GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

raglan

Wasn't Raglan also a precursor of Videolan?

[Algot Runeman]

tedious

/ˈtiːdɪəs/ [tee-dee-us]
adjective
Too long, slow, or dull; tiresome or monotonous.

Origin
Late Middle English from Old French tedieus or late Latin taediosus, from Latin taedium (see tedium).

==========

Ted failed to stifle a yawn as Professor Wandus reiterated the obscure logic behind yet another tedious Victorian era story line.



[For the record, today's Lexico offering was ambush, but the sticklers in this austere, angst-ridden, and august group might have complained that ambuscade has already been used and disqualified the lesser cousin. To avoid tedious rehash of ancient arguments of precedent process, I chose an alternate word (even if it isn't from an alternate universe). There, is that a tedious enough explanation for you?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

tedious

For the record, today's Lexico offering was ambush, but the sticklers in this austere, angst-ridden, and august group might have complained that ambuscade has already been used and disqualified the lesser cousin. To avoid tedious rehash of ancient arguments of precedent process, I chose an alternate word (even if it isn't from an alternate universe). There, is that a tedious enough explanation for you?

Just reading the quoted paragraph can be tedious.
Five times ! I've tried reading it to its end, but I still haven't managed it because halfway through I fell .

Sorry!

Though I'm not giving up ... yet.

Spoiler: show

Of course I'm fibbing here!

[Algot Runeman]

scapegoat

/ˈskeɪpɡəʊt/ [skape-goat]
noun
1 A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency.
2 (in the Bible) a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it (Lev. 16).
verb
[with object]
Make a scapegoat of.

Origin
Mid 16th century from archaic scape ‘escape’ + goat.

==========

Simon sought solace in being selected today's class scapegoat. Tomorrow he had such plans, and someone else would take the blame.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

scapegoat

IMHO Sylvester Stallone wasn't too bad in his role of escapegoat (twice up to now).
A somewhat doting Rambo, eh?

Spoiler: show

P.S.
Look who's talking. I'm 2 years older than Rambo.
I barely escaped knowing the German SS.

[Algot Runeman]

E.P.S.,
Have you seen the recent release "Rambo: Last Blood"?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

E.P.S.,
Have you seen the recent release "Rambo: Last Blood"?

No, not yet.
But I won't fail to (Torrent or Usenet, whatever).
Somewhat decrepit as I am, I like to see other (younger) people struggle, you know?

Spoiler: show

Sorry, fibbing again. Couldn't restrain myself.

[Algot Runeman]

pseudonym

/ˈsjuːdənɪm/ [sue-dough-nim]
noun
A fictitious name, especially one used by an author.

Origin
Early 19th century from French pseudonyme, from Greek pseudōnymos, from pseudēs ‘false’ + onuma ‘name’.

==========

Frank made a modest living selling barn burner romance novels using the pseudonym, Sue Downing. Nobody cared.



[This word is a substitute for the Lexico suggestion contronym which we have examined before. It made me think about the multitude of "-nym" words we have in English. I wonder how many there are?]

• synonym
• antonym
• pseudonym
• contronym

The floodgates are open. Let the deluge of answers begin.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

pseudonym
...
The floodgates are open. Let the deluge of answers begin.

http://www.fun-with-words.com/nym_words.html

[Algot Runeman]

E.P.S.,

Well...that was too easy!

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

pseudonym
...
It made me think about the multitude of "-nym" words we have in English. I wonder how many there are?
...

Milktooth Nymph ?

[Algot Runeman]

transfix

/transˈfɪks/ [trans-fix]
verb
[with object]
1 Cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment.
2 Pierce with a sharp implement or weapon.

Origin
Late 16th century (in transfix (sense 2)): from Latin transfix- ‘pierced through’, from the verb transfigere, from trans- ‘across’ + figere ‘fix, fasten’.

==========

Benny was transfixed, not by some evil stare, but by the spikes through his feet into the planking of the deck.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

transfix

When the carpenter made to remove the transfixing spikes,
the Centurion cried: "NOOO, you idiot! The ones from his feet first!"

Spoiler: show

[Algot Runeman]

eloquent

/ˈɛləkwənt/ [el-oh-kwent]
adjective
1 Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
1.1 Clearly expressing or indicating something.

Origin
Late Middle English via Old French from Latin eloquent- ‘speaking out’, from the verb eloqui (see eloquence).

==========

Sometimes one is most eloquent when remaining silent.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

eloquent
...

The dog's body language appears quite eloquent.
Its hanging ears are almost dripping sadness.

[Algot Runeman]

divulge

/dʌɪˈvʌldʒ/ /dɪˈvʌldʒ/ [die-vulge]
verb
[with object]
Make known (private or sensitive information)

Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense ‘announce publicly’): from Latin divulgare, from di- ‘widely’ + vulgare ‘publish’ (from vulgus ‘common people’).

