GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

Rhadamanthine

Pronunciation: /ˌradəˈmanθʌɪn/
adjective
literary
Showing stern and inflexible judgement.

Origin
Mid 17th century: from Rhadamanthus + -ine1. after Rhadamanthus, a king in Greek myths

King Leo was known for his Rhadamanthine leadership style. Given the facts, his decisions were swift and final. Beware if the facts were inaccurate. He rarely reversed a decision. But the false witnesses paid a harsher penalty than those they had accused.

[Algot Runeman]

woodsia

Pronunciation: /ˈwʊdzɪə/
noun
A small tufted fern that grows among rocks in mountains in temperate and cool regions.
Genus Woodsia, family Woodsiaceae.

Origin
Modern Latin, named after Joseph Woods (1776–1864), English architect and botanist.

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Willard walked through the woods. He passed the bracken, the May apples, vinca and woodsia along with all the other ground cover without noticing. He was no botanist. Heck, he wasn't even much of an outdoor person at all. He was on his way to the Gas and Sip for some snacks. The path through the trees was the best shortcut.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

woodsia
...
Willard walked through the woods. He passed the bracken, the May apples, vinca and woodsia along with all the other ground cover without noticing. He was no botanist. Heck, he wasn't even much of an outdoor person at all. He was on his way to the Gas and Sip for some snacks. The path through the trees was the best shortcut.

Maybe if they snipped some woodsia in his salad, he would notice?

Spoiler: show

[Ghost]

Maybe if they snipped some woodsia in his salad, he would notice?

Spoiler: show

The waitress then asked, "Woodsia like something to drink with you salad?"

[Algot Runeman]

weathervane

Pronunciation: /ˈwɛðəveɪn/
noun
A revolving pointer to show the direction of the wind, typically mounted on top of a building.

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In Arizona, few people would expect to see a lobster as the direction indicator of a weathervane. In Maine and other parts of New England, it isn't a surprise.

[voralfred]

I wonder if weathervane can have same meaning as in french ("girouette") to describe someone (especially in politics) that keeps changing his "opinions" according to the prevailing winds, like "L'opportuniste" in Dutronc's song, the turncoat who, after turning over his coat so often it is falling to pieces, thinks that "Next revolution, I'll turn over my pants"

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

weathervane
...
In Arizona, few people would expect to see a lobster as the direction indicator of a weathervane. In Maine and other parts of New England, it isn't a surprise.

I would have sworn high and low that crustaceans don't pass wind, even silently.

This weathervane is proof they do.

[Algot Runeman]

vroom

Pronunciation: /vruːm/
informal
verb
[no object]
1 (Of a vehicle or its engine) make a roaring sound when travelling or running at high speed.
Example sentences
1.1 [with object] Cause (a vehicle’s engine) to make a roaring sound.
noun
The roaring sound of an engine or motor vehicle: the vroom of a passing motorcycle
exclamation
Used to convey the idea of speed or acceleration: press the ignition button and vroom!

Origin
1960s: imitative.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Victor varied his speed from fast to blazingly fast. Zero to sixty always generated a very pleasing "Vroom!"

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

vroom

In Flemish dialect it's pronounced exactly the same, though spelled "VROEM".

But here in Flanders it means "Go back and start over!".
Somewhat similar to Monopoly's "Go directly to jail ..."
Usually "VROEM!" needs to be said only once ...

Note that it is not a harsh command but more of a gentle chiding.
Example:
I'm sitting in the garden, enjoying a refreshingly cool breeze and the shade of the tree.
My female friend comes outside with a tray bearing cups, a pot of coffee and cookies.
Putting the tray down on the little table, she mutters: "Oh, I forgot the cream for the coffee."
I would reply: "Vroem!" and point a finger at the kitchen.

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

dulcian

Pronunciation: /ˈdʌlsɪən/
noun
1 An early type of bassoon made in one piece.
2 Any of various organ stops, typically with 8-foot funnel-shaped flue pipes or 8- or 16-foot reed pipes.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from German Dulzian, or a variant of dulciana.

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He dearly wanted to play the saxophone in a rock band, but Dan was the only one in the community who could handle the dulcian and had been inexorably drawn into the classical orchestra.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

dulcian

Thanks for that refresher.
An exquisite performance by Michele Bowen, but personally I prefer a symphonic orchestra.

Seeing or hearing the bassoon always reminds me of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.
(IIRC I saw a comparable TV show long ago, presented and conducted by Leonard Bernstein)

Watch this on YouTube in HD and full screen!

[Algot Runeman]

yoicks

Pronunciation: /jɔɪks/
exclamation
Used by fox hunters to urge on the hounds.

Origin
Mid 18th century: of unknown origin.

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Maxwell was always eager to chase, but Master's "Yoicks!" wasn't enough reason to actually catch his friend Clive.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

yoicks

When the harassed fox heard the hunter's call "Yoicks!", he must have silently cried "Yikes!" and run away.

[Algot Runeman]

coconut

Pronunciation: /ˈkəʊkənʌt/
noun
1 The large oval brown seed of a tropical palm, consisting of a hard woody husk surrounded by fibre, lined with edible white flesh and containing a clear liquid: [as modifier]: coconut shells [mass noun]: gardens produced vegetables, coconut, and pineapples
1.1 [mass noun] The flesh of a coconut, often used as food: desiccated coconut [as modifier]: coconut ice cream
2 (also coconut palm or tree) The tall palm tree that yields the coconut, which has become naturalized throughout the tropics. The tree is also a source of copra, coir, and other products: warm tropical breezes, coconut trees, and magnificent beaches [as modifier]: coconut plantations

Cocos nucifera, family Palmae.

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Mark had no qualms about sitting below the coconuts in the palm. He figured his head was hardened from soccer practice.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

coconut

The coconut has many uses.

a few examples among many:

- For many years Edmundo Ros was the BBC's darling coconut; he sang about a lack of bananas or abundant coffee, though never about coconuts,

- It has seen use as a disguise,
https://youtu.be/9JDzlhW3XTM?t=2m44s

- The coconut is a welcome exotic ingredient in the kitchen.
https://youtu.be/7PZNnGp7XM0?t=15s

[Algot Runeman]

labor

Pronunciation: /ˈleɪbə/
(Brit. labour)
noun
[mass noun]
1 Work, especially physical work: the price of repairs includes labur, parts, and VAT manual labour
1.1 Workers, especially manual workers, considered collectively: non-union casual labor
1.2 Workers considered as a social class or political force: [as modifier]: the labor movement

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Labor Day
Today we say thank you to all who work, with a day of recognition, if not a day of rest.

[voralfred]

I've labored long and hard for bread,
For honor and for riches,
But on my corns too long you've tread,
You fine-haired sons-of-b***.

The P o 8 who wrote this piece decided that honest labor did not bring enough recognition, so he turned criminal. He himself considered his poems (P o Ms?) as crimes on their own.

[Algot Runeman]

pseudomorph

Pronunciation: /ˈsjuːdə(ʊ)mɔːf/
Crystallography
noun
A crystal consisting of one mineral but having the form of another.
verb
[with object]
Replace (another substance) to form a pseudomorph: actinolite and hornblende typically pseudomorph pyroxene

Origin
Mid 19th century: from pseudo- 'false' + Greek morphē 'form'.

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Sarah sat silently on the pseudomorph, a trunk of petrified wood which looked exactly like the wooden trunk across from her on which sat Billy. He was trying to teach her all about fossils and other science stuff. All she could do was stare at his handsome face. Not a single one of his smart words stuck in her brain. Unlike the tree trunk, she would not be changed at all by the influx of new material.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

pseudomorph
...
Sarah sat silently on the pseudomorph, a trunk of petrified wood which looked exactly like the wooden trunk across from her on which sat Billy. He was trying to teach her all about fossils and other science stuff. All she could do was stare at his handsome face. Not a single one of his smart words stuck in her brain. Unlike the tree trunk, she would not be changed at all by the influx of new material.
...

Observing this couple, you would assume they're playing the *opposite* of a MMOPRPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Pseudomorphing Role-Playing Game).

Guess in what element(s) exactly it is an opposite.

[Algot Runeman]

mythos

Pronunciation: /ˈmʌɪθɒs/
Pronunciation: /ˈmɪθɒs/
noun (plural mythoi /ˈmɪθɔɪ/)
chiefly technical
1 A myth or mythology: the Arthurian mythos
1.1 A traditional or recurrent narrative theme or plot structure.

Origin
Mid 18th century: from Greek.

--=--=--=--=--=--=--

The mythos of "The Pedestrian" runs through the illustrative work of the word of the day. There has not, however, been significant critical analysis applied to the recurrent theme. This author is not sure if that is accidental omission or intent. Perhaps it will fall to future scholars to weigh in on such issues, allowing current contributions to be free of academic apologetics.

[Algot Runeman]

dendroid

Pronunciation: /ˈdɛndrɔɪd/
adjective
Biology
(Of a plant, marine invertebrate, or structure) tree-shaped; branching.
noun
Palaeontology
A graptolite of a type that formed much-branched colonies, found chiefly in the Ordovician and Silurian periods.
Order Dendroidea, class Graptolithina.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from dendro- 'tree' + -oid.

==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==

Bob-X-20AF, an experimental android, was popular with the kids. If an object was dendroid, he would carefully examine it. If it was an actual tree, he helped the kids build tree houses. If it was just a branching sculpture, he warned the kids to stay off and kept the artist happy.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

dendroid

In my man-cave I have a little robot to pick up things and dust the floor, or rather UNdust the floor (as opposed to a crop duster).

As this man cave is my personal den, I refer to the little robot as my "dendroid".
(Maybe I've watched Star Wars movies too often?)

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

phoresy

Pronunciation: /fəˈriːsi/
Pronunciation: /ˈfɒrəsi/
noun
[mass noun] Zoology
An association between two organisms in which one (e.g. a mite) travels on the body of another, without being a parasite.

Origin
1920s: from French phorésie, from Greek phorēsis 'being carried'.

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Jake sat atop his favorite gelding, Joe, riding along the fence line. Joe carried him easily, just as Jake carried little critters like the mites on his skin, phoresy in action. Joe, however, was aware he was being ridden.

[Algot Runeman]

muskeg

Pronunciation: /ˈmʌskɛɡ/
noun
A swamp or bog in northern North America: [as modifier]: muskeg swamps [mass noun]: 700 miles of muskeg and mountains

Origin
Early 19th century: from Cree.

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Mark maneuvered his quad along the edge of the massive muskeg. There were streams in there where the fish were big and sure to bite. Best off-track fishing in the north!


Photo Credit: Mel Green

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

muskeg

When my grandma visited any muskeggy countryside, she made sure to wear rubber boots.

Wellies as they call that watertight footwear in Glastonbury and other British music festivals.

Spoiler: show

Look at her feet. Her FEET!