1 June 2016 – aureolin

1 June 2016

aureolin

[aw-ree-uh-lin, uh-ree-]

noun

1. a pigment used in painting, consisting of potassium cobaltinitrite and characterized by its brilliant yellow hue, transparency, and permanence.

Also called cobalt yellow.

Origin of aureolin

Latin

1875-1880; < Latin aureol (us) golden, of gold (see aureole ) + -in2

Related forms

aureoline [aw-ree-uh-lin, -lahyn, uh-ree-] (Show IPA), adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for aureolin

Historical Examples

To our knowledge, aureolin is quite uninjured by the severest tests to which a pigment can be subjected.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

With this and aureolin a series of beautiful foliage tints may be formed, sparkling with sunshine, as it were.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

For mural decoration, aureolin is admirably adapted, but it cannot be used in enamel, the colour being destroyed by great heat.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

Anagram

ruin aloe
euro nail
our alien


Today’s quote

I am a cage in search of a bird.

– Franz Kafka


On this day

1 June 1935 – DC Comics publishes the first Superman comic, created by Jerry Siegel.

1 June 1968 – death of Helen Keller, inspirational American author, lecturer and political activist. First deaf-blind person to achieve a Bachelor of Arts degree. Born 27 June 1880.

1 June 2012 – The inaugural ‘Panda’s Word of the Day’ published at www.shaneduran.com. The word was ‘pleonasm‘.

June 2016 – WOTDs


26 July 2016

palazzo

[puh-laht-soh; Italian pah-laht-tsaw]

noun, plural palazzi [puh-laht-see; Italian pah-laht-tsee] (Show IPA)

1. an impressive public building or private residence; palace.
Origin of palazzo

< Italian: literally, palace

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for palazzo

Contemporary Examples

palazzo Grassi barely beat the Guggenheim Museum for the honors.
Venice’s Contemporary Masterpiece
Paul Laster
June 3, 2009

Outside the palazzo, there are three flags, the European, the Venetian, and the Mexican – the last one is blood-stained.
The Biennale’s Best
Paul Laster, Bettina Von Hase
June 17, 2009

François Pinault, at the opening of the palazzo Grassi two years ago, exhibited his own skull X-rayed by Piotr Uklanski.
Treasures From the Pinault Collection
Bernard-Henri Lévy
June 11, 2009

Big, bearded, and graying, Schnabel lives in a neo-Venetian palazzo in Greenwich Village.
Julian Schnabel Gets Political
Blake Gopnik
March 13, 2011

The society is set in a picturesque medieval mini castle not far from the palazzo Vecchio.
Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’ Sparks Dante Fever in Florence
Barbie Latza Nadeau
May 29, 2013

Historical Examples

It is then that I would have you remember the palazzo Giovanelli.
A Wanderer in Venice
E.V. Lucas

And if the gondoliero had carried her word to the palazzo San Marco——?
The Royal Pawn of Venice
Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull

“You are late,” said the incognito, when we had walked so far away from the palazzo as to be out of hearing of the crowd.
Olla Podrida
Frederick Marryat

Word Origin and History for palazzo

n.

1660s, from Italian palazzo (see palace ).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper


19 July 2016

antithesis

[an-tith-uh-sis]

noun, plural antitheses [an-tith-uh-seez]

1. opposition; contrast:
the antithesis of right and wrong.
2. the direct opposite (usually followed by of or to):
Her behavior was the very antithesis of cowardly.
3. Rhetoric.
the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas, as in “Give me liberty or give me death.”.
the second sentence or part thus set in opposition, as “or give me death.”.
4. Philosophy. See under Hegelian dialectic.

Origin of antithesis

Latin

1520-1530; < Latin < Greek: opposition, equivalent to anti (ti) thé (nai) to oppose + -sis -sis. See anti-, thesis

Related forms

self-antithesis, noun

Can be confused

antithesis, synthesis, thesis.

Synonyms

2. opposite, reverse.

Hegelian dialectic

noun

1. an interpretive method, originally used to relate specific entities or events to the absolute idea, in which some assertible proposition (thesis) is necessarily opposed by an equally assertible and apparently contradictory proposition (antithesis) the mutual contradiction being reconciled on a higher level of truth by a third proposition (synthesis)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for antithesis

Contemporary Examples

Laura Hillenbrand is the antithesis of the popular concept of a world-famous, bestselling author.
Laura Hillenbrand’s Acclaimed Bestsellers Haven’t Changed Her
Sandra McElwaine
December 20, 2011

Our fundamental values demand that America stand with demonstrators opposing a regime that is the antithesis of all we believe.
Leave Iran to the Iranians
Leslie H. Gelb
June 20, 2009

Anagram

in hastiest
siesta hint
at shiniest


26 June 2016

fard

[fahrd] Archaic.

noun

1. facial cosmetics.
verb (used with object)
2. to apply cosmetics to (the face).

Origin of fard

late Middle English Old Low Franconian Old High German, German
1400-1450; late Middle English < Middle French, Old French: noun derivative of farder to apply makeup, probably < Old Low Franconian *farwiđon to dye, color (compare Old High German farwjan, German färben)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for fard

Contemporary Examples

Clarence X accepted the obvious truths herein, but could not truck with the association of fard with god.
Word Is Bond: An Ex-Con Explains the 5 Percenters
Daniel Genis
April 11, 2014

Historical Examples
The best ‘fard pour la beaut des dames’ is other people’s adoration.
The Devourers
Annie Vivanti Chartres


25 June 2016

chyron

[kahy-ron]

(n.)

