12 February 2021

weal(1)

[ weel ]

noun

well-being, prosperity, or happiness:
the public weal; weal and woe.
Obsolete. wealth or riches.
Obsolete. the body politic; the state.

ORIGIN OF WEAL(1)
before 900; Middle English wele, Old English wela; akin to well1
DEFINITION FOR WEAL (2 OF 2)

weal(2)[ weel ]
noun
wheal.
ORIGIN OF WEAL(2)
variant of wale1, with ea of wheal

DICTIONARY.COM
BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR WEAL

This time it must be either for weal or woe, and all that he possessed he was now bringing into the field.

PELLE THE CONQUEROR, COMPLETE|MARTIN ANDERSON NEXO
So many virtues and such active zeal Her youth could not sustain; she fell from weal Ere harvest.

LAMENTS|JAN KOCHANOWSKI
She’s growing up now, and has no mother, And as for her poor father, he’d as soon Think of flying as of his daughter’s weal.

TALES OF THE WONDER CLUB, VOLUME III|M. Y. HALIDOM (PSEUD. DRYASDUST)
I feel much for my Canadian brethren, and I can never be indifferent to their weal or woe.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE|EGERTON RYERSON

Quote of the day

It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.

Mark Twain

On this day

12 February 1809 – birth of Abraham Lincoln, 16^th President of the United State of America. Assassinated 15 April 1865.

12 February 1912 – the Last Emperor of China, Hsian-T’ung is forced to abdicate by republicans, ending 2000 years of imperial rule. The Republic of China formed on 1 January 1912, followed by the People’s Republic of China, which formed on 1 October 1949.

12 February 1983 – Legendary 1960’s folk duo, Simon and Garfunkel, play a reunion concert at VFL Park, Melbourne.

12 February 2015 – death of Faith Bandler. Australian civil rights activist. Her father was from Vanuatu. Her mother of Scottish-Indian descent. Campaigned for the rights of indigenous Australians and South Sea Islanders. She was a leader in the 1967 referendum on aboriginal Australians. She was involved with the Aboriginal–Australian Fellowship and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI). She was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 1984 and Companion of the Order of Australia in 2009. Born 23 September 1918.

12 February 2021

weal(1)

[ weel ]

noun

well-being, prosperity, or happiness:
the public weal; weal and woe.
Obsolete. wealth or riches.
Obsolete. the body politic; the state.

ORIGIN OF WEAL(1)
before 900; Middle English wele, Old English wela; akin to well1
DEFINITION FOR WEAL (2 OF 2)

weal(2)[ weel ]
noun
wheal.
ORIGIN OF WEAL(2)
variant of wale1, with ea of wheal

DICTIONARY.COM
BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR WEAL

This time it must be either for weal or woe, and all that he possessed he was now bringing into the field.

PELLE THE CONQUEROR, COMPLETE|MARTIN ANDERSON NEXO
So many virtues and such active zeal Her youth could not sustain; she fell from weal Ere harvest.

LAMENTS|JAN KOCHANOWSKI
She’s growing up now, and has no mother, And as for her poor father, he’d as soon Think of flying as of his daughter’s weal.

TALES OF THE WONDER CLUB, VOLUME III|M. Y. HALIDOM (PSEUD. DRYASDUST)
I feel much for my Canadian brethren, and I can never be indifferent to their weal or woe.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE|EGERTON RYERSON

Quote of the day

It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.

Mark Twain

On this day

12 February 1809 – birth of Abraham Lincoln, 16^th President of the United State of America. Assassinated 15 April 1865.

12 February 1912 – the Last Emperor of China, Hsian-T’ung is forced to abdicate by republicans, ending 2000 years of imperial rule. The Republic of China formed on 1 January 1912, followed by the People’s Republic of China, which formed on 1 October 1949.

