GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

piquant

My grandma deviously exploited the fact that a girl's covert piquantness is inversely proportional to her overt shyness. At least she thought she did.

Grandpa gamely pretended to be impressed by grandma's fake shyness because he knew he would soon uncover her truly piquant core.

[Algot Runeman]

subsume

Pronunciation: /səbˈso͞om
verb
[with object]
Include or absorb (something) in something else: most of these phenomena can be subsumed under two broad categories


Origin
mid 16th century (in the sense 'subjoin, add'): from medieval Latin subsumere, from sub- 'from below' + sumere 'take'. The current sense dates from the early 19th century.

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May we assume that you will resume your effort to subsume the ordinary acts of criminals within the scope of terrorism? After all, you run the ever-growing agency which fights possible terrorist threats.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

subsume

Grandpa was an avid fan of Lowell's Canals of Mars and Burroughs' Barsoom.

He was greatly saddened when Mariner 4 finally and definitively subsumed the imaginary canals into Mars' current topography.

[Algot Runeman]

batman

Pronunciation: /ˈbatmən
noun (plural batmen)
• dated
(In the British armed forces) an officer’s personal servant.

Origin
mid 18th century (originally denoting an orderly in charge of the bat horse 'packhorse' that carried the officer's baggage): from Old French bat (from medieval Latin bastum 'packsaddle') + man.


National Museum of American History

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Raised a gentleman, an officer expected to have a man "in service" even when he was "in the service" of his nation. A batman fit the bill quite nicely.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

batman

Why is there no definition of 'batman' that refers to baseball?

[Algot Runeman]

I can only assume that Batman's batman opened Colonel Bruce Wayne's campaign chest only when they were alone.

[Algot Runeman]

arch [definition 2]

Pronunciation: /ärCH/
adjective
Deliberately or affectedly playful and teasing: arch observations about even the most mundane matters

Origin
mid 16th century (in the sense 'chief, principal'): from arch-, because of its association with words such as rogue.


Yersinia pestis

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To make arch comments, there is no need to stand beneath an actual arch, not that anyone involved with WotD would make such an observation!

[Algot Runeman]

forbear [definition 1]

Pronunciation: /fərˈber, fôr-
verb (past forbore; past participle forborne)
[no object] • literary or • formal
1 Politely or patiently restrain an impulse to do something; refrain: the boy forbore from touching anything [with infinitive]: he modestly forbears to include his own work
1.1 [with object] Refrain from doing or using (something): Rebecca could not forbear a smile

Origin
Old English forberan (see for-, bear1). The original senses were 'endure, bear with', hence 'endure the absence of something, do without', also 'bear up against, control oneself', hence 'refrain from' (Middle English).


Szecska

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A mother bear will need to forebear the grumbles and growls of her four bear cubs.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

forbear

I'm afraid I'm totally unable to forbear recounting stories about my forebears two generations removed. Especially the anecdotes and vivid tales about one particular female.

Okay, I admit it. Though my paternal grandma didn't bear four but only bore one, she seems larger than life, the way I elaborate about her furry dress and recurrent lack of same.

Well ... Get used to it, your *mute* forbearance will be appreciated!

[Algot Runeman]

E.P.S.


by request.

[Algot Runeman]

bêtise

Pronunciation: /beˈtēz
noun
A foolish or ill-timed remark or action.

Origin
early 19th century: French, literally 'stupidity'.



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It may be wise to continue yesterday's mute state to avoid a bêtise (or a dozen).

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

bêtise
...
A foolish or ill-timed remark or action.
...
It may be wise to continue yesterday's mute state to avoid a bêtise (or a dozen).

Right you are!

Remember that married women are simply unable to commit any bêtises.

Only their husbands are, starting right after they said: "I do"...

[Algot Runeman]

filch

Pronunciation: /filCH
verb
[with object] • informal
Pilfer or steal (something, especially a thing of small value) in a casual way: I was promptly accused of filching Mr. Muir’s idea

Origin
Middle English: of unknown origin.



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Fred Felch followed Fagin. Fagin felt nothing when Fred filched Fagin's purse. Later Fagin praised young Fred...after the purse was returned and the contents verified.

