GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

CodeBlower · Post by **CodeBlower** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:20 pm

I think I need a cigarette.

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:31 pm

Codeblower hath said:

I think I need a cigarette.

Will the brand be Ken..t?
Avoid the old ones.

Filter?

Wikipedia Article:

From March 1952 until at least May 1956, however, the Micronite filter in Kent cigarettes contained deadly blue asbestos...
Kent now uses charcoal filters (a form of activated carbon).

Sorry, can't get the link to work right.

Post by **Darb** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:51 pm

AR: Clearly, inserting links into the post above was beyond your ken.

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:11 pm

Darb,
You have me there!

AR, AR, AR, Haw, Haw,

Hot dogs like me should remember: a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

All of these links are certainly weak. I drew them myself in a rush. However, I relish the thought of making an improved version in the future.

Post by **Darb** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:42 pm

Mister Runeman, it's highly inappropriate to go waving your tube steak around in a public forum ! To etiolate the jape by calling it a mere piccadillo would be a gross understatement ... almost as gross as the sight of the offending piece of flesh itself.

Honestly, there are children present !

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:00 am

I am chastised, ye ken? Your high-morals vehemence has chased me away from my lousy language. I shall, in future, be more chaste.

"Mister", indeed. Was it the beard that gave me away?

Post by **Ghost** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:16 am

Word of the Day Tuesday April 28, 2009

eleemosynary \el-uh-MOS-uh-ner-ee\, adjective: 1. Of or for charity; charitable; as, "an eleemosynary institution." 2. Given in charity; having the nature of alms; as, "eleemosynary assistance." 3. Supported by or dependent on charity; as, "the eleemosynary poor."

We also need to revive the great eleemosynary institutions through which compassionate people serve those in need with both greater flexibility and discipline than government agencies are capable.
-- Clifford F. Thies, "Bring back the bridewell", The World & I, September 1, 1995

An author ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who keeps a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money.
-- Henry Fielding, Tom Jones

Like Hilda's "eleemosynary doves," these birds depend upon the Author's charity, require mothering, just as Hilda finds solace in the Virgin--"a child, lifting its tear-stained face to seek comfort from a Mother."
-- John Dolis, "Domesticating Hawthorne: Home Is for the Birds", Criticism, Winter 2001

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The source of eleemosynary is Medieval Latin eleemosynarius, from Late Latin eleemosyna, "alms," from Greek eleemosyne, from eleemon, "pitiful," from eleos, "pity."

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:20 am

Many (most? all?) conservative talk radio hosts do not pity the eleemosynary poor. Rather, they deride the state's functions of support that "the taxpayer" must fund. I don't have eleemosynary thoughts for those vocal few.

I, personally, have always wondered who this beneficent individual is, the taxpayer.

Let no critic complain. I present this pure present to all the children present.

Post by **Ghost** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:06 am

Word of the Day Wednesday April 29, 2009

bumptious \BUMP-shuhs\, adjective: Crudely, presumptuously, or loudly self-assertive.

The clown in the girl is bumptious as can be: bouncing about in the peaked cap and oversized coat of a boy she hasn't learned to love yet, pacing in lockstep behind a fellow-lodger for the sheer love of badgering him, blowing out her cheeks like a fussed walrus when crossed.
-- Walter Kerr, Anne Frank Shouldn't Be Anne's Play, New York Times, January 7, 1979

Still a tremendous singer and a man so confident of his own sex appeal that he could make the most outrageously bumptious behaviour seem not only engaging but also entirely natural.
-- David Sinclair, "Larger than life and twice as rocky", Times (London), March 13, 2000

Wells did not meet his father until he was an adult, by which time he had developed his own blunt, sometimes bumptious personality.
-- George Vecsey, "An Outsider Who Became an Insider", New York Times, October 7, 1998

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Bumptious is perhaps a blend of bump and presumptuous.

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:25 am

Considering the PG-13 level of many of Brad's (Darb's ?) posts, I found his chastisment of Algot Runeman rather bumptious, and maybe even invidious.

