GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

eyas

Pronunciation: /ˈʌɪəs/
noun (plural eyasses)
A young hawk, especially (in falconry) an unfledged nestling taken from the nest for training.

Origin
Late 15th century (originally nyas): from French niais, based on Latin nidus 'nest'. The initial n was lost by wrong division of a nyas; compare with adder1.


via Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Mark carefully handled his most recent eyas. Slow, careful motions and frequent treats were useful in getting the young hawk used to his presence. Trust between handler and bird was critical.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

eyas

Eyas?
That sounds like the name of a Tolkien character.

All kidding aside: in the spring of 2004 a couple of peregrine falcons furnished an apartment high up on a tower of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium. Every year since then a pair of falcons have rented the flat and raised a family in that nest.

Here is the latest brood of 2016:

[Algot Runeman]

superius

Pronunciation: /suːˈpɪərɪəs/
noun
[mass noun]
The highest voice part in early choral music; the cantus.

Origin
Late 18th century: from Latin, neuter (used as a noun) of superior (see superior).



---==---==---==---==---==---==---

Mark, Luke, John and Matthew took the superius line of the music. Mary, Maude, Betty and Sue sang the midrange line. The bass line was relegated to Karl, Pietro, Isaac and Shaseen. In spite of being polyphonic, by intent, the tune everyone remembers is the one sung by the highest voice.

[Kahrey]

As the chorus started into the superius part of the final performance, the man tightened his finger around the trigger, his target perfectly in his sights. He would have exactly one minute and twelve seconds to the deed, and then his sister would be free.

[Algot Runeman]

...his target perfectly in his sights. He would have exactly one minute and twelve seconds to the deed, and then his sister would be free.

What happens? WHAT?

[Algot Runeman]

theriomorphic

Pronunciation: /ˌθɪərɪə(ʊ)ˈmɔːfɪk/
adjective
(Especially of a deity) having an animal form: gods depicted in theriomorphic form a theriomorphic vehicle

Origin
Late 19th century: from Greek thērion 'wild beast' + -morph + -ic.



(°▴°)_/▔_\✔ .........................................

Tom was no deity, though he assumed animal form at will. Being theriomorphic was the norm in his family. The only issue was needing to be naked just before (and after) altering shape either direction.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

theriomorphic

Though Johnny could handle his 494bhp Peugeot 308 R Hybrid hot hatchback very well indeed, it didn't help to get his slender frame, mediocre looks and shy appearance noticed by the girls at the beachfront.

Wish as he might, he just didn't have the theriomorphic aura his car's logo suggested.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

gastronomy

Pronunciation: /ɡaˈstrɒnəmi/
noun
[mass noun]
1 The practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food.
1.1 The cooking of a particular area: traditional American gastronomy

Origin
Early 19th century: from French gastronomie, from Greek gastronomia, alteration of gastrologia (see gastro-, -logy).



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Corn on the cob, creamed corn, niblets corn, corn fritters, corn dogs, corn bread; traditional American gastronomy. After such a meal, I study cosmic gas and astronomy.

[Kahrey]

Years of eating like an a**hole was beginning to do him in. He decided to make a change and become an expert in gastronomy, hoping to undo some of the damage.

[Algot Runeman]

Hey, Kahrey, have you been keeping track of my gastronomic activities for all these years? Except for that last bit, you have me pegged perfectly.

[Algot Runeman]

prebuttal

Pronunciation: /priːˈbʌt(ə)l/
noun
(In politics) a response formulated in anticipation of a criticism; a pre-emptive rebuttal.

Origin
1990s: blend of pre- and rebuttal.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Before you get started, consider this. Every word of the day is intended to be unused in the past. That means a word like "prebuttal" is especially helpful because it has been around for so little time, it's chance of being used like a 200-year-old word is smaller.

Now, as far as illustration is concerned:

Spoiler: show

All those years of dubious gastronomy provided Bob with a distinctly prebuttal appearance.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

prebuttal

The referee can draw a prebuttal yellow card when he sees a player in an ESC soccer match preparing to kick an opponent in the butt.