– television graphics that occupy the lower area of a TV screen, originally coined by the Chyron Corporation which develops and manufactures on-screen graphics; now a commonly-used term for such graphics on TV broadcasts worldwide

– An electronically generated caption superimposed on a television or cinema screen.

Example sentences

One of the other notable things they do is that they flash a chyron on the bottom that reads ‘Source: Social Security Administration’.

Fox then displayed a chyron of the last few winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

At the end, a chyron appears reading: “HBO Sunday….American Life.”

chyron error

– an error in a Chyron, such as: ‘UK votes to leave the UN’ (when it should have read ‘Britain votes to leave the EU’)


23 June 2016

empurple

\em-PUR-puhl\, verb:

1. To color or become purple or purplish.
2. To darken or redden; flush.

On one side are baby grapes whose petals yet fall; on another the clusters empurple towards full growth.
— Homer, translated by T.E. Lawrence, THE ODYSSEY

Magnificent weather, one of those sun risings that empurple landscapes, left the river all its limpid serenity.
— Alexandre Dumas, THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK

‘Word has it that the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be empurpled after Queensland clinched its tenth State of Origin series win in eleven years’.

Empurple originated in the late 1580s from the Greek prefix em- meaning ‘to become’ and the color ‘purple,’ a word of Tyrian descent for the shellfish from which purple dye was made.

Anagram

Peel rump
meer pulp


22 June 2016

spandrel or spandril

[span-druh l]

noun

1. Architecture. an area between the extradoses of two adjoining arches, or between the extrados of an arch and a perpendicular through the extrados at the springing line.
2. (in a steel-framed building) a panellike area between the head of a window on one level and the sill of a window immediately above.
3. Philately. the decoration occupying the space at the corner of a stamp between the border and an oval or circular central design.

Origin of spandrel

Anglo-French

1470-1480; earlier spaundrell, probably < Anglo-French spaundre, itself perhaps cognate with Old French espandre to expand

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for spandrel

Historical Examples

The upper one is a spandrel piece from the traceried arcading of the stalls.
Wood-Carving
George Jack

For the arches and spandrel walls the gravel was passed over a 2-in.
Concrete Construction
Halbert P. Gillette

German clocks had this device of the cherub’s head, but not in the spandrel.
Chats on Old Clocks
Arthur Hayden

Anagram

land reps
nerd alps
lend raps


21 June 2016

crocket

[krok-it]

noun, Architecture.

1. a medieval ornament, usually in the form of a leaf that curves up and away from the supporting surface and returns partially upon itself.

Origin of crocket

Middle English

1300-1350; Middle English croket hook < Anglo-French, equivalent to croc hook (< Germanic; see crook1) + -et -et. See crochet, crotchet

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for crocket

Historical Examples

He was sojourning at Mrs. crocket ‘s, and had been there for the last two days.
He Knew He Was Right
Anthony Trollope

Mrs. crocket will see about having somebody to take care of the house.
He Knew He Was Right
Anthony Trollope

There have been times when we should have gone to bed very hungry if it had not been for Mrs. crocket.
He Knew He Was Right
Anthony Trollope


20 June 2016

polymorphous

[pol-ee-mawr-fuh s]

adjective

1. having, assuming, or passing through many or various forms, stages, or the like.
2. polymorphic.

Origin of polymorphous

Greek

1775-1785; < Greek polýmorphos multiform. See poly-, -morphous

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for polymorphous

Historical Examples

The physical conditions under which polymorphous modifications are prepared control the form which the substance assumes.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1
Various

The nucleus is not polymorphous, and only occasionally divided.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique
John William Henry Eyre

The nucleus is not polymorphous, but usually divided into two, though it may be single.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique
John William Henry Eyre

The expression “Cells with polymorphous nuclei” would be more accurate.
Histology of the Blood
Paul Ehrlich

Anagram

holy prom opus
pool spy humor
so hourly pomp


19 June 2016

skeeve

[skeev] Slang.

noun

1. Also, skeever. an immoral or repulsive person.
verb (used with object)
2. to cause disgust in (often followed by out):
This place is so full of mold that it really skeeves me out.
3. to be disgusted by:
people who skeeve public restrooms.
verb (used without object)
4. to cause disgust or feel disgusted:
The mess just made me skeeve.

Origin of skeeve

back formation from skeevy (not respectable, immoral, slovenly, disgusting, repulsive)
1975-80; probably < Italian schifo ‘disgust’ + -y1

Dictionary.com


18 June 2016

finial

[fin-ee-uh l, fahy-nee-]

noun

1. Architecture. a relatively small, ornamental, terminal feature at the top of a gable, pinnacle, etc.
2. an ornamental termination to the top of a piece of furniture, or of one part of such a piece.
3. Typography. a curve terminating the main stroke of the characters in some italic fonts.

Origin of finial

Latin

1400-1450; late Middle English, derivative of Latin fīnis end; see -al1

Related forms

finialed, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for finial

Historical Examples

We had in England in the twelfth century a large figure serving as a finial to the central tower at Canterbury.
Leadwork
W. R. Lethaby

This is especially the case with regard to the shape of the finial.
The Bronze Age and the Celtic World
Harold Peake

And not content with this exuberance in the external ornaments of the arch, the finial interferes with its traceries.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)
John Ruskin

Anagram

nail if
in fail
ail fin


16 June 2016

crampon

[kram-pon]

noun

1. a spiked iron plate worn on boots or shoes for aid in climbing or to prevent slipping on ice, snow, etc.
2. a device for grasping and lifting heavy loads, usually consisting of a pair of hooks suspended from a chain or cable, the upward pull on which provides tension for the hooks to grip the load on opposite sides.

