GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)
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the grim squeaker
- Methuselah's Child
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Whos a numpty then?
Sorry, I thought I was being quoted, guess I didnt read all my posts after all.
Apologies also for getting OT.
Last edited by the grim squeaker on Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
'You can take our lives but you'll never take our freedom!' he screamed.
Carcer's men looked at one another, puzzled by what sounded like most badly thought-out war cry in the history of the universe.
Carcer's men looked at one another, puzzled by what sounded like most badly thought-out war cry in the history of the universe.
Word of the Day Thursday August 7, 2008
asperity \as-PAIR-uh-tee\, noun: 1. Roughness of surface; unevenness. 2. Roughness or harshness of sound; a quality that grates upon the ear. 3. Roughness of manner; severity; harshness.
The separation wave probes all the rocks in its path, moving forward until it hits another asperity or fault bend, whereupon it abruptly stops.
-- Sandra Blakeslee, "Quake Theory Attacks Prevailing Wisdom On How Faults Slip and Slide", New York Times, April 14, 1992
Many years later, when I was sketching in Rome, a grim-looking Englishwoman came up to me and said with some asperity, "I see you are painting MY view."
-- Lord Berners, A Distant Prospect
She spoke with great authority, with an asperity that didn't allow for sentimental accountings or ideological projections.
-- Daphne Merkin, "A Passion for Order", New York Times, November 17, 1996
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Asperity comes from Latin asperitas, from asper, "rough." It is related to exasperate, "to irritate in a high degree," from ex- (here used intensively) + asperatus, past participle of asperare, "to roughen," from asper.
asperity \as-PAIR-uh-tee\, noun: 1. Roughness of surface; unevenness. 2. Roughness or harshness of sound; a quality that grates upon the ear. 3. Roughness of manner; severity; harshness.
The separation wave probes all the rocks in its path, moving forward until it hits another asperity or fault bend, whereupon it abruptly stops.
-- Sandra Blakeslee, "Quake Theory Attacks Prevailing Wisdom On How Faults Slip and Slide", New York Times, April 14, 1992
Many years later, when I was sketching in Rome, a grim-looking Englishwoman came up to me and said with some asperity, "I see you are painting MY view."
-- Lord Berners, A Distant Prospect
She spoke with great authority, with an asperity that didn't allow for sentimental accountings or ideological projections.
-- Daphne Merkin, "A Passion for Order", New York Times, November 17, 1996
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Asperity comes from Latin asperitas, from asper, "rough." It is related to exasperate, "to irritate in a high degree," from ex- (here used intensively) + asperatus, past participle of asperare, "to roughen," from asper.
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 August 8, 2008
vexillology \vek-sil-AHL-uh-jee\, noun: The study of flags.
This unknown specialist has demonstrated his great knowledge of heraldry and vexillology.
-- Occasional Newsletter to Librarians, January 4, 1966
One of the most interesting phases of vexillology . . . is the important contribution to our heritage of flags by the Arab World.
-- Arab World, October 13, 1959
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Vexillology is from Latin vexillum, "flag" + (Greek) -logy (from logos, " word, discourse").
vexillology \vek-sil-AHL-uh-jee\, noun: The study of flags.
This unknown specialist has demonstrated his great knowledge of heraldry and vexillology.
-- Occasional Newsletter to Librarians, January 4, 1966
One of the most interesting phases of vexillology . . . is the important contribution to our heritage of flags by the Arab World.
-- Arab World, October 13, 1959
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Vexillology is from Latin vexillum, "flag" + (Greek) -logy (from logos, " word, discourse").
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
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CodeBlower
- Shakespearean Groupie
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Dunno, Wikipedia only had some British soap opera actor for that name.umsolopagas wrote:Who's this Stuart Stevens idiot? Non-entity, name forgotten already...
Amazon had this .. http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Frenzy-St ... 0345425545
(I can't tell, from a quick perusal, if they're the same person or not.)
