Brad, you do realize that 'decolletage' is used in English, don't you? That's why I recognized when you spelled it wrong. (I had not, however, been aware that decollete was also a word and was rather surprised to see it in the dictionary.)Brad wrote:Ah well, that's what I get for relying on automatic translators.
GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)
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spiphany
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Word of the Day Monday November 27, 2006
equivocate \ih-KWIV-uh-kayt\, intransitive verb: To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.
The witness shuffled, equivocated, pretended to misunderstand the questions.
-- Thomas Babington Macaulay, History of England
By equivocating, hesitating, and giving ambiguous answers, she effected her purpose.
-- Harriet Martineau, Letters from Ireland
Dr. Lindzen does not equivocate. "We don't have any evidence that this is a serious problem," he says flatly.
-- William K. Stevens, "Skeptic Asks, Is It Really Warmer?", New York Times, June 17, 1996
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To equivocate is literally to call equally one thing or the other: It comes from Medieval Latin aequivocare, from the Latin aequus, equal + vocare, to call (from Latin vox, voice).
equivocate \ih-KWIV-uh-kayt\, intransitive verb: To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.
The witness shuffled, equivocated, pretended to misunderstand the questions.
-- Thomas Babington Macaulay, History of England
By equivocating, hesitating, and giving ambiguous answers, she effected her purpose.
-- Harriet Martineau, Letters from Ireland
Dr. Lindzen does not equivocate. "We don't have any evidence that this is a serious problem," he says flatly.
-- William K. Stevens, "Skeptic Asks, Is It Really Warmer?", New York Times, June 17, 1996
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To equivocate is literally to call equally one thing or the other: It comes from Medieval Latin aequivocare, from the Latin aequus, equal + vocare, to call (from Latin vox, voice).
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Tuesday November 28, 2006
redact \rih-DAKT\, transitive verb: 1. To draw up or frame (a statement, proclamation, etc.); to put in writing. 2. To make ready and put in shape for publication; to edit.
The authors have obtained a copy of this memo, albeit redacted.
-- John F. Kelly and Phillip K. Wearne, Tainting Evidence
White sat down to write or re-write or redact whatever one does to a twenty-year accumulation of episodes.
-- Gerald Weales, "The Designs of E. B. White", New York Times, May 24, 1970
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Redact derives from Latin redactus, past participle of redigere, to drive back, from re-, red-, "again, back" + agere, "to put in motion, to drive."
redact \rih-DAKT\, transitive verb: 1. To draw up or frame (a statement, proclamation, etc.); to put in writing. 2. To make ready and put in shape for publication; to edit.
The authors have obtained a copy of this memo, albeit redacted.
-- John F. Kelly and Phillip K. Wearne, Tainting Evidence
White sat down to write or re-write or redact whatever one does to a twenty-year accumulation of episodes.
-- Gerald Weales, "The Designs of E. B. White", New York Times, May 24, 1970
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redact derives from Latin redactus, past participle of redigere, to drive back, from re-, red-, "again, back" + agere, "to put in motion, to drive."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Wednesday November 29, 2006
vapid \VAP-id; VAY-pid\, adjective: 1. Lacking liveliness and spirit; unanimated; spiritless; dull; as, "a vapid speech." 2. Flavorless; lacking taste or zest; flat; as, "vapid beer."
One year he was writing vapid and sentimental mediocrities, and the next he was turning out one of the best poems of our century.
-- Anatole Broyard, New York Times
Especially in his coverage of the first 800 years of Russian architecture, he resorts to a prose of vapid enthusiasms; too many buildings are described like this, about a country palace: "a breathtaking masterpiece that fairly shimmered with Baroque splendor."
-- Richard Lourie, "Firebrands and Firebirds", New York Times, April 5, 1998
The rest consisted of vapid anecdotes that revealed nothing but her own alleged caring, bromides that said nothing an ad agency couldn't tell you.
-- Andrew Sullivan, "One Last Time", New Republic, August 28, 2000
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The source of vapid is Latin vapidus, "spiritless, spoiled, flat."
vapid \VAP-id; VAY-pid\, adjective: 1. Lacking liveliness and spirit; unanimated; spiritless; dull; as, "a vapid speech." 2. Flavorless; lacking taste or zest; flat; as, "vapid beer."
