GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

idyll

The first thing that came to my mind was Beethoven's 6th, "Die Pastorale".

And secondly the scene in the 1973 movie "Soylent Green" when the character played by Edward G. Robinson lives his final moments enjoying footage of an idyllic Earth, long gone, while listening to very gripping music.
(Sadly, Edward G. Robinson died January 1973, about 3 months before that film was released.)

(This girl centaur is from Disney's Fantasia, not from Soylent Green)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

crinkle

Very long ago, when I was quite young, my very first attempt to fold a paper plane ended with just so much crinkled paper.

It didn't fly, it crashed, then got pounced on and torn to shreds by the cat.

After more careful trials with space-time-folding engines and experimental propellants, and with the cat as touch-down recovery team, I finally got the hang of it.

Also, from then on, my dad told me to use only his discarded writing paper ...

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

The skin beside my eyes crinkled when I read of your just 'plane' hysterical experiences with paper aircraft and cats, EPS.

[Algot Runeman]

rhapsode

Pronunciation: /ˈrapsəʊd/
noun
A person who recites epic poems, especially one of a group in ancient Greece whose profession it was to recite the Homeric poems.

Origin
From Greek rhapsōidos, from rhapsōidia (see rhapsody).

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Joe's aspiration was to become a rhapsode. Unfortunately, there is little call for a professional to recite Homeric poems in the US. There is also limited fluency in ancient Greek.

Joe finally said, "Instead, I'll sing rap, sod it!"

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

rhapsode

I've heard said that Kanye raps odes to Kim.

P.S. If ever North writes a book, she should name it "South by North West" to avoid confusion with Alfred Hitchcock.

[Algot Runeman]

caboodle

Pronunciation: /kəˈbuːd(ə)l/
(also kaboodle)
noun
(in phrase the whole caboodle or the whole kit and caboodle) informal
The whole number or quantity of people or things in question: sort out your best snaps, complete the entry form, and pop the whole caboodle into an envelope addressed to us once you get them talking about one case, they might as well settle the whole kit and caboodle

Origin
Mid 19th century (originally US): perhaps from the phrase kit and boodle, in the same (see kit1, boodle).

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Joe worked on the problem.
He strained his whole noodle.
He thought how to rob them
Of their kit and caboodle.

So he called in the gang
And explained the neat plan.
But wouldn't know, Dang.
Getaway: no gas in the van.

[Algot Runeman]

avulsion

Pronunciation: /əˈvʌlʃ(ə)n/
noun
[mass noun]
1 chiefly Medicine The action of pulling or tearing away.
1.1 Law The sudden separation of land from one property and its attachment to another, especially by flooding or a change in the course of a river. Compare with alluvion.

Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin avulsio(n-), from the verb avellere, from ab- 'from' + vallere 'pluck'.



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It gives me huge revulsion to think of quick avulsion, especially of a toenail!

[And the second version of the illustration creeps me out even more!]

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

facilitate

Pronunciation: /fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/
verb
[with object]
Make (an action or process) easy or easier: schools were located in the same campus to facilitate the sharing of resources

Origin
Early 17th century: from French faciliter, from Italian facilitare, from facile 'easy', from Latin facilis (see facile).

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Facilitate verbal vigor; make life easy. Write lots of examples here. Enrich the lives of all.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

facilitate

There are some tricks to facilitate a planned or even an emergency tooth avulsion, besides traumatic accidents, that is.

But these tricks are a trade secret of dental practitioners, so I shall not elaborate here to avoid children presenting the tooth fairy with prematurely avulsed deciduous teeth.

Do note that, in some rare conditions, accidentally avulsed definitive teeth *can* be re-implanted (I've had two succesful cases during my career).

[Algot Runeman]

illiterati

Pronunciation: /ɪlɪtəˈrɑːti/

plural noun
People who are not well educated or well informed about a particular subject or sphere of activity: a discussion that made few concessions to the scientific illiterati a member of the computer illiterati

Origin
Late 18th century: from Latin illitterati, plural of illiteratus.

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Ooh! I like this word, illiterati. It has great potential for use in snarky tweets and emails, especially when I don't know what I'm talking about!

[Algot Runeman]

vengeful

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛn(d)ʒfʊl/
/ˈvɛn(d)ʒf(ə)l/
adjective
Seeking to harm someone in return for a perceived injury: a vengeful ex-con

Origin
Late 16th century: from obsolete venge 'avenge' (see vengeance), on the pattern of revengeful.



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The Anti Tree Mite Coalition was rebuffed by all the news organizations. No op-ed pieces were ever printed. The first annual protest march did not draw a crowd of onlookers nor a single reporter and camera. ATMC will not let it rest. They are a vengeful bunch. They plan a flyer campaign.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

vengeful

Because the Illiterati felt so terribly slighted by the Illuminati's unvoiced opinion, they planned a vengeful protest march on Washington, Georgia, to expose their wrongful plight.

The Cognoscenti withheld any knowledgeable comment, they wanted to "Let's see what happens!".