12 February 1983 – Legendary 1960’s folk duo, Simon and Garfunkel, play a reunion concert at VFL Park, Melbourne.

12 February 2015 – death of Faith Bandler. Australian civil rights activist. Her father was from Vanuatu. Her mother of Scottish-Indian descent. Campaigned for the rights of indigenous Australians and South Sea Islanders. She was a leader in the 1967 referendum on aboriginal Australians. She was involved with the Aboriginal–Australian Fellowship and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI). She was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 1984 and Companion of the Order of Australia in 2009. Born 23 September 1918.

9 July 2019

malfeasance

[ mal-fee-zuh ns ]

noun Law.

the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law; wrongdoing (used especially of an act in violation of a public trust).Compare misfeasance(def 2), nonfeasance.

ORIGIN OF MALFEASANCE

1690–1700;

earlier malefeasance. See male-, feasance

RELATED FORMS

mal·fea·sant, adjective, noun

DICTIONARY.COM UNABRIDGED
BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR MALFEASANCE

The commission has accused Yingluck of malfeasance in a rice-subsidy program aimed at improving the incomes of Thai rice farmers.
THAILAND: INTO THE VOID|LENNOX SAMUELS|MARCH 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The prime minister must appear before the anti-corruption commission on February 27 to answer the malfeasance charges.
CAN THAILAND’S PRIME MINISTER CLING TO POWER?|LENNOX SAMUELS|FEBRUARY 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Allegations of malfeasance against Raheen continue to surface.
AFGHANISTAN’S MILLION DOLLAR MINISTER|RON MOREAU, SAMI YOUSAFZAI|SEPTEMBER 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Arguably that question points to a much larger problem than Stapel’s malfeasance.
HOW SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, AND THE REST OF US, GOT SEDUCED BY A GOOD STORY|MEGAN MCARDLE|APRIL 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Today’s quote

If one is free at heart, no man-made chains can bind one to servitude, but if one’s mind is so manipulated and controlled by the oppressor, then there will be nothing the oppressed can do to scare his powerful masters.

– Steven Biko

On this day

9 July 1941 – British military cryptologists break the Enigma code which the German Army was using for encrypting messages used for directing ground to air operations. However, a group of Polish cryptologists claim to have assisted in the cracking of Enigma and have been campaigning for recognition of their part in the break-through.

9 July 1946 – birth of Ronald Belford ‘Bon’ Scott, Scottish-born Australian rock musician. Most famous as the lead-singer of legendary hard rock band, AC/DC. Scott died on 19 February 1980, after choking on his own vomit following a heavy drinking session.

9 July 1982 – In the early hours of the morning, 30 year old Irishman, Michael Fagan breaks into Buckhingham Palace and makes his way to Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom. Reports at the time, claimed that he spent 10 minutes in there talking with the Queen before being arrested, however, Fagan later claimed that the Queen immediately fled the bedroom and summoned security. The incident was the biggest royal security breach of the 20th century.

9 July 2004 – A US Senate Intelligence Committee finds that the CIA misrepresented the threat posed by Iraq, which was used by President George W. Bush in order to justify the 2003 Iraq invasion by the ‘Coalition of the Willing’.

8 July 2019

ave atqua vale

Latin phrase

[ ah-we aht-kwe wah-le; English ey-vee at-kwee vey-lee, ah-vey aht-kwey vah-ley ]

hail and farewell: I salute you, and goodbye — used especially in a eulogy to a hero.

Origin

Classical Latin – hail and farewell: from an ode of Catullus in commemoration of his dead brother

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Dictionary.com
Yourdictionary.com

Today’s quote

We look before and after, And pine for what is not; Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.

– Percy Bysshe Shelley

On this day

8 July 1822 – death of Percy Bysshe Shelley, English romantic poet, considered to be one the finest lyric poets of all time. Born 4 August 1792.