One year he was writing vapid and sentimental mediocrities, and the next he was turning out one of the best poems of our century.
-- Anatole Broyard, New York Times
Especially in his coverage of the first 800 years of Russian architecture, he resorts to a prose of vapid enthusiasms; too many buildings are described like this, about a country palace: "a breathtaking masterpiece that fairly shimmered with Baroque splendor."
-- Richard Lourie, "Firebrands and Firebirds", New York Times, April 5, 1998
The rest consisted of vapid anecdotes that revealed nothing but her own alleged caring, bromides that said nothing an ad agency couldn't tell you.
-- Andrew Sullivan, "One Last Time", New Republic, August 28, 2000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The source of vapid is Latin vapidus, "spiritless, spoiled, flat."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Thursday November 30, 2006
galvanic \gal-VAN-ik\, adjective: 1. Of, pertaining to, or producing a direct current of electricity, especially when produced chemically. 2. Affecting or affected as if by an electric shock; startling; shocking. 3. Stimulating; energizing.
Reading the epic known to us as the Iliad is vastly different from the preliterate experience of hearing and seeing it performed. In place of the bard's galvanic flow of sound and image, the reader beholds a mute tome, the size of longish novel.
-- Michael E. Hobart and Zachary S. Schiffman, Information Ages
Hemingway's letters, which often seem to have been dashed off at the end of the day, display little of the galvanic style that animated his early (and finest) fiction.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "Tone It Down, He Urged Hemingway", New York Times, November 19, 1996
What was special -- and at the time, galvanic -- about his early writing was its precision and concision.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "The Hunter Returns, Weary but Still Macho", New York Times, June 22, 1999
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Galvanic is derived from Luigi Galvani, a professor of physiology at Bologna, whose experiments established the presence of bioelectric forces in animal tissue.
galvanic \gal-VAN-ik\, adjective: 1. Of, pertaining to, or producing a direct current of electricity, especially when produced chemically. 2. Affecting or affected as if by an electric shock; startling; shocking. 3. Stimulating; energizing.
Reading the epic known to us as the Iliad is vastly different from the preliterate experience of hearing and seeing it performed. In place of the bard's galvanic flow of sound and image, the reader beholds a mute tome, the size of longish novel.
-- Michael E. Hobart and Zachary S. Schiffman, Information Ages
Hemingway's letters, which often seem to have been dashed off at the end of the day, display little of the galvanic style that animated his early (and finest) fiction.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "Tone It Down, He Urged Hemingway", New York Times, November 19, 1996
What was special -- and at the time, galvanic -- about his early writing was its precision and concision.
-- Michiko Kakutani, "The Hunter Returns, Weary but Still Macho", New York Times, June 22, 1999
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Galvanic is derived from Luigi Galvani, a professor of physiology at Bologna, whose experiments established the presence of bioelectric forces in animal tissue.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
/me crumples a rather vapid rough draft (of an alternate post), and tosses it into a nearby galvanized aluminum trash can.
Brad's opportunistic sense of humor was nearly galvanized into action by the appearance of the word vapid. Fortunately, his sense of discretion prevailed ... but it was a near thing.
Brad's opportunistic sense of humor was nearly galvanized into action by the appearance of the word vapid. Fortunately, his sense of discretion prevailed ... but it was a near thing.
Word of the Day Friday December 1, 2006
debouch \dih-BOWCH; -BOOSH\, intransitive verb: 1. To march out (as from a wood, defile, or other narrow or confined spot) into the open. 2. To emerge; to issue. transitive verb: 1. To cause to emerge or issue; to discharge.
When the mill hands hassled Pete at the Manchester Cafe, he took off his apron, debouched from behind the counter and beat them senseless.
-- Richard Rhodes, Why They Kill
Bangladesh, one of the most populous spots on earth, is virtually the delta of the Brahmaputra and Ganga river systems, where numerous streams and rivers debouch to the Bay of Bengal.