==========

Do not divulge your passwords to callers on the phone. Oh, sorry, I am preaching to the choir here, right?

[Algot Runeman]

mockery

/ˈmɒk(ə)ri/ [mok-er-ee]
noun mockeries
mass noun
1 Teasing and contemptuous language or behavior directed at a particular person or thing.
1.1 in singular - An absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something.
1.2 archaic - Ludicrously futile action.

Origin

Late Middle English from Old French moquerie, from mocquer ‘to deride’.

==========

We do not, here, use mockery.
It is too unpleasant and unkind.
And we think that you will find
We also don't throw crockery.

[Algot Runeman]

retrace

/rɪˈtreɪs/ [ree-trace]
verb
[with object]
1 Go back over (the same route that one has just taken)
1.1 Discover and follow (a route taken by someone else)
1.2 Trace (something) back to its source or beginning.

Origin
Late 17th century from French retracer.

==========

With some lack of grace,
To prepare for this space,
Though it is not a race,
The illustrations, I do trace.

If there's a big mistake
With the image that I make
For my and everyone's sake
I retrace to fix the break.

[Algot Runeman]

circuit

/ˈsəːkɪt/ [sir'-cut]
noun
1 A roughly circular line, route, or movement that starts and finishes at the same place.
1.1 British A track used for motor racing, horse racing, or athletics.
2 An established itinerary of events or venues used for a particular activity, typically involving sport or public performance.
2.1 A series of athletic exercises performed consecutively in one training session.
2.2 A regular journey made by a judge around a particular district to hear cases in court.
2.3 A district administered or formerly administered by travelling judges.
2.4 A group of local Methodist Churches forming an administrative unit.
2.5 A chain of theatres or cinemas under a single management.
3 A complete and closed path around which a circulating electric current can flow.
3.1 A system of electrical conductors and components forming an electrical circuit.

Origin
Late Middle English via Old French from Latin circuitus, from circuire, variant of circumire ‘go round’, from circum ‘around’ + ire ‘go’.

==========

Sid's seventh grade science students studied simple circuits during several classroom sessions.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

circuit

Sometimes I catch myself in circuitous reasoning.
As soon as I realise it, I cut it out and call it wishfull thinking.

[Algot Runeman]

amass

/əˈmas/ [uh-mass]
verb
[with object]
1 Gather together or accumulate (a large amount or number of material or things) over a period of time.
1.1 archaic - no object Gather together in a crowd or group.

Origin
Late 15th century from French amasser or medieval Latin amassare, based on Latin massa ‘lump’ (see mass).

==========

In our attempt to amass a gargantuan vocabulary we will try to avoid overusing any of the words we collect.

[Algot Runeman]

wriggle

/ˈrɪɡ(ə)l/ [rigul]
verb
1 Twist and turn with quick writhing movements.
no object ‘the puppy wriggled in his arms’
with object ‘she wriggled her bare, brown toes’
1.1 no object, with adverbial of direction Move in a particular direction with wriggling movements.
2 wriggle out of - no object - Avoid (something) by devious means.
noun
A wriggling movement.

Origin
Late 15th century from Middle Low German wriggelen, frequentative of wriggen ‘twist, turn’.

==========

Since you have caught me with the diamonds in my hand and the safe cracked open beside us, I will probably not wriggle out of this mess.

[Algot Runeman]

reactionary

/rɪˈakʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ [re-akshuh-nary]
adjective
Opposing political or social progress or reform.
noun reactionaries
A reactionary person.

==========

Though he only wore a crown in his locked private bathroom, the President was an avowed reactionary.

[Algot Runeman]

filament

/ˈfɪləm(ə)nt/ [fill-uh-ment]
noun
1 A slender threadlike object or fibre, especially one found in animal or plant structures.
1.1 Botany The slender part of a stamen that supports the anther.
1.2 Astronomy A slender, elongated body of luminous gas or other material in the sun’s atmosphere, a nebula, or interstellar space.
2 A conducting wire or thread with a high melting point, forming part of an electric bulb or thermionic valve and heated or made incandescent by an electric current.

Origin
Late 16th century from French, or from modern Latin filamentum, from late Latin filare ‘to spin’, from Latin filum ‘thread’.

==========

Bulbs with light emitting diodes (LED) are being designed to mimic early "Edison style" incandescent filament lightbulbs.

[Algot Runeman]

recurrent

/rɪˈkʌr(ə)nt/ [re-cur-ent]
adjective
1 Occurring often or repeatedly.
2 Anatomy - (of a nerve or blood vessel) turning back so as to reverse direction.

Origin
Late 16th century (in recurrent (sense 2)): from Latin recurrent- ‘running back’, from the verb recurrere (see recur).

==========

Rule: Repetition, no. Recurrence, okay. It's an issue of focus.