Word of the Day Monday August 27, 2007
atelier \at-l-YAY\, noun: A workshop; a studio.
A garage in Montparnasse served as Leo's atelier, and there he labored on his huge triptychs, mixing his paints in buckets and applying them with a kitchen mop.
-- Mordecai Richler, Barney's Version
After Groton, he would attend the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School, then settle in Paris, rent an atelier and paint.
-- Benjamin Welles, Sumner Welles: FDR's Global Strategist
His atelier was the headquarters of a lively little cottage industry.
-- Rollene W. Saal, "Listening for Voices That are Muted", New York Times, January 25, 1987
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Atelier comes from French, from Old French astelier, "carpenter's shop," from astele, "splinter," from Late Latin astella, alteration of Latin astula, itself an alteration of assula, "a shaving, a chip," diminutive of assis, "board."
GAME: Word of the Day (WOTD)
Word of the Day Tuesday August 28, 2007
pukka \PUHK-uh\, adjective: 1. Authentic; genuine. 2. Good of its kind; first-class.
He talks like the quintessential pukka Englishman and quotes Chesterton and Kipling by the yard and yet he has chosen to live most of his adult life abroad.
-- Lynn Barber, "Bell book . . . and then what?", The Observer, August 27, 2000
If he does not have a house, the government gives him a pukka residence, not a . . . shack on the pavement but a solid construction.
-- Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet
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Pukka comes from Hindi pakka, "cooked, ripe," from Sanskrit pakva-, from pacati, "he cooks."
pukka \PUHK-uh\, adjective: 1. Authentic; genuine. 2. Good of its kind; first-class.
He talks like the quintessential pukka Englishman and quotes Chesterton and Kipling by the yard and yet he has chosen to live most of his adult life abroad.
-- Lynn Barber, "Bell book . . . and then what?", The Observer, August 27, 2000
If he does not have a house, the government gives him a pukka residence, not a . . . shack on the pavement but a solid construction.
-- Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet
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Pukka comes from Hindi pakka, "cooked, ripe," from Sanskrit pakva-, from pacati, "he cooks."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Wednesday August 29, 2007
cajole \kuh-JOHL\, transitive: To persuade with flattery, repeated appeals, or soothing words; to coax.
If Robert had been an ordinary ten-year-old he would have cajoled and whined, asked and asked and asked until I snapped at him to keep quiet.
-- Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue
One of Virgil's great accomplishments was his ability to charm, cajole, weasel people out of their bad moods, especially when their bads moods inconvenienced him.
-- Anthony Tommasini, Virgil Thomson: Composer on the Aisle
Whiz kept to himself and spent long hours every day studying financials and technical charts and reading impenetrable economic publications. Even the warden had tried to cajole him into sharing market tips.
-- Belfry Holdings, The Brethren
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Cajole derives from Early Modern French cajoler, originally, "to chatter like a bird in a cage, to sing; hence, to amuse with idle talk, to flatter," from Old French gaiole, jaiole, "a cage," from Medieval Latin caveola, "a small cage," from Latin cavea, "an enclosure, a den for animals, a bird cage," from cavus, "hollow." It is related to cave, cage and jail (British gaol).
cajole \kuh-JOHL\, transitive: To persuade with flattery, repeated appeals, or soothing words; to coax.
If Robert had been an ordinary ten-year-old he would have cajoled and whined, asked and asked and asked until I snapped at him to keep quiet.
-- Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue
One of Virgil's great accomplishments was his ability to charm, cajole, weasel people out of their bad moods, especially when their bads moods inconvenienced him.
-- Anthony Tommasini, Virgil Thomson: Composer on the Aisle
Whiz kept to himself and spent long hours every day studying financials and technical charts and reading impenetrable economic publications. Even the warden had tried to cajole him into sharing market tips.
-- Belfry Holdings, The Brethren
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Cajole derives from Early Modern French cajoler, originally, "to chatter like a bird in a cage, to sing; hence, to amuse with idle talk, to flatter," from Old French gaiole, jaiole, "a cage," from Medieval Latin caveola, "a small cage," from Latin cavea, "an enclosure, a den for animals, a bird cage," from cavus, "hollow." It is related to cave, cage and jail (British gaol).
