GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

autotomy

Pronunciation: /ôˈtätəmē/

noun
Zoology
the casting off of a part of the body (e.g., the tail of a lizard) by an animal under threat.


Photo Credit: Gary Nafis

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Heck, forget about autotomy with parts of his body. With this threat, Joe decided to just chuck off all the other members of his family and run away on his own. Not tough love, just "tough luck."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

autotomy

I think that autotomy is much overrated.

Whenever I fart a stinker, my nose wants to separate and run away. But unfortunately it's too well attached to the rest of my body, which lacks the olfactory sense.
Not to mention that I get clobbered by the innocent bystanders ...

[voralfred]

And I thought that an auto-tummy was when you got sick in your stomach when riding in a car (especially on a very winding road...)
Just watched Hitchcock's "Family Plot" on TV. One particular scene is enough to give an auto-tummy to the bravest....

[Algot Runeman]

atavistic

Pronunciation: /ˌatəˈvistik/

adjective
relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral:atavistic fears and instincts

Origin:
late 19th century: based on Latin atavus 'forefather', via French atavisme, + -ic


Photo Credit: Dan Century

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Ted spoke softly, but with a self assured glow in his eye. "New, new, NEW!" didn't matter much to him. He was ardently atavistic about the good old days. His cars were well kept and not one of of them was built after 1960. He wore bow ties to church, wingtip shoes more well polished than a military officer's.

His concession to the computer age is to continue to use his TRS-80 computer with a 300 baud modem.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

atavistic

Some might opine that my avatar is too atavistic.

Well, I don't mind. I've always thought of it as my atavar anyway.

It fits my elder figure, unequivocal gender and peaceful style much better than the one below, even though I'm addicted to the games.

Spoiler: show

BTW. My avatar here and in other forums is actually Winston Smith, Lady Lara Croft's butler in the Croft Manor.

[Algot Runeman]

naches

Pronunciation: /ˈnäKHəs/
(also nachas)

noun
US
pride or gratification, especially at the achievements of one’s children.
congratulations: naches to Miriam Goldstein on her acceptance into rabbinic school

Origin:
early 20th century: from Yiddish nakhes, from Hebrew naḥaṯ 'contentment'


[These lions are proud of their pride, I not lyin'.]
Photo Credit: dutchbaby
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How else could Myra feel? Mike wore his first prom tux like a smaller version of James Bond. Proud mother, handsome son, and naches all around from the family when she sent out the digital photos (Especially from Uncle Leo who worked at NACHA, the National Automated Clearinghouse Association). Of course, she hoped that there wouldn't be nachos to snack on at the dance. The tux was a rental, but would cost extra to extract shmears of melty cheese.

[Algot Runeman]

rubricate

Pronunciation: /ˈro͞obriˌkāt/

verb
chiefly historical
add elaborate, typically red, capital letters or other decorations to (a manuscript).
Origin:
late 16th century: from Latin rubricat- 'marked in red', from the verb rubricare, from rubrica (see rubric)


Image Credit: Rromir Imami

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Mrs. Barnes rubricated at the top of the paper. It wasn't really an enhancement to the manuscript as far as Joey was concerned.

The huge letter D didn't fit with his own sense of the story he'd turned it. Mrs. Barnes said he hadn't followed the rubric she had distributed as part of the assignment. Once he'd started writing the story, though, it seemed to just flow from his pen. The story almost told itself. He just couldn't face going back to add in the minutae she wanted.

Next time, he would consider starting the story with a big red A like the ones he had seen in the elaborate manuscripts done by those poor monks back before Gutenberg implemented movable type. He could buy a big red marker just as easily as Mrs. Barnes.

[Algot Runeman]

quinquennium

Pronunciation: /kwiNGˈkwenēəm/

noun (plural quinquennia /-ˈkwenēə/ or quinquenniums)
a specified period of five years.

Origin:
early 17th century: from Latin, from quinque 'five' + annus 'year'



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During my teaching career, there were several quinquennial plans, though many of them were overridden after three years or so by a new plan with the change of an administrator.

[Algot Runeman]

lenitive

\LEN-uh-tiv\

adjective
alleviating pain or harshness : soothing

"Lenitive" first appeared in English in the 15th century. It derived from the Latin verb "lenire" ("to soften or soothe"), which was itself formed from the adjective "lenis," meaning "soft" or "mild."

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Mom softly sang a song, gently kissed my cheek, and lovingly placed a cool cloth on my burning forehead. It was never clear which was the lenitive element, but I always felt better soon.

[Algot Runeman]

Turduckistan

noun (informal)
a sovereign or international zone contained inside another country. Ex: Ecuadorian embassy, international transit zone, U.N.

Formed in the same way as the turducken dinner is made with chicken inside duck, which is inside a turkey.

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I think that Vatican City qualifies as a Turduckistan inside Italy.

[ Word and definition taken from a Tweet by James Vasile on July 1, 2013. ]

[Algot Runeman]

autotelic

Pronunciation: /ˌôtəˈtelik/

adjective
formal
(of an activity or a creative work) having an end or purpose in itself.

Origin:
early 20th century: from auto-1 'self' + Greek telos 'end' + -ic


Photo Credit: In excerpt from book

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Gregor closely observed the peas in the garden. Generations passed as he gazed.
For years, his autotelic notes were unheralded, though he was a prominent meteorologist in his day.
Fortunately, his work was preserved and eventually recognized for the scientific breakthrough it was.

