GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

A home for our "Off-Topic" Chats. Like to play games? Tell jokes? Shoot the breeze about nothing at all ? Here is the place where you can hang out with the IBDoF Peanut Gallery and have some fun.

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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

E.P.S. wrote:Just the part [of the troposphere] about as high and wide as where my grandma was standing/sitting/reclining.
Your grandfather had an admirable ability to focus on the important things.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

procrastinate

Pronunciation: /prə(ʊ)ˈkrastɪneɪt/
verb
[no object]
Delay or postpone action; put off doing something: the temptation will be to procrastinate until the power struggle plays itself out

Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin procrastinat- 'deferred till the morning', from the verb procrastinare, from pro- 'forward' + crastinus 'belonging to tomorrow' (from cras 'tomorrow').

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John Crastinus was never late. He prided himself on timeliness. His literary hero was Phileas Fogg from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. Oddly, he accomplished this feat by procrastinating. He scheduled everything so far ahead that its completion value was often compromised.

[I almost put this post off. I had remembered the Verne character's name as Phineas and checked with my adorable wife who concurred. Fortunately, the Internet access from here is good, and I was able to check there and was corrected soon enough to get this post out in the morning.]
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:procrastinate
It was an inn where more people went in than walked out.

The innkeeper never procrastinated in applying Procrustean adjustment to guests too tall or too short.

(I wonder why the verb procrusticate doesn't exist.)
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

psychogeography
There is something psycho-illogical about all the psych terms. Add psycho to any term and there you are, a new syndrome.

There ought to be a beer named Psychoholic.

Though the one I'm thinking of already has a fitting name!
The more I think about it, I am glad there were just a few responses to this word. I still worry we might still be doomed to head down the psycho- path.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

nummy

Pronunciation: /ˈnʌmi/
adjective
North American informal
(Of food) delicious.

Origin
Early 20th century: variant of yummy.

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Pyramid Scheme

What the mummy thought was nummy was packed inside his tomb.
But time has passed and now it's crummy, I'd assume.
Some went rotten, or turned too gummy to sweep up with a broom.
Now the mummy's got no yummies to overcome the gloom.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

diaeresis

Pronunciation: /dʌɪˈɪərɪsɪs/
/dʌɪˈɛrɪsɪs/
(US dieresis)
noun (plural diaereses dʌɪˈɪərɪsiːzdʌɪˈɛrɪsiːz)
1 A mark (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate that it is sounded separately, as in naïve, Brontë.
1.1 [mass noun] The division of a sound into two syllables, especially by sounding a diphthong as two vowels.
2 Prosody A natural rhythmic break in a line of verse where the end of a metrical foot coincides with the end of a phrase.

Origin
Late 16th century (denoting the division of one syllable into two): via Latin from Greek diairesis 'separation', from diairein 'take apart', from dia 'apart' + hairein 'take'.

Image

¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨-_-¨

Fortunately, spelling differences prevent us from confusing a diaeresis from some diarrhea. The other thing which helps is that kids don't know the word. Therefore, we would not expect to hear anybody complain, "Mom! I had diaeresis this morning. I should stay home from school." Of course, if you are a sneaky kid, reading this forum before your parents, you might just try that tomorrow.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

diaeresis - A mark (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate that it is sounded separately, as in naïve, Brontë.
When I read the day's post to my adorable wife, she heard another spelling, "diuresis" which is the excess production of urine. [She's a retired nurse.]

I wonder if the coming days will have the kids saying, "MOM! I had diaeresis, diarrhea and diuresis this morning. I REALLY need to stay home!."

[FWIW, my computer seems to have a British spell-check dictionary. I get the wiggly line under diarrhea because it wants me to spell it diarrhoea instead. (probably more than you wanted to know.)]
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:diaeresis
I don't have a diaeresis, nor diarrhea, nor diuresis. They're all over the top for me.

I don't even have a diary, just a computer calendar to remind me of things.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

machinima

Pronunciation: /məˈʃɪnɪmə/
Definition of machinima in English:
noun
[mass noun]
The practice or technique of producing animated films through the manipulation of video game graphics.

Origin
Early 21st century: blend of machine and cinema, probably influenced by anime.

Image
Screen capture from minecraft.net

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Mark's attempt at machinima merged elements from Doom, Second Life and Minecraft. While the story moved right along, the odd mix of characters and backgrounds made the video seem to come from some multi-dimentional realm.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

thrive

Pronunciation: /θrʌɪv/
verb (thrives, thriving, past throve /θrəʊv/ or thrived; past participle thriven /ˈθrɪv(ə)n/ or thrived)
[no object]
1 (Of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously: the new baby thrived
1.1 Prosper; flourish: education groups thrive on organization

Origin
Middle English (originally in the sense 'grow, increase'): from Old Norse thrífask, reflexive of thrífa 'grasp, get hold of'. Compare with thrift.

