GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

sward

Pronunciation /swɔːd/
noun
1 literary An expanse of short grass.
2 Farming
The upper layer of soil, especially when covered with grass.

Origin
Old English sweard ‘skin’. The sense ‘upper layer of soil’ developed in late Middle English (at first in phrases such as sward of the earth).

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Puss-n-Boots won the award for carrying a sword with swagger across the sward.

[Algot Runeman]

thought-provoking

Pronunciation /ˈθɔːtprəvəʊkɪŋ/
adjective
Stimulating careful consideration or attention.

==========

I don't mean to provoke you on a Sunday, but there is nothing thought-provoking about this sentence.

[Algot Runeman]

needful

Pronunciation
needful
/ˈniːdfʊl/ /ˈniːdf(ə)l/
adjective
1 formal Necessary; requisite.
2 dated Needy.

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James jumped jauntily but effectively because it was needful if he wished to cross the stream with dry feet.

[Algot Runeman]

dopester

Pronunciation /ˈdəʊpstə/
noun
informal North American
A person who collects and supplies information, typically on sporting events or elections.

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Dopesters are abundant on sports TV shows ahead of the American football weekends. They are not always right. Last night, the Raiders won.

[Algot Runeman]

hallowed

Pronunciation /ˈhaləʊd/
adjective
1 Made holy; consecrated.
1.1 Greatly revered and honored.

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If a priest says "Bless you!" when you sneeze, has he hallowed you?

[Algot Runeman]

underdungers

Pronunciation /ˈʌndədʌŋəz/
plural noun
informal New Zealand
Underpants.

Origin
1980s from under(pants) + dunga(ree)s, with a possible pun on dung.

==========

Dan decided to make sure he wore his freshly washed underdungers even if his dungarees weren't.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

underdungers

I would be really wary of asking Arnie whether he was wearing underdungers ...

[Algot Runeman]

loanword

Pronunciation /ˈləʊnwəːd/
noun
A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.

==========

I have always thought of "pajamas" (US) or "pyjamas" (UK) as a loanword. "The word pajama comes from the Hindi "pae jama" or "pai jama," meaning leg clothing."


(image on loan from Wikipedia)

[Algot Runeman]

tink

Pronunciation /tɪŋk/
verb
[no object]Knitting
Undo a row of knitting one stitch at a time, in order to correct a mistake.

Origin
1990s reversal of knit.

==========

If you want to quickly tink
And make your hard work really shrink
Walk to the kitchen to get a drink
Leaving the knitting where the cat can get at it.



[I do not remember if this forum-unsearchable four-letter word has been used in our beloved topic before today. If it has, I apologize. Alternatively, blame the cat for unraveling years of careful rule-watching. Did I sneak in enough hyphenated words here?]

[voralfred]

If a priest says "Bless you!" when you sneeze, has he hallowed you?

This is definitely a thought-provoking question.

I would be really wary of asking Arnie whether he was wearing underdungers ...

This is also a thought-provoking statement.
Having concluded that by "Arnie" EPS probably meant the "Governator", I would agree with him. The only worse choice would be to try and tink said underdungers while Arnie is wearing them....

[Algot Runeman]

megabucks

Pronunciation /ˈmɛɡəbʌks/
plural noun
informal
A very large amount of money.

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Marty managed to maintain his megabucks
He accomplished that by owning trucks
He hired only unionized drivers
All were self-acknowledged strivers.
Who helped to weed out lazy losers
And they got the goods on time to users.

[Algot Runeman]

delve

Pronunciation /dɛlv/
verb
[no object]
1 Reach inside a receptacle and search for something.
1.1 Research or make painstaking inquiries into something.
2 archaic Dig; excavate.

Origin
Old English delfan ‘dig’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch delven.

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We enjoy delving into slang, and we ask the question, "Can you dig it?" (Those who were around in the 1070s would say yes.)

[Algot Runeman]

impede

Pronunciation /ɪmˈpiːd/
verb
[with object]
Delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder.

Origin
Late 16th century from Latin impedire ‘shackle the feet of’, based on pes, ped- ‘foot’. Compare with impeach.

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Do not impede me, I implore you, but if you must, be fair about controlling others, too.

[Algot Runeman]

ascetic

Pronunciation /əˈsɛtɪk/
adjective
Characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
noun
A person who follows an ascetic life.

Origin
Mid 17th century from medieval Latin asceticus or Greek askētikos, from askētēs ‘monk’, from askein ‘to exercise’.

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Bob totally knew that he was not destined to seek out an ascetic life.