-- "Blood on the Border", Times of India, April 23, 2001
. . .one of those ancient towns of central France where the streets wind upward from the railway track, through scowling walls of medievalism, until they debouch in the square outside the cathedral door, surveyed by huge stone animals from the cathedral tower and prowled around on Sunday mornings by cats and desultory tourists.
-- Jan Morris, Fifty Years of Europe
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Debouch comes from French déboucher, from dé- (for de), "out of" (from Latin de) + bouche, "mouth" (from Latin bucca, "cheek, mouth"). The noun form is debouchment.
debouch \dih-BOWCH; -BOOSH\, intransitive verb: 1. To march out (as from a wood, defile, or other narrow or confined spot) into the open. 2. To emerge; to issue. transitive verb: 1. To cause to emerge or issue; to discharge.
When the mill hands hassled Pete at the Manchester Cafe, he took off his apron, debouched from behind the counter and beat them senseless.
-- Richard Rhodes, Why They Kill
Bangladesh, one of the most populous spots on earth, is virtually the delta of the Brahmaputra and Ganga river systems, where numerous streams and rivers debouch to the Bay of Bengal.
-- "Blood on the Border", Times of India, April 23, 2001
. . .one of those ancient towns of central France where the streets wind upward from the railway track, through scowling walls of medievalism, until they debouch in the square outside the cathedral door, surveyed by huge stone animals from the cathedral tower and prowled around on Sunday mornings by cats and desultory tourists.
-- Jan Morris, Fifty Years of Europe
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Debouch comes from French déboucher, from dé- (for de), "out of" (from Latin de) + bouche, "mouth" (from Latin bucca, "cheek, mouth"). The noun form is debouchment.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Monday December 4, 2006
skulk \SKUHLK\, intransitive verb: 1. To hide, or get out of the way, in a sneaking manner; to lurk. 2. To move about in a stealthy way. 3. To avoid responsibilities and duties.
noun: 1. One who skulks. 2. A group of foxes.
When not rummaging under bushes, Mr Sculley can often be seen skulking in the woods or prowling along the shore.
-- Tom Gilling, The Sooterkin
He was forced to creep and skulk into every place for fear of being taken and hanged.
-- Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxoniensus
He skulked back from the shop with his purchase, hugging the walls, looking at no one, all the more panicky because he knew no other way home.
-- Patrick Chamoiseau, School Days (translated by Linda Coverdale)
William skulked home, keeping in the shadows in case he met Mr Cripslock.
-- Terry Pratchett, The Truth
At the time he instigated mob action against the Stamp Act he attacked those who were too timid for his liking by accusing them of skulking in their houses and grumbling in their corners, not daring to speak out while the real work of protest was carried on by others.
-- Richard M. Ketchum, Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War
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Skulk is from Middle English skulken, ultimately of Scandinavian origin.
skulk \SKUHLK\, intransitive verb: 1. To hide, or get out of the way, in a sneaking manner; to lurk. 2. To move about in a stealthy way. 3. To avoid responsibilities and duties.
noun: 1. One who skulks. 2. A group of foxes.
When not rummaging under bushes, Mr Sculley can often be seen skulking in the woods or prowling along the shore.
-- Tom Gilling, The Sooterkin
He was forced to creep and skulk into every place for fear of being taken and hanged.
-- Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxoniensus
He skulked back from the shop with his purchase, hugging the walls, looking at no one, all the more panicky because he knew no other way home.
-- Patrick Chamoiseau, School Days (translated by Linda Coverdale)
William skulked home, keeping in the shadows in case he met Mr Cripslock.
-- Terry Pratchett, The Truth
At the time he instigated mob action against the Stamp Act he attacked those who were too timid for his liking by accusing them of skulking in their houses and grumbling in their corners, not daring to speak out while the real work of protest was carried on by others.
-- Richard M. Ketchum, Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skulk is from Middle English skulken, ultimately of Scandinavian origin.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Tuesday December 5, 2006
dictum \DIK-tuhm\, noun: 1. An authoritative statement; a formal pronouncement. 2. Law) A judicial opinion expressed by judges on points that do not necessarily arise in the case, and are not involved in it.
I have taken to heart Francis Bacon's dictum that "truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion".
