GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

dyspepsia

Pronunciation: /dɪsˈpɛpsɪə/
noun
[mass noun]
Indigestion.

Origin
Early 18th century: via Latin from Greek duspepsia, from duspeptos 'difficult to digest'.



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Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. Does recurrent dyspepsia have to join the party? Phooey!

[voralfred]

... I heard about assembly instructions concerning furniture ...

You must have experienced Ikea manuals, right?

As to "in order for knob A to remain well fixed in hole B... well, I'll let you guess how that was translated into Japanese", I have no idea.
Maybe you could explain in a PM with plain language in unambiguous terms? I promise you that you can't possibly ruffle my feathers.

I did experience Ikea manuals, yes.

The point is, that after inserting knob A, you were supposed to fix it. Not with a nail, but with a some other metallic object that is not hammered in but driven in. However, the original english instruction manual did not use the noun of this object, but rather the verb used when you drive it in (which has the same spelling as the noun). Now the way that verb was translated into Japanese...

Should I go on ?

[Algot Runeman]

coulis

Pronunciation: /ˈkuːli/
noun (plural same)
A thin fruit or vegetable puree, used as a sauce: spoon a little more cranberry coulis over the oranges

Origin
French, from couler 'to flow'.


avlxyz

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Bob has a certain flair.
His talents he develops.
Wife Betty doesn't care.
'Cuz some he does are great flops.

Of cooking he is king.
The deserts are the coolest.
His coulis makes you sing.
Pancakes by the pool, yes!

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

coulis

Oh, you remind me: Crème Brulée au Coulis de Framboises.

With this you could ambush a First Lady. Not to mention her daughters and husband.

[Algot Runeman]

septimal

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛptɪm(ə)l/
adjective
Relating to the number seven.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin septimus 'seventh' (from septem 'seven') + -al.



⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭ ⚭

Bob gave a meek defence of "week."
It was septimal but not seminal.
Seven times he squeezed the lemon small.
But the lemonade he made was weak.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

septimal

In my early high school years, I used to be a fan of Edgar P. Jacobs.
He was to S.F. graphic novels what Edgar R. Burroughs and E. E. "Doc" Smith were to S.F. written books.

I well remember several adventures of Blake and Mortimer.
Even though I haven't read the tale, the title The Septimus Wave somehow got stuck in my memory.

Spoiler: show

[voralfred]

Olrik's situation doesn't seem septimal, er... hem... I meant optimal !

[Algot Runeman]

rhinestone

Pronunciation: /ˈrʌɪnstəʊn/
noun
An imitation diamond, used in cheap jewellery and to decorate clothes: a canary-yellow suit studded with rhinestones [as modifier]: rhinestone earrings

Origin
Late 19th century: translating French caillou du Rhin, literally 'pebble of the Rhine'.



"Diamonds are Forever" was a film starring Sean Connery as the never mysterious James Bond. Jill St. John was an effective co-star.

"Rhinestones are for Cowboys" was not a film. Therefore, it starred nobody. It might have succeeded if Dolly Parton had paired up with Glenn Cambbell, if he could act. Liberace could have been one of the other members of the cast. They could have made it a movie about Roy Rogers and the other singing cowboys of the 40s and 50s whose movies I watched regularly on Saturday mornings.

Happy Trails to You!

[Algot Runeman]

douceur

Pronunciation: /duːˈsəː/
/dusœʀ/
noun
A financial inducement; a bribe: Pericles gave a handsome douceur to the Spartan commanders to withdraw without fighting

Origin
French, literally 'sweetness'.



.,-+$.,-+$.,-+$.,-+$.,-+$.,-+$.,-+$.,-+$

Donnie dropped the sack on the minister's work table. It covered several of his important documents. The minister's frown didn't trouble Donnie. He knew the douceur would be accepted. The minister needed it to pay for his many indiscretions, and Donnie knew about most of them, too.

[Algot Runeman]

tohubohu

Pronunciation: /ˌtəʊhuːˈbəʊhuː/
noun
North American informal
A state of chaos; utter confusion: a fearful tohubohu

Origin
From Hebrew tōhū wa-ḇōhū 'emptiness and desolation', translated in Gen. 1:2 (Bible of 1611) as 'without form and void'.


U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Division

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Mr. Barnett's classroom demonstrated a fearful tohubohu when the cage of bats broke open. Even the fellow from the zoo was flustered as everyone else dodged and spun or tried to get under those silly little desks.

[Algot Runeman]

emporium

Pronunciation: /ɛmˈpɔːrɪəm/
/ɪmˈpɔːrɪəm/
noun (plural emporia ɛmˈpɔːrɪəɪmˈpɔːrɪə or emporiums)
1 A large retail store selling a wide variety of goods.

Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin, from Greek emporion, from emporos 'merchant', based on a stem meaning 'to journey'.



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A new emporium emerged with the Imperium.
The only goods it sold were those approved.
The people's choice was long removed.
Nothing from a varied source.
Control it all, a theory glum.

[Algot Runeman]

panpsychism

Pronunciation: /panˈsʌɪkɪz(ə)m/
noun
[mass noun]
The doctrine or belief that everything material, however small, has an element of individual consciousness.