8 July 1947 – reports are that a UFO crash-landed at Roswell, New Mexico.

8 July 1954 – Military leader, Castillo Armas seizes power of Guatamala in a CIA-backed coup, overthrowing Communist president Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. The coup was part of the CIA’s international anti-communist activities. On request of the CIA, Armas formed the National Committee of Defense Against Communism, which is recognised as Latin America’s first modern death squad, purging the government and trade unions of people with suspected left-wing tendencies. Armas introduced the ‘Preventive Penal Law Against Communism’ which increased penalties for ‘Communist’ activities, such as labor union activities. Armas was assassinated on 26 July 1957 by a palace guard, Romeo Vásquez. It is unknown what Vásquez’s motive was. He was found dead in a suspected suicide a short while later.

8 July 1980 – First State of Origin match played between New South Wales and Queensland at Lang Park (Suncorp Stadium), Brisbane. Queensland won 20-10.

7 July 2019

mulligan

[ muhl-i-guh n ]

Noun

1. Also called mulligan stew. a stew containing meat, vegetables, etc., especially one made of any available ingredients.
2. Golf. a shot not counted against the score, permitted in unofficial play to a player whose previous shot was poor. Also used when a person is given a second chance, regardless of how bad their behaviour was.

ORIGIN OF MULLIGAN

First recorded in 1900–05; special use of proper name

Contemporary Examples

Tony Perkins, the president of the conservative Family Research Council, contended Tuesday that the evangelical community has given President Donald Trump a “mulligan” when it comes to his personal behavior.
Conservative evangelical leader: Trump gets a ‘mulligan’ on his behavior
Jennifer Hansler, CNN
24 January 2018

Today’s quote

Every moment of your life is a second chance.

– Rick Price

On this day

7 July 1941 – birth of Bill Oddie, English comedian, star of ‘The Goodies’.

7 July 1953 – After graduating from medical school in June 1953, Dr Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara sets out on a train trip from Argentina to Bolivia and the Andes. His family don’t see him for six years, when he emerged in Havana, fighting for Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution. Following the successful overthrow of the government, Che was given key government positions within the Castro regime, including as Minister of Industries to implement agrarian reform.

7 July 1985 – 17 year old Boris Becker becomes the youngest player to win Wimbledon.

7 July 2005 – Four suicide bombers detonate themselves on London’s transport system, killing 56 people and injuring 700.

7 July 2007 – The New 7 Wonders Foundation officially declares a new ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ list:

The Great Wall of China
Petra, Jordan (a city carved into rock)
Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Machu Picchu, Peru
Chichén Itzá Pyramid, Mexico
Roman Colisseum, Italy
Taj Mahal, Indian

The Original Seven Wonders of the World were:

Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Statue of Zeus, Olympia, Greece
Mausoleum of Maussollos at Hallicarnassus
Colossus of Rhodes
Lighthouse of Alexandria

July 2019 WOTDs

• ave atqua vale
• malfeasance
• mulligan

9 July 2019

malfeasance

[ mal-fee-zuh ns ]

noun Law.

the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law; wrongdoing (used especially of an act in violation of a public trust).Compare misfeasance(def 2), nonfeasance.

ORIGIN OF MALFEASANCE

1690–1700;

earlier malefeasance. See male-, feasance

RELATED FORMS

mal·fea·sant, adjective, noun

DICTIONARY.COM UNABRIDGED
BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR MALFEASANCE

The commission has accused Yingluck of malfeasance in a rice-subsidy program aimed at improving the incomes of Thai rice farmers.
THAILAND: INTO THE VOID|LENNOX SAMUELS|MARCH 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The prime minister must appear before the anti-corruption commission on February 27 to answer the malfeasance charges.
CAN THAILAND’S PRIME MINISTER CLING TO POWER?|LENNOX SAMUELS|FEBRUARY 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Allegations of malfeasance against Raheen continue to surface.
AFGHANISTAN’S MILLION DOLLAR MINISTER|RON MOREAU, SAMI YOUSAFZAI|SEPTEMBER 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Arguably that question points to a much larger problem than Stapel’s malfeasance.
HOW SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, AND THE REST OF US, GOT SEDUCED BY A GOOD STORY|MEGAN MCARDLE|APRIL 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

8 July 2019

ave atqua vale

Latin phrase

[ ah-we aht-kwe wah-le; English ey-vee at-kwee vey-lee, ah-vey aht-kwey vah-ley ]

hail and farewell: I salute you, and goodbye — used especially in a eulogy to a hero.