The ratings for the book are "across the board". From some of the comments, it sounds like several readers had the same opinion of Mr. Stevens that you did ..
Just when I thought Word of the Day was repeating itself, we get a word I'm sure I've never seen before .. now .. how to slip this into innocent conversation ..Ghost wrote: vexillology
"Budge up, yeh great lump." -- Hagrid, HP:SS
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
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the grim squeaker
- Methuselah's Child
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Word of the Day Monday August 11, 2008
provenance \PROV-uh-nuhn(t)s\, noun: Origin; source.
In a world awash in information of dubious provenance, whom can you trust to tell you the truth?
-- Gerald Jonas, review of The Jazz, by Melissa Scott, New York Times, June 18, 2000
There may have been as many as one hundred antique statues of Roman provenance in the city at the time of the Fourth Crusade.
-- Patricia Fortini Brown, Venice & Antiquity
The provenance of his possessions traced back to dukes and duchesses, kings, queens, czars, emperors, and dictators.
-- John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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Provenance comes from French, from provenant, present participle of provenir, "to originate," ultimately from Latin provenire, from pro-, "forth" + venire, "to come."
provenance \PROV-uh-nuhn(t)s\, noun: Origin; source.
In a world awash in information of dubious provenance, whom can you trust to tell you the truth?
-- Gerald Jonas, review of The Jazz, by Melissa Scott, New York Times, June 18, 2000
There may have been as many as one hundred antique statues of Roman provenance in the city at the time of the Fourth Crusade.
-- Patricia Fortini Brown, Venice & Antiquity
The provenance of his possessions traced back to dukes and duchesses, kings, queens, czars, emperors, and dictators.
-- John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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Provenance comes from French, from provenant, present participle of provenir, "to originate," ultimately from Latin provenire, from pro-, "forth" + venire, "to come."
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 August 12, 2008
enervate \EN-ur-vayt\, transitive verb: 1. To deprive of vigor, force, or strength; to render feeble; to weaken. 2. To reduce the moral or mental vigor of.
Beatriz de Ahumada soldiered on to produce nine more children, a tour of duty that left her enervated and worn.
-- Cathleen Medwick, Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul
In countries like India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Ghana I have always felt enervated by the slightest physical or mental exertion, whereas in the UK, France, Germany or the US I have always felt reinforced and stimulated by the temperate climate, not only during long stays, but even during brief travels.
-- David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
The tendency of abstract thought . . . to enervate the will is one of the real dangers of the highest education.
-- Mark Pattison, Suggestions on Academical Organisation
The conquerors were enervated by luxury.
-- Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
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Enervate is from the past participle of Latin enervare, "to remove the sinews from, to weaken," from e-, ex-, "out of, from" + nervus, "sinew."
enervate \EN-ur-vayt\, transitive verb: 1. To deprive of vigor, force, or strength; to render feeble; to weaken. 2. To reduce the moral or mental vigor of.
Beatriz de Ahumada soldiered on to produce nine more children, a tour of duty that left her enervated and worn.
-- Cathleen Medwick, Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul
In countries like India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Ghana I have always felt enervated by the slightest physical or mental exertion, whereas in the UK, France, Germany or the US I have always felt reinforced and stimulated by the temperate climate, not only during long stays, but even during brief travels.
-- David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
The tendency of abstract thought . . . to enervate the will is one of the real dangers of the highest education.
-- Mark Pattison, Suggestions on Academical Organisation
The conquerors were enervated by luxury.
-- Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
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Enervate is from the past participle of Latin enervare, "to remove the sinews from, to weaken," from e-, ex-, "out of, from" + nervus, "sinew."
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
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umsolopagas
- Scholar Adept
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I had put all references to him on ignore, but curiosity got the better of me.CodeBlower wrote:Dunno, Wikipedia only had some British soap opera actor for that name.umsolopagas wrote:Who's this Stuart Stevens idiot? Non-entity, name forgotten already...