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Thursday August 30, 2007
supernal \soo-PUR-nuhl\, adjective: 1. Being in or coming from the heavens or a higher place or region. 2. Relating or belonging to things above; celestial; heavenly. 3. Lofty; of surpassing excellence.
In 1616, a pope and a cardinal inquisitor reprimanded Galileo, warning him to curtail his forays into the supernal realms.
-- Dava Sobel, Galileo's Daughter
Liu Mengmei has more to worry about from earthly authorities who would behead him for plundering tombs than from any supernal force.
-- Edward Rothstein, "Even for Death's Escapees, the Myth Says, There Are Rules", New York Times, July 24, 1999
Then comes what may be the most supernal sequence in all opera -- the Countess' lament in "Dove sono" and the letter duet, with only the tiniest interruption in the middle as the Count and Antonio cross the stage plotting to snare Cherubino.
-- "In Review: From Around the World", Opera News, May 1999
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Supernal derives from Latin supernus, "above, upper, top, hence celestial," from super, "over, above."
supernal \soo-PUR-nuhl\, adjective: 1. Being in or coming from the heavens or a higher place or region. 2. Relating or belonging to things above; celestial; heavenly. 3. Lofty; of surpassing excellence.
In 1616, a pope and a cardinal inquisitor reprimanded Galileo, warning him to curtail his forays into the supernal realms.
-- Dava Sobel, Galileo's Daughter
Liu Mengmei has more to worry about from earthly authorities who would behead him for plundering tombs than from any supernal force.
-- Edward Rothstein, "Even for Death's Escapees, the Myth Says, There Are Rules", New York Times, July 24, 1999
Then comes what may be the most supernal sequence in all opera -- the Countess' lament in "Dove sono" and the letter duet, with only the tiniest interruption in the middle as the Count and Antonio cross the stage plotting to snare Cherubino.
-- "In Review: From Around the World", Opera News, May 1999
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Supernal derives from Latin supernus, "above, upper, top, hence celestial," from super, "over, above."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Friday August 31, 2007
egregious \ih-GREE-juhs\, adjective: Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.
But by failing to understand the asymmetry of commitment between the United States and the Vietnamese communists, they paved the way for committing the most egregious error a country going to war can make: underestimating the adversary's capacity to prevail while overestimating one's own.
-- Jeffrey Record, The Wrong War
Mr. Gordon says he does not particularly like President Clinton, who also gets lavished with high job-approval ratings despite egregious personal acts.
-- Maureen Dowd, "Streetcar Named Betrayal.", New York Times, February 24, 1999
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Egregious derives from Latin egregius, separated or chosen from the herd, from e-, ex-, out of, from + grex, greg-, herd, flock. Egregious was formerly used with words importing a good quality (that which was distinguished "from the herd" because of excellence), but now it is joined with words having a bad sense. It is related to congregate (to "flock together," from con-, together, with + gregare, to assemble, from grex); segregate (from segregare, to separate from the herd, from se-, apart + gregare); and gregarious (from gregarius, belonging to a flock).
egregious \ih-GREE-juhs\, adjective: Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.
But by failing to understand the asymmetry of commitment between the United States and the Vietnamese communists, they paved the way for committing the most egregious error a country going to war can make: underestimating the adversary's capacity to prevail while overestimating one's own.
-- Jeffrey Record, The Wrong War
Mr. Gordon says he does not particularly like President Clinton, who also gets lavished with high job-approval ratings despite egregious personal acts.
-- Maureen Dowd, "Streetcar Named Betrayal.", New York Times, February 24, 1999
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Egregious derives from Latin egregius, separated or chosen from the herd, from e-, ex-, out of, from + grex, greg-, herd, flock. Egregious was formerly used with words importing a good quality (that which was distinguished "from the herd" because of excellence), but now it is joined with words having a bad sense. It is related to congregate (to "flock together," from con-, together, with + gregare, to assemble, from grex); segregate (from segregare, to separate from the herd, from se-, apart + gregare); and gregarious (from gregarius, belonging to a flock).