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Gaia Jerome knew things were going well with her boyfriend, George. Everything around her reported back his love. Panpsychism has its benefits. The trees waving branches described the dynamic nature of his love to her. The stones stoically and slowly revealed his the solid state of George's intentions. And those little boxes of candy hearts revealed every nuance of his affection.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

panpsychism

All the nice presents you offered from your emporium are proof of your panpsychist devotion to Valentine's Day massa spirit.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

Lupercalia

Pronunciation: /ˌluːpəˈkeɪlɪə/
(also in singular Lupercal ˈluːpəkal)
plural noun
[usually treated as singular]
An ancient Roman festival of purification and fertility, held annually on 15 February.

Origin
Latin, neuter plural of lupercalis 'relating to Lupercus', Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan.



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Tony carefully tested the various Pan flutes before making a purchase. It was important to play well at this year's Lupercalia. The mayor was going to attend and he was a music lover. All sorts of gigs might result.

[Algot Runeman]

pettifogger

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛtɪfɒɡə/
Definition of pettifogger in English:
noun
archaic
1 An inferior legal practitioner, especially one who deals with petty cases or employs dubious practices.
2 Someone who quibbles over trivia, and raises petty, annoying objections.

Origin
Mid 16th century: from petty + obsolete fogger 'underhand dealer', probably from Fugger, the name of a family of merchants in Augsburg in the 15th and 16th cents.



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Bob is a pedant, panderer, and pettifogger. He would object to the Oxford comma in the first sentence. He would also eagerly chase an ambulance to get a personal injury case. Insurance companies had no love for Bob.

[Algot Runeman]

recessionista

Pronunciation: /rɪˌsɛʃ(ə)nˈiːstə/
noun
informal
A woman who seeks to remain fashionable or stylish despite financial difficulties or a limited budget.

Origin
Early 21st century: from recession + -ista.



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The most important skill for a recessionista is a good eye for style which she then applies with sewing talent.

[Algot Runeman]

postil

Pronunciation: /ˈpɒstɪl/
noun
archaic
1 A marginal note or comment, especially on a biblical text.
1.1 A homily or book of homilies.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French postille, from medieval Latin postilla, perhaps from Latin post illa (verba) 'after those words', written as a direction to a scribe.



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Scholars disagree. Were the early 2000s enriched or marred by the postil nature of Tweets and other short form social media. It certainly cannot be said that it was scholars who wrote most of the preserved material.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

postil

I doubt a postil makes much more sense than a town crier or a postilion announcing that the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

Ventose

Pronunciation: /vɒ̃ˈtəʊz/
(also Ventôse vɑ̃toz)
noun
The sixth month of the French Republican calendar (1793–1805), originally running from 19 February to 20 March.

Origin
French Ventôse, from Latin ventosus 'windy', from ventus 'wind'.



I---II---III---IV---V---VI---VII---VIII---IX---X---XI---XII (Pffft)

Sixth month, Ventose, count on your ten toes.
If you need more you can rent those.
The sun will come up. The sun will then set.
A month? Three weeks, ten days, ten hours, you bet.

An idea quite grand that got out of hand.
Ten for your money, gets ten grams of sand.
Revolution in France, good time to dance.
But decimal dates had little chance.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

Ventose

So ventose does not mean flatulent, at least not usually.

The Provencal Alps have a col where hikers and bikers, when going to the top, tend to vent a bit of flatulence because of lower atmospheric pressure at altitude. There's a little memorial for the very first tourist ever to vent there.

The famous name of the mountain and its road to the summit reflect this phenomenon: the Mont Ventoux.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

demerit

Pronunciation: /diːˈmɛrɪt/
noun
1 A fault or disadvantage: the merits and demerits of these proposals
2 North American A mark awarded against someone for a fault or offence.

Origin
Late Middle English (also in the sense 'merit'): from Old French desmerite or Latin demeritum 'something deserved', neuter past participle of demereri, from de- 'thoroughly' (also understood in medieval Latin as denoting reversal) + mereri 'to merit'.



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Don's dozens of demerits doomed his dynamic driving designs. He was eventually drummed out of NASCAR.

[Algot Runeman]

bratwurst

Pronunciation: /ˈbratvəːst/
noun
[mass noun]
A type of fine German pork sausage that is generally fried or grilled.

Origin
German, from Brat 'a spit' + Wurst 'sausage'.



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Some say children are the best.
Some think they are the worst.
Give bratwurst to your first,
And hot dogs to the rest.

[Algot Runeman]

passata

Pronunciation: /pəˈsɑːtə/
noun
[mass noun]
A thick paste made from sieved tomatoes and used especially in Italian cooking.



Origin
Italian.

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The passata worked equally well on pasta and rice. Mixing the spices did help add variety to the dishes Bob made.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

passata
...
The passata worked equally well on pasta and rice. Mixing the spices did help add variety to the dishes Bob made.

Let's hope Bob never confuses ingredients, like putting strawberry coulis on pasta and passata on ice cream.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

A gentle reminder to self: Always read the definition very carefully before starting to do the illustration (when you do it yourself). It might not be so easy to fix every time.

This is the first illustration:

Spoiler: show