[voralfred]

One more thought-provoking topic on which one should seriously delve (1.1) :
Does owning a few megabucks impede any ascetic tendencies of the owner ?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ascetic
...
Bob totally knew that he was not destined to seek out an ascetic life.

But his brother's attitude wasn't just ascetic. It was downright sour. Acetic, you know.

[Algot Runeman]

But his brother's attitude wasn't just ascetic. It was downright sour. Acetic, you know.

[Algot Runeman]

durst

Pronunciation /dəːst/
verb
past
archaic or regional past of dare

==========

Durst we use an archaic past tense for an unsearchable four-letter root word? Of course we dared do it.
We are bold. We are brave. We are weird.
Were we foolish?



For any who might not be familiar with Jean Shepherd's movie "A Christmas Story", this hapless boy (Flick) was "double dog dared (durst)" by his friends to touch his tongue to the flagpole in winter while outside for recess, just to see if it would stick.

Reading historical novels is probably common enough for followers of this forum topic that we each have, at some point, encountered the word "durst". I cannot remember actually writing it into a sentence before today, though.

[voralfred]

"Durst" I try a polyglottic pun ?
I did use "Durst" but in Germany, or in Austria, to express my thirst
"Mir ist Durst",
which is a "french", a bit pretentious, way to say it ("J'ai soif"), the "english", more common way being "Ich bin durstig", "I am thirsty"

[Algot Runeman]

authentic

Pronunciation /ɔːˈθɛntɪk/
adjective
1 Of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine.
1.1 Made or done in the traditional or original way, or in a way that faithfully resembles an original.
1.2 Based on facts; accurate or reliable.
1.3 (in existentialist philosophy) relating to or denoting an emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive, and responsible mode of human life.
2 Music
(of a church mode) containing notes between the final (the principal note) and the note an octave higher.
Compare with plagal

Origin
Late Middle English via Old French from late Latin authenticus, from Greek authentikos ‘principal, genuine’.

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You must be the judge, or rely on some "expert" to determine whether a digital artifact is authentic and original to the site where you see it. Fortunately for you, the current writer is the "expert" and originator of both these explanatory words and the image in question. To be fair, you should know that this image is released using the creative commons CC0 "public domain dedication" What that will ultimately allow is way beyond the scope of the current discourse.

[Algot Runeman]

plaudit

Pronunciation /ˈplɔːdɪt/
noun
1 usually plaudits An expression of praise or approval.
1.1 plaudits The applause of an audience.

Origin
Early 17th century shortened from Latin plaudite ‘applaud!’ (said by Roman actors at the end of a play), imperative plural of plaudere.

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*Playful Plaudits*

The play was attended by its auditors
Who soon became loud plauditors,
Throwing off their shaded visors
Smiling broadly, baring their incisors.



(It would be entirely understandable if some of you decide that today's illustration is "derivative".)

[Algot Runeman]

feint

Pronunciation /feɪnt/
noun
1 A deceptive or pretended blow, thrust, or other movement, especially in boxing or fencing.
1.1 A mock attack or movement in warfare, made in order to distract or deceive an enemy.
verb
[no object]
Make a deceptive or distracting movement, especially during a fight.

Origin
Late 17th century from French feinte, past participle (used as a noun) of feindre ‘feign’.

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Marvin realized that he could feint as much as he wanted, but was seriously overmatched in the bout and might not land a single blow.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

feint
...
Marvin realized that he could feint as much as he wanted, but was seriously overmatched in the bout and might not land a single blow.

Still, even a faint feint is always better than a dead faint for a fiend ...

[Algot Runeman]

covert

Pronunciation
/ˈkʌvət/ /ˈkəʊvəːt/
adjective
Not openly acknowledged or displayed.
noun
1 A thicket in which game can hide.
2 Ornithology
A feather covering the base of a main flight or tail feather of a bird.
3 rare A flock of coots.

Origin
Middle English (in the general senses ‘covered’ and ‘a cover’): from Old French, ‘covered’, past participle of covrir (see cover).

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Will and Wanda wondered if Wendell covertly worked weekends. Though they never saw him leave or return, he was always gone from Friday night to Monday morning.

[Algot Runeman]

brash

Pronunciation /braʃ/
adjective
1 Self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way.
1.1 Having an ostentatious or tasteless appearance.

Origin
Early 19th century (originally dialect); perhaps a form of rash.

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Bob strove to be not brash,
To avoid most negative backlash,
But big fellow that he was,
And you might say, just because,
When diving in the pool,
He did make quite a splash.