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
She rejected, with the most indurate effrontery even the most amicable, almost supernal cajolings of the pukka plenipotentiary of the anti-slavery faction. "I'll defenestrate my slaves from the windows of the atelier rather than manumit them", the egregious and mordacious termagant riposted.
Anyone has Tylenol, please?
Anyone has Tylenol, please?
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
Word of the Day Tuesday September 4, 2007
commination \kom-uh-NAY-shuhn\, noun: 1. A denunciation. 2. A threat of punishment.
Vishnevskaya's powerful story is full of ferocious, grandly operatic comminations of vicious authorities and toadying colleagues.
-- Terry Teachout, review of Galina: A Russian Story by Galina Vishnevskaya, National Review, March 22, 1985
At last the leaders of the Democratic Party have moved decisively, hauling out their ripest comminations and hurling them at -- no, not at George Bush.
-- Alexander Cockburn, "No place in the Democratic Party", The Nation, March 31, 2003
An early copy had been seen by Anne Fine, our retiring Children's Laureate, and, as one of her final acts..., she issued a commination against it in the Guardian newspaper, buttressed by many spicy quotations.
-- Brian Alderson, "Message in a bottle", Horn Book Magazine, September 1, 2003
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Commination is derived from Latin comminatio, commination-, from comminari, "to threaten," from com-, intensive prefix + minari, "to threaten."
commination \kom-uh-NAY-shuhn\, noun: 1. A denunciation. 2. A threat of punishment.
Vishnevskaya's powerful story is full of ferocious, grandly operatic comminations of vicious authorities and toadying colleagues.
-- Terry Teachout, review of Galina: A Russian Story by Galina Vishnevskaya, National Review, March 22, 1985
At last the leaders of the Democratic Party have moved decisively, hauling out their ripest comminations and hurling them at -- no, not at George Bush.
-- Alexander Cockburn, "No place in the Democratic Party", The Nation, March 31, 2003
An early copy had been seen by Anne Fine, our retiring Children's Laureate, and, as one of her final acts..., she issued a commination against it in the Guardian newspaper, buttressed by many spicy quotations.
-- Brian Alderson, "Message in a bottle", Horn Book Magazine, September 1, 2003
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Commination is derived from Latin comminatio, commination-, from comminari, "to threaten," from com-, intensive prefix + minari, "to threaten."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Wednesday September 5, 2007
antiquarian \an-tuh-KWAIR-ee-uhn\, noun: 1. One who collects, studies, or deals in objects or relics from the past.
adjective: 1. Of or pertaining to antiquarians or objects or relics from the past. 2. Dealing in or concerned with old or rare books.
From the depositions filed with the Loyalist Claims Commission after the Revolution, from a handful of letters gathered by an antiquarian at the beginning of the twentieth century, and from scattered court papers in scattered archives, it is possible to piece together some of the family's history.
-- Linda K. Kerber, No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies
Except to antiquarians and preservationists, silent cinema has little presence on the cultural radar screen, its landmark films unrented on video, its iconic images spotted only as fodder for video collage on MTV.
-- Thomas Doherty, Pre-Code Hollywood
Indeed, the evident attention to detail and studied historicism bore the impress of Truefitt's years with the antiquarian Cottingham.
-- Francis R. Kowsky, Country, Park & City
A friend of mine, the manager of an antiquarian bookshop in Leningrad in the 1960s, told me that he remembered well the twice-monthly visits of a matronly lady from the censorship bureau, who spent hours rifling through the thousands of books on his shelves, checking them against her latest copy of the Summary List (which was always being updated).
-- David King, The Commissar Vanishes
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Antiquarian is from Latin antiquarius, "pertaining to antiquity," from antiquus, "ancient."
antiquarian \an-tuh-KWAIR-ee-uhn\, noun: 1. One who collects, studies, or deals in objects or relics from the past.
adjective: 1. Of or pertaining to antiquarians or objects or relics from the past. 2. Dealing in or concerned with old or rare books.