[Algot Runeman]

parergon

Pronunciation: /pəˈrəːɡɒn/
noun (plural parerga pəˈrəːɡə)
1 formal A piece of work that is supplementary to or a by-product of a larger work: the second sonata is a parergon to the opera
1.1 archaic Work that is subsidiary to one’s ordinary employment: he pursued astronomy as a parergon

Origin
Early 17th century: via Latin from Greek parergon, from para- 'beside, additional' + ergon 'work'.





Carl is a software engineer by day. Dabbling in meteorology is his parergon. In his spare time, he creates all sorts of neat sensors to add to his home weather station.

[voralfred]

After all this time, I wonder : are you a paragon of patience and altruism, to provide us each and every day with an opportunity to enrich our vocabulary, or has this actually become a parergon of yours ?

[Algot Runeman]

No paragon, I.

Attempting to carry on in the footsteps of those who have gone before. (While not repeating a word previously used.)

Words just passed along. Somebody else made them up.

No parergon. Nothing subsidiary. Retired. Don't work. Everything is for fun, for me if not for you.

[Why do I want to write "youse" when going for the plural? Too many gangster movies in my youth?]

[Algot Runeman]

vanquish

Pronunciation: /ˈvaŋkwɪʃ/
verb
[with object] literary
Defeat thoroughly: he successfully vanquished his rival

Origin
Middle English: from Old French vencus, venquis (past participle and past tense of veintre), vainquiss- (lengthened stem of vainquir), from Latin vincere 'conquer'.



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Vanquish, friends, all sorrow.
The sun will rise tomorrow.
If you don't see it, that's too bad.
So make today the best you've had.

[voralfred]

To vanquish all sorrow, nothing is better than the following program (in French, but does it need translation ?): vin, quiche Lorraine et dessert.

[Algot Runeman]

dialect

Pronunciation: /ˈdʌɪəlɛkt/
noun
1 A particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group: the Lancashire dialect seemed like a foreign language

Origin
Mid 16th century (denoting the art of investigating the truth of opinions): from French dialecte, or via Latin from Greek dialektos 'discourse, way of speaking', from dialegesthai 'converse with' (see dialogue).



☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎☎

Don's dialect made him stand out among his news-anchor peers. Without seeming to pander to his audience, he included all regions of the country in his use of words. Something about his overall charisma on screen made people overlook terms that didn't fit their own habits. Somehow, Don was able to convey to his entire, diverse audience that he was one of their own.

[Please do not repurpose the illustration to explain the usage of US English dialects. There was NO ATTEMPT to be accurate.]

[Of interest to long-time WotD participants? A topic search revealed that "dialect" had been used 40 other times in posts, but never before as the word of the day.]

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

dialect
...
A topic search revealed that "dialect" had been used 40 other times in posts, but never before as the word of the day.

So shall we henceforth celebrate the Seventh of May as the Day of the Word: "Dialect"?

[Algot Runeman]

boffin

Pronunciation: /ˈbɒfɪn/
noun
British informal
1 A person engaged in scientific or technical research: the boffins at the Telecommunications Research Establishment
1.1 A person with knowledge or a skill considered to be complex or arcane: a computer boffin

Origin
Second World War: of unknown origin.



⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖⚗⚛⚘⚖

They called Joe a boffin though not very often. He coded computers, knew edible plants and all about rocks. Their favorite address was,"Hey, Doc!"

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

boffin

Is boffin a dialect word?

Its meaning and origin are just as obscure as propellerhead, though boffin is shorter and quicker to pronounce.

One could claim that the little graphic below is an avatar for ShieldsUP!'s Steve Gibson.

(from link above)

[Algot Runeman]

acidulous

Pronunciation: /əˈsɪdʒʊləs/ /əˈsɪdjʊləs/
adjective
1 Sharp-tasting; sour.
1.1 (Of a person’s remarks or tone) bitter; cutting.

Origin
Mid 18th century: from Latin acidulus (from acidus 'sour') + -ous.



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I'm sorry. Forgive my acidulous disposition today. The YMCA pool was closed. No guard showed up. Let me look on the bright side. At least I got a good shower.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

acidulous
...
I'm sorry. Forgive my acidulous disposition today.
...

Oh we gladly forgive you. Some maybe more reluctantly than I, but I'm sure they are willing.

We know that beneath your prickly and acidulous bark there's a sweet and generous core just pining to be peeled and savoured.

[Algot Runeman]

Side note to acidulous:

Does anyone ever "vent their happiness" the way they "vent their anger"?

And do they do it through one of these?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Side note to acidulous:
Does anyone ever "vent their happiness" the way they "vent their anger"?

I assume that e-vent-ually they do ...

Flemish (and Dutch) has at least 2 graphic expressions meaning just that (though none using an air vent):
- uit de bol gaan (go out the sphere) als de voetbalploeg wint (when the soccer team wins)
- door het dak gaan (go through the roof) omdat ze ja zei (because she said yes)

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