GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)

[Algot Runeman]

ethereal
(also etherial)

/ɪˈθɪərɪəl/ [e-theory-al]
adjective
1 Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world.
1.1 Heavenly or spiritual.
2 Chemistry - (of a solution) having diethyl ether as a solvent.

Origin
Early 16th century via Latin from Greek aitherios (from aithēr ‘ether’) + -al.

==========

Either Al was there or he was not. Sally really wasn't sure. He could be just ethereal, perhaps even imaginary.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

ethereal
...

Al may be ethereal, but it's not Al we see.

The silhouette is the statue by Michelangelo: the very real marble David that caught the attention of Victoria, who prudishly had a fig leaf added to her copy. Nothing ethereal about that.

[Algot Runeman]

The silhouette is the statue by Michelangelo: the very real marble David that caught the attention of Victoria, who prudishly had a fig leaf added to her copy. Nothing ethereal about that.

The statue of David
Was far too deprav-ed
So a stone leaf of fig
Soon covered his twig
For Our Dear Queen Victoria,
Or so goes the story, huh?

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

The statue of David
Was far too deprav-ed
So a stone leaf of fig
Soon covered his twig
For Our Dear Queen Victoria,
Or so goes the story, huh?

[Algot Runeman]

togetherness

/təˈɡɛðənɪs/ [to-gether-ness]
noun
mass noun
The state of being close to another person or other people.

==========

Family time togetherness
Is sometimes filled with stress
For Cousin Molly and Aunt Bess,
And makes the holidays a mess.



[For the record, I avoided some peri-holiday stress. I checked that we had not previously focused on togetherness, but immediately stopped checking "together" when the search indicated there were 185 previous uses.]

[Algot Runeman]

reveller

(US reveler)

/ˈrɛv(ə)lə/ [rev-el-ur]
noun
A person who is enjoying themselves in a lively and noisy way.

==========

Things got overly hearty
At the holiday office party.
There was way too much of drinking.
What were the bosses thinking?
And that one assistant, pretty
Who's stuck too late in the city
Rebuffing a rude reveller
Who was seeking to dishevel her.

[Algot Runeman]

subdued

sub·dued
/ˌsəbˈd(y)o͞od/
adjective
adjective: subdued
1. (of a person or their manner) quiet and rather reflective or depressed.
2. (of color or lighting) soft and restrained.

==========

When everyone else is away for the holidays, the celebration here is subdued.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

subdued
...
When everyone else is away for the holidays, the celebration here is subdued.
...

When they'll be back again, you'll have a perfect excuse for some subdued smooching.

Or would you rather canoodle exuberantly?

[Algot Runeman]

gossamer

/ˈɡɒsəmə/ [goss-uh-murr]
noun
mass noun
1 A fine, filmy substance consisting of cobwebs spun by small spiders, seen especially in autumn.
1.1 A light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate material or substance.
as modifier ‘a fine gossamer fabric that clung to her skin’

Origin
Middle English apparently from goose+ summer, perhaps from the time of year around St Martin's summer, i.e. early November, when geese were eaten (gossamer being common then).

==========

Gloria's gossamer gown drew everyone's eyes.

[Algot Runeman]

bluster

/ˈblʌstə/ [bluss-tur]
verb
[no object]
1 Talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect.
with direct speech ‘‘I don't care what he says,’ I blustered’
2 (of a storm, wind, or rain) blow or beat fiercely and noisily.
noun
mass noun
Loud, aggressive, or indignant talk with little effect.

Origin
Late Middle English ultimately imitative.

==========

He didn't get the gift he wanted.
"This wasn't on my list!" he blustered.
Mom and Dad were a bit daunted.
Tried gamely to not look flustered.

"But you'll have warm hands. son."
(Outside the window, there's no snow.)
"I don't need them to have fun!"
"Maybe, Santa missed one, I don't know."

[Algot Runeman]

tintinnabulation

/ˌtɪntɪnabjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ [tin-tin-ab-you-lay-shun]
noun
A ringing or tinkling sound.

Origin
Mid 19th century from Latin tintinnabulum ‘tinkling bell’ (from tintinnare, reduplication of tinnire ‘to ring, tinkle’) + -ation.

==========

Carol heard the tintinnabulation,
Its subtle, faint vibration.
But could not sense a location
So wandered through the empty station.

But soon came a faint mumble
Which turned into a grumble.
And then a roar, far from humble.
In a sudden crowd she did stumble.

She waited through the chaos,
Facing noise and bustle like a boss,
But after that, just silence...
And an utter sense of loss.

[Algot Runeman]

insinuate

/ɪnˈsɪnjʊeɪt/ [in-sin-you-ate]
verb
[with object]
1 Suggest or hint (something bad) in an indirect and unpleasant way.
2 Slide (oneself or a thing) slowly and smoothly into a particular place.
2.1 insinuate oneself into - Manoeuvre oneself into (a favourable position) by subtle manipulation.

Origin
Early 16th century (in the sense ‘enter (a document) on the official register’): from Latin insinuat- ‘introduced tortuously’, from the verb insinuare, from in- ‘in’ + sinuare ‘to curve’.

==========

Bob Reams Betty with Rhyme

I hate to insinuate
Anything's less than great,
But I'll just come out and say it.
"You're going to make us late!"