Origin

Classical Latin – hail and farewell: from an ode of Catullus in commemoration of his dead brother

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Dictionary.com
Yourdictionary.com

7 July 2019

mulligan

[ muhl-i-guh n ]

Noun

1. Also called mulligan stew. a stew containing meat, vegetables, etc., especially one made of any available ingredients.
2. Golf. a shot not counted against the score, permitted in unofficial play to a player whose previous shot was poor. Also used when a person is given a second chance, regardless of how bad their behaviour was.

ORIGIN OF MULLIGAN

First recorded in 1900–05; special use of proper name

Contemporary Examples

Tony Perkins, the president of the conservative Family Research Council, contended Tuesday that the evangelical community has given President Donald Trump a “mulligan” when it comes to his personal behavior.
Conservative evangelical leader: Trump gets a ‘mulligan’ on his behavior
Jennifer Hansler, CNN
24 January 2018

27 June 2019

flume

[ floom ]

noun

a deep narrow defile containing a mountain stream or torrent.
an artificial channel or trough for conducting water, as one used to transport logs or provide water power.
an amusement park ride in which passengers are carried in a boatlike or loglike conveyance through a narrow, water-filled chute or over a water slide.

verb (used with object), flumed, flum·ing.

to transport in a flume.
to divert (a stream) by a flume.

RELATED WORDS

sluice, conduit, run, channel, spillway

ORIGIN OF FLUME

1125–75; Middle English flum; Old French ≪ Latin flūmen stream
DICTIONARY.COM UNABRIDGED
BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FLUME

Gradually climbing upward, we come to a tract of land that is watered by the Flume.
A TRUTHFUL WOMAN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA|KATE SANBORN

“I know very little about the man, but I never saw more thorough work than he has put in on the flume,” he said.
A DAMAGED REPUTATION|HAROLD BINDLOSS

The water was brought in a ditch or flume to the top of a high bank, and then terminated in a tight box.
DEATH VALLEY IN ’49|WILLIAM LEWIS MANLY

There being no stint of timber, we could afford to make our flume immensely strong—and we did.
THE TRAIL OF THE BADGER|SIDFORD F. HAMP

Today’s quote

Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.

– E. B. White

On this day

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

27 June 1957 – The British Medical Research Council proves a direct link between smoking and lung cancer.

26 June 2019

ululate

[ uhl-yuh-leyt, yool- ]

verb (used without object), ul·u·lat·ed, ul·u·lat·ing.

to howl, as a dog or a wolf; hoot, as an owl.
to utter howling sounds, as in shrill, wordless lamentation; wail.
to lament loudly and shrilly.

ORIGIN OF ULULATE

1615–25; Latin ululātus, past participle of ululāre to howl, shriek, of imitative orig.; see -ate1

RELATED FORMS
ul·u·la·tion, noun

Today’s quote

You’re not a baby boomer if you don’t have a visceral recollection of a Kennedy and a King assassination, a Beatles breakup, a U.S. defeat in Vietnam, and a Watergate.

– P. J. O’Rourke

On this day

26 June – International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

26 June 1945 – 50 nations ratify the United Nations Charter in an effort to prevent another world war. The United Nations was formally established on 24 October 1945, replacing the League of Nations.

25 June 2019

flabbergast

[ flab-er-gast ]

verb (used with object)

to overcome with surprise and bewilderment; astound.