If the kick lands the ref will show a red card instead.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

hangry

Pronunciation: /ˈhaŋɡri/
adjective (hangrier, hangriest)
informal
Bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger: I get very hangry if I miss a meal

Origin
1990s: blend of hungry and angry.



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I'm not sure what it says about my eating habits, but I have never been hangry, though perhaps perturbed if peckish.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

hangry

I've been known (read: I've often caught myself) to be very hangry when a cookerelling (*) effort failed dismally and I was compelled to go find Asian take-out or microwave a home-grown Ready-Meal.

(*) Cookerelling is the anglicised version of the Dutch word kokkerellen, meaning cooking appetising food for the fun of it.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

iconolatry

Pronunciation: /ˌʌɪkəˈnɒlətri/
noun
[mass noun] chiefly derogatory
The worship of icons.

Origin
Early 17th century: from ecclesiastical Greek eikonolatreia, from eikōn 'likeness' + -latria 'worship'.



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

For years iconolatry was seen as okay, as long as it was Microsoft/Windows.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

iconolatry

Don't forget that in the late Fifties, Sixties and early Seventies, well before MS Windows and Apple Mac OS, the Citroën ID and DS caused lots of controversial discussions.

These famous cars were fertile grounds for obstinate iconolatry, as well as tooth and nail iconoclasm.

You loved them or you hated them. There was no middle ground.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

lolcat

Pronunciation: /ˈlɒlkat/
(also LOLcat)
noun
(On the Internet) a photograph of a cat accompanied by a humorous caption written typically in a misspelled and grammatically incorrect version of English: whether it’s flicking through Facebook, giggling at lolcats, or snooping on shopping sites, there’s always something to pull your attention away from work [as modifier]: if you refuse to talk to your stockbroker in anything but LOLcat speak (I can haz dividend?) then you’ve got problems

Origin
Early 21st century: from LOL + cat1.



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

My Saint Bernard loves our lolcat. They share quips all day. Some of them may make it to the Interwebs eventually, though they are risqué and scatalogical.

[Algot Runeman]

Weltanschauung
Pronunciation: /ˈvɛltˌanʃaʊʊŋ/
noun (plural Weltanschauungen /ˈvɛltˌanʃaʊ(ə)n/)
A particular philosophy or view of life; the world view of an individual or group.

Origin
German, from Welt 'world' + Anschauung 'perception'.



The only group which has a valid Weltanshauung are astronauts. Everyone else is just voicing speculations.

[Algot Runeman]

bothy

Pronunciation: /ˈbɒθi/
(also bothie)
noun (plural bothies)
(In Scotland) a small hut or cottage, especially one for housing farm labourers or for use as a mountain refuge.

Origin
Late 18th century: obscurely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic both, bothan, and perhaps to booth.



⛬ ⛬ ⛬ ⛬ ⛬ ⛬ ⛬ ⛬ ⛬

The Doctor set the TARDIS into a shaded glen, but in spite of his hopes that it would blend in with the other mountain huts of the region, it still bore the familiar outline of a London police call box. On the other hand, it was a good deal more comfortable than a regular bothy.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

bothy
...
The Doctor ...
...

Who ?

[Algot Runeman]

Who ?

Good job. Now go sit in your bothy and pat yourself on the back. Just don't strain a muscle.

[Algot Runeman]

Jotun
Pronunciation: /ˈjəʊtʊn/
noun
Scandinavian Mythology
A member of the race of giants, enemies of the gods.

Origin
From Old Norse jǫtunn, related to Old English eoten, of Germanic origin.



---====---====---====---====---

Though some were run off by their fear of the giant, Odin and Thor remained to fight. They battled against Fafner, one of most fierce of the Jotun. On this Thursday, Thor and Odin prevailed, once more keeping Asgard safe.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Jotun

The Jotoki, an ancient Kzinti slave species, though evolved in Known Space, were probably unrelated to the Old Norse Jotun.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

Kzinti were definitely good at enslaving their 'clients' but Jotun, being of Earth origin got off because of mankind's amazing level of violence. Do you think the fight would have been so balanced if either the gods or the Jotun had AR-15s? "Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove examined that idea some years back.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

The

Spoiler: show

in my previous post is fixed.