Also, crampoon [kram-poon]

Origin of crampon

Middle English, Old French, Old Low Franconian
1275-1325; Middle English cra (u) mpon < Old French crampon < Old Low Franconian *krampo, cognate with Old High German krampfo, Middle Dutch crampe; see cramp2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for crampon

Historical Examples

Outside the bandages I wore six pairs of thick woollen socks, fur boots and a crampon over-shoe of soft leather.
The Home of the Blizzard
Douglas Mawson

Anagram

man crop
corn map


15 June 2016

dacker

[dak-er, dah-ker]

verb (used without object), Scot. and North England.

1. to totter or stagger.
2. to waver or shake.
3. to saunter; move slowly or idly.
4. to vacillate; act irresolutely or indecisively.

Also, daiker.

Origin of dacker

early Dutch Middle Dutch

1625-1635; perhaps < early Dutch daeckeren to flutter, vibrate, Middle Dutch dakeren to wave, flutter

Dictionary.com

Anagram

racked


14 June 2016

jeremiad

[jer-uh-mahy-uh d, -ad]

noun

1. a prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint.

Origin of jeremiad

1770-1780; Jeremi(ah) + -ad1in reference to Jeremiah’s Lamentations

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for jeremiad

Contemporary Examples

But neither is it a rigorous sociological study or a polemic or a jeremiad.
Too Soon to Write: Choire Sicha’s ‘Very Recent History’
Stefan Beck
August 7, 2013

The Task Force report is a blend of modern bureaucratese and the old Judeo-Christian tradition of the jeremiad.
Did the Southern Baptist ‘Conservative Resurgence’ Fail?
Molly Worthen
May 31, 2014

Huckabee should deliver a jeremiad lambasting Washington for its role in fostering the housing collapse and the Great Recession.
Mike Huckabee’s Bully Pulpit: Economic Populism
Lloyd Green
December 23, 2013

Historical Examples

Hanneh Breineh, in a friendly manner, settled herself on the sound end of the bed, and began her jeremiad.
Hungry Hearts
Anzia Yezierska

However, here is my jeremiad after all; it seems to have been inevitable!
The Life; Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
Modeste Tchaikovsky

Anagram

mire jade
i jam reed


13 June 2016

enow

[ih-nou; formerly ih-noh]

adjective, adverb, Archaic.

1. enough.

Origin of enow

Middle English, Old English
1050, before 1050; Middle English inow, Old English genōg (variant of genōh enough ), conflated with Middle English inowe, Old English genōge, plural of genōg enough

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for enow

Historical Examples

There are armed men enow to countervail all your efforts at escape.
The Monastery
Sir Walter Scott

I tolde him it was, but knew nought of ye distich, though ’twas like enow to be his.
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Vol. III, No. XVII, October 1851
Various

“ enow for any Christian woman, Niece, and at the least ten too many,” said Rachel severely.
Clare Avery
Emily Sarah Holt

Line 29, our text misreads ‘now:’ we restore ‘ enow,’ after the editions as in No. 9.
The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume I (of 2)
Richard Crashaw

Anagram

on we


12 June 2016

countervail

[koun-ter-veyl]

verb (used with object)

1. to act or avail against with equal power, force, or effect; counteract.
2. to furnish an equivalent of or a compensation for; offset.
3. Archaic. to equal.

verb (used without object)

4. to be of equal force in opposition; avail.

Origin of countervail

Latin, Middle English, Anglo-French
1350-1400; Middle English contrevailen < Anglo-French countrevail-, tonic stem (subjunctive) of countrevaloir to equal, be comparable to < Latin phrase contrā valēre to be of worth against (someone or something). See counter-, -valent

Related forms

uncountervailed, adjective

Synonyms

1. counterbalance, counterpoise, neutralize.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for countervail

Historical Examples

You had, besides, on Virginia, sacred claims which nothing could countervail.
Paul and Virginia
Bernardin de Saint Pierre

No time was to be lost, and measures were immediately taken to countervail these designs.
Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 (of 2)
John Roby

One question is, can I countervail the burden I shall be, by such help to you as I can afford?
Diana of the Crossways, Complete
George Meredith

Her object being to countervail the design of her husband, she instantly commences a system of manoeuvring to carry her point.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I
Francis Augustus Cox

In the case of Dryden there is nothing to countervail this presumption.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay

Very many and very strong arms stood behind the prince ready to cooperate with him and countervail any resistance.
The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 4 (of 6)
Hippolyte A. Taine

Anagram

no lucrative
lunatic rove
toucan liver
ritual coven
once virtual


11 June 2016

schnook

[shnoo k]

noun, Slang.

1. an unimportant or stupid person; dope. ‘he was such a schnook’.

