GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

spondulicks
(also spondulix)

Spondulicks must have been a term to mislead or confuse Victoria's British IRS (the Exchequer).

[Algot Runeman]

wotcha

(also watcha)

/ˈwɒtʃə/
contraction
1 informal What are you …
1.1 What have you …
1.2 What do you …

Origin
1920s contraction.

==========

Wotcha want, highfalutin words every single day?

He slung the slang
Out to the gang
Without much thought
Though he probably ought.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

wotcha
...
He slung the slang
Out to the gang
Without much thought
Though he probably ought.
...

"You Shouldn't-A, Hadn't-A, Oughtn't-A Swang on Me!"

Slightly paraphrased from The Great Race.
The movie with the greatest, longest, most hilarious cream cake throwing scene of all time.
I've seen movies and cartoons with scantily clad girls jumping OUT off large cakes.
But in this footage Jack Lemmon dives INTO a gigantic cake.!

[Algot Runeman]

virtual

/ˈvəːtʃʊ(ə)l/ /ˈvəːtjʊəl/
adjective
1 Almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition.
2 Computing
Not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so.

==========

These definitions are actual, though the words themselves are merely virtual representations of the objects they represent.
Naturally, you will also recognize that these images are substitutes for the real thing.

[Algot Runeman]

manifesto

/manɪˈfɛstəʊ/
noun manifestos
A public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.

Origin
Mid 17th century from Italian, from manifestare, from Latin, ‘make public’, from manifestus ‘obvious’ (see manifest).

==========

Mark manufactured marvelous moments of mediocrity in his monumental manifesto.
--from the unpublished works of Sentensius Scribbilus

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

manifesto

This word has so much negative connotation, that it became really hateful to me.
It reminds me too much of, among many others, Anders Breivik writing an alleged manifesto.

Though he has changed his name, to me he will always remain despicable scum having forfeited any human rights or mercy. May he rot in jail.

[Algot Runeman]

E.P.S.,

I agree that words lose their neutrality as a result of the context which surrounds their use.
Manifesto has become consistently seen as negative, as you point out.

I regret stirring your emotions into a turmoil. I do often wish, without invoking Pollyanna, that these words could all be presented in a light-hearted way, devoid of their baggage. I don't think that's going to happen.

Be well.

[Algot Runeman]

bicker

/ˈbɪkə/
verb
[no object]
1 Argue about petty and trivial matters.
2 literary (of water) flow or fall with a gentle repetitive noise; patter.
2.1 (of a flame or light) flash, gleam, or flicker.

Origin
Middle English of unknown origin.

==========

Bob and Betty bickered about whether the sound of rain on the porch roof was more a pitter or a patter.

[Algot Runeman]

reave

/riːv/
verb reft
[no object]
1 archaic Carry out raids in order to plunder.
1.1 with object Rob (a person or place) of something by force.
1.2 with object Steal (something).

Origin
Old English rēafian, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch roven, German rauben, also to rob. See also reive.

==========

Corporate raiders "pay" shareholders, but reave the purchased company before pushing it to bankruptcy.

[Algot Runeman]

perish

/ˈpɛrɪʃ/
verb
[no object]
1 literary Die, especially in a violent or sudden way.
1.1 Suffer complete ruin or destruction.
2 (of rubber, food, etc.) lose its normal qualities; rot or decay.
3 be perished British informal Be suffering from extreme cold.

Origin
Middle English from Old French periss-, lengthened stem of perir, from Latin perire ‘pass away’, from per- ‘through, completely’ + ire ‘go’.

==========

At first he thought he just might perish.
Then he progressed to feeling somewhat fairish.
And eventually came to be quite bearish
Thanks to the one he chose to cherish.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

perish

Perish the thought she'd forget the one she cherished most.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

onion

/ˈʌnjən/
noun
1 A swollen edible bulb used as a vegetable, having a pungent taste and smell and composed of several concentric layers.
2 The plant that produces the onion, with long rolled or straplike leaves and spherical heads of greenish-white flowers.

Origin
Middle English from Old French oignon, based on Latin unio(n-), denoting a kind of onion.

==========

We must often peel back the layers of a word as we would an onion in order to reveal the inner value.

[Algot Runeman]

wright

/rʌɪt/
noun
1 archaic A maker or builder.
1.1 Scottish, Northern English A carpenter or joiner.

Origin
Old English wryhta, wyrhta, of West Germanic origin; related to work.

==========

"All right," said Tom, "I'll build you a shed, I am a wright after all. I'll employ all the appropriate rites. It will last you for years."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

wright

Is the Winnebago plant a wainwright company?

[Algot Runeman]

frore

/frɔː/
adjective
literary
Frozen; frosty.

Origin
Middle English archaic past participle of freeze.

==========

*Remebering Winter*

Heavy clothes
Frore windows
Outside's snows
Nothing grows.



----------
Searching for relief:
"No posts were found because the word frore is not contained in any post.", said the forum.
I say, "It's summer in the northern hemisphere. The only frore things here are in the kitchen freezer."

[Algot Runeman]

Is the Winnebago plant a wainwright company?

It surrely must be.

[Algot Runeman]

ohnosecond

/ˈəʊnəʊsɛkənd/
noun
informal
A moment in which one realizes that one has made a serious mistake, typically by pressing the wrong key on a computer keyboard.

==========

I have at least one ohnosecond a week, hitting the send button before a thoughtful review of an angry email.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ohnosecond

Yoko Ono also met her Ohnosecond. A very tragic one, actually.

[Algot Runeman]

shrive

/ʃrʌɪv/
verb shrove, shriven
[with object]
1 archaic (of a priest) hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve.
1.1 shrive oneself Present oneself to a priest for confession, penance, and absolution.

Origin
Old English scrīfan ‘impose as a penance’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schrijven and German schreiben ‘write’, from Latin scribere ‘write’.

==========

I do not strive
To routinely shrive
Yet, I feel alive
And hope to thrive.

And, in that light
Let us not fight.
Sharing love in spite
Of my oversight.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

shrive

You might confess to Pam Shriver!

[Algot Runeman]

moggie

(also moggy)
/ˈmɒɡi/
noun moggies
informal British
A cat, typically one that does not have a pedigree or is otherwise unremarkable.

Origin
Late 17th century variant of Maggie, pet form of the given name Margaret.

==========

When it comes to my moggie,
Let me tell you, chum,
About where she came from,
I am a little foggy.

[Algot Runeman]

swash


/swɒʃ/
verb
[no object]
1 (of water or an object in water) move with a splashing sound.
2 archaic - (of a person) flamboyantly swagger about or wield a sword.
noun
1 The rush of seawater up the beach after the breaking of a wave.
1.1 archaic - The motion or sound of water dashing or washing against something.

Origin
Mid 16th century (in the sense ‘make a noise like swords clashing or beating on shields’): imitative.

==========

The sun climbed to the top of the sky while Joe lay back on the beach, just listening to the swash of a thousand waves on the sand. A perfect day.

[Algot Runeman]

traghetto

/traˈɡɛtəʊ/
noun traghetti
1 (in Venice) a landing place or jetty for gondolas.
1.1 A gondola ferry.

Origin
Italian.

==========

As the gondolas approached the group of traghetti, Tom rushed to finish his spaghetti.

[Algot Runeman]

poptastic

/pɒpˈtastɪk/
adjective
informal British
Denoting or relating to a very good piece of pop music.

Origin
1990s blend of pop and -tastic, popularized by use in the British TV comedy Harry Enfield's Television Programme (1990–2).

==========

Some might ask if any recent pop music can actually be described as poptastic.

[Algot Runeman]

horrifying

/ˈhɒrɪfʌɪɪŋ/
adjective
Causing horror; extremely shocking.

==========

It is horrifying how many horror films are vastly popular.