[Algot Runeman]

morceau

Pronunciation: /môrˈsō
noun (plural morceaux /-ˈsō(z)/)
A short literary or musical composition.

Origin
mid 18th century: French, literally 'morsel, piece'.


Tobin Richard

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Today, as a special treat, I intend to give you a morceau of

[Algot Runeman]

penchant

Pronunciation: /ˈpenCHənt
noun
[usually in singular]
A strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something: he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs

Origin
late 17th century: from French, 'leaning, inclining', present participle of the verb pencher.



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The Pawatonna Pirates had a penchant for collecting pennants. While coach Jones has been in charge, the baseball team has won 14 out of 16 league championships.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

penchant

Seeing the time Algot posted this latest WotD - 05:38 AM his local time - he must be indulging in one of his penchants compelling him to get up at an ungodly early hour.

I guess today he's gone sailing or fishing or hunting or barelling down the Niagara or something.

The picture below is of the Coo Falls, where Algot has practised barelling.

[Algot Runeman]

mosh

Pronunciation: /mäSH
verb
[no object]
Dance to rock music in a violent manner involving jumping up and down and deliberately colliding with other dancers.

Origin
1980s: perhaps from mash or mush1.



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Speaking as a guy who barely succeeded grasping the twist, to mosh seems nothing more than a way for testosterone to burn through young men.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

mosh
Origin
1980s: perhaps from mash or mush1.

Could it be from Moshe Dayan?

[Algot Runeman]

jibe2

Pronunciation: /jīb/
verb
[no object] North American • informal
Be in accord; agree: the verdict does not jibe with the medical evidence

Origin
early 19th century: of unknown origin.

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Jeb jabbed Jon to show him that the set of the jib did not jibe with the mainsail. They jumped to work to prevent a massive mast disaster, worse even than an unplanned jibe. Of course, they both preferred a precise "Ready about; hard to lee!."

[Late WotD launch today...sorry.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

jibe

Surely one can wonder if Chubby Checker's Twist can jibe with the Jive.

No jape (or twerk) intended.

[Algot Runeman]

ingratiate

Pronunciation: /inˈgrāSHēˌāt
verb
(ingratiate oneself)
Bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them: a social climber who had tried to ingratiate herself with the city gentry

Origin
early 17th century: from Latin in gratiam 'into favor', on the pattern of obsolete Italian ingratiare, earlier form of ingraziare.


TempusVolat

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Sally sat silently in the Salon. She was striving to ingratiate herself with Boston society by following the advice of Abraham Lincoln, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ingratiate

A few early suitors tried to ingratiate themselves with my grandma. Some tried it by any means, overt, devious or even to grating on her civil poise.

But once grandma's stubborn streak was fixated on grandpa, nothing could change her mind.

Lucky me! Yay ...

[Algot Runeman]

adjure

Pronunciation: /əˈjo͝or
verb
[with object] • formal
Urge or request (someone) solemnly or earnestly to do something: I adjure you to tell me the truth

Origin
late Middle English (in the sense 'put a person on oath'): from Latin adjurare, from ad- 'to' + jurare 'swear' (from jus, jur- 'oath').



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Carla adjured Arthur to accept reality. Camelot was merely a dream, and Arthur, himself, just a 21st century nerd.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

adjure

When as a young man I started my professional studies and subsequent career, I abjured any daily siesta.

But nowadays, a lot older and retired, I find myself siesta's easy, actually willing, victim.

Nobody did adjure me to it.

But I'm indulging in its beneficial bliss again, if not de jure then certainly de facto.

A snore in time saves ... well, you know what I mean. I'm sure Algot agrees.

P.S. That's why I very rarely post between 14:00 and 16:00 hours.

[Algot Runeman]

quaint

Pronunciation: /kwānt
adjective
Attractively unusual or old-fashioned: quaint country cottages a quaint old custom

Origin
Middle English: from Old French cointe, from Latin cognitus 'ascertained', past participle of cognoscere. The original sense was 'wise, clever', also 'ingenious, cunningly devised', hence 'out of the ordinary' and the current sense (late 18th century).

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"How quaint," gushed Beatrice as she gazed from the lake shore toward the cottage. She was pointedly ignoring all the very modern, bikini clad young women behind her at the water's edge.