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Original photo of the Cheshire Oak Terry Hughes CC-BY-NC-SA

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It's not enough to be alive.
For more than that we all must strive,
And if we have support and luck,
We, eventually, may thrive.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:thrive
A greataunt and -uncle claimed that my grandma's drive made grandpa thrive.
Actually it was mutual, they did it to each other, although grandma never did strive to drive.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

lour

Pronunciation: /ˈlaʊə/
(also lower)
verb
[no object]
1 Look angry or sullen; scowl: the lofty statue lours at patients in the infirmary
1.1 (Of the sky or landscape) look dark and threatening.
noun
1 A scowl.
1.1 A dark and gloomy appearance of the sky or landscape.

Origin
Middle English: of unknown origin.

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Laurie looked longingly at Lawrence. Larry's louring scowl gave her no hope. She knew their love was doomed. She limped away, feeling lost, leaving Lawrence to lingering, lonely laments.

[Today's not-so-light-hearted but still lovely word was brought to you by the letter L with the hope that it is not a repeat on the WotD forum.]
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

sennet

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛnɪt/
noun
(In the stage directions of Elizabethan plays) a call on a trumpet or cornet to signal the ceremonial entrance or exit of an actor.

Origin
Late 16th century: perhaps a variant of signet.

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(The king enters, followed by his prime minister, stage left. Trumpet sounds a sennet.)
Wayfair: Behold, my lord. The people are below. They wait for your reassurance.
King John: (muttering) Sadly, they'll not be fooled by my words.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:sennet
One day when grandpa was tinkering in his pigeon coop (he called it his man cave though it was on the house's roof), he vented a resounding fart, unaware that just at that moment grandma ducked through the low door.
Grandma impishly remarked: "You know, there's no need to sound a sennet when I come in!"
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

famulus

Pronunciation: /ˈfamjʊləs/
noun (plural famuli ˈfamjʊlʌɪˈfamjʊliː)
historical
An assistant or servant, especially one working for a magician or scholar.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin, 'servant'.

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Jason's master was famous.

"He has trained more magicians and wizards than any other master, my dear. Getting taken on by him is a sure path to success," said his mother as she shoved him up the stone steps of the townhouse. Jason's father had stayed home, but he had nodded approval from his cobbler's workbench as Jason departed.

Jason jumped right in, doing every job the master asked, removing the obvious dust, washing the dingy drapes, polishing the silver. He, of course, made accomodation for the spiders. He removed only the old, abandoned webs in the corners of the ceiling. Spiders kept pesky bugs from spying on the master. They quietly watched Jason's work, too. He did his master's bidding efficiently and was accepted as the master's famulus by the end of only two weeks.

Jason worked through the house, gazing wistfully outside through his sparklingly cleaned windows as he swept the house for the third time of the day. He envied the situation of his fellow servant-apprentices. Their masters were also famous magicians and wizards, but younger. His own master seemed to have lost both his flare and his interest, older by centuries than his neighbors. Matti and Carlito, the servants from the houses on either side, both regaled Jason with their stories of new spells and potions whose formulae they had memorized while cleaning the rooms of their households. They didn't even come close to doing their official jobs well. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere, un-remarked by their masters.

Recently, Jason's own work also wasn't acknowledged by his master. Apprenticed and bound to the master for the minimum of three decades, Jason felt doomed to learn nothing. A wizard's apprentice had decades, sometimes centuries of service before he could branch out on his own. The luckiest started as menials as he had, but were asked to stay after their first thirty-year block of indenture, learning more of the wizard's craft at every turn.

His parents had not known the full story. The master was now more like an emeritus wizard, mainly retired from the bustle of spellcasting for the kingdom. The master's lab was neglected, though spotless because of Jason's work. After the first unremarkable weeks and then uneventufl months had passed, Jason began to understand that his chances to advance were nil. The master rose in the morning, ate the porridge Jason prepared, mumbled his thanks and then wandered out the front door, leaving Jason behind to clean the house. Sometimes the master did not return until long after dark. Other day's the master read in the library for hours or walked in the garden, contemplating the flowers, trees, scurrying squirrels, even the dirt. He spoke quietly, seeming to ask Jason to do a task rather than commanding it. Jason appreciated that. Some of his friends reported that their masters literally screeched at them.

Jason's hope settled on the library, filled with many times more books than any other wizard's abode, sure to be full of the secrets of sorcery. At the end of Jason's first month, his master had left a book open on the arm of his favorite chair. Thinking this was certainly a test, Jason dutifully put the book on the table by the chair so it would not fall from the chair's arm and be damaged, only noting the title on the first page of a chapter as he inserted the bookmark and closed the ancient volume, "The Spell of Forgetfulness."