Origin of schnook

1945-1950, Americanism; of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com

no hocks
no shock


10 June 2016

exposition

[ek-spuh-zish-uh n]

noun

1. a large-scale public exhibition or show, as of art or manufactured products:
an exposition of 19th-century paintings; an automobile exposition.
Synonyms: exhibit, demonstration, display, presentation.
2. the act of expounding, setting forth, or explaining:
the exposition of a point of view.
3. writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain; a detailed statement or explanation; explanatory treatise:
The students prepared expositions on familiar essay topics.
Synonyms: elucidation, commentary; critique, interpretation, exegesis, explication.
4. the act of presenting to view; display:
The singer gave a splendid exposition of vocal talent.
5. exposure (def 12).
6. the state of being uncovered, revealed, or otherwise exposed; exposure.
7. Music. the first section of a fugue or a sonata form, in which the principal themes normally are introduced.

Origin of exposition

Middle English, Latin

1300-1350; Middle English exposicioun < Latin expositiōn- (stem of expositiō), equivalent to exposit (us) (see expose ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

expositional, adjective
preexposition, noun
reexposition, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for exposition

Contemporary Examples

In 1876, a 23-year-old Swede named S.A. Andrée went to see the Centennial exposition in Philadelphia.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Feb. 7, 2012
Jimmy So
February 7, 2012

But also somebody who could handle a mouthful of exposition and make the words understandable and compelling.
Homeland’s Tracy Letts, Writer of ‘August: Osage County,’ Says Oscar Mania Is Frustrating
Jason Lynch
November 4, 2013

Eisner does prove himself adept at character development and exposition.
Michael Eisner on Media’s Future
Peter Lauria
September 8, 2010

Dialogue is most amazing and powerful in a movie when it is not forced to carry the burden of exposition.
How to Write Groundhog Day: 10 Rules for Screenwriters
Danny Rubin
October 19, 2012

All this shows the real problem when telling the story of geniuses: exposition.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?
Clive Irving
December 13, 2014

Historical Examples

But Calhoun wrote an “exposition” of the constitutional doctrines in the case.
A Short History of the United States
Edward Channing

His exposition of them as a whole is certainly as clear as this in Matt.
The Seventh Day Sabbath, a Perpetual Sign
Joseph Bates

They were as distinct in their character as in their exposition of Scripture.
A Thousand Years of Jewish History
Maurice H. (Maurice Henry) Harris

The exposition was the most ambitious affair of the kind held so far.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year
Edwin Emerson

In exposition he had the rare art of unfolding and aggrandizing.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6
Various

Anagram

on to pixies


8 June 2016

plantain(1)

[plan-tin, -tn]

noun

1. a tropical plant, Musa paradisiaca, of the banana family, resembling the banana.
2. its fruit, eaten cooked as a staple food in tropical regions.

Origin of plantain(1)

Spanish, Latin, Medieval Latin
1545-1555; earlier pla (n) tan < Spanish plá (n) tano plantain, also plane tree < Medieval Latin pla (n) tanus, Latin platanus plane3

plantain(2)

[plan-tin, -tn]

Spell Syllables

noun

1. any plant of the genus Plantago, especially P. major, a weed with large, spreading leaves close to the ground and long, slender spikes of small flowers.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English plauntein < Old French plantein < Latin plantāgin- (stem of plantāgō), derivative of planta sole of the foot, literally, something flat and spread out, like the broad leaf of the plantain; akin to Greek platýs flat1; see platy-

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for plantain

Contemporary Examples

It is a simple Puerto Rican cow’s milk cheese called queso de hoja and it is wrapped in a plantain leaf.
A Little Latin Flavor
Sarah Whitman-Salkin
October 20, 2009

Historical Examples

He sees the vision of hell, falls down on the ground like a plantain tree blown by a tempest, and faints.
Tales from the Hindu Dramatists
R. N. Dutta

Then one of the soldiers bade me eat my plantain ; and I thought I must do as I was bid.
The Hour and the Man
Harriet Martineau

Anagram

plain tan


7 June 2016

pinochle

[pee-nuhk-uh l, -nok-]

noun

1. a popular card game played by two, three, or four persons, with a 48-card deck.
2. a meld of the queen of spades and the jack of diamonds in this game.

Also, penuchle, penuckle, pinocle.

Origin of pinochle

Swiss German, Swiss French, French

1860-1865, Americanism; < Swiss German Binokel, Binoggel < Swiss French binocle literally, pince-nez (see binocle1), probably adopted as synonym of the less current French besicles spectacles, folk-etymological alteration of bezigue bezique

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pinochle

Contemporary Examples

It’s a diversion, much like pinochle or gin rummy were in the days when there were only three TV channels.
Newt Gingrich Isn’t Doomed, Even After a Failed Presidential Campaign
Rich Galen
May 1, 2012

Historical Examples

After that, he divided his time between two saloons, where he played dominoes and pinochle, and his own house.
The Crevice
William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander

“Got change for a dollar, an’ I’ll settle that pinochle debt,” offered the sergeant.
The Drums Of Jeopardy
Harold MacGrath

Valmore and Freedom Smith went over to the livery barn for a game of pinochle.
Windy McPherson’s Son
Sherwood Anderson

It was like him to forget all about the herder and the promise of pinochle that night.
The Uphill Climb
B. M. Bower

Dirty trick to break up a pinochle game in weather like this.
Cue for Quiet
Thomas L. Sherred

The house was peaceful, that evening, and he enjoyed a game of pinochle with his wife.
Babbitt
Sinclair Lewis

And I am glad to point out also that the pinochle game is not necessarily broken up.
More Tish
Mary Roberts Rinehart

Euchre doesn’t seem the same without a barful of people, and pinochle is not the game that Stein is good at.
Cue for Quiet
Thomas L. Sherred

Auction bridge is played with cards, just like pinochle, with the exception of the beer.
You Should Worry Says John Henry
George V. Hobart

Anagram

nil epoch
chop line


6 June 2016

symbiosis

[sim-bee-oh-sis, -bahy-]

noun, plural symbioses [sim-bee-oh-seez, -bahy-]

1. Biology.
the living together of two dissimilar organisms, as in mutualism, commensalism, amensalism, or parasitism.
(formerly) mutualism (def 1).
2. Psychiatry. a relationship between two people in which each person is dependent upon and receives reinforcement, whether beneficial or detrimental, from the other.
3. Psychoanalysis. the relationship between an infant and its mother in which the infant is dependent on the mother both physically and emotionally.
4. any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, groups, etc.