-- Donald B. Calne, Within Reason: Rationality and Human Behavior
As an editor, Rahv took seriously Trotsky's dictum that "Art can become a strong ally of revolution only in so far as it remains faithful to itself."
-- David Laskin, Partisans
What happened to Horace's dictum that literature should entertain and instruct?
-- Scott Stossel, "Right Here Goes", The Atlantic, April 1996
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Dictum is literally "a thing said," from the past participle of Latin dicere, "to say."
dictum \DIK-tuhm\, noun: 1. An authoritative statement; a formal pronouncement. 2. Law) A judicial opinion expressed by judges on points that do not necessarily arise in the case, and are not involved in it.
I have taken to heart Francis Bacon's dictum that "truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion".
-- Donald B. Calne, Within Reason: Rationality and Human Behavior
As an editor, Rahv took seriously Trotsky's dictum that "Art can become a strong ally of revolution only in so far as it remains faithful to itself."
-- David Laskin, Partisans
What happened to Horace's dictum that literature should entertain and instruct?
-- Scott Stossel, "Right Here Goes", The Atlantic, April 1996
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dictum is literally "a thing said," from the past participle of Latin dicere, "to say."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
All eyes in the courtroom were riveted upon Judge Holmes as, unhurried, he resumed his seat and adroitly replaced his spectacles over his eyes.
The chief baliff stood. "Your honour, have you reached a verdict?"
Holmes' head tilted. Then he leaned measuredly to one side, and the hungry silence of the court was answered with a prolonged and thunderous dictum of flatulence, its deep staccato notes rolling forth and echoing through the chamber like a majestic deflating balloon.
The chief baliff stood. "Your honour, have you reached a verdict?"
Holmes' head tilted. Then he leaned measuredly to one side, and the hungry silence of the court was answered with a prolonged and thunderous dictum of flatulence, its deep staccato notes rolling forth and echoing through the chamber like a majestic deflating balloon.
Colourless green ideas sleep furiously
Word of the Day Wednesday December 6, 2006
risible \RIZ-uh-buhl\, adjective: 1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh. 2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing. 3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."
Before long, I began to read aloud with my father, chanting the strange and wondrous rivers -- Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Chickahominy -- and wrapping my tongue around the risible names of rebel generals: Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early, John Sappington Marmaduke, William "Extra Billy" Smith, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.
-- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic
All twelve selected are thoughtful, small and funny in both senses of the word: odd and risible.
-- Stefan Kanfer, "Of Cats, Myths and Pizza", Time, December 11, 1989
But Lionel . . . is not a risible character, even though he is often called "freakshow" and "crazyman."
-- Adam Mazmanian, "Postmodern PI", Washington Post, November 7, 1999
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Risible comes from Late Latin risibilis, from the past participle of Latin ridere, "to laugh, to laugh at." The noun form is risibility.
risible \RIZ-uh-buhl\, adjective: 1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh. 2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing. 3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."
Before long, I began to read aloud with my father, chanting the strange and wondrous rivers -- Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Chickahominy -- and wrapping my tongue around the risible names of rebel generals: Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early, John Sappington Marmaduke, William "Extra Billy" Smith, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.
-- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic
All twelve selected are thoughtful, small and funny in both senses of the word: odd and risible.
-- Stefan Kanfer, "Of Cats, Myths and Pizza", Time, December 11, 1989
But Lionel . . . is not a risible character, even though he is often called "freakshow" and "crazyman."
-- Adam Mazmanian, "Postmodern PI", Washington Post, November 7, 1999
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risible comes from Late Latin risibilis, from the past participle of Latin ridere, "to laugh, to laugh at." The noun form is risibility.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Thursday December 7, 2006
sartorial \sar-TOR-ee-uhl\, adjective: 1. Of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring. 2. Of or relating to clothing, or style or manner of dress. 3. [Anatomy] Of or relating to the sartorius muscle.
His sartorial style runs toward jeans, Hawaiian shirts and cowboy boots, and he favors the grizzled, haven't-shaven-in-days look.
-- Gary Rivlin, "AOL's Rough Riders", Industry Standard, October 23, 2000
She probably sensed that he had married her for her beautiful dark eyes and sartorial splendor -- and she may now have regretted the plumed hats and luxurious fur collars she had worn seductively in her youth.