[Algot Runeman]

licentious

Pronunciation: /līˈsenSHəs/

adjective
1promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters.
2 archaic disregarding accepted rules or conventions, especially in grammar or literary style.

Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin licentiosus, from licentia 'freedom'

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Yoda known is, licentious to be...No, not the promiscuous of sex kind, but that other one.

[voralfred]

licentious

Pronunciation: /līˈsenSHəs/

adjective
(...)
2 archaic disregarding accepted rules or conventions, especially in grammar or literary style.

Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin licentiosus, from licentia 'freedom'

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Yoda known is, licentious to be...No, not the promiscuous of sex kind, but that other one.

Something is not quite clear to me.
Is the second meaning:

disregarding accepted rules or conventions, especially in grammar or literary style.

an archaic acception of licentious
or is licentious only a disregard of present rules but only through the use of archaic and obsolete rules that did, however, exist once ?

[Algot Runeman]

an archaic acception of licentious
or is licentious only a disregard of present rules but only through the use of archaic and obsolete rules that did, however, exist once ?

The rules of my gramma were not much different from those of my mama. We struggle to speak for today. Who will speak for tomorrow?

voralfred, you ask such tricky questions. Sorry, no equally tricky answers are available today. The celebrations of the U.S. 4th of July began early with fireworks in the neighborhood overnight. That resulted in whining dogs under the bed. That results in a dull brain this morning. My licentious English usage is undoubtedly going to be simple carelessness.

[Algot Runeman]

cavil

/ˈkavəl/
Verb
Make petty or unnecessary objections.
Noun
An objection of this kind.

Synonyms
carp

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Morrie mourned the misuse of words. The rest of his family "could care less" and considered his objections mere cavil.

Personally, I couldn't care less about what Morrie and his family think. I don't even know them.

[Algot Runeman]

pavonine

Pronunciation: /ˈpavəˌnīn, -nin/

adjective
literary rare
of or like a peacock.

Origin:
mid 17th century: from Latin pavoninus, from pavo, pavon- 'peacock'


Terry George
☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬☬

Paul paraded proudly down the promenade. His Mardi Gras costume was garish and the literary critics along the road thought him pavonine. Everybody else was impressed. That was saying something for the crowd in Rio.

[Algot Runeman]

koinonia

Pronunciation: /ˌkoinəˈnēə/

noun
Theology
Christian fellowship or communion, with God or, more commonly, with fellow Christians.

Origin:
early 20th century: from Greek koinōnia 'fellowship'

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Karl, Klaus, Karen, Kristin and Bob shared the sauna and enjoyed koinonia while on vacation before returning each to their own vocation.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

koinonia

To me koinonia sounds more physical than spiritual. Exhausting too ...

[Algot Runeman]

voluble

Pronunciation: /ˈvälyəbəl/

adjective
speaking or spoken incessantly and fluently: she was as voluble as her husband was silent

Origin:
late 16th century: from French, or from Latin volubilis, from volvere 'to roll'. Earlier use in late Middle English included the senses 'rotating around an axis' and 'having a tendency to change', also meanings of the Latin word

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"Um. Ahh. Hmm. And, um. Well. Now. Eh?"
Stephanie managed to be both voluble and vacuous at the same time.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

voluble

I remember from long ago a DOS program that could report more or less information about some system status.
With the optional switch [/verbose] in the command line the report was much more voluble, though still only comprehensible to the cognoscenti.

[Algot Runeman]

spifflicate

Pronunciation: /ˈspifliˌkāt/

verb
[with object] informal humorous
treat roughly or severely; destroy: the mosquito was spifflicated

Origin:
mid 18th century: a fanciful formation

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Donna did not disturb husband Ed. She took it on herself to spifflicate the two thieves who had entered the house. As she was a Navy Seal, this behavior wasn't a surprise. The police, who took the badly shaken thieves into custody later in the evening, eyed her nervously, too.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

spifflicate...
Donna did not disturb husband Ed. She took it on herself to spifflicate the two thieves who had entered the house. As she was a Navy Seal, this behavior wasn't a surprise. The police, who took the badly shaken thieves into custody later in the evening, eyed her nervously, too.

I guess Donna was more spifflicative than voluble?

[Algot Runeman]

abrade

Pronunciation: /əˈbrād/
verb
[with object]
scrape or wear away by friction or erosion: a landscape slowly abraded by a fine, stinging dust

Origin:
late 17th century: from Latin abradere, from ab- 'away, from' + radere 'to scrape'


Alisa Cooper

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Arnold abraded his nails. He was picky about their precise length. Cutting them rarely did the trick alone. Aluminum oxide was his preferred product, whether or not it was black sand labeled "emery."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

abrade

Does anybody know whether old vampires have to retire from the business because of excessively abraded teeth?

Yes, yes, I should know, but the subjest never came up in dental school and, not having met vampires of any age, I never could ask.

[Algot Runeman]

arrière-pensée

Pronunciation: /äˌryer päNˈsā/

noun
a concealed thought or intention; an ulterior motive.

Origin:
early 19th century: French, literally 'behind thought'


Amodalie

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Harry spoke sincerely about the quality of work Stephanie contibuted every day. His arrière-pensée was to have her promoted, and, equally unmentioned, he thought her derrière magnifique.