Origin of symbiosis

Greek

1615-1625; < Greek symbíōsis, equivalent to sym- sym- + biō (variant stem of bioûn to live) + -sis -sis

Related forms

symbiotic [sim-bee-ot-ik, -bahy-], symbiotical, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for symbiosis

Contemporary Examples

The pig and Kris live in symbiosis, sharing feelings and visions with one another.
‘Upstream Color,’ Shane Carruth’s Sci-Fi Drama, Is the Year’s Craziest Film (So Far)
Marlow Stern
April 5, 2013

Are Anna and Grace opposites doing different things or is there symbiosis?
Inside Vogue’s Queendom
Kim Masters
August 25, 2009


5 June 2016

cockamamie or cockamamy

[kok-uh-mey-mee]

adjective, Slang.

1. ridiculous, pointless, or nonsensical:
full of wild schemes and cockamamie ideas.

Origin of cockamamie

1940-1945, probably earlier than 1940-45, Americanism; in orig. sense, paper strip with an image which could be transferred to the skin when moistened, apparently alteration of decalcomania; sense “ridiculous” probably by association with cock-and-bull story, poppycock, etc.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cockamamie

Contemporary Examples

“The whole ticking-time-bomb thesis is … so cockamamie,” said Carle.
Human Rights Watch: Prosecute Bush, Cheney Over Torture Crimes
R.M. Schneiderman
July 11, 2011

I wonder how much the Federalist Society invested in this cockamamie responsible procreation idea.
More on Responsible Procreation
Michael Tomasky
March 26, 2013

In this cockamamie get-rich scheme, would they all issue an apology if he cut a check?
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers
Stereo Williams
January 7, 2015

Anagram

make a comic
I comma cake


4 June 2016

hoosegow or hoosgow

[hoos-gou]

noun, Slang.

1. a jail.

Origin of hoosegow

Mexican Spanish, Latin

1860-1865, Americanism; < Mexican Spanish jusgado jail ( Spanish: court of justice, orig. past participle of juzgar to judge) < Latin jūdicātum, equivalent to jūdic- (stem of jūdex) judge + -ātum -ate1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for hoosegow

Historical Examples

The next thing I heard, two men we’ve been keeping an eye on were in the hoosegow, one with a slug in his shoulder.
The Wailing Octopus
Harold Leland Goodwin

“The boss is in the hoosegow,” answered Pete, his voice tragic.
Good References
E. J. Rath

It’s a long walk down to the hoosegow and I don’t want to take you there.
Young People’s Pride
Stephen Vincent Benet

It would infuriate the Judge to sentence those buzzards to the hoosegow for life.
David Lannarck, Midget
George S. Harney

Anagram

goose who


1 June 2016

aureolin

[aw-ree-uh-lin, uh-ree-]

noun

1. a pigment used in painting, consisting of potassium cobaltinitrite and characterized by its brilliant yellow hue, transparency, and permanence.

Also called cobalt yellow.

Origin of aureolin

Latin

1875-1880; < Latin aureol (us) golden, of gold (see aureole ) + -in2

Related forms

aureoline [aw-ree-uh-lin, -lahyn, uh-ree-] (Show IPA), adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for aureolin

Historical Examples

To our knowledge, aureolin is quite uninjured by the severest tests to which a pigment can be subjected.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

With this and aureolin a series of beautiful foliage tints may be formed, sparkling with sunshine, as it were.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

For mural decoration, aureolin is admirably adapted, but it cannot be used in enamel, the colour being destroyed by great heat.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

Anagram

ruin aloe
euro nail
our alien

31 May 2016 – commissary

31 May 2016

commissary

[kom-uh-ser-ee]

noun, plural commissaries.

1. a store that sells food and supplies to the personnel or workers in a military post, mining camp, lumber camp, or the like.
2. a dining room or cafeteria, especially one in a motion-picture studio.
3. a person to whom some responsibility or role is delegated by a superior power; a deputy.
4. (in France) a police official, usually just below the police chief in rank.
5. commissar.

Origin of commissary

Middle English Anglo-French Medieval Latin
1350-1400; Middle English commissarie (< Anglo-French) < Medieval Latin commissārius, equivalent to Latin commiss (us) (past participle of committere to commit ) + -ārius -ary

Related forms

commissarial [kom-i-sair-ee-uh l], adjective
subcommissarial, adjective
subcommissary, noun, plural subcommissaries.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for commissary

Contemporary Examples

One of the strangest parts of the show, is the power the commissary has over inmates lives.
Best Business Longreads for the Week of August 24, 2013.
William O’Connor
August 24, 2013

I don’t recall ever seeing him in the commissary, and who would forget?
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 12, 2014

I suspect [Teresa] will get money sent in to her, so she can shop at the commissary.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’
Michael Howard
January 5, 2015

Anagram

is my macros
mom is scary


Today’s quote

My advice to people today is as follows: if you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out.