From the depositions filed with the Loyalist Claims Commission after the Revolution, from a handful of letters gathered by an antiquarian at the beginning of the twentieth century, and from scattered court papers in scattered archives, it is possible to piece together some of the family's history.
-- Linda K. Kerber, No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies
Except to antiquarians and preservationists, silent cinema has little presence on the cultural radar screen, its landmark films unrented on video, its iconic images spotted only as fodder for video collage on MTV.
-- Thomas Doherty, Pre-Code Hollywood
Indeed, the evident attention to detail and studied historicism bore the impress of Truefitt's years with the antiquarian Cottingham.
-- Francis R. Kowsky, Country, Park & City
A friend of mine, the manager of an antiquarian bookshop in Leningrad in the 1960s, told me that he remembered well the twice-monthly visits of a matronly lady from the censorship bureau, who spent hours rifling through the thousands of books on his shelves, checking them against her latest copy of the Summary List (which was always being updated).
-- David King, The Commissar Vanishes
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Antiquarian is from Latin antiquarius, "pertaining to antiquity," from antiquus, "ancient."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
It was my dream growing up to become an antiquarian book dealer!Word of the Day Thursday September 6, 2007
evince \ih-VIN(T)S\, transitive verb: To show in a clear manner; to manifest; to make evident; to bring to light.
The study showed that girls were better prepared for class, had better attendance records, and evinced more positive academic behavior overall.
-- Christina Hoff Sommers, The War Against Boys
Though his earliest tales are little more than quick, offhand sketches seasoned with slapstick humor, his mature stories evince the psychological complexity and atmospheric detail that distinguish his best-known plays.
-- "Quick Trips Through the Imagination", New York Times, July 12, 2000
Those who supported the war in Vietnam evinced no such fears and no reluctance about new adventures abroad.
-- William M. Leogrande, Our Own Backyard
At no time in her life did Tina evince religious faith, and, a few years later, she would declare outright that she had "[no] belief or religion."
-- Patricia Albers, Shadows, Fire, Snow: The Life of Tina Modotti
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Evince is from Latin evincere, "to conquer entirely, to prevail over, to prove irresistibly," from e- (here used intensively) + vincere, "to conquer."
evince \ih-VIN(T)S\, transitive verb: To show in a clear manner; to manifest; to make evident; to bring to light.
The study showed that girls were better prepared for class, had better attendance records, and evinced more positive academic behavior overall.
-- Christina Hoff Sommers, The War Against Boys
Though his earliest tales are little more than quick, offhand sketches seasoned with slapstick humor, his mature stories evince the psychological complexity and atmospheric detail that distinguish his best-known plays.
-- "Quick Trips Through the Imagination", New York Times, July 12, 2000
Those who supported the war in Vietnam evinced no such fears and no reluctance about new adventures abroad.
-- William M. Leogrande, Our Own Backyard
At no time in her life did Tina evince religious faith, and, a few years later, she would declare outright that she had "[no] belief or religion."
-- Patricia Albers, Shadows, Fire, Snow: The Life of Tina Modotti
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Evince is from Latin evincere, "to conquer entirely, to prevail over, to prove irresistibly," from e- (here used intensively) + vincere, "to conquer."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Friday September 7, 2007
salient \SAY-lee-unt; SAYL-yunt\, adjective: 1. Shooting out or up; projecting. 2. Forcing itself on the attention; prominent; conspicuous; noticeable. 3. Leaping; springing; jumping.
noun: 1. An outwardly projecting part of a fortification, trench system, or line of defense. 2. A projecting angle or part.
What I had in mind was an autobiography in which, while treating my person with due reverence, I would present a firsthand account of recent events in Europe that put me in the running for both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize (to acquaint you right away with one of my salient characteristics: megalomania).
