job, you could buy your own car rather than borrowing your mum’s hooptie.
Anagram
I hop toe
pie hoot
tie hoop
5 February 2017
ambivert
[am-bi-vurt]
noun, Psychology.
1. one whose personality type is intermediate between extrovert and introvert.
Origin of ambivert
1925-1930; ambi- + -vert, as in extrovert, introvert
Dictionary.com
Example
I like meeting new people, but I also need time out by myself. I’m an ambivert, which Sylvester McNutt III has provided the best description: ‘I’m both: introvert and extrovert. I like people, but I need to be alone. I’ll go out, vibe and meet new people but it has an expiration, because I have to recharge. If I don’t find the valuable alone time I need to recharge I cannot be my highest self’.
Anagram
verbatim
4 February 2017
sporran
[spor-uh n]
noun
1. (in Scottish Highland costume) a large pouch for men, commonly of fur, worn, suspended from a belt, in front of the kilt.
Origin of sporran
Scots Gaelic, Irish
1745-1755; Scots Gaelic sporan; compare Irish sparán purse
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for sporran
Historical Examples
He put a pickle money in his sporran, and gave him a place a little way down his table.
The Lost Pibroch
Neil Munro
He sprang up and thrust the stocking and needles into his sporran.
The Sleuth of St. James’s Square
Melville Davisson Post
It’s no a verra suitable dress for rinnin’—the spleughan—or ” sporran,” is it?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, October 19 1895
Various
This must be the sporran following us close with grim disregard of danger.
The Mystery of the Sea
Bram Stoker
I wonder if these bags are related to the sporran of the Highlanders.
Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland, First Series
Lady Gregory
At noon he sat down to eat his “piece,” which he carried in his sporran.
The Wee Scotch Piper
Madeline Brandeis
They wear a tight coat, and in front of them hangs the sporran, a pocket made of white fur.
The Great Round World And What Is Going On In It, April 22, 1897, Vol. 1, No. 24
Various
One of them dragged at the frogs of his kilt, and then at his ” sporran.”
The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885
Charles Royle
Do the kilt and sporran bring in brawny youngsters of five-foot nine, and thirty-nine inch round the chest?
From Sea to Sea
Rudyard Kipling
Its skin makes the “ sporran ” of the kilted Highlander, and its hair makes our shaving brushes.
Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood
J. Conway Walter
Anagram
nor rasp
3 February 2017
suitor
[soo-ter]
noun
1. a man who courts or woos a woman.
2. Law. a petitioner or plaintiff.
3. a person who sues or petitions for anything.
4. Informal. an individual who seeks to buy a business.
Origin of suitor
Latin, Middle English, Anglo-French
1250-1300; Middle English s (e) utor, suitour < Anglo-French < Latin secūtor, equivalent to secū-, variant stem of sequī to follow + -tor -tor
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for suitor
Contemporary Examples
When Cato still refused, the suitor then asked Cato for Cato’s own wife.
Who Was the Real Cato?
David Frum
December 19, 2012
I find both “admirer” and “ suitor ” to be presumptuous and one-sided.
What Should I Call the Man I Love?
Dushka Zapata
November 17, 2014
Soni and Goodman attribute the complicated story to the shared Stoic philosophy of Cato and the suitor.
Who Was the Real Cato?
David Frum
December 19, 2012
Historical Examples
One child advances as “ suitor,” and says the three first verses.
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol I of II)
Alice Bertha Gomme
In reality, Madeleine had entirely forgotten her suitor and his letter.
Fairy Fingers
Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie
It was a love-scene, and rather of an impassioned character; Villebecque was her suitor.
Coningsby
Benjamin Disraeli
Julien was by no means the only suitor who pressed for the honour of dancing with Estelle.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various
The suitor had to bribe every one, from the doorkeeper to the pope, or his case was lost.
History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science
John William Draper
She had had an Insurrecto general for a suitor, and had turned him down.
The Great White Tribe in Filipinia
Paul T. Gilbert
It has the advantage of enabling a suitor to reckon as well as to admire the objects of his affection.
Eothen
A. W. Kinglake
Anagram
sir out
us riot
I tours
2 February 2017
perennial
[puh-ren-ee-uh l]
adjective
1. lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring:
her perennial beauty.
2. (of plants) having a life cycle lasting more than two years.
3. lasting or continuing throughout the entire year, as a stream.
4. perpetual; everlasting; continuing; recurrent.
noun
5. a perennial plant:
Daffodils and tulips are perennials.
6. something that is continuing or recurrent.
Origin of perennial
Latin
1635-1645; Latin perenni (s) lasting the whole year through ( per- per- + -enn-, combining form of annus year + -is adj. suffix) + -al1
Related forms
perenniality, noun
perennially, adverb
Can be confused
annual, perennial.
Synonyms
1. perdurable; constant, incessant, continual. 4. imperishable, undying, eternal, immortal.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for perennial
Contemporary Examples
And the omission or derision of dads in the parent (aka “mommy”) blogosphere is a perennial pet peeve.
Move Over, Ladies: Dove Does Dads
Andy Hinds
June 16, 2014
Mothers who kill their children are a tragic and yet perennial news sensation.
Did Julie Schenecker Kill Her Kids?
Amy Green
February 7, 2011
Does your school or alma mater support its basketball teams, even if they are not perennial March Madness powerhouses?
Top 25 Colleges With Diehard Fans
The Daily Beast
March 20, 2011
Scottie the dog, a perennial favorite, and the racecar were added in the 1950s.
Fidel Castro Hates Monopoly & 12 More Reasons to Love It
Caroline Linton
February 5, 2013
And of course there are the perennial stories about how the new models are really fragile and easy to break, or are easy to hack.
Apple’s New iPhones Met by Strong Demand
William O’Connor
September 22, 2013
Historical Examples
It is herbaceous and perennial, and proves hardy in this climate if planted on a well-drained soil of a vegetable character.
Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers
John Wood
The perennial will be the one to suffer, mostly from lack of moisture.
Making a Garden of Perennials
W. C. Egan
Hippopotami exist in the Lokalueje, so it may be inferred to be perennial, as the inhabitants asserted.
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
David Livingstone
Tea-plants are perennial, and are set about four feet apart on hillsides.
East of Suez
Frederic Courtland Penfield
All through the summer the winter Jasmine is covered by a perennial pink Bellbine, that dies in autumn and comes up each spring.
The Children’s Book of Gardening
Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick
Anagram
nip leaner
leaper inn
learn pine
pearl nine
1 February 2017
alluvion
[uh-loo-vee-uh n]
noun
1. Law. a gradual increase of land on a shore or a river bank by the action of water, whether from natural or artificial causes.
2. overflow; flood.
3. Now Rare. alluvium.
Origin of alluvion
Latin
1530-1540; < Latin alluviōn- (stem of alluviō an overflowing), equivalent to al- al- + -luv-, base of -luere, combining form of lavere to wash) + -iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for alluvion
Historical Examples
alluvion is the name for an accession of land washed up on the sea-shore or on a river-bank by the waters.
International Law. A Treatise. Volume I (of 2)
Lassa Francis Oppenheim
The deposites of alluvion along the banks betray a similar origin of gradual accumulation by the annual floods.
Early Western Travels, 1748-1846 (Volume XXVI)
Various
Springs are common in the alluvion, and more frequently than in the case of drift, they can be found by boring.
Water Supply: the Present Practice of Sinking and Boring Wells
Ernest Spon
Anagram
ulna viol
