GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

kakemono

Pronunciation: /ˌkakɪˈmɒnəʊ/
noun (plural kakemonos)
A Japanese unframed painting made on paper or silk and displayed as a wall hanging.

Origin
Late 19th century: Japanese, from kake- 'hang, suspend' + mono 'thing'.



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Bob proudly pointed to the fabric wall hanging, a traditional kakemono of an ant crawling on a bamboo leaf. When asked who had done the beautiful piece, Bob smiled even more and said, "Watashi did."

[voralfred]

kakemono

Pronunciation: /ˌkakɪˈmɒnəʊ/
noun (plural kakemonos)
A Japanese unframed painting made on paper or silk and displayed as a wall hanging.

Origin
Late 19th century: Japanese, from kake- 'hang, suspend' + mono 'thing'.

(....)

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Bob proudly pointed to the fabric wall hanging, a traditional kakemono of an ant crawling on a bamboo leaf. When asked who had done the beautiful piece, Bob smiled even more and said, "Watashi did."

Dear Algot
Is there a special joke hidden in "Watashi did" ? Or is Watashi just any typical japanese name ? Usually your feuilleton does involve a joke, but I am afraid my cervical lobules are too small to detect one in this case.

[Algot Runeman]

voralfred,

The English translation of that kanji is "I", as in, "I drew the kakemono." I hang out at openclipart.org and one of the others there, username "yamachem" did a whole series of explanations for a few hundred kanji on the blackboard design of another contributor, J.Alves.



I enjoy trying to do the illustrations when "I" can, taking inspiration from all over the place. All the openclipart.org work is released to the public domain by the creators, easy to adapt.

I do hope your cervical lobules are as small as possible, located as they are, somewhat south of the cerebral lobe of the brain.

--Watashi, Algot


For what it's worth, this conversation reminds me of an earlier illustration, a button for the self-centered.

[Algot Runeman]

ventouse

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛntuːs/
noun
Medicine
A cup-shaped suction device applied to the baby’s head in childbirth, to assist the birth: [as modifier]: ventouse extraction

Origin
1960s: from French, literally 'cupping-glass', based on Latin ventus 'wind'.



-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.

The obstetrician gently applied extra traction with the ventouse to assist the very tired mother to deliver her large baby.

[Algot Runeman]

ulu

Pronunciation: /ˈuːluː/
noun (plural ulus)
An Eskimo woman’s short-handled knife with a broad crescent-shaped blade.

Origin
Inuit.



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Aluki was proud of her beautiful new ulu. It had been a gift from Aippaq. He made it himself. Aluki knew they would make a good couple.

[voralfred]

Algot, thanks for the explanation about watashi.

Now in the series "faux-amis"

ventouse

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛntuːs/
noun
Medicine
A cup-shaped suction device applied to the baby’s head in childbirth, to assist the birth: [as modifier]: ventouse extraction

Origin
1960s: from French, literally 'cupping-glass', based on Latin ventus 'wind'.



-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.-=-=.

The obstetrician gently applied extra traction with the ventouse to assist the very tired mother to deliver her large baby.

Even in modern french, "ventouse" in medical context will evoke a simple succion cup before the "ventouse obtetricale" which is the only meaning in english.
However even before that, the first idea to come to mind is a device for unplugging drains. Then a succion device that sticks on plane surfaces, either a small plastic thing to stick on the wall of a bathroom, to hold a light towel, or a better tool, usually consisting in two "ventouses" on either end of a handle (but facing the same plane parallel to the handle), to stick on glass before cutting a piece with a diamond to remove it, to burglarise a house for instance.

If you try "ventouse" on "Images" in google.fr, you'll see the device for drains first. For some reason if I try the copy URL, the fact it is google.fr does not appear and I am afraid it will lead to the wrong place if I give it here (or maybe nowhere at all..)

Hmmm the problem seems fixed

In the URL I get to , the plumbing device is first, the implement to stick on a bathroom wall third, the burglar's tool first on second line, the medical succion cup later o second line and first on third line, and images demonstrating obstetrical use of a ventouse only on the second page. The is how I realised that the second image on the first page is indeed an obstetrical ventouse, but I would not have guessed it otherwise. I really wondered what use this bizarre "ventouse" was meant for !

[Algot Runeman]

clamour

Pronunciation: /ˈklamə/
(US clamor)
noun
[in singular]
1 A loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting: the questions rose to a clamour
1.1 A strongly expressed protest or demand from a large number of people: the growing public clamour for more policemen on the beat
verb
[no object]
1 (Of a group of people) shout loudly and insistently: the surging crowds clamoured for attention
1.1 Make a vehement protest or demand: scientists are clamouring for a ban on all chlorine substances

Origin
Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin clamor, from clamare 'cry out'.



-=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=--=(Olé)=-

The constant clamor for verbal variety causes cramps in my creative contemplations.

----
{The irreverent (irrelevant?) example sentence betrays my US-centric spelling. You may also note that the Romans knew how to spell.}
[It is un-bleep-believable that the ODO WotD has already been used at IBDoF. The no re-damn-peats rule will be respected. No tmesis today.}

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

clamour

If my grandma were alive today, she would, all alone by herself, raise a clamour against the ostracisation of antique fur coats.

Though I'm sure her furrier and grandpa too would join in.