As we say in French "C'est l'Hopital qui se moque de la CharitÃ©"
Word for word translation: One eleemosynary institution (Hospital) making fun of another one (Charity)
but the real meaning is "An eleemosynary poor person depending on the Hospital for his subsistence making fun of another person who depends etc. etc."

I am adding the translations as an eleemosynary linguistic help in favor of those whose ken doesn't extend to speaking French.

Darb wrote:(...) To etiolate the jape by calling it a mere piccadillo would be a gross understatement (...)

Not to be picky, but:

Darb

Laurie, we need you here....

Post by **Ghost** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:18 am

Word of the Day Thursday April 30, 2009

mellifluous \muh-LIF-loo-us\, adjective: Flowing as with honey; smooth; flowing sweetly or smoothly; as, a mellifluous voice.

The balladeer whose mellifluous voice serenaded two generations of lovers.
-- Margo Jefferson, "Unforgettable", New York Times, December 26, 1999

The tones were high-sounding, mellifluous, as if the speaker was reading from a book of old English verse while holding back any trace of sentiment or emotion.
-- Ken Gormley, Archibald Cox: Conscience of a Nation

I picked up more mellifluous words when a family friend came over to teach me some Chilean music on my guitar.
-- Edward Hower, "No Frogs Allowed", New York Times, January 30, 2000

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Mellifluous comes from Latin mellifluus, from mel,

voralfred · Post by **voralfred** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:56 am

Have you seen urbandictionary mellifluous definitionof the word "Darb"?

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:09 pm

My uncle Jack rented a big, comfortable car and drove us to Mexico for a vacation, but with the recent health scare, Aunt Millie flew us home. Thank goodness nobody got sick, as long as you discount the readers of the word play in these posts.

I love the frequently mellifluous flow of word play. For me, word play is sound use of sound to sound the depths of language.

Post by **Ghost** » Fri May 01, 2009 8:08 am

Word of the Day Friday May 1, 2009

risible \RIZ-uh-buhl\, adjective: 1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh. 2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing. 3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."

Before long, I began to read aloud with my father, chanting the strange and wondrous rivers -- Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Chickahominy -- and wrapping my tongue around the risible names of rebel generals: Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early, John Sappington Marmaduke, William "Extra Billy" Smith, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.
-- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic

All twelve selected are thoughtful, small and funny in both senses of the word: odd and risible.
-- Stefan Kanfer, "Of Cats, Myths and Pizza", Time, December 11, 1989

But Lionel . . . is not a risible character, even though he is often called "freakshow" and "crazyman."
-- Adam Mazmanian, "Postmodern PI", Washington Post, November 7, 1999

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Risible comes from Late Latin risibilis, from the past participle of Latin ridere, "to laugh, to laugh at." The noun form is risibility.

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Fri May 01, 2009 10:53 am

Before long, I began to read aloud with my father, chanting the strange and wondrous rivers -- Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Chickahominy -- and wrapping my tongue around the risible names of rebel generals: Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early, John Sappington Marmaduke, William "Extra Billy" Smith, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.
-- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic

I am smiling. WOTD acknowledges word play in its quotes.

---

Rollicking, rolling, round words, full of foolish fun.
Make some play with words today; you can be the one.

Be onomatopoet; marvel at the sounds.
Tweak the stodgy sentence; call out the punning hounds.

---

Yes, I accept it. My rhyme is risible, but I had fun, and that's the point.

Maybe I learned to love the sound of words because both my parents read aloud to me when I was young, and continued beyond the point when I, too, could decode the lines of angled and curvy marks on the book pages. They enjoyed doing it, I think. I look back and am positive I enjoyed listening.

As regards the quote itself, I think my favorite river names are Shenandoah (though the song in which it is prominent talks about the wide Missouri, too) and "the great grey-green greasy Limpopo River" of Rudyard Kipling.

CodeBlower · Post by **CodeBlower** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:10 pm

One of my fondest childhood memories is of my mother reading to us from a book of rhymes and poems -- some standard ones and several ones I've never heard anywhere else.

My thanks to each of you who make this place more risible -- it helps keep life at bay.