-- Thomas Brussig, Heroes Like Us, Translated by John Brownjohn
He gave science an exciting, positive image when many Americans were skeptical of it, worried that its most salient effect was to disenchant the universe and undercut religion.
-- David A. Hollinger, "Star Power", New York Times, November 28, 1999
The strength of the hypothesis is that it simultaneously explains all these salient features, none of which had satisfactory independent explanations.
-- Paul F. Hoffman and Daniel P. Schrag, "Snowball Earth", Scientific American, January 2000
He was killed during an attack on German positions dug into Ploegsteert Wood on the Ypres salient.
-- Russell Jenkins and Stephen Farrell, "Search begins for family of Flanders fusilier", Times (London), January 10, 2000
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Salient derives from the present participle of Latin salire, to leap. Other words deriving from salire are sally, to leap forth or rush out suddenly; and perhaps salmon, the "leaping" fish.
salient \SAY-lee-unt; SAYL-yunt\, adjective: 1. Shooting out or up; projecting. 2. Forcing itself on the attention; prominent; conspicuous; noticeable. 3. Leaping; springing; jumping.
noun: 1. An outwardly projecting part of a fortification, trench system, or line of defense. 2. A projecting angle or part.
What I had in mind was an autobiography in which, while treating my person with due reverence, I would present a firsthand account of recent events in Europe that put me in the running for both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize (to acquaint you right away with one of my salient characteristics: megalomania).
-- Thomas Brussig, Heroes Like Us, Translated by John Brownjohn
He gave science an exciting, positive image when many Americans were skeptical of it, worried that its most salient effect was to disenchant the universe and undercut religion.
-- David A. Hollinger, "Star Power", New York Times, November 28, 1999
The strength of the hypothesis is that it simultaneously explains all these salient features, none of which had satisfactory independent explanations.
-- Paul F. Hoffman and Daniel P. Schrag, "Snowball Earth", Scientific American, January 2000
He was killed during an attack on German positions dug into Ploegsteert Wood on the Ypres salient.
-- Russell Jenkins and Stephen Farrell, "Search begins for family of Flanders fusilier", Times (London), January 10, 2000
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Salient derives from the present participle of Latin salire, to leap. Other words deriving from salire are sally, to leap forth or rush out suddenly; and perhaps salmon, the "leaping" fish.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Monday September 10, 2007
cozen \KUZ-un\, transitive verb: 1. To cheat; to defraud; to deceive, usually by petty tricks. 2. To obtain by deceit.
intransitive verb: 1. To act deceitfully.
You would naturally not think so flat a rogue could cozen you. But have a care! These half idiots have a sort of cunning, as the skunk has its stench.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Master of Ballantrae
The men who circle endlessly around her are mostly louts and losers. We watch them, at some length, as they drink, dope, cozen each other and tirelessly mistreat women.
-- Brad Leithauser, "Capturer of Hearts", New York Times, April 7, 1996
Pound, discussing Loy and Moore together, made a stab: "In the verses of Marianne Moore I detect traces of emotion; in that of Mina Loy I detect no emotion whatever." No, not absence of feeling; refusal, rather, to cozen her readers by appeal to feeling.
-- Hugh Kenner, "To Be the Brancusi of Poetry", New York Times, May 16, 1982
The rich man, argued Fox, is 'the greatest thief' because he acquired his wealth 'by cozening and cheating, by lying and defrauding'.
-- James Walvin, The Quakers
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Cozen perhaps derives from Early Modern French cousiner, "to defraud; literally to treat as if a cousin (hence to claim to be a cousin in order to defraud)," from Old French cosin.
cozen \KUZ-un\, transitive verb: 1. To cheat; to defraud; to deceive, usually by petty tricks. 2. To obtain by deceit.
intransitive verb: 1. To act deceitfully.
You would naturally not think so flat a rogue could cozen you. But have a care! These half idiots have a sort of cunning, as the skunk has its stench.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Master of Ballantrae
The men who circle endlessly around her are mostly louts and losers. We watch them, at some length, as they drink, dope, cozen each other and tirelessly mistreat women.
