GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

Unfortunately you can't alleviate a pain-in-the-butt with anaesthetics.

[Algot Runeman]

ragdoll

noun
1 A soft doll made from pieces of cloth.
2 A cat of a breed noted for its docile temperament, having blue eyes and a medium- to long-haired silky coat and typically of a light colour with dark points:
[as modifier] ‘I bought a ragdoll kitten just over a year ago from what I thought was a respectable breeder’
3 A model consisting of a set of connected rigid bodies that can collapse in a loose, natural manner.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Molly loved her ragdoll. That's not surprising. Her grandma made it for her.

[Algot Runeman]

dronish

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
adj. like a drone, slow, sluggish

-=-=-=-=-=-

Considering the coming worldwide fleets of speedy delivery drones, along with those which will spy on us, the definition of dronish may need revision.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

dronish

I'm afraid there are dronish accidents waiting to happen.

Like collisions of drones with cars' windshields or bikers' helmets or with airplanes during their landing approach or take-off.

[Algot Runeman]

cars' windshields or bikers' helmets

The advent of the Dash Cam and biker's helmet cams will, at least, document the dronish events so that law enforcement and insurance companies can hash out the messes that are made.

[Algot Runeman]

galleria

Pronunciation: /ˌɡaləˈriːə/
noun
A collection of small shops under a single roof; an arcade.

Origin
Italian (see gallery).

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

Though some management companies attempt to describe them as gallerias, it is understood in the US that they are just strip malls.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

galleria

One can hope that they order the shops in a galleria in a logical sequence, to avoid you having to run to and fro.

Put up a signpost START HERE, an ATM or two, then presenting the shops that you normally visit before noon, post office, cleaners' input counter, dental hygienist, barber shop.

Then about in the middle a pizzeria or bistro that you should reach around lunch time.

Afterwards continuing with clothing stores, hobby shops, a coffee/tea shop with pastries, the separate cleaners' collect counter, and finally a fresh/frozen food grocer.

Maybe at the end a taxi stand too?

[Algot Runeman]

harvest-home

Definitions
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The gathering and bringing home of the harvest; the time of harvest.
n. The song sung by reapers at the feast made at the close of the harvest; the feast itself.
n. A service of thanksgiving, at harvest time, in the Church of England and in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States.
n. The opportunity of gathering treasure.

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

Granted, this is an attempt to internationalize today's American Thanksgiving. May your day be full of the joys of harvest-home, no matter what country you're in.

And, here's a message from the turkeys:

[Algot Runeman]

rib-tickler

noun
informal
A very amusing joke or story.

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

I would tell you a rib-tickler...if I knew any. All humorous responses welcome!


[ROTFL]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

rib-tickler...

---

[Algot Runeman]

penult

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛnʌlt//pɪˈnʌlt/
noun
Linguistics
The penultimate syllable of a word.

adjective
archaic term for penultimate

xxx-xxx-XXX-xxx

WALTer worked WONders with wood. His furNIture DEsigns were elEgant, enGAGing, enTICing and OFten exCITing.

[There is no benefit to emphasizing the penults in the sentence above. They aren't even typically the syllable with pronunciation emphasis. Now if we looked at the antepenults, it might be a different story.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

penult

When my grandma wanted to write a scathing letter, she didn't use a fountain pen.

Oh no. To make her letter the penultimate insult, she used luxurious embossed paper and a goose feather she cut herself, to express her personal penult in exquisite but scalding wording.

Though she used ultimate calligraphy, it didn't fail to convey her erupting aggravation.

P.S. I don't know if the above is acceptable, but, hey!, I tried ...

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

penult

When my grandma wanted to write a scathing letter, she didn't use a fountain pen.

Oh no. To make her letter the penultimate insult, she used luxurious embossed paper and a goose feather she cut herself, to express her personal penult in exquisite but scalding wording.

Though she used ultimate calligraphy, it didn't fail to convey her erupting aggravation.

P.S. I don't know if the above is acceptable, but, hey!, I tried ...

We'll have no shame.
Words done for fun.
When said and done
It's all a game.

Loved the "erupting aggravation".

[Algot Runeman]

intercalary

Pronunciation: /ˌɪntəˈkal(ə)ri//ɪnˈtəːkəl(ə)ri/
adjective
1 (of a day or a month) inserted in the calendar to harmonize it with the solar year, e.g. 29 February in leap years
2 (of an academic year or period) additional to the standard course and taken at a different institution
3 Of the nature of an insertion
4 Botany (of the meristem of a plant) located between its daughter cells, especially (in a grass) at or near the base of a leaf.

Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin intercalarius, from intercalare (see intercalate).

-------#----------

Carrie was an intercalary child. She fit awkwardly between the older children and the younger. It was not clear to her why.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

intercalary... She fit awkwardly between the older children and the younger. It was not clear to her why.

I know why.

Algot carefully tweaked the silhouettes of her 4 brothers, just so to make her the intercalary smack in the middle. Elementary my dear ...

Of course Algot was lucky she didn't have 3 of 5 siblings.

[Algot Runeman]

ragstone

noun
In masonry, stone quarried in thin blocks or slabs.

=====================

Randolph rose through the ranks to captain of the guards. He still stood a watch, from time to time, along the ragstone battlements of the manor.

[Algot Runeman]

octastyle

adjective
In architecture, having, or characterized by the presence of, eight columns, as a portico or a building having eight columns in front.
noun
A building having eight columns in front; especially, a Greek or Roman temple having that number of columns in the front row of the portico.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Cyprio liked eight columns. He felt octastyle gave him twice as much style as a four-column house.

[Algot Runeman]

nutraceutical

noun
A food or naturally occurring food supplement thought to have a beneficial effect on human health.

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

Vitamin D is added to milk and iodine is added to salt, Niacin is added to bread. All three are nutraceuticals, and benefit us when we consume them. Of the three, niacin, or nicotininic acid, might be the most interesting because it was originally produced as a derivative of nicotine in tobacco, though commercial production is from other sources now.

[Algot Runeman]

mollusk

pronunciation: /ˈmɒləsk/
(UK mollusc)
noun
An invertebrate of a large phylum which includes snails, slugs, mussels, and octopuses. They have a soft unsegmented body and live in aquatic or damp habitats, and most kinds have an external calcareous shell.

Origin
Late 18th century: from modern Latin mollusca, neuter plural of Latin molluscus, from mollis soft.

-=-=-=--=-

Mark managed the mollusc section of the market. He was nominally also in charge of all the seafood, but he liked feeling like a specialist.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

mollusk
...

My grandma sported French nails, her favourite style.

When visiting England she always took care to buy enough native quid.

But before crossing with the Oostende-Dover ferry, she went to her usual Oostende restaurant to enjoy a rack of quahog lamb de pré-salé.

[Algot Runeman]

showgoer

noun
a person who routinely goes to a show

Mark was less a showgoer than a moviegoer, but he tried to always get to the productions at the local school. He got the habit when his own children were in the program, but found he enjoyed it so much that he kept on until even his grandchildren were through the system.

[Algot Runeman]

babery

Pronunciation: /ˈbeɪbəri/
noun
rare
Grotesque or absurd ornamentation, carving, or pictures; an example of this.

Origin
Late Middle English; earliest use found in Geoffrey Chaucer (c1340–1400), poet and administrator. Originally perhaps a variant (with loss of medial -n-) of baboonery. In later use probably originally a variant of the some forms with reduction of the second syllable, probably reinforced by reanalysis as showing babe or baby + -ery.

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Joe's attempt to enhance his fireplace resulted only in babery. His friends laughed, though most were secretly envious.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

babery
...
Joe's attempt to enhance his fireplace resulted only in babery.
...

Long ago, 10 years or so, I had a babery banner in a forum sig, before the demise of that fan website.

(screen capture from Tomb Raider: Legend)

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

himation

Pronunciation: /hɪˈmatɪɒn/
noun
An outer garment worn by the ancient Greeks over the left shoulder and under the right.

Origin
Greek.

-=-=-=-=-=-

The ancient Greek himation was commonly used as a shawl on top of other garments, like the chiton (a poncho-like garment, belted at the waist). Sometimes, however, the himation was worn alone. Watch out for a breeze! The himation was typically made from wool, sometimes dyed, sometimes not, and was a rectangular piece of cloth. The more well-known toga was a semi-circular cloth worn in much the same way, but hanging down further because of its size.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

himation

There used to be lots of Imation 1.44 MB diskettes (3.5") available.

For a short while, also high capacity 2.88 MB FDDs were produced, but I never heard of Himation 2.88 MB diskettes.

I guess the CD killed that format.

Spoiler: show