When he returned to the library the next time, he pulled down that same book first, as he started to clean the shelf. After a quick glance over his shoulder, he flipped to that place in the book, but the page was blank. Riffling through that whole book revealed that every page was blank. Unless the master pulled one down and left it open, the books' pages were always blank when Jason pulled one from the library shelves.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

moratorium

Pronunciation: /ˌmɒrəˈtɔːrɪəm/
noun (plural moratoriums or moratoria ˌmɒrəˈtɔːrɪə)
1 A temporary prohibition of an activity: a moratorium on the use of drift nets
1.1 Law A legal authorization to debtors to postpone payment: the debt was to be subject to a five-year moratorium

Origin
Late 19th century: modern Latin, neuter (used as a noun) of late Latin moratorius 'delaying', from Latin morat- 'delayed', from the verb morari, from mora 'delay'.

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Maura marvelled at Max. Once again, he had achieved the impossible. In spite of the city moratorium, his Christmas display shined from the rooftop. That it appeared to most as just a flickering LED light show was the pattern of display. All you had to do was blink at a steady third-of-a-second pace. Cycling "frames", showed a rotation of Santa Clause or a sleigh full of presents or eight reindeer. If you just looked at it, the patterns overlapped, mixed, hiding the images in plain sight. Max had also made it easier to see the display. He'd also created polarized glasses that did the blinking electronically by switching polarization on and off at the required beat.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

decrescent

Pronunciation: /dɪˈkrɛs(ə)nt/
adjective
(Of the moon) waning: the keen-sighted watcher may catch a glimpse of the slender decrescent moon

Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin decrescent- 'growing less', from the verb decrescere (see decrease).

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askal bosch
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What's this "keen-sighted" thing? Regular eyesight can easily observe all the moon phases from full through waning gibbous, decrescent and even the new moon in bright daylight, for crying out loud. The only thing required for a bright view is being up early and a clear sky.There's no point in waxing poetic about this WotD!
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:decrescent
Would a double decrescent be some motherly goddess watching over us? :worship:
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

E. Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:double decrescent...goddess
Oh! Ahem. Well.

Sure. Why not?
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

orator

Pronunciation: /ˈɒrətə/
noun
1A public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled: a theatrically effective orator
1.1 (also public orator) An official speaking for a university on ceremonial occasions.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French oratour, from Latin orator 'speaker, pleader'.

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Oscar turned to the audience. They roared. It scared him, so he sat down. They roared again, louder and deeper. Oscar was not the orator they hoped he would be.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

intermittent

Pronunciation: /ɪntəˈmɪt(ə)nt/
adjective
Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady: intermittent rain

Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin intermittent- 'ceasing', from the verb intermittere (see intermit).

Image

-=____-=__-=___________-=_____-=__________-=___-=__-=________-=

Intermittent rain, sometimes light, but also an occasional deluge made Horace's trip home difficult. He wanted to hurry, but he didn't dare to increase his speed on these very slippery and winding mountain roads. Getting there was more important than shaving a few minutes off the time.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by E Pericoloso Sporgersi »

Algot Runeman wrote:intermittent
There was nothing intermittent about the love between my grandma and grandpa. If there was any kind of -mittent, come rain or shine, I never heard about it.

One exception, of course, though it isn't any fault of their's. I myself am only intermittently reporting about their relationship. Blame it on Algot, who does't always provide a WotD around which I can tell a compelling anecdote.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

E.P.S. wrote:Blame it on Algot, who does't always provide a WotD around which I can tell a compelling
Blame accepted.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

vaticinate

Pronunciation: /vaˈtɪsɪneɪt/
verb
[no object] rare
Foretell the future: he vaticinated a period of peace for the continent he spent much of his time vaticinating on learned panels

Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin vaticinat- 'prophesied', from the verb vaticinari, from vates 'prophet'.

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<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>_<^>

Bob vaticinated that Betty would not care if he predicted accurately or not. His prophesies were unreliable, at best.
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Re: GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

Post by Algot Runeman »

reaffirm

Pronunciation: /riːəˈfəːm/
verb
[reporting verb]
1 State again strongly: the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to the agreement [with clause]: he reaffirmed that it was essential to strengthen the rule of law
1.1 [with object] Confirm the validity of (something previously established): the election reaffirmed his position as leader

Image

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Although "hackathon" was the ODO word, we (royal responsibility, after all) reaffirm the standards of the WotD forum topic: "Thou shalt not repeat a word used before as a word of the day."

[Of course, we use other words over and over. It is really impossible to say much only using a sequence of formerly unused words.]
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