Amazon had this .. http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Frenzy-St ... 0345425545
(I can't tell, from a quick perusal, if they're the same person or not.)
The ratings for the book are "across the board". From some of the comments, it sounds like several readers had the same opinion of Mr. Stevens that you did ..
Just when I thought Word of the Day was repeating itself, we get a word I'm sure I've never seen before .. now .. how to slip this into innocent conversation ..Ghost wrote: vexillology
They are not the same person, he does not seem to have garnered enough fame that would warrant his being featured on wikipedia. One of the reviews mentions that he shipped his Mustang to Europe so I figure that he is probably from the US of A.
He may appear to be well-travelled but, given the shallowness that exudes from his writing style, I must surmise that his temperament is not the kind that would find joy in vexillology.
Blackadder: Is it cunning?
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the grim squeaker
- Methuselah's Child
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Tuesday August 26, 2008
peregrination \pehr-uh-gruh-NAY-shun\, noun:
A traveling from place to place; a wandering.
He left Parma in the family camper-van, abandoning it in a Milan car-park to avoid its being identified at border controls before setting off on a peregrination through Switzerland, France, London, Canada, New York and eventually back to London.
-- Paddy Agnew, "Incident leads to crime that has baffled police", Irish Times, December 12, 1998
In 1890, Lafcadio Hearn settled in Japan after a lifetime of restless, melancholy peregrination.
-- Francine Prose, "Modern Geisha", New York Times, April 23, 2000
He ventures out in his pajamas and makes a dreamlike peregrination through the town's deserted streets.
-- Richard Eder, "Puck-ish Ramblings in Midsummer Dreams", New York Times, May 18, 2000
Peregrination comes from Latin peregrinatio, from peregrinari, "to stay or travel in foreign countries," from peregre, "in a foreign country, abroad," from per, "through" + ager, "land."
peregrination \pehr-uh-gruh-NAY-shun\, noun:
A traveling from place to place; a wandering.
He left Parma in the family camper-van, abandoning it in a Milan car-park to avoid its being identified at border controls before setting off on a peregrination through Switzerland, France, London, Canada, New York and eventually back to London.
-- Paddy Agnew, "Incident leads to crime that has baffled police", Irish Times, December 12, 1998
In 1890, Lafcadio Hearn settled in Japan after a lifetime of restless, melancholy peregrination.
-- Francine Prose, "Modern Geisha", New York Times, April 23, 2000
He ventures out in his pajamas and makes a dreamlike peregrination through the town's deserted streets.
-- Richard Eder, "Puck-ish Ramblings in Midsummer Dreams", New York Times, May 18, 2000
Peregrination comes from Latin peregrinatio, from peregrinari, "to stay or travel in foreign countries," from peregre, "in a foreign country, abroad," from per, "through" + ager, "land."
'You can take our lives but you'll never take our freedom!' he screamed.
Carcer's men looked at one another, puzzled by what sounded like most badly thought-out war cry in the history of the universe.
Carcer's men looked at one another, puzzled by what sounded like most badly thought-out war cry in the history of the universe.
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CodeBlower
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In your case, may I recommend "La Mère Poulard"?
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
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CodeBlower
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Cool lookin' place, voralfred.
I'll have to add that to the list of places I want my sons to take me when they're rich and famous ..
Brad: see if you can coax Ghost back into his WotD leotards, will ya?
I'll have to add that to the list of places I want my sons to take me when they're rich and famous ..
Brad: see if you can coax Ghost back into his WotD leotards, will ya?
"Budge up, yeh great lump." -- Hagrid, HP:SS
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
Word of the Day Friday January 16, 2009
laissez-faire \les-ey FAIR\, adjective: 1. the principle that business, industry, trade, etc. should operate with a minimum of regulation and interference by government
adjective: 1. maintaining the principle of letting people do as they please
Some Ryder Cup captains take a laissez-faire approach. Jack Nicklaus told me jokingly last week, in an interview posted on WSJ.com, that his job as captain was to deliver a few speeches and make sure the players had "fresh towels, sunscreen and tees."