-- Thomas A. Underwood, Allen Tate: Orphan of the South
The Puritan leadership was especially distressed by the sartorial ostentation of the lower classes, who were supposed to content themselves with "raiment suitable to the order in which God's providence has placed them."
-- Patricia O'Toole, Money & Morals in America
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Sartorial derives from Latin sartor, "a patcher, tailor," from sartus, past participle of sarcire, "to patch, to mend."
sartorial \sar-TOR-ee-uhl\, adjective: 1. Of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring. 2. Of or relating to clothing, or style or manner of dress. 3. [Anatomy] Of or relating to the sartorius muscle.
His sartorial style runs toward jeans, Hawaiian shirts and cowboy boots, and he favors the grizzled, haven't-shaven-in-days look.
-- Gary Rivlin, "AOL's Rough Riders", Industry Standard, October 23, 2000
She probably sensed that he had married her for her beautiful dark eyes and sartorial splendor -- and she may now have regretted the plumed hats and luxurious fur collars she had worn seductively in her youth.
-- Thomas A. Underwood, Allen Tate: Orphan of the South
The Puritan leadership was especially distressed by the sartorial ostentation of the lower classes, who were supposed to content themselves with "raiment suitable to the order in which God's providence has placed them."
-- Patricia O'Toole, Money & Morals in America
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sartorial derives from Latin sartor, "a patcher, tailor," from sartus, past participle of sarcire, "to patch, to mend."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Friday December 8, 2006
interstice \in-TUR-stuhs\, noun; plural interstices \in-TUR-stuh-seez; -suhz\: 1. A space between things or parts, especially a space between things closely set; a narrow chink; a crack; a crevice; an interval. 2. An interval of time.
Out in the harbor, boats are gridlocked: who knows how they got there, or how they will get away? The filthy water is barely visible in the interstices of smokestack, hull, and sail.
-- Larry Duberstein, The Handsome Sailor
The raw material from which the Cote d'Azur was conjured was a narrow strip of seaside, no more than 125 miles long, a brief but brilliantly illuminated interstice between the Mediterranean and three mountain ranges.
-- Angeline Goreau, "A Sunny Place for Shady People", New York Times, April 24, 1994
Everything around is stable, nicely enclosed, nice and smooth, perfectly sealed, not the slightest interstice through which anything could filter in here, could seep in.
-- Nathalie Sarraute, Here (translated by Barbara Wright)
He signed up for the summer session but in the interstice between terms he drove north to see his daughter, Ellen.
-- William F. Buckley Jr., "Witness and Friend", National Review, August 6, 2001
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Interstice is from Late Latin interstitium, "a pause, an interval," from Latin intersistere, "to stand still in the middle of something," from inter, "between" + sistere, "to cause to stand."
interstice \in-TUR-stuhs\, noun; plural interstices \in-TUR-stuh-seez; -suhz\: 1. A space between things or parts, especially a space between things closely set; a narrow chink; a crack; a crevice; an interval. 2. An interval of time.
Out in the harbor, boats are gridlocked: who knows how they got there, or how they will get away? The filthy water is barely visible in the interstices of smokestack, hull, and sail.
-- Larry Duberstein, The Handsome Sailor
The raw material from which the Cote d'Azur was conjured was a narrow strip of seaside, no more than 125 miles long, a brief but brilliantly illuminated interstice between the Mediterranean and three mountain ranges.
-- Angeline Goreau, "A Sunny Place for Shady People", New York Times, April 24, 1994
Everything around is stable, nicely enclosed, nice and smooth, perfectly sealed, not the slightest interstice through which anything could filter in here, could seep in.
-- Nathalie Sarraute, Here (translated by Barbara Wright)
He signed up for the summer session but in the interstice between terms he drove north to see his daughter, Ellen.
-- William F. Buckley Jr., "Witness and Friend", National Review, August 6, 2001
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interstice is from Late Latin interstitium, "a pause, an interval," from Latin intersistere, "to stand still in the middle of something," from inter, "between" + sistere, "to cause to stand."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams