GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

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E Pericoloso Sporgersi
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:entelechy
Those Greek guys were really tireless. They relentlessly forged ahead to think up impossible words.

But I'll bet they never thought they'd spawn this culminating entelechy and make our linguistic lives so tiresome with the "Word of the Day".
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

trite

Pronunciation: /trīt /
adjective
(Of a remark, opinion, or idea) overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness: this point may now seem obvious and trite

Origin
mid 16th century: from Latin tritus, past participle of terere 'to rub'.

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Just when the unrest of the WotD masses reached a sinister simmer, ODO supplied a calming option. Relieving the irritation of a series of academic, obscure and archaic terms, a soothing, if trite solution arrives "in the nick of time." Contrite, the word choosers provide the respite so dearly desired.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

tapster

Pronunciation: /ˈtapstər /
noun
archaic
A person who draws and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar.

Origin
Old English tæppestre, denoting a woman serving ale (see tap1, -ster).

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Ye will reade of tapsters in yon olde book (yawn). It should be far more fun to visit the local pub (UK) or bar (US, et.al.) to ask the bartender or mixologist, barista, whatever, for a refreshing beverage (it is still October, so beer might do).
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:tapster
Finally a WotD derived not from ancient Greeks, but from the ancient Belgae as praised in Julius Caesar's conquest accounts for their fight to keep Belgica independant. (later on (though equally brave) we lost a lot of territory to France).

To this day in Flanders, a woman drawing glasses of draught beer is called a "tapster". Unsurprisingly, the male is called "tapper".(Not to be confused with tap or lap dance performers.)

When casks of French wine made their debut in Belgica, these tapsters/tappers took post-graduate courses and assimilated the required skill set for tapping wine.

Though I still think "beerista" would better suited for an Oktoberfest.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

sfumato

Pronunciation: /sfo͞oˈmätō /
noun
Art
The technique of allowing tones and colors to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms.

Origin
mid 19th century: Italian, literally 'shaded off', past participle of sfumare.

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createordie

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Sfumato, shmoomato. John realized he had to abandon the technique while developing accuracy in his CAD work. He was pleased to realize that he could return to it when doing the final renderings to show the car under showroom lights.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:sfumato
Tomayto, tomahto,
Sfumayto, sfumahto ...

It's all the same to me, as long as it pleases my senses.
So let's *not* call it off ...
Spoiler: show
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

contronym

Pronunciation: /ˈkäntrəˌnim /
(also contranym)
noun
A word with two opposite meanings, e.g., sanction (which can mean both ‘a penalty for disobeying a law’ and ‘official permission or approval for an action’).

Origin
1960s: blend of contra- and -onym, on the pattern of synonym and antonym.

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Children have a pretty clear sense of contronyms. When a parent says "No" children go right ahead to do what they wanted anyway. And the child is quick to say "No", with peanut butter on hands, face and table and the parent asks, "Did you make this mess?
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:contronym
Quite possibly I've had to meromise this "contromynious" word in the English course during my semaphore year in high school.
But - very sorry - I'm afraid my meromy isn't up to recalling it.

Thank you for reminding me of it. (thank the Greeks, or was it the Romans, too)
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

arrogate

Pronunciation: /ˈarəˌɡāt /
verb
[with object]
Take or claim (something) without justification: they arrogate to themselves the ability to divine the nation’s true interests

Origin
mid 16th century: from Latin arrogat- 'claimed for oneself', from the verb arrogare, from ad- 'to' + rogare 'ask'.

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Bob arrogated the piece of candy from the floor. The clerk called the police. The police abrogated their responsibility. Bob went home. Bob didn't get to keep the candy.

[Professor Joe says, "This is one of those example sentences which shows poor word choice. An author writing this way has used the word "arrogate" as if he just put down the thesaurus. Take care when trying to enrich your writing."]
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by voralfred »

E Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:
Algot Runeman wrote:contronym
Quite possibly I've had to meromise this "contromynious" word in the English course during my semaphore year in high school.
But - very sorry - I'm afraid my meromy isn't up to recalling it.

Thank you for reminding me of it. (thank the Greeks, or was it the Romans, too)
Oh! You also have porbelms with Dr. Azleimher's name?
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

crotchety

Pronunciation: /ˈkräCHədē /
adjective
Irritable: he was tired and crotchety

Origin
early 19th century: from of crotchet + -y1.

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Cassandra was crotchety as she attempted to crochet a new shawl. "Pshaw, y'all!" she muttered to her friends Eileen and Betty.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

apologia

Pronunciation: /ˌapəˈlōj(ē)ə /
noun
A formal written defense of one’s opinions or conduct: an apologia for book banning

Origin
late 18th century: from Latin (see apology).

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To whom it may concern, this WotD entry is presented in this format as an apologia. It will be mercifully brief. There will be limits placed on the normally rambling presentation of a word. Brief, yes, but not actually short, just as briefs aren't always shorts. To the point, possibly, circling the drain, no doubt. It is, after all, the Monday which the United States has selected to represent the deeds of Christopher Columbus in the most positive light. It is barely possible to imagine the significance of the feeling Columbus must have had when he realized that he had not reached Asia by going far west. Instead, he had found totally "unclaimed" territory... Oh, yes, the apologia, well, since this is supposed to be brief, we shall put that off for another time.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:crotchety
Algot Runeman wrote:apologia
I don't have much of an apologia for my absence yesterday, but I had good reason.

Strolling in the park in this Indian Summer, I encountered a group of girl scouts playing volleyball. To better enjoy the enchanting sight of bouncing boobs, I sat down on shadowed ground, leaning against a tree.

But replete with lunch, I soon fell asleep.

Unfortunately I must have sat down on some crucial resource because a column of ants chose that time to invade my pants on the inside. They had almost reached my crotch when the tickling woke me.

Forced to abandon modesty, I had to remove my pants to get rid of the ants. At that they got really angry and started biting and spitting formic acid.

The girls abandoned their play and trooped away to the cafeteria, but not because of the ants, I think.

Afterwards I still felt the burning of the ants' bites for several hours.

No wonder that for the rest of the day I was very crotchety.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by voralfred »

E Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:(...)

Forced to abandon modesty, I had to remove my pants to get rid of the ants. At that they got really angry and started biting and spitting formic acid.

The girls abandoned their play and trooped away to the cafeteria, but not because of the ants, I think.

Afterwards I still felt the burning of the ants' bites for several hours.

No wonder that for the rest of the day I was very crotchety.
Crotchety you felt, quite understandably, but weren't your actions rather ballsy ?
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

Afterwards I still felt the burning of the ants' bites for several hours.
Eeeeouch! Crotchety for sure.

The ants apparently didn't know you were not into body piercing.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

doublethink

Pronunciation: /ˈdəbəlˌTHiNGk /
noun
The acceptance of or mental capacity to accept contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination.

Origin
1949: coined by George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

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Frankly, I've always had enough trouble with singlethink. Doublethink sounds like it would be hard to do. Then again, there are plenty of people willing to believe they are cool because they have waited in line overnight for a new phone. Some have done it multiple times. Maybe doublethink is natural for humans.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:doublethink
...
Frankly, I've always had enough trouble with singlethink. Doublethink sounds like it would be hard to do. ...
Of course. You're male, Algot.

Have you forgotten that doublethink, doublespeak and multitasking are *female* prerogatives?

< Duck! Incoming!>
Spoiler: show
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

nickelodeon

Pronunciation: /ˌnikəˈlōdēən /
noun
North American
1 informal dated A jukebox, originally one operated by the insertion of a nickel coin.
2 historical A movie theater with an admission fee of one nickel.

Origin
early 20th century: from nickel in the sense 'five-cent coin' + a shortened form of melodeon.

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Russ Glasson

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There were no nickelodeons in the soda shop of my youth. There were shiny pushbutton jukeboxes at each booth with tiny, tinny speakers to let each group spend a quarter for three songs. Then there were boomboxes carried in on the shoulder. Today, everybody grooves to the tunes with earbud headphones on a personal music player, one which might also serve them as a mobile telephone.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

indwell

Pronunciation: /inˈdwel /
verb (past and past participle indwelt)
1 [with object] Be permanently present in (someone’s soul or mind); possess spiritually: the Holy Spirit descended to indwell the believers
2 (as adjective indwelling) Medicine (Of a catheter, needle, etc.) fixed in a person’s body for a long period of time.

Origin
late Middle English: originally translating Latin inhabitare.

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The shaman sought through peyote and smoke to have the tribal spirits indwell his body so he could protect everyone from harm and prepare the young men for the hunt.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

braggart

Pronunciation: /ˈbraɡərt /
noun
A person who boasts about achievements or possessions: [as modifier]: braggart men

Origin
late 16th century: from French bragard, from braguer 'to brag'.

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Art was a braggart. No matter what question you might ask, somehow he always told you about some grand thing he had done.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

contretemps

Pronunciation: /ˈkäntrəˌtäN, ˌkôNtrəˈtäN /
noun (plural same /-ˌtäN(z), -ˈtäN(z) /)
1 An unexpected and unfortunate occurrence: the hotel had to deal with more than one contretemps before the end of the night
1.1 A minor dispute or disagreement: she had occasional contretemps with her staff

Origin
late 17th century (originally as a fencing term, denoting a thrust made at an inopportune moment): French, originally 'motion out of time', from contre- 'against' + temps 'time'.

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Carlo was sorry for his brief contretemps with Louis during the match. Unfortunately it happened when Louis had just removed his glove.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:contretemps
George started playing "The Entertainer" with gusto.
After a few bars, Scott joined in on the second piano with "I Got Rythm", but in challenging contretemps.
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George Gershwin and Scott Joplin
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

vinaceous

Pronunciation: /vīˈnāSHəs, və- /
adjective
Of the color of red wine.

Origin
late 17th century: from Latin vinaceus (from vinum 'wine') + -ous.

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Wade Kelly

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In some movies, blood looks bloody, in others, merely vinaceous.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

deictic

Pronunciation: /ˈdīktik /
Linguistics
adjective
Of, relating to, or denoting a word or expression whose meaning is dependent on the context in which it is used, e.g., here, you, me, that one there, or next Tuesday. Also called indexical.

noun
A deictic word or expression.

Origin
early 19th century: from Greek deiktikos, deiktos 'demonstrative'.

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I am going to submit this post in spite of the reaction you will have when you get around to reading it. Yes you know who you are. For me, deictic will fade over time, maybe 15 minutes will do.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:deictic
Deictic! Me?
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