Her furrier liked to put the furs on her and grandpa loved to take them off.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ventouse

Do not confuse ventouse with ventoux, or more precisely, the "Mont Ventoux", though they both suck.
It sucks biking up to the "Col du Mont Ventoux" (the mountain pass).
It sucks even more pedalling against the "Mistral".
And then after you reached the top, the Ventoux even sucks you down again.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

portobello

Pronunciation: /ˌpɔːtəˈbɛləʊ/
(also portobello mushroom)
noun (plural portobellos)
A large mature mushroom with an open flat cap.

Origin
1990s: perhaps alteration of Italian pratarolo 'meadow mushroom'.



=^^^= =^^^= =^^^= =^^^= =^^^= =^^^= =^^^=

Peter picked a pound of portobellos (from the market bin). He wasn't silly enough to try to gather them from the wild. Tonight's dinner would be delicious and safe to eat.

[Algot Runeman]

maternal

Pronunciation: /məˈtəːn(ə)l/
adjective
1 Relating to a mother, especially during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth: maternal care
1.1 (Of feelings) typical of a caring mother; motherly: a mother who radiated maternal concern
1.2 [attributive] Related through the mother’s side of the family: my maternal grandfather

Origin
Late 15th century: from French maternel, from Latin maternus, from mater 'mother'.



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Betty was feeling very maternal on this day. Her children had delivered breakfast in bed. She had flowers in the living room. There was a plan to go to lunch at a nice restaurant. Pizza was being delivered for supper. All three children and her husband, Bob would hand her big, fancy cards with their names scrawled below the endearing words of Hallmark. Of course, tomorrow, she'd have to go to work to help pay for the cards, the lunch bill and the flowers. Bob did wash all the dishes used making the morning pancakes, though.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

maternal

How misleading the word "materne" can be.
In Belgium it's the name of a brand of jam and fruit conserves.

[voralfred]

EPS does not seem very interested in all things maternal. He never mentioned his mother, as far as I know, in any of his posts.
In matters grand-maternal, on the other hand, he has furnished us with a lot of interesting anecdotes.

[Algot Runeman]

skald

Pronunciation: /skɔːld/
/skald/
(also scald)
noun
historical
(In ancient Scandinavia) a composer and reciter of poems honouring heroes and their deeds.

Origin
From Old Norse skáld, of unknown origin.



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Jens aspired to be a skald.
Though his mother did him scold,
"No tale-teller should be bald.
Besides, you've started too old."

[Algot Runeman]

echt

Pronunciation: /ɛxt/
adjective
Authentic and typical: Bart was an echt baseball fan
adverb
[as submodifier]
Authentically and typically: echt-Viennese artists

Origin
German.


Arch Orthodontics

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Allan avoided being an archetype by settling for being an echt football fan, instead. His facepaint was subdued and the team logo cut into his partial buzzcut could be covered by wearing a hat.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

echt

... the team logo cut into his partial buzzcut ...

Is that an actual team logo?
Not the echt Boston Red Stockings, I assume.

[Algot Runeman]

Yes, that echt fan is sporting the logo of the New England Patriots American football team. Go Pats!



It is commonly derided as "The Elvis Logo". The league asked teams to upgrade their logos to make them easy to reproduce on T-shirts, hats, etc.
Elvis replaced "Pat the Patriot" in the third quarter of the last century.

[Algot Runeman]

mustachios

Pronunciation: /məˈstɑːʃɪəʊz/
plural noun
A long or elaborate moustache.

Origin
Mid 16th century: from Spanish mostacho (singular), from Italian mostaccio (see moustache).



Marco exited the hacienda, mounted his horse, grinning from ear to ear, His mustachios actually tickled his lobes from time to time, emphasizing the smile.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

mustachios

Marco was careful never to squirt mustard on his hamburguesas or perros calientes.

One time he had and his mustachios were dripping mostaza. His wife henceforth refused to kiss him in that condition.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

navaid

Pronunciation: /ˈnaveɪd/
noun
A navigational device in an aircraft, ship, or other vehicle.

Origin
1950s: from navigational aid.



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In spite of all the modern navaids, GPS receivers, radar, lidar, sonar, and such, Joe was glad he could always manufacture a minimal compass in a pinch.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

navaid

Sometimes when your road trip North goes south, you can blame your navaid.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

ta-da

Pronunciation: /təˈdɑː/
(also ta-dah)
exclamation
An imitation of a fanfare (typically used to indicate an impressive entrance or a dramatic announcement).

Origin
1920s: imitative.



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Apparently, before the 1920's, nobody wrote "ta-da" because they always had a trumpet handy.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ta-da

In previous anecdotes, I've already told about my grandma's private strip act.

Randomly and unpredictably, she would dress in a fur coat, nothing underneath but a garter belt and stockings, pretend to be a catwalk model, and sensuously and sinuously glide up to grandpa. At a distance of about 2 meters, she would stop , open the coat and impishly flash him, sometimes exclaiming triumphantly: "Ta-Da!".

Then it was up to grandpa to remove the remaining few accoutrements.

Once again, an actual illustration would be NSFW.
Here's something approximate, but you'll have to say "Ta-Da!" yourself:

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

Quite a nice approximation. Ta-da, indeed.

[Algot Runeman]

inexplicable

Pronunciation: /ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l/
/ˌɪnɛkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l/ /ɪnˈɛksplɪkəb(ə)l/
adjective
Unable to be explained or accounted for: for some inexplicable reason her mind went completely blank

Origin
Late Middle English: from French, or from Latin inexplicabilis 'that cannot be unfolded', from in- 'not' + explicabilis (see explicable).



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A dictionary is the only book capable of explaining [the] inexplicable.