– Timothy Leary


On this day

31 May 1921 – 1 June 1921 – The Tulsa Race Riots in which a large group of white people attacked the black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, including aerial attacks that dropped bombs and fired on the community. It resulted in the Greenwood District, also known as the ‘Black Wall Street’ being burned to the ground. The Greenwood District was the wealthiest black community in the USA at the time.More than 800 people were admitted to white hospitals after two hospitals in the black community were burned down. Police arrested or detained more than 6,000 black residents. More than 10,000 were left homeless and 35 city blocks comprising of 1,256 destroyed. Official figures state that 39 people were killed, however, other sources estimate that between 55 and 300 black residents were killed with 9 white people killed. The riots were precipitated when a black man was suspected of raping a white girl in an elevator. White residents gathered with rumours of a lynching to happen. As the whites descended on Greenwood, a group of black men assembled to confront them. During this, some of the whites began torching buildings

31 May 1930 – birth of Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, producer and politician.

31 May 1948 – birth of John Bonham, Led Zeppelin drummer. Died 25 September 1980.

31 May 1965 – birth of Brooke Shields, American actor, model and producer.

31 May 1996 – death of Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author. Leary was a major proponent of the use of pscyhedelic drugs, particularly LSD and psilocybin (mushrooms). He conducted numerous psychiatric experiments using psychedelics, particularly during the 1950s and and 1960s, when the drugs were legal. LSD was banned by the USA in 1966. Leary popularised 1960’s catch-phrases such as ‘turn on, tune in and drop out’, ‘set and setting’, and ‘think for yourself and question authority’. He was friends with beat generation poets, such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. Leary was arrested numerous times over his possession and use of drugs. He wrote a number of books on the benefits of psychedelic drugs. Leary became fascinated with computers, declaring that ‘the PC is the LSD of the 1990s’. He encouraged bohemians to ‘turn on, boot up, jack in’. Leary was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995. He chose to stream his dying moments over the internet. Seven grams of Leary’s ashes were placed aboard a Pegasus rocket, launched on 21 April 1997. It remained in orbit around the Earth for six years until it burned up in atmosphere. Born 22 October 1920.

29 May 2016 – revanche

29 May 2016

revanche

[ruh-vanch, -vahnsh]

noun

1. the policy of a state intent on regaining areas of its original territory that have been lost to other states as a result of war, a treaty signed under duress, etc.

Origin of revanche

1855-1860; < French: revenge

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for revanche

Historical Examples

It is not ” revanche ” we want, but the return of our territory.
Ten Years Near the German Frontier
Maurice Francis Egan

You must give me my chance of a revanche to-morrow, Mr Tempest!
The Sorrows of Satan
Marie Corelli

With the young Welshman a joke might be carried to extremes, and he would only seek his revanche by a lark of like kind.
The Flag of Distress
Mayne Reid

On every occasion that the revanche cry has been resuscitated, the direct cause is to be sought in Germany.
What Germany Thinks
Thomas F. A. Smith

It brooded upon the revanche, the return match with Prussia.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
Herbert George Wells

Hence Germany’s bristling attitude to France, and the revival in France of the revanche idea, which had died down.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
Herbert George Wells

When the king lost he was most exacting for his ‘ revanche,’ or revenge, as it is termed at play.
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims
Andrew Steinmetz

The worst of it is, when one bets with these low people there is no chance of getting a revanche at some other time.
The White Chief
Mayne Reid

Any hope of revanche is abandoned in the reflection of the super-retaliations he himself conceives.
The Merry-Go-Round
Carl Van Vechten

Word Origin and History for revanche Expand
n.
“revenge,” 1858, from French revanche (see revanchist ).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

ranch eve
he cavern


Today’s quote

I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees.

– Gilbert K. Chesterton


On this day

29 May 1874 – birth of Gilbert Keith Chesterton (otherwise known as G.K. Chesterton), English writer, lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer and Christian apologist. Died 14 June 1936.

29 May 1917 – birthday of John F. Kennedy. 35th president of the United States. Assassinated 22 November 1963.

29 May 1953 – Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, become the first men to reach the summit of Mt Everest.

28 May 2016 – interlocutor

28 May 2016

interlocutor

[in-ter-lok-yuh-ter]

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
2. the man in the middle of the line of performers in a minstrel troupe, who acts as the announcer and banters with the end men.
3. a person who questions; interrogator.

Origin of interlocutor

Latin

1505-1515; < Latin interlocū-, variant stem of interloquī to speak between ( inter- inter- + loquī to speak) + -tor

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for interlocutor

Contemporary Examples

Who knows if my interlocutor spoke for the Saudi government.
The Revolt in Syria Could Easily Spread to Other Middle East Countries
Kenneth M. Pollack
January 30, 2012

They might also be unwilling to work with the interlocutor picked by the government to lead the talks.
Pakistan’s Drone Dilemma
Jahanzeb Aslam
May 29, 2013

So Eugene already had a leg up — an interlocutor could explain away any failed communication.
The AI That Wasn’t: Why ‘Eugene Goostman’ Didn’t Pass the Turing Test
Elizabeth Lopatto
June 9, 2014

Anagram

not courtlier
nuttier color
lice nor trout
contour tiler


Today’s quote

I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.

– Maya Angelou


On this day

28 May 1867 – President Johnson signs a treaty with Russia to transfer Alaska to the United States.

28 May 1908 – birth of Ian Fleming, British author of the ‘James Bond’ novels. Died 12 August 1964.

28 May 1964 – establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which was founded with the purpose of liberating Palestine through armed struggle. It has since rejected violence and been recognised as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people by the United Nations.

28 May 1987 – West German, Matthias Rust, illegally flies his Cessna 172 from Finland to Moscow, landing in Red Square. Rust claimed that he wanted to build an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and the West. Rust was charged and convicted of hooliganism, disregard of aviation laws and breaching the Soviet border. He was sentenced to four years in a general-regime labour camp, but spent his imprisonment in the high security Lefortovo. During Rust’s imprisonment, US President Reagan and the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Mikhael Gorbachev signed an intermediate-range nuclear weapons treaty. As a sign of good faith following the signing of the treaty, the Supreme Soviet ordered Matthias Rust be released in August 1988.

28 May 2014 – death of Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Ann Johnson), American author, poet and civil rights activist. Maya wrote seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poems. She had numerous occupations, including fry cook, dancer, actor, director and journalist. Her civil rights activism saw her work with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Born 4 April 1928.

27 May 2016 – galoot

27 May 2016

galoot or galloot

[guh-loot]

noun, Slang.

1. an awkward, eccentric, or foolish person.

Origin of galoot

1805-1815; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for galoot

Historical Examples

They can stand right up here and tell me to my face that I’m a galoot and a liar and a hick!
Babbitt
Sinclair Lewis

I want you to forget about that—this morning, and not think I am a galoot and a mucker.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

Why, thars been a galoot around Tintacker ever since Spring opened.
Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch
Alice B. Emerson

Jim was all fixed up, and he says to the galoot, ‘Let’s have a throw.’
The Crisis, Complete
Winston Churchill

By the taste in my mouth and the feel of my wrists, that galoot must have tied me up and gagged me!
Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane
Dorothy Wayne

Anagram

too lag
to goal


Today’s quote
If you’ve been brutally broken but still have the courage to be gentle to others then you deserve a love deeper than the ocean itself.

– Nathan Gill


On this day

27 May – 3 June – National Reconciliation Week, which is celebrated in Australia every year on these dates. The dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum (27 May) and the High Court Mabo decision (3 June 1992). The 1967 referendum saw over 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise them in the national census. On 3 June, 1992, the High Court of Australia delivered its landmark Mabo decision which legally recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a special relationship to the land—that existed prior to colonalisation and still exists today. This recognition paved the way for land rights called Native Title. 2012 marked the 20th anniversary of the Mabo decision. http://www.reconciliation.org.au/nrw

27 May 1703 – Tsar Peter the Great founds the Russian city of St Petersburg.

27 May 1907 – bubonic plague breaks out in San Francisco.

27 May 1911 – birth of Vincent Price, American actor, starred in a number of horror films, including House of Wax, House of Usher and The Raven. He also acted in the 1960s television series Batman, in which he played the evil mastermind, Egghead; a master criminal with a fixation on eggs. Price provided a voice-over on Alice Cooper’s 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare. In 1976, Price recorded a cover version of Bobby Pickett song, Monster Mash. Died 25 October 1993.

27 May 1922 – birth of Christopher Lee, CBE, English actor and singer. Lee starred in hammer horror movies, including Dracula (in which he played the title character), Dracula has risen from the grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, and Scars of Dracula. Fearing that he would become type-cast in horror roles as had happened to Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, he went in search of other roles. Lee starred in the 1974 James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun. He played Saruman in Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies, and Count Dooku in two of the Star Wars prequel films, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Died 7 June 2015.

26 May 2016 – gruntled

26 May 2016

gruntled

[gruhn-tld]

adjective

1. (informal) happy or contented; satisfied

Word Origin

back formation from disgruntled

Collins English Dictionary

Anagram

nerd glut
lug trend


Today’s quote

A writer is a world trapped in a person

– Victor Hugo


On this day

26 May – National Sorry Day. Since 1998, National Sorry Day occurs on 26 May every year to commemorate the maltreatment of Australia’s indigenous population.

26 May 1890 – Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, is released in England.

26 May 1913 – birth of Peter Cushing OBE, English actor who mostly appeared in Hammer Horror films, including The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula (in which he played vampire hunter, Van Helsing). Died 11 August 1994.

26 May 2012 – death of Festus, our beloved and most awesome budgie.

25 May 2016 – oniomania

25 May 2016

oniomania

[oh-nee-uh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh]

noun

1. an uncontrollable desire to buy things.

Origin of oniomania

Late Latin, Greek< New Latin < Greek ṓni (os) for sale (derivative of ônos price) + -o- -o- + Late Latin mania -mania

Related forms

oniomaniac [oh-nee-uh-mey-nee-ak], noun

Dictionary.com

Contemporary definitions for oniomania Expand

noun

a passion or insane desire to buy things

Word Origin

Greek onios ‘for sale’

Anagram

aim a onion


Today’s quote

A desk is a terrible place from which to view the world.

– John le Carré


On this day

25 May – Towel Day. A tribute to Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which states that a towel is ‘about the most massively useful thing that an interstellar hitchhiker can have‘. First held in 2001, two weeks after the death of Adams. Fans carry a towel with them on this day in appreciation of Adams and his work.