-- Brad Leithauser, "Capturer of Hearts", New York Times, April 7, 1996
Pound, discussing Loy and Moore together, made a stab: "In the verses of Marianne Moore I detect traces of emotion; in that of Mina Loy I detect no emotion whatever." No, not absence of feeling; refusal, rather, to cozen her readers by appeal to feeling.
-- Hugh Kenner, "To Be the Brancusi of Poetry", New York Times, May 16, 1982
The rich man, argued Fox, is 'the greatest thief' because he acquired his wealth 'by cozening and cheating, by lying and defrauding'.
-- James Walvin, The Quakers
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Cozen perhaps derives from Early Modern French cousiner, "to defraud; literally to treat as if a cousin (hence to claim to be a cousin in order to defraud)," from Old French cosin.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Tollbaby: from some of the things you have posted I think (JMHO) you like to put you father down and try to make him feel stupid. (again JMHO)
Word of the Day Tuesday September 11, 2007
plangent \PLAN-juhnt\, adjective: 1. Beating with a loud or deep sound, as, "the plangent wave." 2. Expressing sadness; plaintive.
She moans along with the woman who is singing -- wailing, really -- her hands gripping the steering wheel to the plangent cries of the singer and the sobbing of violins.
-- Alice Walker, By the Light of My Father's Smile
What undoubtedly touched those soldiers is the play's plangent nostalgia, the ache for home, for home's rootedness and security.
-- J. D. McClatchy, "Wilder and the Marvels of the Heart", New York Times, April 13, 1997
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Plangent derives from the present participle of Latin plangere, to beat, to strike (noisily), especially to strike the breast, head, etc. as a sign of grief.
Word of the Day Tuesday September 11, 2007
plangent \PLAN-juhnt\, adjective: 1. Beating with a loud or deep sound, as, "the plangent wave." 2. Expressing sadness; plaintive.
She moans along with the woman who is singing -- wailing, really -- her hands gripping the steering wheel to the plangent cries of the singer and the sobbing of violins.
-- Alice Walker, By the Light of My Father's Smile
What undoubtedly touched those soldiers is the play's plangent nostalgia, the ache for home, for home's rootedness and security.
-- J. D. McClatchy, "Wilder and the Marvels of the Heart", New York Times, April 13, 1997
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Plangent derives from the present participle of Latin plangere, to beat, to strike (noisily), especially to strike the breast, head, etc. as a sign of grief.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Wednesday September 12, 2007
impassible \im-PASS-uh-buhl\, adjective: 1. Incapable of suffering; not subject to harm or pain. 2. Unfeeling or not showing feeling.
Body is flux and frustration, a locus of pain and process. If it becomes impassible and incorruptible, how is it still body?
-- Jeffrey Burton Russell, A History of Heaven
As he was a man of much dignity, with an impassible face, it was impossible to say whether he felt inwardly glad that the end had finally come, or felt sad over the result, and was too manly to show it
-- Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs
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Impassible is from Late Latin impassibilis, from Latin in-, "not" + Late Latin passibilis, "passible; capable of feeling or suffering" from Latin passus, past participle of pati, "to suffer." It is related to passion, which originally meant "suffering" but came to apply to any strong feeling or emotion.
impassible \im-PASS-uh-buhl\, adjective: 1. Incapable of suffering; not subject to harm or pain. 2. Unfeeling or not showing feeling.
Body is flux and frustration, a locus of pain and process. If it becomes impassible and incorruptible, how is it still body?
-- Jeffrey Burton Russell, A History of Heaven
As he was a man of much dignity, with an impassible face, it was impossible to say whether he felt inwardly glad that the end had finally come, or felt sad over the result, and was too manly to show it
-- Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs
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Impassible is from Late Latin impassibilis, from Latin in-, "not" + Late Latin passibilis, "passible; capable of feeling or suffering" from Latin passus, past participle of pati, "to suffer." It is related to passion, which originally meant "suffering" but came to apply to any strong feeling or emotion.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Thursday September 13, 2007
roue \roo-AY\, noun: A man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; a debauchee; a rake.