Post by **Darb** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:50 pm

The last time Captain Jean-Luc Picard felt risible was on Risa, listening to the mellifluous voice of the delightfully unscrupulous Vash. Ultimately, the jape was on him however, when she ran off with his bumptious and omnipotent nemesis, Q.

Post by **Ghost** » Mon May 04, 2009 8:20 am

Word of the Day Monday May 4, 2009

tyro \TY-roh\, noun: A beginner in learning; a novice.

It's difficult to imagine a tyro publishing a book on medical procedures or economic theory.
-- Philip Zaleski, "God Help the Spiritual Writer", New York Times, January 10, 1999

He was a sensitive, fine soul alert to the pleasures of being green, a tyro, an amateur, unwilling to close his mind before it had been tempted.
-- Paul West, Sporting With Amaryllis

And, though we were mere tyros, beginners, utterly insignificant, he was invariably as kind and considerate and thoughtful, and as lavish in the gift of his time, as though he had nothing else to do.
-- Leonard Warren, Joseph Leidy: The Last Man Who Knew Everything

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Tyro is from Latin tiro, "a young soldier, a recruit," hence "a beginner, a learner."

Post by **Darb** » Mon May 04, 2009 8:41 am

The Evil Overlord scowled with disapproval at his latest progeny (his 47th). The boy had demonstrated an appaling tendancy to giggle happily with minimal provocation, pet the slavering guard dogs, and to speak politely to his father's slaves and legions of terror. It was obvious that the young tyro would never grow up to be a proper tyrant.

Resigned, the Evil Overlord pressed the button that opened the trap door to the goulash pits. Predictably, the young lad giggled with delight as he fell to his doom.

"Wheeeee !"

CodeBlower · Post by **CodeBlower** » Mon May 04, 2009 9:20 am

Rest In Pieces:

Tyrone the Tyro a.k.a. the Bumped Bumptious Bumbler.

.. make way for the next tyke tyrant.

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Mon May 04, 2009 1:39 pm

...the young tyro would never grow up to be a proper tyrant.

Can one qualify as an old tyro?

Wait, this is WOTD not questions only.
Proves my qualifications though, don't it?
And my gramma says I fit the typo.

Bah! Amateurs. I am a professional at making a fool of myself.

"And nun better," the novice smiled shyly, as was her habit.

And may I also say: Lively, lovely, literate alliteration, CodeBlower.

Post by **Darb** » Mon May 04, 2009 4:45 pm

"And nun better," the novice smiled shyly, as was her habit.

If I were a wealthy billionaire with bladder control problems, I'd have showered you with gold for that one.

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Mon May 04, 2009 5:13 pm

Darb,
Peggy Thurteen blushes deeply.

And are there poor billionaires out there?

Post by **Ghost** » Tue May 05, 2009 8:00 am

Word of the Day Tuesday May 5, 2009

quaff \KWOFF; KWAFF\, verb: 1. To drink a beverage, esp. an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment.
transitive verb: 1. To drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily
noun: 1. An act or instance of quaffing. 2. A beverage quaffed.

He gets drunk with his guides, makes eyes at the girls and gamely quaffs snake wine.
-- Pico Iyer, "Snake Wine and Socialism", New York Times, December 15, 1991

If you were patient and kept your nose clean, you could slowly, almost effortlessly, rise from serf to squire and maybe even all the way to knight, in which case you, too, would be entitled to quaff bowl-size martinis at midday.
-- Charles McGrath, "Office Romance", New York Times Magazine, March 5, 2000

Instead they consume caviar, feed off foie gras, chomp exotic cheeses, and quaff champagne.
-- "Internet Shopper", Times (London), August 11, 2000

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Quaff is of unknown origin.

OK peanut gallery members where/how did quaff originate?

Algot Runeman · Post by **Algot Runeman** » Tue May 05, 2009 3:39 pm

And for all you young guns, where did "peanut gallery" originate?

I'll quaff one as I salute your sensational, non G.W. Carver solution, especially if it also describes the location from which peanuts themselves come, that's the location where the nuts mature after the flower is done with blooming.