25 May 1999 – Bill Morgan, who had been resuscitated after spending 14 minutes clinically dead following a heart-attack, wins a $27,000 car from a Tatts Scratch lotto ticket. During a reenactment of the event for a Melbourne TV station, Bill won $250,000 from a Scratch-It ticket. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBYuxQBSc0o

24 May 2016 – pelage

24 May 2016

pelage

[pel-ij]

noun

1. the hair, fur, wool, or other soft covering of a mammal.

Origin of pelage

Old French

1820-1830; < French, derivative of poil (Old French peil, pel; see poilu ); see -age

Related forms

pelagial [puh-ley-jee-uh l] (Show IPA), adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pelage

Contemporary Examples

Individual gorillas were identified by face shape, body shape, and pelage coloration.
How Gorillas Are Outsmarting Ebola
Melissa Leon
August 31, 2014

Historical Examples

It has acquired approximately half of the white winter pelage and was taken on October 12, 1897, at Keechelus Lake.
American Weasels
E. Raymond Hall

The winter pelage is brown in all specimens at most localities.
American Weasels
E. Raymond Hall

Anagram

ale peg
gap eel


Today’s quote

I only really and truly fully relax on my own. Give me a sun lounger, a pool and a sea view, and I’m happy.

– Miranda Hart


On this day

24 May 1930 – Amy Johnson, flying a Gypsy Moth, lands in Darwin. She is the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.

24 May 2012 – Tens of thousands of Norwegian public servants go on strike demanding pay rises and improvements in working conditions. It is the first such strike in Norway since 1984.

19 May 2016 – impresario

19 May 2016

impresario

[im-pruh-sahr-ee-oh, -sair-]

noun, plural impresarios.
1. a person who organizes or manages public entertainments, especially operas, ballets, or concerts.
2. any manager, director, or the like.

Origin of impresario

1740-1750; < Italian, equivalent to impres (a) impresa + -ario -ary

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for impresario

Contemporary Examples

“Warning to politicians,” Internet impresario Matt Drudge recently tweeted.
Why TV Anchor Jorge Ramos Swam Across The Rio Grande
Lloyd Grove
July 21, 2014

Only a few short months since the death of its founder and impresario, Steve Jobs, Apple appears more dominant than ever.
Boycott Apple? The Moral Dilemma After Abuse Reports From China
Thane Rosenbaum
January 26, 2012

At 28, Schroeder is the same age as Internet impresario Mark Zuckerberg.
Fashion of a Certain Age New Website Halsbrook.com Caters to Mature Shoppers
Robin Givhan
November 3, 2012

Leonard was now the impresario of Delta Blues, music sold to the poorest people in the city.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters
Alex Belth
August 1, 2014

That autumn she had been introduced to the British producer and impresario Charles Cochran.
Tallulah Bankhead: Gay, Drunk and Liberated in an Era of Excess Art
Judith Mackrell
January 24, 2014

Historical Examples

But the impresario renewed his proposal, and the struggle recommenced.
The Life of Johannes Brahms (Vol 1 of 2)
Florence May

The impresario that provides the opera could not sing nor dance.
A Day’s Ride
Charles James Lever

Anagram

impair roes
air promise


Today’s quote

When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow.

– Anais Nin


On this day

19 May 1536 – Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, incest and treason.

19 May 1568 – Queen Elizabeth I orders the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots.

19 May 1897 – Oscar Wilde released from Reading Gaol.

19 May 1909 – birth of Sir Nicholas Winton, MBE, British humanitarian who rescued 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1938, shortly after Kristallnacht. Most of the children were Jewish. He arranged their safe passage to Britain and found homes for them. As war loomed, Winton registered as a conscientious objector and registered for work with the Red Cross. He rescinded his objection in 1940 and served with the Royal Air Force. Winton kept quiet about the rescue of the 669 children, not even telling his wife, Grete. It wasn’t until 1988, when Grete found a scrapbook in their attic that detailed the children, their parents’ names, and the names and addresses of the people they moved in with in Britain. She was able to locate 80 of the children. Later that year, she took Nicholas along to the filming of the BBC-TV show That’s Life. Unexpectedly for Winton, his scrapbook was shown on camera and his exploits detailed. When the host asked if anyone in the audience owed their life to Winton, more than two dozen people stood up, surrounding and applauding him.

19 May 1925 – birth of Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little), also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. He campaigned for the rights of African-Americans. At the age of 20, while in prison, he joined the ‘Nation of Islam’, a group that preached black supremacy. He eventually became disillusioned with it and its leader, Elijah Muhammad. On 8 March 1964, he publicly announced he had the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X founded Muslim Mosque Inc and the Organisation of Afro-American Unity. He converted to Sunni Islam, revoked black supremacy and preached equal rights. He was assassinated on 21 February 1965 by three members of the Nation of Islam; Talmadge Hayer (also known as Thomas Hagan), Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson. All three were convicted, although Butler and Johnson maintained their innocence.

19 May 1962 – Marilyn Monroe sings a seductive version of ‘Happy Birthday‘ to President John F. Kennedy for his 45th birthday. She was introduced to the stage as the ‘late’ Marilyn Monroe. Less than three months later, Monroe was found dead. The dress Monroe wore was designed by Jean Louis and sold at auction in 1999 for more than $1,200,000. It was a sheer, flesh coloured dress with 2,500 rhinestones.