I spent some time with Desmond, an old roue who was recovering from a lifetime of excesses in a village near Fontainebleau.
-- Roger Scruton, "Purely medicinal", New Statesman, October 15, 2001
She caught the eye of New York aristocrat Gouverneur Morris, ex-U.S. Minister to France, a one-legged cosmopolitan roue. (Rumor had it that a jealous husband had shot Morris's leg off.)
-- Bill Kauffman, "Unwise Passions", American Enterprise, January 2001
Yet he acted the roue to the end, carrying on an intimate liaison with a girl who worked at the asylum -- he was 74, she was 17.
-- Rex Roberts, "Write Stuff", Insight on the News, December 11, 2000
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Roue comes from French, from the past participle of rouer, "to break upon the wheel" (from the feeling that a roue deserves such a punishment), ultimately from Latin rota, "wheel."
roue \roo-AY\, noun: A man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; a debauchee; a rake.
I spent some time with Desmond, an old roue who was recovering from a lifetime of excesses in a village near Fontainebleau.
-- Roger Scruton, "Purely medicinal", New Statesman, October 15, 2001
She caught the eye of New York aristocrat Gouverneur Morris, ex-U.S. Minister to France, a one-legged cosmopolitan roue. (Rumor had it that a jealous husband had shot Morris's leg off.)
-- Bill Kauffman, "Unwise Passions", American Enterprise, January 2001
Yet he acted the roue to the end, carrying on an intimate liaison with a girl who worked at the asylum -- he was 74, she was 17.
-- Rex Roberts, "Write Stuff", Insight on the News, December 11, 2000
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Roue comes from French, from the past participle of rouer, "to break upon the wheel" (from the feeling that a roue deserves such a punishment), ultimately from Latin rota, "wheel."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Friday September 14, 2007
ignoble \ig-NOH-bul\, adjective: 1. Of low birth or family; not noble; not illustrious; plebeian; common; humble. 2. Not noble in quality, character, or purpose; characterized by baseness, lowness, or meanness.
Heroes are only human. Their noble deeds inspire, as they should. Their ignoble deeds make clear that even the greatest human is no god.
-- Don Wyclif, "Dr. King's Moral Debit", New York Times, November 14, 1989
Although she returns to Ireland, Billy counts on her coming back to marry him, and when Dennis tells him she has died from pneumonia, he's shattered for life, drowning his romantic sorrow in alcohol and sliding passively toward a drunk's ignoble death.
-- Celia McGee, "Billy' captivates with quiet strength", USA Today, December 2, 1999
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Ignoble derives from Latin ignobilis, from in- "not" + nobilis (Old Latin gnobilis), "noble."
ignoble \ig-NOH-bul\, adjective: 1. Of low birth or family; not noble; not illustrious; plebeian; common; humble. 2. Not noble in quality, character, or purpose; characterized by baseness, lowness, or meanness.
Heroes are only human. Their noble deeds inspire, as they should. Their ignoble deeds make clear that even the greatest human is no god.
-- Don Wyclif, "Dr. King's Moral Debit", New York Times, November 14, 1989
Although she returns to Ireland, Billy counts on her coming back to marry him, and when Dennis tells him she has died from pneumonia, he's shattered for life, drowning his romantic sorrow in alcohol and sliding passively toward a drunk's ignoble death.
-- Celia McGee, "Billy' captivates with quiet strength", USA Today, December 2, 1999
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Ignoble derives from Latin ignobilis, from in- "not" + nobilis (Old Latin gnobilis), "noble."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
A simple consideration of the most salient facts evinced that the commination was truthful: the impassible antiquarian had indeed cozened the ignoble but plangent roué.