-- John Paul Newport, The Wall Street Journal, 2008-09-27
His laissez-faire ideas went from maverick to mainstream during his lifetime. He began graduate studies in economics during the Great Depression as the theories of British economist John Maynard Keynes were revolutionizing his profession.
-- Patricia Sullivan and Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post, 2006-11-17
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by 1825, from French, literally "let (people) do (as they think best)," from laissez "let" + faire "to do" (from Latin facere).
laissez-faire \les-ey FAIR\, adjective: 1. the principle that business, industry, trade, etc. should operate with a minimum of regulation and interference by government
adjective: 1. maintaining the principle of letting people do as they please
Some Ryder Cup captains take a laissez-faire approach. Jack Nicklaus told me jokingly last week, in an interview posted on WSJ.com, that his job as captain was to deliver a few speeches and make sure the players had "fresh towels, sunscreen and tees."
-- John Paul Newport, The Wall Street Journal, 2008-09-27
His laissez-faire ideas went from maverick to mainstream during his lifetime. He began graduate studies in economics during the Great Depression as the theories of British economist John Maynard Keynes were revolutionizing his profession.
-- Patricia Sullivan and Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post, 2006-11-17
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by 1825, from French, literally "let (people) do (as they think best)," from laissez "let" + faire "to do" (from Latin facere).
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
One of the little known facts about the 50's hit TV show "Lassie" was that he was really a SHE. Also, she had to be replaced with a look a like after she got preggo. I guess you could say it was the lassie affair.
{Belated editorial note: I'd posted the above entry using my cell phone, from my hospital bed ... the day after my spinal fusion surgery. I was a mess - couldn't stand, hooked up with IV tubes, a cardiac monitor, you name it.}
{Belated editorial note: I'd posted the above entry using my cell phone, from my hospital bed ... the day after my spinal fusion surgery. I was a mess - couldn't stand, hooked up with IV tubes, a cardiac monitor, you name it.}
Last edited by Darb on Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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CodeBlower
- Shakespearean Groupie
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Loggin' into IBDoF is like comin' home for Christmas when Brad's around.voralfred wrote:The roving punster is back!
"Budge up, yeh great lump." -- Hagrid, HP:SS
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
Word of the Day Tuesday January 20, 2009
pandiculation \pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn\, noun: an instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning
"Pandiculate for Health! Grow Tall! Get Well! Be Young!" Exuberant ads like this, running in health-fad magazines since 1914, have proclaimed the virtues of a spine-stretching device called the "Pandiculator."
-- Time, 1942-04-12
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by 1611 from French pandiculation from Latin pandiculari "to stretch oneself" and French suffix -ion.
pandiculation \pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn\, noun: an instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning
"Pandiculate for Health! Grow Tall! Get Well! Be Young!" Exuberant ads like this, running in health-fad magazines since 1914, have proclaimed the virtues of a spine-stretching device called the "Pandiculator."
-- Time, 1942-04-12
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by 1611 from French pandiculation from Latin pandiculari "to stretch oneself" and French suffix -ion.
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
My friends, after having returned home this very evening from 6 days in the hospital, for PLIF (Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) surgery, please rest assured that pandering pretentious pertubations of "Pandiculation" is the very LAST thing on my mind at the moment.
No lie.
/me pencils reminder to self to kick Murphy's Ghost in the Jimmy for the unintended anatomical coincidence.
No lie.
/me pencils reminder to self to kick Murphy's Ghost in the Jimmy for the unintended anatomical coincidence.
Word of the Day Wednesday January 21, 2009
qualitative \KWOL-i-tey-tiv\, adjective: concerned with quality or qualities
Firstly, it was woefully underfunded. Secondly, by making testing the end-all be-all of educational performance, we ignored the more qualitative dimensions of education, which help a child expand and become a whole person.