[It is always interesting to encounter a word which has not only gone unfocused in this forum, but also totally unused. Such is the case with today's word. Nobody has "insinuated" it into any post since the beginning back in August of 2004. Looking on the bright side, it suggests that this topic has a long future!

[Algot Runeman]

commemorative

/kəˈmɛm(ə)rətɪv/ [cuh-mem-or-uh-tiv]
adjective
Acting as a memorial of an event or person.
noun
An object such as a stamp or coin made to mark an event or honor a person.

==========

It may be that some day there will be another commemorative stamp honoring John Marshall, fourth chief justice of the US Supreme Court. That day is not today.

[Algot Runeman]

bubbly

/ˈbʌbli/ [bub-lee]
adjective - bubblier, bubbliest
1 Containing bubbles.
2 (of a person) full of cheerful high spirits.
noun
mass noun - informal
Champagne.

==========

In order to be properly bubbly for the party, Vera sampled a bottle a little before her husband arrived for their typical, exclusive celebration.



As the liquor industry helpfully reminds us: "Celebrate Responsibly".

[Algot Runeman]

consist

/kənˈsɪst/
verb
[no object]
1 consist of - Be composed or made up of.
1.1 consist in - Have as an essential feature.
2 consist with - archaic Be consistent with.
noun
A set of railway vehicles forming a complete train.

Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense ‘be located or inherent in’): from Latin consistere ‘stand firm or still, exist’, from con- ‘together’ + sistere ‘stand (still)’.

==========

I must insist, Love
I shall resist, Dove.
So don't be pissed at.
Words this rhyme consists of.

Because of last night's guzzle
Don't try to put a muzzle,
On silly words like "fuzzle"
You know this rhyme's a puzzle.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

consist
...

I see that you avoided the Belgian flag.
But this time, your illustration consists of the colours of the Romanian flag.

P.S. The use of red, white and blue could be considered, besides US, Dutch or French, or even Russian.

[Algot Runeman]

garish

/ˈɡɛːrɪʃ/ [gare-ish]
Obtrusively bright and showy; lurid.

Origin

Mid 16th century of unknown origin.

==========

Bob attempted to design a subdued flag for the parish of Garish on Maine.

[Algot Runeman]

hopscotch

/ˈhɒpskɒtʃ/ [hop-scotch]
noun
mass noun
A children's game in which each child by turn hops into and over squares marked on the ground to retrieve a marker thrown into one of these squares.
verb
North American no object, with adverbial of direction
Travel from place to place.

Origin
Early 19th century from hop+ scotch.

==========

Hank hurled the marker and quickly jumped into action on the hopscotch grid drawn by his neighbor's daughter.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

hopscotch

I was quite sure hop is used for beer, while scotch is made with malt.

Now you tell us that a person having partaken too much has a hopscotch gait?

What if the person had too much maltbeer?

[Algot Runeman]

retrospect

/ˈrɛtrəspɛkt/ [reh-trow-spekt]
'noun
A survey or review of a past course of events or period of time.
Phrases
in retrospect
When looking back on a past event or situation; with hindsight.

Origin
Early 17th century from retro-‘back’, on the pattern of the noun prospect.

==========

Retrospect

No need for a parade
To look back on a decade.
Just look over your shoulder;
You're now ten years older.

[Algot Runeman]

contradict

/kɒntrəˈdɪkt/ [con-truh-dikt]
verb
[with object]
1 Deny the truth of (a statement) by asserting the opposite.
1.1 Assert the opposite of a statement made by (someone)
1.2 Be in conflict with.

Origin
Late 16th century from Latin contradict- ‘spoken against’, from the verb contradicere, originally contra dicere ‘speak against’.

==========

It is impolite to contradict a dictator.

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

contradict

When everything is said and done, has anyone been able to contradict in retrospect?

[Algot Runeman]

imperil

/ɪmˈpɛrɪl/ /ɪmˈpɛr(ə)l/ [im-pair-ill]
verb - imperils, imperilling, imperilled; US imperiling, imperiled
[with object]
Put at risk of being harmed, injured, or destroyed.

Origin
Late Middle English from peril, probably on the pattern of endanger.

==========

Aloysius avoided imperiling his sanity the only way he knew how.

[Algot Runeman]

practical

/ˈpraktɪk(ə)l/ [prak-tih-cul]
adjective
1 Of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas.
2 (of an idea, plan, or method) likely to succeed or be effective in real circumstances; feasible.
2.1 Suitable for a particular purpose.
2.2 (of a person) sensible and realistic in their approach to a situation or problem.
2.3 (of a person) skilled at manual tasks.
3 So nearly the case that it can be regarded as so; virtual.
noun
British
An examination or lesson in which theories and procedures learned are applied to the actual making or doing of something.

Origin
Late 16th century from archaic practic ‘practical’ (from Old French practique, via late Latin from Greek praktikos ‘concerned with action’, from prattein ‘do, act’) + -al.

==========

It is good for you to practice
Well known, effective praxis.
It is also very practical
And seen as highly tactical.

Choose sticking to an axis
Falling back on praxis
Instead of veering on a slant,
Raging wildly in a rant.

Lexico gave us polyglot
To use again, we must not.
"It's been done in threes!"
The arbiters we must please.

[Algot Runeman]

jiffy

/ˈdʒɪfi/
noun
informal in singular
A very short time; a moment.

Origin
Late 18th century of unknown origin.

==========

Sometimes a word of the day takes just a jiffy. Of course, the illustration might run on longer.