ORIGIN OF FLABBERGAST

1765–75; variant of flabagast (perhaps flabb(y) + aghast)

SYNONYMS FOR FLABBERGAST

amaze, astonish, stagger, nonplus, confound; perplex, confuse, mystify.

RELATED FORMS

flab·ber·gast·er, noun

DICTIONARY.COM UNABRIDGED
BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FLABBERGAST

But there had been no need, and Stockdale was too shrewd a man to “barge in” and flabbergast his youthful Sub.
A SUB AND A SUBMARINE|PERCY F. WESTERMAN

And nothing has happened to astound or flabbergast him, to send him sprawling with Cheyne-Stokes breathing.
EUROPE AFTER 8:15|H. L. MENCKEN, GEORGE JEAN NATHAN AND WILLARD HUNTINGTON WRIGHT

Today’s quote

The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.

– George Orwell

On this day

25 June 1903 – birth of George Orwell (born Eric Arthur Blair), Democratic Socialist and English author of works such as ‘Nineteen-Eighty Four‘, ‘Animal Farm‘, and ‘Homage to Catalonia‘. Died 21 January 1950.

25 June 1947 – The Diary of a Young Girl (better known as The Diary of Anne Frank) is first published.

25 June 1978 – the Rainbow Flag, symbol of gay pride, is flown for the first time in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.

24 June 2019

corrugate

[ verb kawr-uh-geyt, kor-; adjective kawr-uh-git, -geyt, kor- ]

verb (used with object), cor·ru·gat·ed, cor·ru·gat·ing.

to draw or bend into folds or alternate furrows and ridges.
to wrinkle, as the skin or face.
Western U.S. to make irrigation ditches in (a field).

verb (used without object), cor·ru·gat·ed, cor·ru·gat·ing.

to become corrugated; undergo corrugation.

adjective

corrugated; wrinkled; furrowed.

ORIGIN OF CORRUGATE

1375–1425; late Middle English; Latin corrūgātus past participle of corrūgāre, equivalent to cor- cor- + rūg(āre) to wrinkle + -ātus -ate1

RELATED FORMS

cor·ru·gat·ed, adjective
cor·ru·ga·tor, noun
un·cor·ru·gat·ed, adjective

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR CORRUGATE

However, “broad-browed Verulam,” let not that brow’s breadth cloud or corrugate in vexation at my persiflage.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI, VOLUME 93, DECEMBER 31, 1887|VARIOUS

Yet we had watched his smooth brow furrow and corrugate as under some carking care or devouring sorrow.
MOON-FACE AND OTHER STORIES|JACK LONDON

Flutes, 72 four inches deep, corrugate the beast’s underpart from tail to neck.
SEVEN LEGS ACROSS THE SEAS|SAMUEL MURRAY

Today’s quote

Labour was the first price, the original purchase – money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.

– Adam Smith

On this day

24 June 1950 – The Korean War begins as North Korean forces invade South Korea in response to the dividing of the Korean Peninsula by Allied forces after World War II. The US sends troops as part of the UN response to repel North Korea. In 1953 a demilitarised zone is established between North and South Korea. Although conflict ended in 1953 following a truce, both sides have remained on military alert ever since. Political posturing and a number of border clashes in the years since 1953 have brought the peninsula to the brink of war on numerous occasions.

24 June 1997 – the United States Air Force releases a report into the so-called ‘Roswell Incident’ in which there had been claims that an alien craft had crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, and the body of an alien was retrieved by the Air Force. The USAF report claimed that the bodies witnesses had seen were actually life-sized dummies.

24 June 2010 – Julia Gillard is appointed Australia’s first female prime minister after replacing Kevin Rudd in a leadership spill. On 26 June 2013, following ongoing ructions in the Labor Party, Gillard called another leadership ballot which was won by Kevin Rudd. Julia Gillard tendered her resignation, which took effect the following day when Rudd was sworn in as prime minister.