SInce I have the "acute accented e" on my keyboard, I write roué as this is the correct french spelling of this word, as a past participle of a verb ending in -er has an acute accent
SInce I have the "acute accented e" on my keyboard, I write roué as this is the correct french spelling of this word, as a past participle of a verb ending in -er has an acute accent
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
Word of the Day Monday September 17, 2007
ne plus ultra \nee-plus-UL-truh; nay-\, noun: 1. The highest point, as of excellence or achievement; the acme; the pinnacle; the ultimate. 2. The most profound degree of a quality or condition.
He also penned a number of supposedly moral and improving books which . . . were the very ne plus ultra of tedium.
-- Richard West, "A life fuller than fiction", Irish Times, August 9, 1997
If you were a graduate student in the 80's and subject to the general delusion that held literary criticism to be the ne plus ultra of intellectual thrill, then you too probably owned one of these: an oversize paperback with an austere cover and small-type title that, grouped with three or more of its kind on your bookshelf, confirmed your status as an avatar of predoctoral chic.
-- Judith Shulevitz, "Correction Appended", New York Times, October 29, 1995
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Ne plus ultra is from Latin, literally, "(go) no more beyond", from ne, "not" + plus, "more" + ultra, "beyond."
ne plus ultra \nee-plus-UL-truh; nay-\, noun: 1. The highest point, as of excellence or achievement; the acme; the pinnacle; the ultimate. 2. The most profound degree of a quality or condition.
He also penned a number of supposedly moral and improving books which . . . were the very ne plus ultra of tedium.
-- Richard West, "A life fuller than fiction", Irish Times, August 9, 1997
If you were a graduate student in the 80's and subject to the general delusion that held literary criticism to be the ne plus ultra of intellectual thrill, then you too probably owned one of these: an oversize paperback with an austere cover and small-type title that, grouped with three or more of its kind on your bookshelf, confirmed your status as an avatar of predoctoral chic.
-- Judith Shulevitz, "Correction Appended", New York Times, October 29, 1995
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ne plus ultra is from Latin, literally, "(go) no more beyond", from ne, "not" + plus, "more" + ultra, "beyond."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Word of the Day Tuesday September 18, 2007
potboiler \POT-boi-lur\, noun: A usually inferior literary or artistic work, produced quickly for the purpose of making money.
The play was a mixed blessing. Through it O'Neill latched on to a perennial source of income, but the promise of his youth was essentially squandered on a potboiler.
-- Jane Scovell, Oona. Living in the Shadows
If reading and travel are two of life's most rewarding experiences, to combine them is heavenly. I don't mean sitting on a beach reading the latest potboiler, a fine form of relaxation but not exactly mind-expanding.
-- Stephen Kinzer, "Traveling Companions", New York Times, April 19, 1998
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Potboiler comes from the phrase "boil the pot," meaning "to provide one's livelihood."
potboiler \POT-boi-lur\, noun: A usually inferior literary or artistic work, produced quickly for the purpose of making money.
The play was a mixed blessing. Through it O'Neill latched on to a perennial source of income, but the promise of his youth was essentially squandered on a potboiler.
-- Jane Scovell, Oona. Living in the Shadows
If reading and travel are two of life's most rewarding experiences, to combine them is heavenly. I don't mean sitting on a beach reading the latest potboiler, a fine form of relaxation but not exactly mind-expanding.
-- Stephen Kinzer, "Traveling Companions", New York Times, April 19, 1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potboiler comes from the phrase "boil the pot," meaning "to provide one's livelihood."
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you,
S Adams
S Adams
Far from being nec plus ultra my contributions to this thread have consistently been potboilers.
I use the spelling I am used to for the latin phrase; a google search showed that in english a lot of people spell the first word "ne", but Ihave always seen it spelled as "nec"; in latin, "nec" means "and not", while "ne" means "lest", it introduces the notion of "it should not be so", rather than "it is not so"
I use the spelling I am used to for the latin phrase; a google search showed that in english a lot of people spell the first word "ne", but Ihave always seen it spelled as "nec"; in latin, "nec" means "and not", while "ne" means "lest", it introduces the notion of "it should not be so", rather than "it is not so"
Human is as human does....Animals don't weep, Nine
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]
[i]LMB, The Labyrinth [/i]