-- Rep. Dennis Kucinich, The Washington Post, 2007-10-18
Many agencies are abandoning the painstaking analysis of reams of statistical information - called quantitative research - in favor of one-on-one and group interviews, or qualitative research.
-- Randall Rothenburg, New York Times, 1969-04-06
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by 1607 from Latin qualitativus "concerned with quality" from classical Latin qualitas "quality" and -ive suffix.
qualitative \KWOL-i-tey-tiv\, adjective: concerned with quality or qualities
Firstly, it was woefully underfunded. Secondly, by making testing the end-all be-all of educational performance, we ignored the more qualitative dimensions of education, which help a child expand and become a whole person.
-- Rep. Dennis Kucinich, The Washington Post, 2007-10-18
Many agencies are abandoning the painstaking analysis of reams of statistical information - called quantitative research - in favor of one-on-one and group interviews, or qualitative research.
-- Randall Rothenburg, New York Times, 1969-04-06
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by 1607 from Latin qualitativus "concerned with quality" from classical Latin qualitas "quality" and -ive suffix.
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
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CodeBlower
- Shakespearean Groupie
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Is it just me, or is pandiculation like the most "made-up" word I've seen in a long time?
(Not that my opinion constitutes a qualitative analysis.)
.. and a Pandiculator sounds like something a zookeeper might need -- but I wouldn't expect to find one in my house.Ghost wrote:"Pandiculate for Health! Grow Tall! Get Well! Be Young!" Exuberant ads like this, running in health-fad magazines since 1914, have proclaimed the virtues of a spine-stretching device called the "Pandiculator."
-- Time, 1942-04-12
(Not that my opinion constitutes a qualitative analysis.)
"Budge up, yeh great lump." -- Hagrid, HP:SS
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
-=-
The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power. -- Lorn, Chapter LXXXII, Magi'i of Cyador
About qualitative
This was not, originally, a joke, it was put to me as a very serious exposition of "Dialectics", Hegelian Dialectics to start with, but with the ultimate intent of converting me to Marxism, by some Marxist guy I vaguely knew at that time (in the late 60's that was!!)
So according to Hegel (or, at least, Hegel as understood by Marx as understood by this guy):
When an acorn grows into an oak, this is all a "quantitative change", because it is gradual.
Then the oak produces many acorns in one season, and getting all these acorns at once, this is an abrupt, "qualitative change", like the future great Marxist Revolution.
I told him that he got "quantitative" and "qualitative" inverted, by my reckoning. He insisted Hegel and Marx had said the way he had told me, I did not understand the great logic of it all, etc. etc.
So I told him he could take his Marxism back, for me it was total nonsense, and moreover for me the definition of Marxism was, at that time, Vopos shooting on, and killing, people whose only crime was that they wanted to leave East Berlin for West Berlin.
And I haven't changed my mind ever since.
Maybe that should go to the Soapbox, but it is a reflexion on "qualitative" so....
This was not, originally, a joke, it was put to me as a very serious exposition of "Dialectics", Hegelian Dialectics to start with, but with the ultimate intent of converting me to Marxism, by some Marxist guy I vaguely knew at that time (in the late 60's that was!!)
So according to Hegel (or, at least, Hegel as understood by Marx as understood by this guy):
When an acorn grows into an oak, this is all a "quantitative change", because it is gradual.
Then the oak produces many acorns in one season, and getting all these acorns at once, this is an abrupt, "qualitative change", like the future great Marxist Revolution.
I told him that he got "quantitative" and "qualitative" inverted, by my reckoning. He insisted Hegel and Marx had said the way he had told me, I did not understand the great logic of it all, etc. etc.
So I told him he could take his Marxism back, for me it was total nonsense, and moreover for me the definition of Marxism was, at that time, Vopos shooting on, and killing, people whose only crime was that they wanted to leave East Berlin for West Berlin.
And I haven't changed my mind ever since.
Maybe that should go to the Soapbox, but it is a reflexion on "qualitative" so....
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]